3 Lessons I Learned From Being a Greeter at My Last Job
Have you ever done anything and thought it was a waste of time? An example could be working in a retail store and having to stand in front of the store and greet people as they walk in for hours. Would this not sound like a mundane and time wasting task?
This is exactly what I would do from time to time in my last job. My boss would come to me and say, “Armando, you are going to greet for two hours.” I would turn back and already be thinking before I replied, “Man, this is going to be awful. What a waste of my day!”
Nonetheless, this began changing once I realized that the habits I was forming while greeting could benefit me in every single area of my life. This was not my mentality until I heard a different perspective from a podcast on iTunes by the name of “The MFCEO Project.” Their perspective was taking pride in everything you do. When he said this, it was mind-blowing because I realized how many people including myself do not do this.
I would already begin negatively by thinking being a greeter was not worth my time and that I was above that, however I decided to try out the perspective stated in the podcast and the results were phenomenal.
1. Take pride in whatever you do
I walked into work the day after this podcast and told myself I would be the best greeter anyone had ever seen. In fact, I was going to make sure every single potential customer that I saw was greeted with a genuine smile, and I was going to point out one thing that stood out about that specific person. This could have been amazingly polished nails to brand new Nike’s. Whatever the case, I was going to make it specific and say “I love your pristine white Nike’s. They go really well with your outfit that you pull off.” Simply by changing my mentality about something I found so dull changed the way I viewed my job duties.
Not only were potential customers turning into customers quickly, but they were saying things like, “Wow! I cannot believe you noticed my new nails. You are the first person to notice!” I even made some crazy interesting connections that lead to job opportunities simply because people notice when someone takes pride in what they do. Time went faster, I found myself enjoying retail more, and even my boss would come up to me and say, “What happened to the old Armando? This new Armando is so happy and it is very noticeable!”
“If you believe in yourself and have dedication and pride – and never quit, you’ll be a winner. The price of victory is high but so are the rewards.” – Paul Bryant
2. Focus solely on the task at hand
The most successful people I know focus on the here and now. This allows the consistency of doing this every single day to exponentially expand as the days become months and years. Before they know it, they accomplish what they set out to do and more!
For example, when I was a greeter, I would only focus on being amazing because with 100% of my focus on that, the results I generated allowed me to be especially proud of myself. I saw that people would notice that in me. People are attracted to someone who takes pride in what they do and whether it be working as a doctor or taking out the trash, be the best person you can be at it!
3. Be enthusiastic about everything you do
One cannot take pride in what they do, much less focus on what they are doing long-term if they are not enthusiastic about it. The best way I have found for this to occur is to smile. Our facial expressions can influence the way we actually feel, so even if there is no one around, force yourself to smile, and soon enough, you will be on your way to a happier day.
People naturally want to be around happier people, so smile because you never know whose day you can change by simply giving them a free of charge smile. It truly is crazy to think that the most minute things in life are what push you forward. Whether it be randomly calling your friend for five minutes to check in, sending your girlfriend her favorite flower on a random day, or bringing snacks for people to share in the library, it all matters. Walking around with a notion of doing the right thing and trying to make other people’s days will in turn make your day.
I promise you people will notice, and opportunities will start to come your way. It is a simple concept of taking pride in what you do, but not many people do it and it is obvious by their body language or speech. Be different. Be the person anyone can see and your energy will be so infectious that they will have no choice but to have a better day because of you, and for that reason you will be unforgettable.
“When you are enthusiastic about what you do, you feel this positive energy. It’s very simple.” –Paulo Cellho
