Practice Positivity

by David D. Menzies
If you're a business professional, then you must have had education, training, and practice at your specific profession. All three are important, but think back to when you began your career; were you better at your job when you first started, or have you gotten better over time? I'm guessing unless you're a professional athlete who had a breakout rookie season only to be slowed by injuries that you've gotten better. And why is that? Practice. You've had time to work through the ups and downs of doing your job, figuring out what customers want, and fine-tuning your approach to represent your business and its brand in the best possible light. Now think about yourself as a consumer. Have you ever had a negative interaction with a business owner, salesperson, or customer support staffer who rubbed you the wrong way? How did the rest of that experience go for you? Were you inclined to come back to that business at a later date, or did you look elsewhere to spend your hard-earned cash? Truly successful business professionals realize that two things -- practice and positivity -- are keys to providing the best service to customers. Doesn't it make sense, then, to practice positivity? It's something you can do every single day, in every interaction you have with people, whether related to your business or not.


This past weekend, I was visiting Myrtle Beach, S.C. for a little R&R. During a walk along the beach, a couple approached and asked if I was from Colorado, as I was wearing a Colorado sweatshirt. I could've simply said "no" and walked away, but being a public relations professional I am always "on" so to speak and, as an individual who values positivity, I was more than happy to chat.

Long story short, we had a lively conversation about the couple's visit from Illinois, about their family in Colorado, the beach, what there was to do in Myrtle Beach, and a plethora of other topics. During our time together, I treated this couple the way I would have liked to be treated -- with appreciation for their interest and helpful information to answer any questions they may have.

When visit ended with handshakes and smiles, I could hear the couple talking happily about how friendly people were in the south and what a great place they had chosen for vacation. So two individuals who did not know me from Adam approached me with a simple question about being from Colorado, and left in a great mood with positive feelings about the people and place they were surrounding themselves with.

I'm not an official ambassador for the state of South Carolina, but I was happy to share my knowledge of the area and recommendations because it's a place that brings me joy, a place I'm passionate about. This same approach can be used when I'm discussing how public relations can be used to achieve a client's business development goals; the process and delivery is the same, just the information and topic is different.

Any business professional can take this approach on a daily basis. When you are interacting with a retail sales clerk, talking on the phone with a vendor, or chatting someone up while walking your dog, practice positivity throughout your interaction. If you do it enough times, it will become second nature and can be used in your own business interactions with prospects and customers.

If the only way you act with people is positive, then chances are you'll be able to protect your brand by avoiding any negativity in your daily business dealings. All it takes is practice.

David D. Menzies is president of Innovative Public Relations, a PR and media relations consultancy. He is a 22+ year public relations professional with expertise in strategic messaging, publicity and branding. For more information visit www.innovativepublicrelations.com. Copyright © 2014 Innovative Public Relations, Inc.