Obviously, this might mean that you will have far fewer interac-
tions, but the goal is to make each one meaningful in a way that
improves performances and results.
The Three-Part Approach to Optimizing Every
Meaningful Interaction
Whenever you look at your schedule, and you see a person’s
name or a group’s name coming up, think through these three
steps.
Part One: Think through the desired objectives for the
interaction, what you will do during the interaction to improve
those results, and what you will do in terms of follow-up after
the interaction to increase the chances of achieving the desired
results.
Part Two: Actually deliver the value you planned to deliver
at the event.
Part Three: Follow up with the individual or group after
the event.
The “event” could be a phone conversation, a meal together,
a meeting with a group of people, a conference, a visit to another
person’s office, an initial meeting with a prospect, a check-in
with an employee, an annual review with your boss or any other
interaction with an individual or group.
The goal is NOT to just have an interaction, and then move
on to the next item on your calendar.
The goal is to optimize the interaction – to make it as mean-
ingful as you can. This requires thinking and effective listening
and communicating while you are with the other person or
the group. It requires being attentive and intentional. It means
focusing on the other person and on what is important to the
other person. This can’t be a one-way interaction.
Slow down, and think about what outcome or impact
you want the interaction to create. Keep that in mind as you
talk with the other person, and keep the other person’s desired
outcome in mind as well.
Never leave an interaction and just forget about it. Actually
follow up with the person in a meaningful way that relates to
what happened while you were with the person or the group.
Write a letter, send an email or text, set up the next conversation,
or do something else that will reinforce the value of the time
when you were with the person.
This will require you to schedule time to do some type of
meaningful follow-up. If you pack your schedule with one event
after another day after day, then you will not have any time to
follow up on the interactions you had earlier in the day or the
week or the previous week. If you don’t do part three in this three-
part process, then you might as well not do parts one and two.
Everyone is busy. They can forget you just as easily as you
can forget them. Follow up with them, and keep the meaningful
interaction alive. Do this with prospects, customers, employees,
suppliers and people outside of your business and industry.
That’s how you can improve your productivity. S
As an executive coach, management consultant, seminar leader
and keynote speaker, DAN COUGHLIN works with executives and
managers on an individual and group basis to increase their effec-
tiveness and significance. He teaches The Any Person Mindset
Management Approach. Visit his free Business Leadership Idea
Center at www.thecoughlincompany.com.
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