The Butterfly Rule

The Butterfly Rule

By

Eric M. Twiggs

"Everything you want is on the other side of fear." Jack Canfield

I was surfing channels after watching my Redskins lose last Sunday, and stumbled across the Entertainment Network.  They were showing an interview from 1998 with actress Helen Hunt.  She had just won the Academy Award for her role in the movie "As Good As It Gets.”   The Oscar, like The ATI Top Shop award, is only given to the best of the best! 

During the interview, the reporter says the following: "Helen, you just won the Oscar! How will you decide on your next film project?"  Her response made me think of you.  She replied:  "I will choose the project that scares me the most."

Why would a successful actress, at the top of her game, seek out something that scares her?   It's because she lives by the Butterfly Rule. 

What task in your business scares you the most?  The "butterflies" you feel are a sign that what you are about to do is critical to your success.   You will not reach your potential until you do whatever you're afraid of. 

Here's where the rule comes in:  You have to do what scares you the most, because growth takes place on the other side of your butterflies.   As you read on, you will learn about two aspects of your business where this applies. 

Coaching Conversations:   

I was speaking with a service manager named "Jack", who talked non-stop about his problem employee.   This technician was coming in late, not doing courtesy checks, and failing to do the test drives. 

I asked Jack if this was costing him money, and he said YES.  I asked if this was affecting morale, and he said YES.  I asked if he had spoken to the technician about it, and there was silence!  Before I could email Verizon to complain about the dropped call, Jack spoke up.   He admitted to being nervous about having the difficult discussion. 

Is there a coaching conversation with a problem employee that you’ve been avoiding?  The queasy feeling in the pit of your stomach is confirmation of your need to have the conversation.   Your people won’t grow from the coaching session that you don't have! 

Customer Calls

 Have you ever felt uneasy with the idea of making follow up calls to customers  you haven't seen in a while, because you fear what they may tell you?  Instead of dreading the phone call, consider this: 

 According to customer service expert Ruby Legner, the average business only gets complaints from 4% of their unhappy customers. 96% of the disappointed customers don't complain.    91% of these unhappy patrons that don't complain, never come back!

The average lifetime value of an automotive customer is around $7,100.  It will be easier to make the call, if you view it as an opportunity to save a valuable relationship. 

Bad news doesn't get better with age, so the sooner you press through your fears, the better chance you have of growing your sales.   The fact that it makes you nervous, is a sign that you need to do it!

Conclusion

So there you have it.  If you apply the butterfly rule to your coaching conversations and customer calls, you increase your chances of becoming a Top Shop.  And that's "As Good As it Gets!"

Sincerely,

Eric M. Twiggs

The Accountability Coach

www.autotraining.net

PS. Does the idea of delivering a presentation to your employees, networking group, 20 group, or Rotary Club, give you the butterflies?   Email etwiggs@autotraining.net  and I will send you a PowerPoint containing 3 strategies to help you press through the butterflies and nail your next presentation!