"Forget about peanuts and pretzels — many bars in Thailand serve fried bugs alongside their libations. Crickets, grasshoppers and a variety of worms are all considered favorite snacks in this part of the world. If you're on a date in Thailand, grab your sweetie a handful of insects to snack on as you refill her Thai tea." (From the Terminix blog)
Did that turn your stomach? It did mine.
Besides recognizing the obvious differences in various cultures and their culinary tastes, there's a business lesson to learn here.
Customers, clients and patients are not one size fits all
They're not homogeneous.
They're not carbon copies.
They're not all cut from the same cloth.
Even members of the same family (even twins!) can be quite dissimilar.
So that means your ability to listen to people and understand and read them is of crucial importance in business and in life.
Don't assess someone based on your habits, traits or desires (which we tend to do) because that's unique to you.
Instead, try to peek into the other person's world objectively.
Abraham Lincoln once said, "I don't like that man. I must get to know him better."
That's a great quote. It can easily apply when dealing with customers (especially when we're fielding complaints).
If we understood them better, their perspective and point of view, we can be more empathetic.
And when we're more empathetic, we can give them better service... which translates into more referrals and higher profits.
I can't guarantee this will give you a sudden appetite for grasshoppers, but it will create a major buzz (or chirp) for your business.
Until next time.
P.S. The Coptic-Con Early Bird offer has now expired. If you are still interested in coming (I'd love to see you), you can still register. Here's the link: copticchamber.com/coptic-con/
And, remember, K.I.C. (Keep It Coptic)!
