This is a tale I came across many years ago, I don’t know where it originally came from but it has a great message. A young gentleman regularly frequented his local brothel. There were some very young and beautiful ladies at this particular parlor and they were always in great demand, but this particular gentleman always asked for the same lady each time, someone who was a little older and a little less beautiful than all of the rest.
On one particular evening after his visit with his lady friend had ended, he met the parlor Madame in the hallway, where she said “thank you Sir for your custom. Do you mind if I ask you why you always come in to see the same older and less beautiful lady each time when you could have your pick of any of the younger and better looking girls”?
“It’s simple” came his reply. “She is extremely enthusiastic”!
Source: Lessons from a brothel? | LinkedIn
Enthusiasm is something that can light up a person, a room, or even an idea, and it can spread like wildfire if it is allowed to. There are many tales such as this one and indeed Dale Carnegie talks about enthusiasm in his great book “How to win friends and influence people”, as one of the key principles to focus on when interacting with others.
If you are not enthusiastic about your widget or service, how can you expect your prospect to be enthusiastic about it too? I am not referring to the over the top, jumping up and down enthusiasm like you are at a football match or time share sales people used to inflict on a captive audience, but simply upping your tempo a notch or two to rekindle some energy and let it show.
Next time you answer your telephone, no matter who is on the other end, rather than saying “Hello John” in your normal telephone manner, try “Hello John! How are you!” and see what a response you get from the caller. In my experience, their mood will quickly mirror yours and they too will also become a little more up beat, which in turn relaxes both of you, allowing you to have a friendly, chatty conversation.
