What's that smell?

By Jeff Cross, senior editor

June 03, 2011

Print / Reprints /
Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on linkedin | Share More

GO TO: http://www.janiservu.com for related articles!
Advantage Cleaning Services Offers Mold Testing And Inspection in Horseheads, N.Y. 14845!!

Have you ever been in a situation where someone suggested something to you and without any evidence proving it, you believed it?

That can happen with many of us in business today. When you surround yourself with positive people, and work with upbeat individuals, it is refreshing and you are a better person for it.

On the other hand, if we hang out with negative people (the “woe is me” types) and let them influence us — perhaps by just being in their presence — it can drag us down.

Something happened recently that illustrated this point to me.

I was at a recent seminar and someone walked in the room, sniffed loudly a few times, and asked, “What''s that smell?” The expression on his face indicated the smell he detected was not pleasant. A few people nearest to him began to squirm uncomfortably.

Most of those in the room started sniffing and trying to determine what “that smell” actually was… I did the same thing. After all, if that person who discovered the smell wanted us to provide him with an answer, we had to investigate and figure it out.

It turns out that several in the room did indeed, all of a sudden, detect an odor that should not have been there. But the individual prompting this unplanned quest for malodors then stated: “Just kidding. There''s no smell. I just wanted to see if any of you believed that there was.”

Turns out, upon questioning him, that he had been frustrated with a few of his customers who said they smelled pet odors even after his valiant efforts to remove them from their carpet. He was convinced that his customers were influenced by psychological odors… most of us have been in his shoes.

What we deal with in those situations is the power of influence. It can help us and it can hurt us.

When someone asks “What''s that smell?” you might start believing you are smelling something you ought not, when in reality there is no smell at all. In business, negative people can do the same thing to us.

Here''s an example: I was listening to a business-themed radio show and one of the guests, talking about entrepreneurs and how they just love to discuss the economy and their businesses, said “I am sick and tired of everyone saying we are in ''bad times.''” He said times are bad if you allow them to be. It''s all how you approach the challenges you face.

I thought it was interesting, simply because personal viewpoints on the economy and the health of small businesses can be influenced by factors that are simply not fact.

As an example, if you gather 10 carpet cleaning or restoration business owners together, and ask them how business is for them, you get all types of answers and responses, from “I''m getting by” to “It is fantastic!”

What''s the difference? Could just be the attitude. Attitude is contagious, not only among your employees but among your customers as well.

So when someone asks, “What''s that smell?” don''t automatically assume there is one. At least not a bad one.

Cleanfax.com

Just quick note that if you haven''t visited www.cleanfax.com recently, you should do so now and check out all the neat, new features. We performed a makeover and updated the look, the options for users like yourself and the bulletin board.

Check it out, and feel free to give me some feedback or suggestions.