As with many places in the U.S., there has been a serious heat wave in Philly. It's been in the 90's plus very high humidity. I got to my office a little late today, out of breath from running up the stairs, hair frizzing out all over the place, and sweaty from the heat... And a new client was waiting for me in the waiting area. Needlesstosay I was quite embarrassed and stressed out!
My initial reaction was to provide a rationale for why I was a few minutes late or just to walk by the client as if I didn't see her so I could head to the bathroom and make my hair and makeup presentable.
But I took a second to remind myself to follow my own advice and not rely on crutch behaviors.
I grounded myself in the objective of the situation. You see, with anxiety and stress we forget about the purpose of the situation and focus in on inconsequential details (like my preoccupation that my lipstick needed refreshing). I put myself in the position of my client and focused on what she was there to receive.
I remembered that most challenges can be turned around to create dynamic opportunities. The opportunity here was for me to relate to my new client on a human level-- we're all prone to things like sweating from a hot day, and establishing common ground with someone is key to building rapport.
So I made a joke about not needing to go to the gym that day since I had all the exercise and sweating I needed and my new client laughed. At the end of our meeting she confessed to me that she was nervous about our first meeting while she sat in the waiting room and that my honest introduction put her at ease.
Thanks for reading!
Larina Kase
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