The Sighing Man
There's a Bruegger's Bagels right near our house, and a man works there who is always sighing in the most depressing way. It seems he is in a perpetual world of sadness. You tell him what kind of bagel you want and he always seems like he was forced to work against his will that day. (Remember Clerks: "I'm not even supposed to be here today!"
At first it really upset me, since I get kind of sensitive when people aren't nice, especially when they're in the service industry. However, after a while I learned not to take it personally and I actually found it a little amusing.
So on Sunday I went in to the store kind of hoping he would take my order, and he did. In a voice that sounded earily like Marvin the depressed robot from The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy, he said "Who's next?"
I stepped up with a huge grin on my face and said "Good morning!" rather loudly. Yoav looked down, a little embarrassed to be seen with me.
The sighing man remained expressionless waiting for my order.
I paused slightly and then ordered, defeated.
However, after he was done with my order, an older man behind me walked up and said in a rather depressing voice, "How's it goin'?" The sighing man responded, "Not bad, how 'bout you"?
Yoav gave me a significant look, and I realized that I had overdone it. The disparity between mine and the sighing man's mood level was too great. I should have let myself down to his level, and then back up just one or two steps, in order to cheer him up. (see my previous blog about the chart in my dad's office for communicating with patients).
A significant part of communication is about creating a connection with your target audience, be it a person or a crowded auditorium. It doesn't matter what you're mood level is; you should adjust it to the audience so that they can relate.
Relation = communication = mission accomplished.
The mission in this case? Getting a positive response from the sighing man. We'll see next time.
At first it really upset me, since I get kind of sensitive when people aren't nice, especially when they're in the service industry. However, after a while I learned not to take it personally and I actually found it a little amusing.
So on Sunday I went in to the store kind of hoping he would take my order, and he did. In a voice that sounded earily like Marvin the depressed robot from The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy, he said "Who's next?"
I stepped up with a huge grin on my face and said "Good morning!" rather loudly. Yoav looked down, a little embarrassed to be seen with me.
The sighing man remained expressionless waiting for my order.
I paused slightly and then ordered, defeated.
However, after he was done with my order, an older man behind me walked up and said in a rather depressing voice, "How's it goin'?" The sighing man responded, "Not bad, how 'bout you"?
Yoav gave me a significant look, and I realized that I had overdone it. The disparity between mine and the sighing man's mood level was too great. I should have let myself down to his level, and then back up just one or two steps, in order to cheer him up. (see my previous blog about the chart in my dad's office for communicating with patients).
A significant part of communication is about creating a connection with your target audience, be it a person or a crowded auditorium. It doesn't matter what you're mood level is; you should adjust it to the audience so that they can relate.
Relation = communication = mission accomplished.
The mission in this case? Getting a positive response from the sighing man. We'll see next time.
posted by Allison at 7:47 AM
3 Comments:
Good luck! Ask Yoav about the sighing man in our class. Everything elicits a heavy sigh from this dude.
I hope the bagel guy responds with a smile!
I'll ask Yoav about the guy from class.
It's like those guys at the gym who grunt and grown with every dumbell they lift. Awkward...
I don't think I looked down ;) I did look at you significantly because I thought you said it way too loudly ;) It was funny.
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