Tag Archives: chit chat

Sep18

Being The Hostess With The Mostest

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Being The Hostess With The Mostest

Howdy!! I have always worked in an environment that involves interacting with the general public. I started out working retail, then I became an Independent Provider for people with special needs, and now I work a lot of events as the social media manager for Tim Misny. All of these jobs require an outgoing, can do personality and that’s perfect for me as I like to think I have an outgoing and can do attitude lol. I have really enjoyed being at the events with Tim and Johnny and I agree that I come alive during them. I love to be a part of someone’s day being special so it’s no wonder why! With a substantial background in customer service, I have learned a lot about putting your best face forward. These are some of my pro tips that keep myself and guests happy as can be:

Set the Tone:

You know that song from Annie (I think?), “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile”? It’s so true! The best way you can set the tone for work or an event is with your best and brightest smile. Even if you’re not feeling it, smile anyways because no one will be any wiser for it. A smile is not only friendly but it offers reassurance to whomever you are interacting with that you want to be there and are enjoying yourself. And who knows? It might put you in a better mood from smiling too!

The Name Game:

It might seem like a no brainer, but it is SO important to learn the names of everyone on your guest list. This is true even if people are wearing name tags so you can avoid any awkward gazes. Spend some time with the guest list, pull up social media profiles if you can and do what you can to put those names to faces. I always tend to find that greetings are so much warmer when you can address the invitee by name. Of course, mental slips can happen and all you need to do is handle that situation gracefully if it arises – perhaps with the old “you wouldn’t believe how much you look like my friend so and so”.

Compliments are Key:

Who doesn’t like to be complimented?! If you don’t have any key talking points, lead with a compliment! Remember, compliments feel just as good to give as they are to receive as long as they are genuine. You would also be amazed at how a conversation happens so naturally after something as simple as a compliment on a pair of earrings. It could turn into talking about your favorite local boutiques, the artist who hand made them, that they feature a favorite color, and so on and so forth. A compliment puts the ball in the recipient’s court and it is up to them to throw it back.

Relax:

Events or high interaction periods at work can be very stressful because there’s so much that could go wrong. So focus on what’s going right instead because you have to act like nothing is wrong. This can be easier said than done, but try and relax and focus on your own specific task at hand. Do your best and have a breezy air about you because it will put other people at ease too, despite any disruptions that might occur.

Fake it Till You Make it:

Sometimes you just don’t feel like talking and in that case, fake it till you make it baby! We all have off days and that’s totally okay, the trick is to keep it under wraps. Think about the fun that can be had with each interaction you have. It’s a chance to hear a hilarious joke, learn an interesting new fact, or simply shoot the breeze about the weather. After fifteen minutes or so of keeping up with the motions, you might find that you just needed to get warmed up!

These sentiments have served me well and continue to do so in my career. What works for me might not work for you, but it’s always worth a try! 🙂

What do you love about your job? What was the first job you had? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May13

Interviewing 101

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Interviewing 101

Hello!! One thing that I have always enjoyed doing is conducting interviews with people. In fact, my very first job when working with the special needs community was leading family interviews. I truly believe that I have been given the gift of gab and I love that my new job as Tim Misny’s social media manager allows me to do interviews a lot. Over time, I have developed some surefire techniques to ensure that my interviews go without a hitch. Let’s check them out so you can use them too!

Research:

When I know that I have an interview scheduled, I immediately begin the research phase. Who am I interviewing? What is the subject of said interview? How am I going to incorporate my findings into the conversation? Prior to meeting Tim Misny for the first time, I researched current cases he’s working on, his merch line, and the Cleveland City Mission which his merch line benefits. I was surprised when he gave me the time to chat with him further and thanks to my prior planning, he said it was one of the best interviews he ever had. That was the kickstart of a beautiful friendship!

Key Points:

One of the most exciting things about interviewing is that you can never know for sure which way the conversation will go. A majority of the interviews I do are just winging it, yes, but I do like to plan for a few key talking points too. Chances are if you are doing an interview, there will be some things you have to talk about. However, it is SO easy for those questions to go right out the window once the interview starts. To prevent this, I always make sure I memorize the must talk about subjects, find good ways to incorporate them into the chat, and knock them out early on in the interview so I don’t forget them lol.

Listen Up:

To be a good interviewer, you have to be an excellent listener. Interviewing is simply responding to what the other person is saying so if you aren’t fully grasping it, you aren’t going to have an effective interview. When the interviewee is speaking, I take it all in. Then, as the answer starts wrapping up, I use what I learned to ask the next question. It’s natural to want to interject when the interviewee is answering you so try to avoid that at all costs! It’s just going to make both of you stumble. And, remember, you are more than likely not conducting live interviews. If you need clarification on something, take a pause, ask your questions, and resume when you are ready.

Just So You Know:

The whole point of an interview is not to make yourself look good. Read that again because it is important! An interview is for the interviewee to look good and it is your job to make that happen. That is why it is crucial to do your research, create talking points, and put your listening ears on. When you are doing everything you can to make your interviewee shine, you are going to look great by default. I also find that when I am not focusing on myself, I tend to interview even better because it eliminates any pressure. Shift your focus and both of you will enjoy the process of interviewing more!

Maybe you aren’t going to conduct interviews. That doesn’t mean these tips aren’t handy for other things too. Could you imagine how awesome a job interview would go if you tried the above beforehand?!

Have you ever interviewed someone before? How did it go? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah