Problem or Pleasure?

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On my first trip to Australia I went to purchase a souvenir and after thanking the lady for her assistance, she said: “No worries!”
Worries? Why would I be worried?
I was traveling and having fun so it never crossed my mind to worry about anything, until now.

 

After few days in Australia I realized that “No worries!” is a very common Aussie reply when someone is saying “Thank You!”.
At the time, I didn’t know why replies like “No problem!”,  “No Trouble!”, “No Worries” bothered me so much, until I became an International Coach & Speaker.

The next time I went to Australia on a business trip I heard the familiar Aussie expressions like
“G’day, mate!” and “No worries, mate!” right away since I landed in Sydney airport and everywhere.
I had the idea to use those expression as examples on my “Communication Kills & Skills” presentation in Melbourne. I asked them:

When you say THANK YOU, what would you rather hear:

“You are welcome. My pleasure!”

or

“No worries. No problem!”
?

PLEASURE feels much better. Doesn’t it?
Give me welcome over worries any day. Give me pleasure over problem any time.

Science has proven that our brain does not process negative images, only our language process negative. For example if I ask you:
“Please DO NOT THINK about a cute little pink pig with a red bow on its neck.”

What are you thinking now? Gotcha! You are thinking about the cute little pig. Aren’t you?

The same principle applies when you talk to anyone. When your brain hears a negative statement, it  brings the unwanted image into your mind and them try to disregard it. Next time you want to ask your kids, friends or staff for something, use a positive statement. Ask what you really want from them, instead of what you don’t want.

Whether down under in Australia or up here in USA our subliminal messages go a long way.
Pay attention when talking to your kids, friends or clients.
Are you focusing on pleasure or problem?
Are you pointing to the positive or negative?

Train yourself and your staff to use effective communication to deliver your desired message.

Great communicators choose “You are welcome” over “No worries!”, and
Say “ My pleasure” instead of “No problems”.
Be aware of the embedded messages in the words you choose.