You know how it goes these days – you’re running your business and someone sends you an email that drives you up the wall.  You get super annoyed with them because, if only they had just READ the email to them you had carefully crafted with every piece of info they’d ever need, or actually clicked around the FAQ section of your company’s website they would have found the answer……you turn around and decide to blast off an email in the heat of the moment trying to be helpful, but you’re thoughts are filled with such aggravation that you come across as anything but…

You can tell I’m on an integrity kick lately!  Here’s the thing, if you are responding to an email or a phone call because you want to be responsive, but your mind is filled with angry thoughts, and your heart is beating with the surge of frustrated emotions, you are out of integrity because whatever comes out of your mouth (or hands on the keyboard) will in some way convey your frustration.

You may think you’re giving that potential client or current customer the answer to their question, but when your thoughts are, “How is it that you could get my email address from the website, but you couldn’t click the membership page to find out all the package options and prices”, trust me, your email is not going to sound as good as you think.  Unfortunately, for those of us on the receiving end, we are then put off from doing business with you because we now think you’re rude or too busy to care about working with us.

So, how do you stay in integrity and run your business at the same time?

1. Forgive. Look, it happens to all of us – we all have bad days, trigger points, hot buttons of frustration…so forgive yourself for having a meltdown, it’s ok!
2. Stop and breathe.  Hit the pause button in the middle of that email you started writing.  Go out for a walk, or focus on something else you need to get done, just step away from whatever it is that’s causing you anguish.  The world will go on if you allow yourself a moment to calm down.
3. Pivot your thoughts. Realize you are entitled to your righteous viewpoint of how a person should behave, however, nobody does things the way you do, so find another way to look at the situation.  Maybe the prospect actually couldn’t view your full website on their mobile device.  Maybe they actually want to buy from you (heaven forbid!) and if all it takes to get their business is answering a simple question, is it really that bad?
4. Reply with clarity and calmness of mind.  Once your heartbeat has slowed to a normal resting pace, and the frustration has left your body, you will no doubt write a glowing, kind, and inspired response that gets you the business you wanted all along.

Do YOU have some Bull You’d like to see busted?  Click here to submit your ideas!