Seth Godin has done it again with this funny bit of business humor on how-to be a great receptionist. Not only is it something most folks don't consider as the primo job spot, it's also one of those positions that goes without comment. Most folks just deal with the job if they are a receptionist and ignore the person if they aren't. They'll say "Good Morning" and continue into the inner sanctum. So this post is pretty funny if not enlightening.
Being a pretty good receptionist is easy. You're basically a low-tech security guard in nice clothes. Sit at the desk and make sure that visitors don't steal the furniture or go behind the magic door unescorted.
But what if you wanted to be a great receptionist?
I'd start with understanding that in addition to keeping unescorted guests away from the magic door, a receptionist can have a huge impact on the marketing of an organization. If someone is visiting your office, they've come for a reason. To sell something, to buy something, to interview or be interviewed. No matter what, there's some sort of negotiation involved. If the receptionist can change the mindset of the guest, good things happen (or, if it goes poorly, bad things).
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Seth's Blog is just chocked full of useful and insightful info on the business world. What I like about it is that it's not just the usual blah-blah, but posts with a twist. This is no different.
Every year, more than a thousand new 'business' books get published in the US. Not textbooks or manuals, but general interest books about how to do business better.
Some sell a few hundred copies. Some sell a few hundred thousand. One or two might sell a million. Out of a potential audience of 30 or 40 million white collar workers in the US.
Do they work or are they an utter waste of time?
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Seth's Blog has an interesting blog post on the psychology of people trying to win items on eBay and the like. What's makes this post memorable is the fact that he addresses the lengths of irrationality people will go to in order to WIN! He also talks about setting a maximum bid and how the system will bid for you, releasing you from that human factor of competitiveness so that you can actually bid up to the max without losing your mind.
In business this is mucho important.
Here's a bit of the article:
In many auctions, the most irrational person wins.
Here's the proof: eBay offers a service where you can enter your maximum bid. Say you're bidding on a signed Derek Jeter baseball bat. You decide that the most you'd ever be willing to pay for this bat, under any circumstances, is $99. Type it in.
The auction may be at only $15, and eBay will automatically bid $16 for you. If someone else outbids you, eBay keeps increasing your bid automatically, but never exceeds your maximum.
Read the full post at Seth's Blog.
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