By Laura Gordon
As a massage therapist, what is the very first thing you do engage your client?
If you said “I extend my hand to shake theirs”, or “I say Hello”, you’d be one step away from being right.
The very first thing to do when you greet a client is SMILE!
Smiles are magic! Not only will a smile give your client a subliminal message that you are glad to see them (which is the first step toward establishing trust in you), it also changes you! When you smile you are setting aside your own personal concerns and brain chatter to extend a welcome greeting to that person in front of you. It brings you into the present moment, which is the only moment we really have!
Did you know that the simple act of smiling changes your body chemistry? It does! When you smile your body releases endorphins into the blood stream and lifts up your spirits. It does the same for the one receiving your smile. And doesn’t it feel good when you get that smile back!
Like my yoga teacher says, “You can’t hurt yourself if you smile.” Personally, I think she is referring to getting in and out of challenging poses, but I can clearly see how that applies to a much broader landscape!
Your challenge is to bring on the magic! Smile the first thing in the morning before getting out of bed (to add a bonus, be thankful and grateful for the day ahead), then smile at everyone you meet that day – even the one in the mirror! That’s a lot of smiling, and a lot of endorphins – talk about a natural high! Besides those smiles keeping you in the ever present moment, it is also a great exercise in stepping outside of yourself and giving something to others.
To continue the challenge, the last thing before going to sleep at night is, you got it, smile, acknowledge the good, and be thankful and grateful. What a terrific day! If you did this challenge for 21 days, your cheek muscles would be nice and strong, smiling all the time would be a habit, you’d feel great, and you’d be spreading the magic everywhere you go!
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Smiling is what I love to do best , it really does brighten your day.I know I like a smiling friendly staff where I am being served, there is nothing worse than feeling like you are not wanted,and a sour puss is what I have gotten from some business’s .
Believe me I don’t go back to them.
Reminds me of what Maya Angelou said, “Be present in all things and thankful for all things.” Part of the excellence we’re aiming to achieve. Great thoughts to ponder, great advice!
This is a great read! I worked for 5 years doing customer service via phone and even though my customers could not see my smile i still would smile when answering every call. Smiles are such a powerful form of body language that they can even be heard through the phone. 🙂
Smiles are great. I’ve been super stressed out and upset by some things in my personal life lately but when I feel down or get upset I try to smile to keep the bad joojoo at bay. Plus you never know who’s day you will improve with a simple smile.
Good policy 😉
Well I found this blog very interesting because I didn’t know smiling could help so much something I’m going to have to do all the time now.
I didn’t know smiling could do so much for the body, I will definitely try it every morning!
excellent article Laura, and very true. a smile is a cheer to you and me, the cost is nothing, it’s given free!
Thank you, Neal. I totally agree.
I thought this blog was very interesting. I always try to smile even if I’m having a bad day.
You never know who you might help by just smiling
It’s a good thing I like to smile!
well im glad i walk around with a smile on my face daily, regardless of what it is that i am going thru i smile:)
Nothing left to do but smile smile smile!
I like this story because I tell people at work to smile all the time. Working in retail is hard and keeping a smile on our face all the time is hard but if we do then we can make someone’s day.
Great blog! I will try to smile more often and what changes happen to me.
Smiles are one of the most simple things in life that are good, easy, and free to give.
It really does improve people’s lives to smile more.
You can never give to many smiles; if someone tells you otherwise, they probably need more smiles in their life.
🙂
I love to smile:) I do it everyday all day even when I feel like crawling into a hole and hiding from the world. I think as I have gotten older I realize that the first impression speaks volumes to who you are and if you aren’t smiling people will tend to think you are not a very nice person. I know that I am drawn to others that smile alot to.
I love this.
Smiling is such an easy way to make people more approachable. I hope every one can give a genuine smile when they meet their clients. Who wants to be around grumpy faces anyways?!
I thought this was a pretty interasting subject to read over also liked the picture of the smileing cat
it is easier to smile then to frown.
I loved the article. We all need to try harder in our everyday lives to smile. I think it is a good way to pay it forward. I also try to throw in have a good day!!
I did this and it actually made my day better at work. Especially going into a job where I don’t want to be.
Mind/Body manipulation…my FAVORITE!!!
I try to smile and laugh as much as I can, it makes me happy and people around me, and when people around me are happy, that makes me happy!!! It’s a circle of life!!,
It is true a smile can brighten anyone’s day. Either if it’s just a simple smile or a funny smile. It is much better to spread positive energy than negative energy.
ive heard smiling helps in a lot more ways than just being happy. its a way to greet, show someone you care, or it can even be contagious to others. when i client leaves from a massage with a smile, its always a plus.
Our customer service skills are an essential aspect of or business. Its important to make your customers feel welcome and appreciated the moment they arrive .your body language must convey a warm and confident attitude,this lets your client know your glad they are there.
I try to always walk up to everyone with a smile but sometimes I dont and I know I have to work on that plus what I say to my clients.
Excellent. We all bring soooo much experience to massage. But we ALL have something to grow in.
I believe in the smile theory and have been applying it to my life lately. I have. Found every time I am in a bad mood, if I force myself to give a sincere smile, it relieves the stress and just makes me feel like everything will be o.k.
I feel like smiling is the only contagious thing I ever want to catch or to give. I love smiling at strangers and sparking a smile on their face without even speaking a word. Smiles make the world go round. I know they help me out when I’m having a bad day. Smiles also tend to follow with laughter and I love to laugh as well. Don’t worry be happy.
Thank you so much for all your comments. It’s so easy to get caught up in our inner dialog that we forget how perfectly a smile fits on our face and lifts us out of ourselves and into giving a quiet, but powerful, gift into the world.
I really like your suggestions on how to consciously develop a smiling habit. I actually live in a country which is called “The Land of Smiles”. Yes it’s true, that’s the second name of Thailand, and those easy smiles that the Thais flash you is one big reason which I like living here. Not all those smile come right from the heart, of course, but I’d rather get a superficial smile than a sincere frown any time. When I get a massage here, it is quite normal that the therapist greets you with a smile.
If you smile the whole world smiles back and you tend to have a better day and sometimes you feel happier and healthier . Smiles are contagious I believe in that so much.