Dad has always said to force a smile when you are upset because smiling convinces your brain that it is in fact happy. Essentially by faking a smile you can effectively and truthfully lift your mood. Dad has also always said that if you smile while speaking on the phone, you sound more pleasant, energized, helpful, and so on. I'm not one to take my Dad's advice blindly (much to his dismay) so I went ahead and did a little cursory research on smiling while on the telephone before doing this activity.
Apparently Dad is right.
Craig Harrison of Expressions of Excellence claims: "Even though their smile isn't seen by listeners, it is felt. When we smile it loosens up our jaws and relaxes us. This is then conveyed through our voice. We sound more relaxed, friendly and open because we are. The act of smiling activates certain muscles in our face and neck and actually alters our disposition for the better."
Dummies.com states: " The reason is not psychological but rather physiological. When you smile, the soft palate at the back of your mouth raises and makes the sound waves more fluid. For those of you who sing in a choir (or in the shower), you know that the wider you open your mouth and the more teeth you show, the better tone you get."
I don't know if showing more teeth necessarily means better tone, but there were enough similar views on smiling and pleasant telephone demeanor that I have been convinced it makes a difference. Since my current position involves heavy telephone communication, on 1/2/13 I attempted to smile every time I answered the phone. I also tried to be extra friendly, even though it was the first official day back from holiday vacation for everyone and it would have been much easier to be grumpy. I have to admit smiling more made me feel more cheerful!
"Learn your local barista's name - and use it."
I don't get coffee often, but I do grab breakfast for the office quite a bit. So, today while at Panera Bread grabbing Thursday morning breakfast, I met K-. She is the Zone Manager at the front and helped ring up all of the raisin breads, muffies, cinnamon rolls, scones, bear claws, chocolate croissants, and other assorted pastries with a beautiful mood! It's always nice to address someone by name. It makes the interaction more personal and makes the "Have a good day!" that much more meaningful.
XOXO
Smiling Shawna
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