Two Magic Words That Will Change Your Media Trajectory, Business and Life

A few months ago I was walking my dog Shira and our neighbor joined us. We began chatting. Rather quickly, Shira did her business and I enthusiastically said, “Good girl!”

My neighbor said, I’ve never understood why dog owners always do that. Why do you say good girl every time?

The answer is simple.

I want to reward and reinforce good behavior.

To give you context, I adopted Shira from a shelter years ago and potty trained her within weeks.

Bottom line, I probably don’t have to say good girl every time Shira does her business. But I want to see her happy, I know she has an innate desire to please and I want her good behavior to continue, so I continue to enthusiastically say those magic words.

Why should you care about my dog story?

You should care because there’s a lot sweet Shira can teach us about how to succeed in media and in every relationship.

It’s not just dogs. Appreciation is a primary driver for all of us. If you want to create a successful media presence that catapults your company to the top, start with thank you. Producers will consciously or subconsciously work harder to support TV guests who are appreciative. That’s reality.

Imagine you are a TV producer. Would you want to champion a guest who never said thank you? Probably not. And why should you? If you have been following me for awhile, you know that there are countless experts a producer can choose. It’s uber competitive. If all things are equal, it’s natural to go with the person who shows appreciation!

Doing this one thing will serve you in getting media attention AND it will also serve you in life and in business. Want more and better clients or customers? Appreciate them! Want a discount at a store? Appreciate the salesperson!

It’s easy. If you want to be successful, appreciate people generously and often.

I love saying thank you. I love that the recipient will feel good hearing it and I love that I am reinforcing the relationship.

And yet I fear that in today’s busy society saying thank you is becoming a lost art. Let’s bring it back. And not just for the holidays. I am talking about every day of the year.

I am so passionate about showing appreciation that I could spend hours talking about it, but today I am giving you five simple steps to incorporate this game changer into your life.

1. A thank you can come in the form of words or a gift. Expensive is not always better. Some of the best thank yous I’ve received were free or cost very little.
2. Sometimes well meaning people put off a thank you because they are waiting to make a grand gesture. But a small, timely token of appreciation is better than no thank you at all. You can always go big later!
3. There is no limit or expiration date on expressing appreciation. Timely is better, but it’s never too late. It’s better to be more appreciative than less. If this habit does not come naturally to you, I suggest you set a daily reminder on your phone.
4. Don’t just attach thank you to a favorable outcome. Sometimes people try their best and it doesn’t work. Appreciate the effort.
5. Your appreciation must be sincere and without any expectation of something in return, but know that something good is likely to come your way. You can’t fight human (and animal) nature. We all want to work with and champion people who appreciate us.

Now it’s my turn to thank YOU this holiday season. I am humbled by your support and participation in my community. It thrills me to see you grow and I am deeply grateful to be a part of your journey. Thank you!!

I challenge you to make showing appreciation a part of your daily ritual. If you do this already, consider recommitting along with me. It’s something we all can do better.

If you found this blog helpful, please email it to a friend or share it on FACEBOOK. Then please write about how you are saying thank you in the comments below. I can’t wait to hear from you!