Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.
Speaker 1: Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Speaker 1: Today's tip is to thoughtfully welcome newcomers to the places
Speaker 1: you care about, so the newcomers will keep coming back
Speaker 1: and become regulars. So I recently heard about several first
Speaker 1: timers experience at a jazzer size class, and it got
Speaker 1: me thinking about welcoming newcomers in all sorts of places.
Speaker 1: The employee who registered the new Jazzer size students greeted
Speaker 1: them and introduced them to the teacher. Other students said
Speaker 1: hello before class. When class began, the teacher introduced the
Speaker 1: newcomers by name, and the other students cheered. Midway through class,
Speaker 1: the teacher addressed the newbies by name again and said
Speaker 1: how well they were doing, and at the end of
Speaker 1: class she called him out by name. At the end
Speaker 1: of class, she called them out by name a third time,
Speaker 1: thank them for coming, and said she hoped they'd come back.
Speaker 1: Even if they hadn't been thinking about returning before, they
Speaker 1: now felt like they were part of the community. Everybody
Speaker 1: knew their names. They wanted to come back, and so
Speaker 1: they did. When you give an enthusiastic and authentic welcome.
Speaker 1: You let newcomers know that you see them, you value
Speaker 1: their presence. This tends to me in saying hello and
Speaker 1: making yourself available for questions and assistance. As they get oriented,
Speaker 1: you can help them find their ways somewhere they wanted
Speaker 1: to visit but may feel a little uncomfortable being in
Speaker 1: for the first time. If you welcome people warmly and intentionally,
Speaker 1: letting them know what they need to in order to
Speaker 1: participate fully, you may add to your ongoing numbers. Now
Speaker 1: you may be thinking that you are not a jazzercise
Speaker 1: instructor aerobics teacher. Enthusiasm is not your style. Trust me,
Speaker 1: it isn't mine either, But let's not let ourselves off
Speaker 1: the hook so easily. Are you a teacher or college
Speaker 1: professor who gets new students every semester. Are you a
Speaker 1: medical professional who has new patients visit your office. Do
Speaker 1: you work at a restaurant or a retail shop. Do
Speaker 1: you participate in a house of worship or community organization
Speaker 1: that hopes to grow? Are you a regular at a
Speaker 1: gym or a coffee shop that prides itself on its
Speaker 1: friendly vibe. It is hard to imagine anyone who isn't
Speaker 1: sometimes in a position to be hospitable and welcoming to newcomers.
Speaker 1: We just need to notice those moments when our attention
Speaker 1: towards someone else will be appreciated. So if you are
Speaker 1: a leader or a long timer in an organization or
Speaker 1: group that wants to grow, think about what it is
Speaker 1: like to be a newcomer. What can newcomers learn about
Speaker 1: you from your website or social media presence. What's the
Speaker 1: signage like when they arrive at your physical space? Will
Speaker 1: they be greeted when they arrive? Are there any unspoken
Speaker 1: rules or facts they need to know We are to
Speaker 1: leave their bag before yoga class, or the punch code
Speaker 1: to open the restroom door, or where to find smocks
Speaker 1: before having their hair colored. You could even ask a
Speaker 1: recent newcomer whether there was anything that was especially welcoming
Speaker 1: and helpful on their first few visits, and whether there
Speaker 1: was anything confusing or off putting that could be addressed.
Speaker 1: As the pandemic restrictions are easing up, many people are
Speaker 1: visiting new places for the first time. When we put
Speaker 1: ourselves into the shoes of newcomers and design the newcomer
Speaker 1: experience to be more welcoming. We can surely make their
Speaker 1: visits more comfortable, and we may be able to convert
Speaker 1: first time visitors to becoming part of the community. Then they,
Speaker 1: in turn, we'll be welcoming other newcomers for years to come.
Speaker 1: In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and
Speaker 1: here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody,
Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me
Speaker 1: your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with
Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod
Speaker 1: that's B the number four, then Breakfast p o D.
Speaker 1: You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast
Speaker 1: podcast at iHeart media dot com that Before Breakfast is
Speaker 1: spelled out with all the letters they so much should.
Speaker 1: I look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is
Speaker 1: a production of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from
Speaker 1: I heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,
Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.