WEBVTT - Give a warm welcome

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.

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<v Speaker 1>Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.

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<v Speaker 1>Today's tip is to thoughtfully welcome newcomers to the places

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<v Speaker 1>you care about, so the newcomers will keep coming back

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<v Speaker 1>and become regulars. So I recently heard about several first

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<v Speaker 1>timers experience at a jazzer size class, and it got

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<v Speaker 1>me thinking about welcoming newcomers in all sorts of places.

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<v Speaker 1>The employee who registered the new Jazzer size students greeted

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<v Speaker 1>them and introduced them to the teacher. Other students said

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<v Speaker 1>hello before class. When class began, the teacher introduced the

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<v Speaker 1>newcomers by name, and the other students cheered. Midway through class,

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<v Speaker 1>the teacher addressed the newbies by name again and said

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<v Speaker 1>how well they were doing, and at the end of

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<v Speaker 1>class she called him out by name. At the end

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<v Speaker 1>of class, she called them out by name a third time,

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<v Speaker 1>thank them for coming, and said she hoped they'd come back.

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<v Speaker 1>Even if they hadn't been thinking about returning before, they

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<v Speaker 1>now felt like they were part of the community. Everybody

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<v Speaker 1>knew their names. They wanted to come back, and so

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<v Speaker 1>they did. When you give an enthusiastic and authentic welcome.

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<v Speaker 1>You let newcomers know that you see them, you value

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<v Speaker 1>their presence. This tends to me in saying hello and

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<v Speaker 1>making yourself available for questions and assistance. As they get oriented,

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<v Speaker 1>you can help them find their ways somewhere they wanted

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<v Speaker 1>to visit but may feel a little uncomfortable being in

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<v Speaker 1>for the first time. If you welcome people warmly and intentionally,

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<v Speaker 1>letting them know what they need to in order to

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<v Speaker 1>participate fully, you may add to your ongoing numbers. Now

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<v Speaker 1>you may be thinking that you are not a jazzercise

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<v Speaker 1>instructor aerobics teacher. Enthusiasm is not your style. Trust me,

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<v Speaker 1>it isn't mine either, But let's not let ourselves off

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<v Speaker 1>the hook so easily. Are you a teacher or college

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<v Speaker 1>professor who gets new students every semester. Are you a

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<v Speaker 1>medical professional who has new patients visit your office. Do

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<v Speaker 1>you work at a restaurant or a retail shop. Do

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<v Speaker 1>you participate in a house of worship or community organization

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<v Speaker 1>that hopes to grow? Are you a regular at a

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<v Speaker 1>gym or a coffee shop that prides itself on its

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<v Speaker 1>friendly vibe. It is hard to imagine anyone who isn't

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<v Speaker 1>sometimes in a position to be hospitable and welcoming to newcomers.

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<v Speaker 1>We just need to notice those moments when our attention

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<v Speaker 1>towards someone else will be appreciated. So if you are

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<v Speaker 1>a leader or a long timer in an organization or

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<v Speaker 1>group that wants to grow, think about what it is

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<v Speaker 1>like to be a newcomer. What can newcomers learn about

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<v Speaker 1>you from your website or social media presence. What's the

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<v Speaker 1>signage like when they arrive at your physical space? Will

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<v Speaker 1>they be greeted when they arrive? Are there any unspoken

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<v Speaker 1>rules or facts they need to know We are to

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<v Speaker 1>leave their bag before yoga class, or the punch code

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<v Speaker 1>to open the restroom door, or where to find smocks

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<v Speaker 1>before having their hair colored. You could even ask a

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<v Speaker 1>recent newcomer whether there was anything that was especially welcoming

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<v Speaker 1>and helpful on their first few visits, and whether there

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<v Speaker 1>was anything confusing or off putting that could be addressed.

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<v Speaker 1>As the pandemic restrictions are easing up, many people are

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<v Speaker 1>visiting new places for the first time. When we put

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<v Speaker 1>ourselves into the shoes of newcomers and design the newcomer

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<v Speaker 1>experience to be more welcoming. We can surely make their

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<v Speaker 1>visits more comfortable, and we may be able to convert

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<v Speaker 1>first time visitors to becoming part of the community. Then they,

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<v Speaker 1>in turn, we'll be welcoming other newcomers for years to come.

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<v Speaker 1>In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and

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<v Speaker 1>here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody,

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<v Speaker 1>I'd love to hear from you. You can send me

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<v Speaker 1>your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with

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<v Speaker 1>me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod

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<v Speaker 1>that's B the number four, then Breakfast p o D.

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<v Speaker 1>You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast

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<v Speaker 1>podcast at iHeart media dot com that Before Breakfast is

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<v Speaker 1>spelled out with all the letters they so much should.

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<v Speaker 1>I look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is

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<v Speaker 1>a production of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from

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<v Speaker 1>I heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

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<v Speaker 1>or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.