I was in the doctor’s office waiting room yesterday morning waiting for my name to be called. I was there for a flu shot and dreading it. I’m a little nervous around needles. They make me faint if we’re not real careful.
Anyway, while I was waiting I leaned my head back and laid it on the back of the couch to try to ease the horrible ache between my shoulder blades. After a couple of minutes the gentleman across the way made a comment about falling asleep in public.
We struck up a conversation and I found out he was struggling to stay awake after an all-night shift at a local company. I felt bad for the man and continued talking with him longer than I ordinarily would because I know how miserable it is when I’m sleepy and just want to lay down.
Turns out he works with a very good friend of mine and we chatted as we waited. I went in for my appointment and while I was asking a few questions about the flu shot I was there for, he overheard one of the nurses say something about me being a massage therapist.
He was still waiting when I came back through the waiting area. He stopped me, asking about my massage therapy practice, and wondering if I “worked with gentlemen in my practice”. I could tell he was nervous that he might offend me by the way he asked it. When I assured him that I did work with gentlemen he relaxed and told me about some problems he was having with his neck and back. I dug a card out of my purse and told him to call me.
He hasn’t called yet, but that really isn’t the point of my post. The point is that I put myself out there a little further than I normally do and in return I made a personal connection and a business contact.
While I was still in school, the interpersonal nature of marketing a massage therapy business was a huge concern. I still worry about it and struggle with days where my introverted nature makes me want to go hide under my bed. I try to respect myself on those days and keep the chit chat of marketing to a minimum. But I do find that more often than not, when I put myself out there and talk with people, I end up feeling better when I leave than when I arrived.
I guess that’s a good thing. And it helps me remember that every business contact I make may not turn into a new client, but it is one more person who has heard my name and hopefully will remember and share that they had a pleasant conversation with me when they hear it again.
