The Land Down Under by Zig Ziglar on Creators.com

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The Land Down Under

From June 21 through July 4, 2000, my wife, son-in-law and our director of international operations toured Australia. It was truly an incredible experience. I had the privilege of speaking in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth. We also went to Cairns and had a chance to visit the Great Barrier Reef.

We loved every minute of our visit. We all noticed and commented on the outstanding service we received, particularly on Qantas Airlines, in the Qantas Clubs and from people everywhere, but especially those who lived in the Sydney area. We were mentioning it regularly when Krish Dhanam, our director of international operations, commented, "Yes, it looks like they're getting ready to host the Olympics and want to put on their best face." I suspect there was a kernel of truth in that, but having traveled that beautiful land on several previous occasions, I can tell you that Australians are nice folks who are very accommodating to their Yankee guests.

However, I would be the first to admit that there was a little difference in our treatment on this trip. People were a little more courteous, service was a little better in the hotels and airports, and the clerks in the shops were a little nicer and a little friendlier.

Now, before you think thoughts like, "Isn't this a little self-serving, perhaps even hypocritical?" let me point out that exactly the same thing happened when we hosted the Olympics in Los Angeles when Mr. Reagan was president. I believe the city fathers and mothers all agreed that it would be to everyone's advantage — not only the city and state, but all of America — if all of us put on our "best faces," were a little more helpful, a little friendlier and a little more courteous and considerate of those who were visiting our shores.

To take the analogy a little further, surely you've noticed that when a new restaurant — or for that matter, any new business — opens, everybody on staff from top to bottom is on his or her best behavior.

They're "watching their p's and q's," they go out of their way to make a favorable impression, tell you how much they appreciate you being with them, encourage you to come back, and so on. In most cases, this continues for a reasonable period of time, and then things begin to gradually, imperceptibly change. It's not that they suddenly become disinterested and non-caring, but the drift begins to take place. It's much like watching your child grow. The grandparents, not having seen the child in two years, are astonished at how much the child has grown. That's what I'm talking about — those "little changes" you would not notice from one day to the next, but they make a difference over a period of time.

Here's the point. Every day in our lives and in our businesses is a good one. And as my friend, the late Cavett Robert, would say, "If you don't believe that's true, just try missing one of them." Every time the doors of your business open, that's an important day. Every time a visitor comes to our shores, the impression we make on him or her will affect the things they have to say about us when they go back home. In short, being the right kind of person and doing the right thing is always in style.

It will be fascinating to see how our next trip to Australia turns out. I'm hoping and believing that it will be as pleasant as this one. I also hope that when you open the doors of your home and your business, you greet your guests in as friendly and as helpful a manner as you did the first time they walked in. Those behaviors are the little things that make the big difference in success or failure in a business. Take that approach, and I'll see you over the top!

To find out more about Zig Ziglar and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com. Subscribe to Zig Ziglar's free e-mail newsletter through info@zigziglar.com.