DMV Part 2: Empathy goes a long way

I needed to get a question answered by the DMV and was dreading the phone call, predicting that the person would be curt, “by the book,” or just unhelpful.

I was SO mistaken.

The lovely man I spoke to didn't have an easy answer for me, so he went off the line to speak to his supervisor. He came back and they had discussed and come to a conclusion that was thoughtful, understanding and reasonable.

And then we chatted for a bit about my volunteer work at the Twice-Sold Tales library bookstore in Ojai (where I was when I took the callback) and how people don’t seem to read books as much as they used to. He asked if there was just one, and I laughed. We're a tiny town with three tiny libraries and one tiny used bookstore that supports them all. I invited him to come visit if he's ever in Ojai!

Once again I was caught off guard by my own perceptions of what to expect from the DMV (see part 1 here).

And I was reminded just how far a little empathy can go when having potentially uncomfortable conversations, especially when you know the person is anxious or apprehensive about speaking to you.

I can lack empathy at times. I can be pretty judgy. So these little reminders are so helpful for me!

Don't forget to apply empathy during your presentations. Putting yourself in your attendees' shoes, when discussing a difficult topic will make a huge difference in how they retain and apply your message!

____________________________________________________
On The Everything Page you'll find everything you need to build visibility, credibility and influence through engaging presentations that move your participants into action: freebies, low-cost products and courses, and 1:1 coaching!