“When you say hi 👋 to everyone on the street, all the doors open.”
Having sold cable services door to door several years back, I began to realize anybody who I saw outside walking around, eventually, I’d be knocking on their door too.
Initially, I thought, “I don’t want to bother anyone or say hi. I’ll just mind my own business. People don’t want to talk to me because I’m in their neighborhood and knocking on their doors trying to “sell them something.”
It’s true, I was trying to sell them something, but it was something that if I was knocking on your door, you wanted what I was offering. In some cases, it was free TV cable services and in other cases, it was to lower your monthly bill by $20-40/month.
In time I realized that when I said “hello” and initiated a conversation with people, they responded in kind. Then when I knocked on their door they would see me, answer and be friendly. Saying hello to people first, puts in their mind that you’re friendly, kind and an okay person.
Before I started saying hi intentionally I was just trying to mind my own business and not bother people, they would be leery of me once inside their home, not consciously per say, but an opportunity was missed. An opportunity to make a friend, an opportunity to acknowledge another individual – to make them seen in a world distracted and focused on so many other things than real-life – living people.
It’s amazing how people LOVE to be acknowledged, for someone else to take the first step of initiation towards relationship. If you think about it, EVERY relationship starts with a “hello and introduction.”
Have you heard of the Meyer’s Briggs Test? I tested about as hardcore of an “introvert” as one can be on the test. They test for psychological tendencies and then categorize people into different groups based on the results. Apparently my personality type is something like 1.6% of the population or something ridiculous. Who knows how they come up with these stats anyway? For the record, I’m not a big fan of this test because people tend to make this an excuse for “who they are” or an “identity to get stuck in” and don’t make an effort to change and grow. I’ve heard people say stuff like, “I’m introverted, I don’t like to chit chat or have superficial conversation.” Sorry, that might be true but that perspective and attitude serves nobody and is quite frankly leaning towards selfishness.
And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.
Side note: Jesus was perfectly introverted and extroverted. He’s the model for our lives. Being “introverted isn’t an excuse to not talk with and engage with people because the idea is to “love our neighbor as ourselves.” Making an effort to communicate with others in social situations isn’t always about our personal feelings, it’s about reaching out and being interested in the person in front of us. That simple act of being interested in someone else is so loving, we have no idea.
So, as I began to say hello to the random stranger on the sidewalk it equated directly to making a friend, which translated into them opening their door to me when I knocked on it and then closing more sales because if people don’t even open their door there’s 0 opportunity to help someone … who will inturn help you.
Seriously, if I didn’t say “hello” to people on the street they basically never opened their door to me. I knew they were home. They knew I knew they were home because I would watch them go into the house. People unconsciously take it personally if you don’t say hello and they take it personally if you do say hello.
What kind of outcome would you like in your life? More friends or less? More people to help and who will help you or less?
We really do need each other much more than we even realize.
Hi friend, I hope you’re well today! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Ohh yeah, and don’t forget to smile. Sometimes I do. I’m reminding myself. A smile is your best feature when meeting someone for the first time… 😉
“When you say hi 👋 to everyone on the street, all the doors open.”
