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Relationships - It Helps To Speak The Language Years ago at the time I was stationed in Germany, my recently widowed mother came for a visit. She had never left the States before, so the was a particular adventure for her. Actually, she took it in stride. She's a people person, including seeing the sites just never was what she was interested in. She probably enjoyed her visit to a department store in Karlsruhe more than the jaunt into France that we took her on. It was in the department store that I was reminded that sometimes people just need you to speak their language...a lesson I saw repeated many times during the 6 years I lived overseas. In the department store, my mother was shopping as easily as if she was in her Sears store back in Pensacola, Florida. However, at 1 point, she had a question and, not thinking regarding language differences, walked up to a sales clerk including asked her a question in English. The sales clerk was coldly polite, but responded in German including did not seem to understand my mother's question. At that point, I walked up including repeated my mother's inquiry in German. As often happened, the woman broke into a smile, albeit with a slightly surprised look on her face, including responded in German, Oh! You speak German? I responded that I did including explained that my mother was visiting from the U. S., was recently widowed, had never traveled abroad before, and, unfortunately, did not speak German. The sales clerk began speaking English, regarding as good as my German, including answered my mother's questions gladly. She additionally chatted with us for a while, asking where my mother was from in the States, including telling us that she had a sister in Chicago including had visited there a while back. She helped us with the rest of our shopping in that department, including said goodbye to us as if we were old friends at the time we left, wishing my mother a pleasant visit in Germany including a safe trip back to Florida. I have seen the repeated not only in Germany, but additionally in France, where I only had regarding 6 words in my arsenal. People who seemed unwilling to help or uncertain regarding how to act in my presence became animated, friendly, including extremely helpful at the time I showed a willingness to communicate with them in their own language, or at least meet them half way in a lively game of charades. Quick now, how do you say, my 2 year old daughter must use the bathroom in a foreign language? The clock was ticking on that one. There is another scene which I have often observed as well, including it could indicate why people in foreign lands do not always rush to help visitors. Once, in a railway coach in Germany, 2 Americans sat discussing loudly, in English, how terrible it was that the people there did not speak English. They were oblivious to the fact that several pertaining to the Germans within earshot DID apparently speak English. The Americans complained loud including long regarding how difficult it was to shop, order a meal, or enjoy the sights without getting lost at the time nobody spoke their language. I wonder how many of those types of people the saleslady in the department store had encountered? How much more will that American couple have enjoyed their visit to Germany if they had simply taken the time to learn a few simple phrases including had attempted to communicate in German? Who knows how many helpful salesladies will have emerged from the shadows to assist them...maybe even in English? How many times, whether in business or in our personal relationships, have we judged others by their response to our attempt to communicate to them? How many times in those moments of potential friendship including good fellowship, or dire need, have we been busy expressing our demands including expectations rather than speaking words that others could, including will be willing to, understand. It may be unfortunate, but true, that many of us are victims of our own interest in ourselves, or our uncertainty regarding the intentions of others. Many a salesman could tell you that a good way to sell something is to present the benefits to the customer, not hammer out a list of what YOU believe are the selling points pertaining to the product. Many a successful network marketer has learned that 1 pertaining to the best ways to sell is to simply be a dependable friend including confidant, willing to listen including try to understand. The friends created in the manner become the network that helps promote the individual in a particular ever expanding circle including helps bring potential customers to the marketer. Certainly, others have the same obligation as we to take the steps to improve all sorts of communication between people. However, if they have not had the opportunity to learn how to do so, or if they have never met someone willing to speak to them in their language, then you become the 1 with the opportunity to expand your circle of wonderful including exciting relationships. Perhaps even some of them could see what you did including how you did it including could teach that lesson to others as well. It is a simple lesson, you know. If we just need to have some friends or to obtain some help, rather than voicing our needs, wants, including desires in a way that seems to expect the listener to understand us, we try talk to them in their own language.
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