Ep 49: Service Series: Rethinking Rapport - The Service Mindset Shift

Imagine a world where business is not just a pursuit of profit, but a journey of genuine connection and impactful service. 

In this episode, Nikisha dives deep into the heart of entrepreneurial service, sharing captivating stories in the business realm. From the pitfalls of a scarcity mindset to the power of abundance, where she uncovers the secrets to revolutionizing client engagement and satisfaction.

Here are three key takeaways from today’s episode:

1. Understanding Scarcity vs. Abundance: Learn how shifting your mindset can transform your approach to business and client relationships, leading to greater satisfaction and success.
2. Building Robust Relationships: Discover effective strategies for nurturing your business connections, including the smart use of CRM tools and the power of non-monetary exchanges.
3. The 'Aha Method': Get an insider look at the pivotal technique that clarified and directed my business ventures, offering a new perspective on overcoming sales and creativity blocks.

Are you an entrepreneur feeling overwhelmed? Is customer service sometimes the last thing on your mind?

Join this transformative journey and be part of the conversation that changes everything. Listen now and redefine what it means to serve in business.

How to Work with Nikisha (Your Certified Business & Life Coach):

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• Developing Confidence in Your Numbers
• Finding Fulfilment in Your Brand

Check out our content on Instagram > NK Focus Formula

Chapters

• 0:21 Service Series Introduction and Importance
• 12:28 The Power of Service in Business
• 24:44 Exclusive One-on-One Opportunity for Overwhelmed Entrepreneurs

Transcript

Nikisha King: 0:21

Welcome to NK Production Leading Her Way podcast, where we see the human, evolving and resilient spirit in you. I'm your host, nikisha, and on this episode we are introducing the service series. I am excited to introduce this series because it means so much to me as a service provider and someone who also produce products. Service is mostly what our NK Collective is all about In having three entities. Service is what we do. Service is what we love. It's how we show up to improve the lives of the people we serve. So what I'm going to do in this episode is introduce what service means to this episode series and pretty much just get you very fired up in understanding what service is, because I know you know what service is. I know you know that means to help others, to serve right, to help others to remove you out of the picture and to always give 100%. But let's be honest as business owners, in order for us to survive, we need to make money and sometimes we forget about the service and we just think about the money. And when we only think about the money, are we truly serving from a place of abundance or scarcity where I don't have enough? Therefore, I got to do this, this and this and we forget the people we're serving, and I'm going to also share with you some of those examples of how things look when we're not serving. So first, let's define service Based on Google. Service is the action of helping or doing work for someone. It didn't say the action of helping or doing work for yourself. It's the action of helping or doing work for someone right Now. I want to make that clear because I know, you know, but your subconscious, when it's in survival mode, doesn't know. When my subconscious is in survival mode not enough money in the bank, not enough inquiries, not enough of anything my subconscious doesn't realize I'm serving. It becomes egotistical. It thinks about my survival like your subconscious thinks about your survival, and it shows up in the way we manage our businesses. Yes, it does. Yes, it does. So.

Nikisha King: 3:01

Now, the reason I wanted to do this episode was, or this series, is because I want you to be mindful of the subconscious area. I want you to be mindful of the place where you don't even realize you're doing it. I want you to become aware. The whole reason for Leading Her Way podcast is about awareness. If I say things to you, it's going to trigger a thought like oh my God, I know what that is. I do that and I want you to have these moments because when you have them, there is going to be a moment where a shift's going to happen and the path that you're on is going to shift so slightly that it will make a big transformative experience in your life. And that's what I'm here to do serve you in that way. So let's talk about what service looks like when you're not in scarcity mode. Or maybe let's reverse it. Let's talk about what it does look like when you're in scarcity mode.

Nikisha King: 3:59

So there are moments as business owners, you and I, where our season feels like a low season, where our season feel like we don't have enough leads, we don't have enough inquiries coming in to have potential clients, when we don't have enough clients to make the money that we want to make for the quarter, the month, the year, and we're so worried about it. And when we're worried about it, there's something that happens we tend to overthink, we tend to not show up, we tend to get overwhelming feelings anxiety because we cannot make our bills. We cannot pay our bills and instead of us creating the money-making action, we tend to draw back. Draw back means we tend to eat a little bit extra, we tend to watch a little bit more TV. We tend to complain a little bit more to others about what's the recession creating, about what this competitor of mine is doing and they're taking people from me. We tend to look at outside circumstances and make it about that rather than what we're doing within and how we're showing up to serve.

Nikisha King: 5:11

Now let's do an example. When I was building my business and I was in my early stages, where I wasn't really marketing, I wasn't really doing enough to put myself out there, and sometimes I still feel that I'm not putting myself out there enough. And a lot of people who know me will say Nikisha, that's a lie, you're everywhere, because they usually tell me that you are everywhere on the social media and I go. That's so interesting. You think I'm everywhere and I think I'm not doing enough. But when I was starting out in the beginning, I wasn't anywhere. No one knew I existed, right, and if they didn't know I existed, I didn't know how I was going to serve them. They didn't even know what service I was giving. But in those moments when I did have a potential lead come into my world, I wasn't the best because I didn't practice how to be the best to serve them. What that means is they would do an inquiry form for me and when they did this inquiry form, I don't even think I had a message that went out saying thank you. We received the form in email. If I wasn't at my computer, they wouldn't hear from me until I get to my computer. The other moment would be when I'm on a call with them. I don't know if I'm asking them how I'm serving them.

Nikisha King: 6:30

In my beginning stages I was doing more of the speaking, telling them what we do, and even then I didn't know what we did. I know we sold invitations, but we were talking about papers and colors and wedding coordination colors and all this stuff and that wasn't serving them. That was just telling them information that wasn't really talking to what they needed. Anytime we're helping someone with service, it's because they require the help. There's something they want. There's something they need as a stationer. It wasn't that they needed paper and colors.

Nikisha King: 7:08

As a florist designer, it's not that they just need flowers as an event planner. They just don't need someone to organize right. There is something deeper that they're concerned about, for example, planners. Your clients are concerned that they don't have the capability, they don't want the stress of it all. To speak to over 50 people and then have to manage those people to create the vision that they want and they don't even know how to get that vision out is a struggle for them. It's where they struggle as a stationary designer.

Nikisha King: 7:47

My clients are planners. Their struggle is time. They take time in doing all the stationary work because stationary is a bigger part of their. No planner is going to do floral design. Some do, but I mean generally someone planning an event is not doing floral design. If you have a designer, they love that. That's different. They're a designer but logistically a planner doesn't want to do floral design. A planner doesn't want to be a photographer. A planner doesn't want to be a DJ. So for some reason there are planners who think doing stationary so they go on minted because that makes it easier for them. But what they are not realizing that eats into the time they don't charge the fee that they charge for their planning. They usually add that with the stationery they lose money and they lose time.

Nikisha King: 8:37

So with me as a graphic design house, we come in with our planners, our partners, and we take that off their plate. No longer will you have to do that and we charge for that, and at the end of it, their clients get their stationery. So we do a two-fold concept and that's how we are providing the service. But before, in the beginning, this was not who Design House was. We were not that. We were just who Design House was. We were not that. We were just talking about paper and colors and that was it, and we were not serving our client. Therefore, our numbers were low. Our continuous booking, us booking ourselves solid wasn't even an option for us.

Nikisha King: 9:21

So as time went by and I went from a thinking of scarcity to abundance, I had to learn that service wasn't about me giving and receiving from that person. Service was about me always giving and receiving from something else, from somewhere else, from not that person. So when I want to serve my clients, my planners, their, their couples, their corporate clients, it's about giving relentlessly. It's about serving without going. Well, since I helped you here, can you do this for me? That's not my language in conversation. What I enjoy is how can I help you? What do you love? I usually ask my planners what's your favorite? Do you like spas? What's your favorite restaurant? Is there, a favorite venue you love, and when I do that, it's because I can gift them things. Serving them doesn't mean only helping them in their business, but also taking care of them as an individual right, because we're business to business, so I'm serving their business. But how can I serve the human running the business? Oh man, how much I love that.

Nikisha King: 10:31

Service is about helping someone without anything in return. Understand you will always receive when you give abundantly, but you don't have to receive from the person you're giving to. Let me repeat that for the people all the way in the back. Service is about giving without expecting anything back from the person you have given to. You will always receive when you give abundantly, but you will receive from any and everywhere. How do you know? You have to be in tuned in it. What that means is when I show up here on Leading Her Way podcast and I give value through the stories, through the ideas, through the reframing, I know for a fact that when I turn around and I speak to a planner who goes oh my God, Nikisha, I know a great client for you. Let me connect you. I know that came from me showing up here. When I have my neighbors come over and just give me beautiful cookies because it's a holiday that I don't even celebrate it might be St Paddy's Day, anything and they just wanted to treat me with something. I know that's from me having a conversation in a store with someone and creating a pivotal moment for them.

Nikisha King: 11:58

Understand service is that it's giving abundantly and not expecting anything from the person you gave to, but knowing that you will get it back, because it's just the law of physics Every action has a reaction. The reaction doesn't have to be from the actionable place you just made it. It could be from anywhere. It's law, it's our physics, spiritual, any type of law. It's in it, it's there. So that is what service is.

Nikisha King: 12:28

Now, when we are not serving, when we are thinking about ourselves, that usually looks like well, I gave you this. Can you give me that? I referred you a client. Are you going to give me 10% of the payment you make if you book it? I have you as a vendor, a vendor specialist, in this venue. If you get a booking, we need 5% or 10% of that or 15% of that because we referred you.

Nikisha King: 12:55

Unfortunately, they don't understand that that person, that they're asking 10% or 15% of cash value have even more value. If it's a photographer, we'll add you to our list. Can you take some pictures annually for our venue so we can promote on social media? Oh my God, you do florals. How about we put you on our list? Would you be okay giving us fresh flowers every month, once a month, or something of that nature, finding a way to help use the value of that creative partner or that company to help you grow your business, to help you improve when that? Now, if they have flowers around and someone walks in and go oh my God, I love these arrangements. Perfect, this person works with us. That person's name is X and Y and Z. Would you like us to connect you with them?

Nikisha King: 13:46

That is a very lucrative way of looking at service. Sometimes we get so bogged down with the cash that we forget how much we can use the service and have someone help us, and it speaks more volumes than the cash that no one can see. That feels under the table and feels very uncomfortable. Service is also about how we show up in our business. So as a service provider, the best part of my business is when I can support my clients when they go Nikisha we have this event coming up in a month or two. We need some day of stationary products. Can you help us? I know it's last minute, but I don't know where to go. I don't know where to turn and I love how you work and I go. You know what I got you. I will make this work. I will design something, send it to you tomorrow. Are you going to be able to respond yes, okay, perfect, let's do it. This is not me doing this all the time, but this person that I have a relationship with. There's a moment, something happens and we understand, things happen. And when things happen, being there and being of service is what makes me happy, what's creating joy, because I get to help someone I truly believe in. I help their brand, I help their clients, whatever it is.

Nikisha King: 15:12

Service is not always thinking about the end, the sum, the numbers. It's how you make someone feel. So think about your business, Think about when you have a client inquire. Are you going to respond, even with an automated response? Hi, thank you for inquiring. We received your inquiry. We will like to contact you within 12 hours. Is that okay? That's even a nice way to write an email, because they're going to respond. Yes, and it's okay if you're not there reading it at that moment in time. Or they might say, no, this is something urgent. You have your phone, trust me, your emails are on your phone, they're everywhere with you in this age and you might check in and go. Okay, if they said, no, let me have my team member or myself respond right away. That's service.

Nikisha King: 16:05

But when someone inquires and they get a little message that says thank you and nothing else, how do they know you got it? And then don't be another business owner who have so many inquiries that you tend to ignore because you just feel overwhelmed. Feeling overwhelmed is not a business attribute. Feeling overwhelmed is a challenge that you need a solution to and in this age, in this stage of the game, you have so many CRMs that have an automation that will answer every one of those lead inquiries and let them know this time you'll get back to them. And then in the evening you take an hour and go through all of those emails and respond and do what you need to do. Or, if you're really good, you have a team member, or, if you're really good, your automated system carries them through. And if you don't know how to do the last one, have a CRM or automated system that carries them through. Listen, you have tons and tons of coaches and mentors available to you. Stop thinking you can do it on your own. Stop thinking they're too expensive. No one is expensive. There's ways. Make a win-win opportunity. Ask them if they do a firm. Ask them if they do annual installments. They say yes, there's an opportunity for you. They say no, and there's someone you really want to work with. There is still an opportunity. You just have to make it work for you.

Nikisha King: 17:35

I love being a service provider. People see us as a stationary design house and think we're a product producer or product company. The product for us is the cherry on top company. The product for us is the cherry on top. But me showing up every day, talking to my planners, telling them how we serve them, hearing them go this is what we need and knowing I already have that solution, knowing that the value they get is they get time with their family, they get time back to do what they actually love, which is not stationary or they would have been a stationer but they get time to do the thing that they love logistically planning an event that will have an amazing experience for their clients. It's our service to them and then, when they connect us with the client, taking care of that client so well that it's a reflection of the planner they hired, that has great partnerships, great collaborations, great relationships that makes their experience even better.

Nikisha King: 18:36

Service is more than just thinking you're doing the right thing. It's more than thinking a call and asking about colors and paper is service. It's more than that. It's how you make someone feel heard, seen, understood, and that is what I love about this series and that is what I love about this series. So I'm excited for you to join me and some of our guests about being a service provider, being the person who answers the email, the call. And the call doesn't actually mean a phone or a Zoom call. It could just be answering whatever someone need help with, sometimes making an offer, sometimes.

Nikisha King: 19:26

I have so many entrepreneurs in my world who are struggling and sometimes all I have to say is would you like me to help you with that? I am just making an offer to serve them, to help them with the thing that they're struggling with. Now it's up to them to say yes, some people need to go through a lot of pain or let me get rid of the word a lot. Some people need to go through pain in order to get to that point where they opt in to be served. I learned a while back I don't want to go through pain, so I opt in really early. I find the revenue. I invest in the person I believe in and I trust, who then supports me, and every time I do that I go in for one thing and I come out with 10 things. It's like the best gift and I'm grateful for all the people who have served me my coaches, my planners, my designers, my illustrators, my artists. They all say, yes, nikisha, we believe in you, we would love to help you, and I do everything in my power to serve them in return.

Nikisha King: 20:36

As a service provider. The service series means a lot to me. There is something that Simon Sinek says. He's someone I love. I love his leadership skills. I love everything about him.

Nikisha King: 20:51

Quote don't show up to prove. Show up to improve. End quote. Don't show up to tell someone how amazing you are. Show up to show them how amazing they are. Show up to help them look amazing. Show up to help them improve in their journey. As a coach, as a mentor, as a service provider, business creator. I'm not here to prove anyone wrong. I'm not here to prove I'm right, but I love improving the lives and journeys of others. I love showing up so I can help my fellow business owners improve their business.

Nikisha King: 21:38

I truly, truly, with all of my heart, believe in what you're doing and I know in my heart what you're doing is needed. It's not a luxury, it's needed. You were created the way you were created so you can be this for someone, so you can help and serve someone in this arena that you specialize in, and in doing that, you're making this world a better place. Your contribution is all that they need to have a transformative shift in their world that leads them to the path and purpose that they were put here for. Can you imagine just Just that simple thing you think is simple, that no one else has but you, and only you, can do it the way you can do it because of your characteristics, your personality, the I am of who you are allows you to show up and do it the way you can. So, once again, I truly, truly believe that you are here for a reason. You are here to serve in a way that no one else can do it like you.

Nikisha King: 22:55

The question is are you willing to serve? Are you willing to show up? Are you willing to help people improve and not prove that you're right or your way is better? Are you willing to let your ego who does need to stand by you and guide you at moments take a back seat in the service category? Are you willing to just listen, ask questions and understand what do they need in order for you to serve?

Nikisha King: 23:29

Thank you so much for joining me on today's Leading Her Way podcast. I truly, truly, truly know that you, as a human being who's evolving on this journey, responding to that email, showing up, asking questions and not telling people about what you do and how you do and being open to actually offering your help is the transformative things you need to do. Thank you for showing up today. Thank you for listening. I hope you did this on a walk or while you're showing up today. Thank you for listening. I hope you did this on a walk or while you're prepping something. I usually listen to my podcast when I'm walking or prepping my kids' meals for the day, early in the morning. I truly, truly appreciate you. Have an amazing day and I'll see you next Tuesday on Leading Her Way podcast. Have an amazing day and I'll see you next Tuesday on Leading Her Way podcast.

Nikisha King: 24:44

Hey, before you go, I got a golden opportunity for you. Yes, you. It's a chance as to get to pass up, a chance to work with me one-on-one, practically for free. Imagine waving a magic wand and saying goodbye to feeling completely overwhelmed, anxious and all those feelings that keep you stuck from selling your services. You know that feeling where you can't make decisions. You're on the hamster wheel. I know I was there, but what if I told you I can help you get rid of that feeling forever? Not only five minutes, 10 minutes, but forever. Yes, to the point where working on your newsletter website, creating content, feels like a breeze.

Nikisha King: 25:29

This week, I only have four exclusive spots for a one-to-one opportunity with me. It's not a webinar, it's not a workshop. It's only you and me for 60 minutes where I'll teach you my aha method to get rid of that overwhelmed feeling forever. My aha method to get rid of that overwhelmed feeling forever. Listen, don't walk, but run over to focusnakishakingcom it's in the show notes and grab one of my limited spots. It's limited and so many people keep asking for it, so it's going to be gone in a second. And remember, don't tell anyone about this great opportunity. It's just between you and me.