By Terry S. Mathias
2013-2014 NAIFA-West Virginia President
    

As I prepare to attend the NAIFA National Convention in San Antonio later this week, my mind goes back to the last convention that I attended which was in Seattle.  It was a great convention with a lot of motivating speakers and informative workshops.  One of my fondest memories from that trip, however, was my visit to Pike Place Fish Market.  Maybe you have visited the market or seen video clips from the market on television.  It is truly a unique experience.
   
First, the fish is incredibly fresh.  The only thing you smell are the fresh-cut flowers in the neighboring stand in the market.  Second, the fish is neatly displayed on ice so that everyone who walks by can see it.  And third and most importantly, the staff at the fish market is constantly interacting with everyone who walks by.  They engage people in conversation.  They make the fish "talk" to the children.  And when someone purchases a fish, they throw the fish to the individual responsible for wrapping it so the customer can take it home.  The employees of the Pike Place Fish Market work very hard, put in a lot of hours, and yet enjoy their work and have fun while they are doing it.  Because of the way they run their business, they have become world famous.
   
Have you ever wanted to become a world famous advisor?  Well, maybe you have not thought about that, but I hope you would want to be someone whom clients appreciate for all that you help them accomplish.  As you work to meet the needs of your clients on a daily basis, you can become world famous by practicing the four principles that they practice at the Pike Place Fish Market.  These principles are discussed in a book entitled "Fish" by Stephen Lundin, Harry Paul, and John Christensen.  The principles that helped the fish market become world famous are:
   
1. Choose your attitude:  There is always a choice about the way you do your work, even if there is not a choice about the work itself.
 
2. Play:  You can be serious about your business and still have fun with the way you conduct your business.
 
3. Make their day:  Look for ways to create great memories.  Make someone's day.  Engage your clients and people you see every day.
 
4. Be present:  Be fully engaged in your work.  Don't be sidetracked by the many distractions that come your way.  Stay on task and focus on things that are important.
 
As you plan for the fourth quarter, I encourage all of you to implement at least one of the practices above.  If you consistently do so, I'll bet you will have one of your best quarters ever.