ThePowerOfASmile

　　MMM|July11,2007–11:04am|Somanypeopleunderestimatethepowerandimportanceofasmile,thatsimplelittlefacialexpressioncharacterizedbyanupwardcurvingofthecornersofthemouth.

　　Asmilehasmanymeanings:pleasure,friendliness,welcome,amusement,andmanymore;anditispartofauniversalbodylanguagethatdoesn’tneedanyextrainterpretation.

　　Plusasmile,withallitssimplcityandbeauty,canbeaveryimportantfactorinmanyaspectsofourlives:

　　-Youfallinlovewithanewcountryyouvisitbecauseitspeoplegreetyouwithawelcomingsmileeverywhereyougo;othercountriesyoujustdon’tlikeeventhoughtheymighthavemorehistory,nature,entertainmentandwhatnotbecausetheirpeopledon’tseemsofriendlyoraccepting.

　　-Youfeellikebuyingfromacertainstorewhenthevendorwelcomesyouinwithasmile,sometimesevenifyouwouldn’tintiallyhaveboughtanything;andinotherstores,eventhoughtheyhaveexactlywhatyouneedorbetter,youdecidetowalkawaybecausethevendordoesn’tlookwelcomingatall.

　　-Youwanttogiveawaiteragoodtipwhenheservesyouwithasmile,evenifthefoodturnsoutnotthatgood;ontheotherhand,sometimesyou’llhavesomeofthebestfoodever,butyouwon’tfeellikegivingthewaiteratip,evenifyoudo,becausehewasgrumpy.

　　Moreandmoreexamplesfromoureverydaylifeshowhowmuchasimplesmilecanchangeeverything.

　　ForeverengravedinmymindwillbethesmilingfacesofthepeopleofThailand,thefriendlypizzadeliveryboy,thewelcomingsupermarketvendor,thenicecashieratthebank,…etc.

　　Itisthesesmilesthatkeepmewantingtogoback,andthatkeepusallwantingtogoback;lookingatitfromanotherview,ifwebreakitdownusingbusinesssense,asmileisoneofthemosteffectivemeanstogeneratesalesanddevelopcustomerloyalty.

　　Ontopofallthat,asmileisaverysimpleandeasythingtodo,soitamazeswhynoonebotherstodoit,itnotonlymakesthepersoninfrontofyoubetter,butitalsomakesyoufeelbetteraswell,andI’mnotmakingthisup,ithasbeenpsychologicallyproven.

　　Personally,I’dliketoseemoresmilingfacesinthisworld;intheairportswhenIenteranewcountry,incompanies,governmentagencies,restaurants,hotels,banks,everywhere;andIthinkitisuptogovernmentstocampaignaboutthis,andevenmakeitobligatoryincertainimportantplaceslikeairports,hospitals,hotels…etc.

　　Let’sallsimplysmile.