The Smile
Several years ago I was teaching a class with ten executives. Most of the group were salesmen but some managers as well. A woman walked in with a huge smile. She was from Brazil, recognized for her beer ads.
She did her first talk in front of the group and described her career trajectory. No longer doing commercials, she was now the manager of an important team.
“All my life”, she said, “I was told to have a happy face. And then when doing commercials, to hold a smile and never let go.”
“And now”, I asked?
“No one will pay attention to me, including my team.”
“If you could get anything from the class, what would it be?”
“Lose the smile.”