f you’ve ever worked around food, even if it was for your own children, you’ve undoubtedly heard of the 5 second rule. The rule says if food hits the floor it’s still usable as long as it is picked up within 5 seconds. That idea is just disgusting! And having worked in multiple restaurant chains in my life, I would like to assure you that many restaurants (even though we joke about it) don’t actually practice the 5 second rule. If it hits the floor, it doesn’t go out the serving door!
But there’s a 30 second rule that I like to hold true in every organization of which I am a part. When I sold cars and served at pastor in church, I had the same 30 second rule. The rule is simple! Every 30 seconds for the first 5 minutes we make contact with someone who is visiting us. In sales I made sure that I said Hello within 30 seconds to anyone I saw exit their vehicle.
At church, we try to do this in a way that doesn’t look desperate or smothering. It’s simple and requires no script or set handoff policy. You just make sure that if you see someone you don’t recognize, you just say hello, my name is…
We make things way too difficult. We want a fully scripted conversation before we begin by even introducing ourselves. Some churches are huge and need people to walk you around to show you where to go next. Others, like the church I serve currently, don’t need tour guides. Either way the 30 second rule still works. From the time a guest exits their car to the time they sit down in worship, make sure they know you notice them. Offer a hand shake, cup of coffee, directions to the restroom.
This week take a look at large companies like Home Depot or Walmart. They have people all around the store to share with you a simple word just about every 30 seconds. What role can you play in implementing the 30 second rule in your organization?
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