The Authentic Pharmacist
My wife and I followed the cobblestone road walking back home from dinner to our house in Begur, Spain, a lovely medieval stone village just north of Barcelona on the Mediterranean coast. Along the way, the lights of the local pharmacy caught our eye, and we decided to make a pit stop to pick up some antacids that were particularly effective; we wanted to get them for our daughter back in Colorado.
The bell chimed as we opened the storefront’s door, and we were welcomed by a smiling young man. My wife immediately saw the antacid box and picked up two. I told her, “Why not get 4 while we are here?”
Upon hearing my suggestion, the pharmacist asked what we needed the antacids for. I explained to him that our daughter was pregnant and still four months away from her due date and her heartburn was in full force. The pharmacist humbly offered, “I am not sure if that is the best solution.”
“Well, the box says pregnancy safe…” I replied.
“Yes, you are right. However, antacids coat the stomach. That means that less nutrients are absorbed and guess who also gets less nutrients….?” Well, the baby of course!
My wife immediately put 2 of the 4 boxes back on the shelf…
The pharmacist laughed, “My mom was right. I am the worst pharmacist to run a business in the world!”
We laughed with him. He continued, “We have all these different things people can buy over the counter. People come in and buy as much as they want, which is great business for our Pharmacy! Even so, I can’t help stopping them from making misinformed decisions… so I discourage the sales”.
I looked at him and confirmed, “Even if you may be a ‘terrible pharmacist businessman’, you are the one I want to always return to!”
The ironic truth in this story is that authenticity always wins. Your ability to do what is right for the customer is what shines through your work. By valuing honesty and integrity over an easy sale, you build trust and customer loyalty that ultimately bolsters returns. The pharmacist in this story contended that his advice against buying too many antacids was ‘bad business’ because he made a few less euros in the transaction than he could have. However, in the longer term perspective, he gained a loyal customer that will spend much more over time and proactively refer his pharmacy to others.
Lessons to Take Forward
Consider using these tools to tap into your authenticity in your next business interaction:
- 1Determine and document your crisis strategy, including roles and ways of working, and be ready to activate it as a team.
- 2Brainstorm potential unexpected events, even unlikely ones, so that you’re not left stunned. Ask, “What if…”
- 3Learn and practice stress management techniques to maintain balance and creativity when under high pressure.
- 4Have outside help on hand: a trusted adviser, coach, or consultant you can call on to instantly boost your capacity, creativity, and expertise.
Channeling authenticity is a call to action to dig deeper into your work, to take the time to really understand your customer’s, client’s and/or stakeholder’s needs, and help them find the best road forward. The longer term sustainable rewards can be tremendous.
