Atomic Penny

Recently I contacted a businessman that I had done business with, commented on his blogs, tweeted his success and shared his writings with others. Because I knew he was busy, I used his personal email address, and did not want to interrupt him with a phone call. The response I received was not from the business owner, but from some unknown assistant. It read in part, “thanks for writing Bob (not his real name). If you wish to leave a message please go to his website and post a message.”

WOW!

Now I know what my support is worth. It must be that I didn’t attend all the seminars, workshops and consulting he tried to sell me. He will never understand my frustration, but I probably won’t go out of my way to use his services, which are quite good. I just wanted to support him when he started out, and hoped that I could learn something which I did.

By the way, I have emailed or twittered Seth Godin, Pamela Slim and Tony Hseih and received a personal response. I was no only surprised, but more importantly I was impressed. I am not a captain of industry, I am not a major player, and I am definitely not someone who can bolster his or her career. But to each of them I am important enough to respond to, and they have a fan for life.

If you put this in the context of your business, have you ignored your older customers because they didn’t buy everything that was offered? Do you consider the person with the biggest car or highest credit limit more important than the customer paying with cash?

Who stood by you when you started up and when times turned tough? What have you done for them lately?

POWER ON–Mark

You know the one. The person who everyone remembers from an interaction. He may not be the richest, best looking or most interesting, but the one person wh makes you feel better about yourself and others after an interaction.

The Confetti Project can work the same way. Be “That Guy” to your customers, prospects and suspects. Hugh MacLeod is “That Guy”, author of “Ignore Everybody” leaves his mark with every interaction. His Daily Business Card is amazing artwork for everyman.

Pamela Slim is  ”That Woman”,  dedicated to helping other escape from the corporate abyss. Right now she has an entire series of posts on expanding markets. She is a true confetti spreader.

Be “That Guy” or “That Woman” to your customers. Make the interaction something to remember and give everyone a reason to come back again. It’s not about the budget, it’s about the interaction. Oh, and when you interact, give those you meet a reason to remember you, and not a business card (unless you have one done by Hugh Macleod).

POWER ON–Mark