I’ve been getting barraged with “Happy Holiday” emails from people and companies that I haven’t heard from in months (or years).
And so I’ve been taking the opportunity to unsubscribe.
Holiday greetings are nice, but if that’s all you ever send, it’s probably time to rethink your email marketing program.
(Are you going to unsubscribe from this list now? I admit, it would be appropriately ironic.)
We’re getting ready to sell our house next spring.
Both attorneys came highly recommended and both, I’m sure, are well capable of handling our simple transaction.
The first talked and talked. Lots of detail about the process, why she was qualified, etc. By the time she was done, I was more confused than when we began.
The second mostly asked questions. When he was out of things to ask, he described the process to me in about 30 seconds.
Who do you think we’ll be hiring?
In a world where everybody is over the bar, people don’t buy what you know. They buy who you are.
It came from someone who had invited me to partner on a potential project.
The project was kind of interesting, but not quite right.
So I thanked him for the opportunity but politely declined.
His email back to me was very different in tone than the first one he sent. Not friendly, even a little bit angry.
The way somebody responds to “no” tells you a lot more about them than the way they respond to “yes.”
There were just 50 words in it. Two of them were misspelled.
And I don’t mean “your vs. you’re” kinds of misspelling, either.
“Future” was spelled “Tuture.”
“Develop” was spelled “Develope.”
We all make mistakes, but if your not even bothering to spellcheck, your playing fast and loose with your hard-earned reputation as a Likeable Expert.
It was with someone whose company might be a good partner for me.
He initially suggested a “phone meeting.”
I said I didn’t mind; I’d be happy to come to him.
So I drove there. And shook his hand. And sat in his office. And gave him a copy of my book when I left.
Virtual is great. But when it’s possible, and you want to make a strong connection, nothing beats face-to-face (even with my face).