What Lovely Teeth You Have!
Do you sing your clients’ praises?
We know it’s vital to make customers feel good.
But how often do we make them feel fantastic – like life is beautiful and the world is a happy, marvellous place?
Too seldom, I’ll wager.
Dear God
I don’t pray often, but once a year I always do.
It’s when I’m stiff with fear on my dentist’s chair.
And it goes a little like this:
Hiya, God. I know I’m not too reliable at this praying caper, but I figure that frees you to concentrate on more pressing things. I do remain extremely grateful for everything you’ve given me. While I’ve got you, I was wondering if we could do the dentist deal again. It seems to be working pretty well for us. So if you’re still up for it, that’d be really ace. Love, Paul.
Here’s the deal:
If I escape the chair with nothing worse than a scale and clean, I donate $50 to the first charity I come across.
If I need a filling, or some other dreadful treatment, all bets are off.
So far, this deal has worked nine years in ten.
Magic Moment
There’s a particular moment I know God’s coming to the party.
It’s when my dentist, having zapped and prodded me to his satisfaction, utters one of the most beautiful sentences in the English language:
Good, Paul. You’ve got a lovely set of teeth.
At these words, my body relaxes and my soul soars. And I know that soon I’ll be back in the sunshine a free man.
Feeling Groovy
So powerful is this feeling, I recently tried to convey it to some of my clients.
First I wrote to Flip Shelton about her new cookbook:
Dear Flip,
Your book inspired Fonnie to make stir-fried tofu and veggies on the weekend. (Page 123.)
This was her first new recipe in quite a while.
I’ve always been frightened of tofu. Not any more!
The recipe rocked. And so did its maker.
Ergo, you also rock.
Onya!
P.
Flip instantly replied:
That is so fabulous to hear!
Can’t tell you what that does to my head and heart.
x
Next I wrote glowing, heartfelt testimonials for two other clients.
As LinkedIn is fast becoming very important to switched-on professionals, I posted my words there.
Within minutes, both clients returned the favour (not that it even was one).
My conclusion from these happy events is that people really, really like being told how good they are.
My plan is to tell them a lot more.
How about you?
What a Wonderful Audience!
Do you gladden client hearts?
If so, how?
If not, why?
And when?
You guys are SO ace.
Can you give us an A-men?
Paul Hassing, Founder & Senior Writer, The Feisty Empire
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Paul, I noticed a few groups and businesses have ‘plug it Friday’ promotions on Facebook, where they put out a message telling you to comment and promote your own business (Super Butcher is one example). This is like twitter’s ‘follow friday’ concept (where you message about other people’s twitter accounts with a #FF tag.
I take great delight in adding comments about the great client’s I work with and how wonderful their businesses are
-Sonia
Thanks for that, Sonia. That’s a new one on me. But if it’s anything like #FollowFriday it should be a ripper. I’ve found some of my best Twitter contacts via the recommendations of trusted others. Word of mouth wipes the floor with anything you can say about yourself, I reckon.
Great post Paul (as usual)
I love hearing how good I am.
But I already know it and figure so should everyone else. Life as a self styled Guru has its advantages.
Seriously, it’s always nice to get a compliment and Flip is right, great for the head and the heart. It doesn’t matter how much success we have in life it’s nice to receive a thankyou and compliment.
By the way, your writing really rocks Paul and this is the ONLY blog that I subscribe too. Are we feeling the love? I am.
That’s quite an amen, Malcolm. Many thanks! I am indeed feeling the love. Perhaps we should do lunch!
Yes see you at midday!
Great post Paul, this is something I wonder about from time to time; why is it more acceptable to criticize than compliment in society? When you think about the spin-off effects of both it doesn’t make much sense at all.. Anyway I’ll cut myself off before this becomes a thesis style comment! In answer to your question, I do compliment clients occasionally on the great services they offer, but definitely not enough.
Thank you for getting me thinking more deeply a few times per week Paul!
Thanks a lot, Dan. Social media have made it too easy to yammer abuse we’d never dare whisper in traditional forums. The temptation to vent when angry is VERY hard to resist. So many don’t.
I tried and tried to praise in public and criticise in private. The trouble is, it’s impossible to get near most organisations these days for that all-important personal chat.
And so even I’m forced to get the uncle-frightener out to make my point.
BTW, I really dig your theses, so please don’t hold back on our account. Best regards, P.
Love the post Paul.
I was only just thinking about this late last night. I teach several meditation classes each week. “my passion”
At present, it is just blowing me away, how absolutely amazingly these guys and girls are growing and opening up, the speed in which their lives are expanding is beyond words. Last nights discussion topic was unlimited imagination.
The night ended with me feeling so “…..beyond words ” for the openness and willingness to expand that is obvious in each and every one of them.
Blessed.
What a beautiful comment, Ensha! Sounds like you’re having a blast operating at the intersection of work and life.
Thanks so much for sharing your happy vibe on this freezing Melbourne morning.
Hi Paul
Yes that sums it up nicely. “Working at the cross-roads”
How I wish that were one of mine!
I pinched it from Penelope Trunk:
http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/
“Good Taste”
Ha! I got THAT from Joanna @WorkInColour !
Writers are such magpies.
I do my best to say it to their face. Good work should always be rewarded no matter how small or insignificant. Whilst this is mainly for colleagues it also makes sense to compliment suppliers and customers. At the end of the day we are all after advocates of our brand and complimenting clients can make a big difference in creating them.
Too right, Arthur. One person evangelising your brand at a dinner party is better than a string of billboards, I reckon.