Yesterday someone in my professional network, whom I may see once a year, ordered 20 booklets from me. In my emailed thank-you for her order, I said I hoped she and her young daughter were having a beautiful summer. I used her daughter's name.
She wrote back, "Thanks! I am so impressed you remembered my daughter's name :-)."
Confession: I did not remember her daughter's name. I had recorded it, along with her date of birth, in the notes in my Outlook contacts.
Having recorded it rather than remembering it doesn't make the gesture any less meaningful. After all, I want to remember her daughter. I want to have warm relationships with customers and others in my professional network.
It's an easy win--keeping track of the personal milestones in people's lives and mentioning them in the natural flow of business communication. It just takes the discipline of recording those events when they happen.
Lynn
Syntax Training
I had a girlfriend about 20 years ago who chastised me for pulling out my address book and deciding on who I might want to call rather than just KNOW who I wanted to call. I thought it was important to keep up with people I hadn't been in touch with. Her irritation with my methodology baffled me; still does. Those people getting the call were pleased by the call; how I got to calling them "out of the blue" should not have mattered. No, we're not still together...
Not really on topic of your post, but your post most certainly did trigger it.
Posted by: Roger Green | July 11, 2008 at 09:23 AM
Roger, thanks for that great illustration. Your method works well for you, and it keeps relationships alive. Nice work!
I am wondering whether you are still in touch with the old girlfriend. Is she in your address book?
Posted by: Lynn | July 14, 2008 at 09:06 AM
Interesting tip, sometimes those little details matter a lot.
Anthony, Greece
Posted by: anthony | February 22, 2009 at 10:52 AM