I will be eternally grateful for your great gift of taking in to the fullest extent what it is that I
have to offer, living it, and then reflecting it back in terms of the potential experience of others.
You have given words to a process that defies words. And you’re constantly in a position to help
me continue to hone that, deeper and deeper and more and more resonantly, who I am and what I offer,
which is truly invaluable. — Jon Hansen, 
What you’ve sent me is so darn perfect it hurts! It’s a sheer pleasure to work with someone
who writes as beautifully as you do — and in “my” voice. — Ariane Goodwin, Ed.D,
You have a real gift for words. You’re really, really good at it. — Sherry Essig,
How to piss off your customers
It’s remarkably easy to piss off your customers.
By customers, I mean anyone who’s reading any of your material (website, blog, Tweets, whatever). I could say “audience,” but I’m using customers quite deliberately. If you’re producing material that they’re reading, then they’re customers. Whether or not they’ve paid you a single penny.
So, yes, it’s remarkably easy to piss them off, even with the best of intentions. Someone can go from raving fan to active detractor in a split second. All it takes is a single misunderstanding or out-of-alignment action, and whoosh. They’re gone.
Part of my job is staying on top of what other people are doing to market themselves. So it could be that I’m a little more sensitive to mis-steps than someone else might be. Whatever the reason, I’ve recently found myself getting more than a bit turned off (not to say pissed off!) by some people’s actions. I’ve also noticed that my level of pissed-offness is directly proportional to the amount I liked them before. The more I liked and respected their work, the more annoyed I become when they do something I feel is out of alignment with who I want them to be.
Notice that I said, “Who I want them to be.” In doing whatever it was they did (or didn’t do), they’re being who they are. My reaction is all about me wanting them to be something else. Nonetheless, I am reacting – just as someone may react to me in a similar situation.
I’m clear that I can’t possibly please all the people all the time, and I don’t have any interest in trying. I’m also clear about who I enjoy working with – which just happens to also be the people I do the best work for. I’m happy to keep my focus right there where it belongs.
And those are the wonderful people whom I don’t want to annoy, frustrate, or otherwise piss off.
I recognize that how I might react in a particular situation may not be how anyone else does. The amount of importance I place (or don’t place) on something may not be what anyone else feels.
So … I pay attention to the details that matter to me and to the details that might matter to my customers.
With special attention to the latter, since that’s what I’m most likely to overlook.
Posted: April 27th, 2010 under Marketing.