There were five caveats to the offer Soundbrands’ Clients received via email yesterday morning:
CAVEATS:
- You will not be asked the buy
anything … this offer’s limited to Soundbrands’ Friends and Clients in good
standing. - Due to space limitations, your
Zimmer account rep ain’t invited either. They’ve already seen it. Most of ‘em,
anyway. - We’re limiting seating to 24 people
per class and 3 people per business. First come, first served, but we can have
more than one class if necessary. - We
will cater generously. - Though the workshop runs about 90
minutes, I’d really like you to time-budget two hours here for discussion
afterward.
We decided yesterday, after a nice request from some of our friends, to conduct our first free private workshop for our current clients. I wanted them desperately to know that this wasn’t any sort of attempt to upsell them anything. I wanted them to know that they would feel safe for those two hours they were guests in our home.
More than anything, I wanted them to see the cool stuff we have.
So, yesterday morning, I invited our 45-odd (and believe me, most of them are odd) clients to watch a presentation on generational swings and how to ride that pendulum into the future. The presentation was originally created by Roy H. Williams and given to each of his partners to modify and make better if they could.
I could.
But, mostly, it’s been like a book sitting on a shelf – of no use to anyone … sitting there on my hard drive collecting dust.
I didn’t know what to expect asking business owners – even with a month’s notice – to give up precious time away from the office.
Within an hour we were half-full.
By the end of the day, we closed the class and were making preparations to add a second.
I’m humbled and delighted.
Does your business offer a delight factor to your best customers? Do you preach to your choir? Do you promote a customer community?
That’s probably what excites me most. Our clients are coming from a 60-mile radius and will get the chance to meet other odd, yet oddly successful, peeps who share the same values.
If you – in your business – realize that – to paraphrase Carl Rogers – what you are is good enough, and you be that openly, you’ll attract others who believe the same things you do. It will be more important than ever in the years to come. We’ve reached a tipping point. Feel it?
Twenty-four (actually, twenty-five … we’re making space) are going to hear more about that and each other on Thursday, July 14th, at 11a.
A long-haired hippie pizza guy, a sweet car dealer, some HVAC folks who entertain my wife, three pirates from the University, a non-prissy jeweler, a wireless internet mogul, a phone bass player guy, some motorcycle baddies, a wine mistress, a woman who makes pools and spas possible, a pastor who’s a much better speaker than me, some folks from Columbia’s major expo center, an engineer, a deeply right-brained, not-right woman who’s agreed to frame an MRI of my brain, and the saints and friends who started it all with their nice request.
We’re providing the safe zone.
We’re providing the chewing gum for the brain.
They’re providing the delight.
All it took was an invitation.
(Special thanks to Paul Boomer for his invitation to re-charge my batteries.)
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