Are You Important To Me

Like the bartender at Applebees, I truly believe you mean this and that is why I keep coming back.

Keep rockin’ my man!

I think the experience you had that “other night” as more to do with competent employees loving their jobs than to do with Applebees per say. The question remains : does the employer know and understand the value of having such great people working for him. More often than enough, they don’t see it and get rid of them as soon as they can, making sure not getting affected by the leverage a veteran could have, and the influence this one could have on rookies.

In my case, I just love my neighborhood music store. It’s a small independant boutique located two blocks north from where I live. Only 4 clerks work there (2 of them are co-owners) and all of them know me by name. Depending on which one is working that day, I get recommandations on different genres which is great for someone like me who loves pretty much every music (and it helps for my podcast as well).

They are also using a clever way to make sure you come back (asside from their great suggestions); they give back coupons, in-store money representing 10% of your purchase, allowing you to buy an album for free once you get enough coupons to cover its value.

I never bought as much music as I am these days. That’s saying alot from “an industry in peril”…

Great post as always Chris. You are saying that you can’t maintain a 1:1 relationship with every single person who interacts with yourself, but looking at your twitter feed, it sure as hell looks like your trying! ;oP

You must never have been to the Applebee’s on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, Chris – worst place I’ve ever been… ;-)

While our outreach grows with each new day and connection, often it feels like it’s shrinking as well. Where we used to be able to converse with the majority, now it’s a “task” to keep up (although in the nicest way).

We have the tools to help – blogs, Tweetgrid/Tweetdeck, Friendfeed, etc – yet oftentimes the scale seems unmanageable. Of course, as you say, going down fighting is one way to manage. Another is to remind people that we do care, that we don’t ignore (deliberately).

It’s ironic that as our space in social media expands, the less “social” we feel we are being sometimes. Who’da thunk it? ;-)

Hey Chris, I feel the love. You’re a great example of how to use social media as a force for good, sharing valuable information, inspiring creativity and productivity, and going with a sense of adventure into this great social experiment which, I hope, helps us all to become more human.

Diana

The only thing that sucks is the fact that no matter how hard you try, you CAN’T maintain THAT many relationships. A great example is how many people you follow on Twitter. I follow about 18, and it’s almost too many. I have a Twitter client, and I still feel like I miss things! I can’t imagine following 100, or 150. 32500? Impossible.

So very true and I can’t imagine what an effort it is on your part—but you do make all of us readers feel important and welcome.

That’s another reason I always have a commenter of the month interview as well.

So that my readers can learn more about the other commenters and, in a selfish way, so that I can slowly get to know my readers on a moer intimate level as well.

All that said, my Applebees sucketh here in Austin.

They need to transfer in some peeps from the restaurant where you dined ;)

Chris,

Really inspiring post – especially to us just starting out in the social media world. Relationships – online or otherwise – are only as good as the effort you put in. You can’t be friends with everyone, but you can try to connect. If someone does something good, tell them. If they are having a bad day, comfort them. Relate to them. Slowly those little things build up over time. People will remember you. You may not be the best of friends, but you will have established a sense of camaraderie. And in the end, isn’t that what we’re really after? A person you can say that you know, a person that is not a stranger.

@balemar

Hello Chris,

We can’t have a one-on-one relationship with everyone – but we need to make sure each of those interactions provides a consistent experience. The way Applebees (I don’t know much about the brand) was able to scale (there are Applebees restaurants everywhere) is by ensuring each employee understands the brand and is able to deliver on it in a way that is authentic to them. It seems that Applebees has made the message of being the local bar and grille relevant to each employee and asked them to be genuine in consistently delivering on that brand promise. There is an important distinction between conformity and consistency. Consistency allows each employee to use what makes him/her exceptional in delivering on the brand promise. Conformity stifles innovation and comes off as fake. This is important to us as small-business owners. We have lots of people who are responsible for delivering on the brand promise on our behalf. We need to find ways for them to do so in ways that are authentic to their personal brands.

Part of your brand, Chris, is the people who regularly comment on your posts. That’s both scary and exciting. If you are able to clearly communicate your brand differentiation, you’ll attract people who are able to move that forward while being true to who they are.

Best.
William
http://www.williamarruda.com

I was actually thinking along similar lines of this today with my blog post. People shield their Facebook pages from the general public and by doing so, in many cases, are preventing 1-to-1 conversations from happening. I leave my pages open for the world to see because anyone who views my page is important to me. I want people to easily be able to contact me, challenge me and poke my brain.

Loved the post. I wholeheartedly agree … from BOTH sides of the counter: customer and proprieter.

Like many other commentors, my loyalty for a brand or local business has EVERYTHING do to with how connected I feel to that brand or the people who own the business. We all want to have a place (or two or three) like Cheers where “everybody knows your name.” We’re all looking for connection, friends, a sense of community & belonging. We’re human – that’s our nature.

I frequent local businesses that reach out to me in warm, authentic, uncontrived ways. There’s the local coffee shop where I spend HOURS every week “working” even though I don’t drink coffee. There’s the little sandwich shop with slightly pricey gourmet treats that I visit at least once a week because the chef owner calls out a hearty, “Hello, Jamie!” every time I walk in the door. JUST BECAUSE. There’s the local bookstore where the staff are always helpful and ready to put down what they’re doing to discuss the latest releases or share a new title they’re passionate about. These interactions matter.

And I think the same type of personal interaction can be translated to the online venue. I do facebook and twitter and have been called the “Email Queen” more than once. I appreciate people (like you) who make communications a two-way street … even if you do down trying (which, btw, you won’t … because we’d all come to your rescue.) Some people seem to find the internet impersonal and something that lures us tech geeks away from the “real world.” I disagree. I’ve made new friends, found new “real life” opportunities, and learned more about my own voice and mission just by spending time getting to know the people in my online network.

As I prepare to put some of my long-simmering ideas out into the digital world, I am eternally grateful for all the sincere personal interaction that’s out there to be shared. The more we get to know each other, the better the world will be.

Thanks for all your work – love reading you!

I actually live in hope that it can scale, but possibly not in the fashion we might expect.

First, the bartender at Applebee’s knows his or her regulars. And even though you’re not a regular, they extend the same courtesy to you, include you in the conversation as if you were one of the gang. They may not recognize you immediately the next time you walk in. But if that community aspect is true to their nature, they’ll include you as they did the first time. Over the course of time, you to can become a regular. I expect their group of regulars grows and shrinks over time, it doesn’t just grow and grow and grow.

Now, the scaling part. Their community is their neighborhood. They don’t have the same relationship with the customers at Applebee’s in Peoria. That’s up to the bartenders at that Applebee’s. Companies need to have those local representatives, not a select few who are responsible for an increasingly larger and larger group of customers that want to connect. At some point, that method of scaling will fail because the Comcast or Dell rep won’t be able to relate to what is going on in your neighborhood, unless they are there too. I think it can scale if you have many communities that represent a network versus a single community that tries to continually expand its borders.

This is an important post. It touches on some basic principles that many businesses are battling with right now. In this economy, it is important to go back and remember the basics, like taking care of the people that matter most, the customers.

But also, it means taking care of employees. Employees, like customers, need to know that they are important to you at any level. Take the same points made in this article about customers and apply them to everyone in and around the company. Personal interactions and relationships are vital to success.

Chris,

Love the thoughts on this! Managing large networks of people and making them feel they are important to you is a real challenge, even if your intentions are legit.

You have more connections on social media than the majority of us who comment here.

So how do you do it? Yes, there’s tons of tools available on Twitter to help, but even with these tools, it’s still difficult to get to every one. now take into consideration LinkedIn, Facebook and the like where there’s not as many tools available.

What are some tips you would give for this? How do you manage your time between social media and other necessary day to day tasks?

Thanks!
@nateriggs

Just stopping in for a quick, “Thank you!” Every morning when I check my inbox, I’m like, “Hey, an e-mail from Chris Brogan!” That’s how valuable and personable the content is, and much appreciated.
As a relatively new social media participant, sometime I’m going to have write a “Stages of Chris Brogan” post. Right now I’m at, “He likes me, he really likes me.”

Its the same with Gary Vaynerchuk. He tries to keep up with everything but it simple doesn’t scale. However just knowing that he probably at least sees my at reply to him on twitter gives me a good feeling. I feel like theres a chance that one day I might actually form some kind of relationship with him because I know he is listning as best he can.

Just that feeling of hope is all that is really needed. Show everyone you really care and are trying and they will understand that you won’t always keep up with everything.

Chris,
Blogs like this are why you’re so popular. Well, and that sharp intellect, but that’s beside the point when you post such an insightful and caring article.
We care about you because you care about us.
Molly

Okay, I have to send this to my little brother. He builds Applebees. ;-)

Personally, I think this kind of attitude ripples out from the source and is as welcome as rain in a desert.

I have read several of the posts here and I think that the content is refreshing and informative. I was recently blog tagged and that left me with the task of finding 7 other bloggers that shared good content and tag them as well. Because you’re blog entries are helpful and well rounded, I have decided to tag you. Congrats! You are my fourth and without further adieu… Tag! You’re it! :-)

Please follow the link (http://thepowerofyardsigns.blogspot.com/) to see the rules and what is requested of those who have been tagged. It is an honor to be tagged… and remember, this is supposed to be fun as well as allowing others to connect to blogs of worth.

Nice post. Some places – you truly do feel welcome when you go in. I think Trader Joe’s is one of those places. Whenever I go to my local Trader Joe’s, they make me feel so welcome and the people there are always so friendly and helpful but in a informal way.

I’ve been reading your blog for a while now and this is my first time commenting. Just wanted to say thanks! and I’ve enjoyed reading your blog.

Chris, you are so incredibly supported here (and elsewhere) that often I refrain from commenting, posting and emailing just to *lighten* your load, so to speak. Knowing the kind of guy you are, I’m sure you feel indebted to each and every one of your readers and I respect the overwhelming responsibility it places on you to be attentive to everyone, always.

So I guess my question is this: Do you feel our love without our interaction? Would you really prefer the dynamic relationship (described above) with all of us?

PS: You are important to me :)

It is sad when every industry lost touch and focused on expansion, no matter what the cost was, and overlooked the importance of RETENTION. The service industry especially has taken a hit – and with good cause. The fact of the matter is that there are so many options out there that you can eventually find what you want, and find someone that does a good job, and truly cares. When you find that and latch on, it is very difficult to turn back and change.

Chris,

Too bad more people won’t hear this message!

When someone places an order for a piece of art on my website, I send them a personal email to thank them and that I hope I can serve their needs in the future. I try to make the emails sincere and personal enough that the recipients realize that this wasn’t an automatically generated message. (I think consumers are starting to get tired of being treated like “the masses”, but I digress.)

Anyway, keep talking, more and more people will keep listening.

Chris,

Too bad more people won’t hear this message!

When someone places an order for a piece of art on my website, I send them a personal email to thank them and that I hope I can serve their needs in the future. I try to make the emails sincere and personal enough that the recipients realize that this wasn’t an automatically generated message. (I think consumers are starting to get tired of being treated like “the masses”, but I digress.)

Anyway, keep talking, more and more people will keep listening.

Chris,

You’re right it’s about making people feel like they matter and treating them with respect. Social Media is like a party (Perry Belcher’s analogy) and showing genuine interest and caring about the people you interact with is a crucial aspect of building relationships. This goes both ways online and off. It’s not all about getting that sale. It’s about building up relationships and if they turn into business great if they don’t no biggy. They might refer you instead, or be a good resource for you in the future.

It’s all about caring. Something many of us forget about.

Keep up the great blogging. I love the blog!

-Seth Goldstein
http//www.sethgoldstein.net
http://www.goldsteinmedia.com
http://www.twitter.com/sethgoldstein