Good morning!
Over the years of doing what I do, some crazy things have happened. This was one of the crazier…
It had to be 25 years ago now. The print world was starting to realize this digital print thing is real, but the landscape was only occupied by early adapters; those risk-takers who get out onto the bleeding edge and pave the way for the rest of us.
I was invited to a private meeting of Xeikon owners out in Illinois to learn more about how the devices were being used so as to help the company spread the word. If memory serves, there were 15 to 20 people in the room.
We started by introducing ourselves, one by one. People gave their name, company, and which part of the country they were from. I was seated somewhere in the middle and when it came my turn, I said something like, “My name is Bill Farquharson and I am a guest. I guess you could call me a consultant but I also write for a magazine.” The person next to me started to speak when someone interrupted:
“Hold on just a second. You’re not a user?”
He was speaking to me.
“So, if I’m to understand your position. You are going to tell other people about the applications we have found. Correct? I’m not comfortable talking while you are in the room. I worked hard to uncover these jobs and don’t want everyone to know about them.”
Others in the room agreed. Professionally and without making it personal in any way, I was asked to leave the meeting (much to the horror of the gentleman who invited me—something we laugh about now). I gathered my things and headed for the door. But before I left, I turned to the group and said, “I took a class in college where the professor was talking about how McDonald’s needed Burger King. They needed competition to make the fast food “pie” bigger despite the fact their slice would get smaller. You all need me to tell your story and share your applications. We all need to make the pie bigger.” And I left, went to the airport, and flew home.
Are you sharing success stories on LinkedIn? Do you look at some of the postings of others and think to yourself, “Why are you giving your competition your customers name and exactly what they buy from you?” It’s a risk, for sure. However, if your relationship is that weak, you probably deserve to lose the account anyway.
Take your success stories and shout them from the highest mountain top. It will help build your brand and therefore attract business. The benefits far outweigh any chance you have of losing the client.
