I’ve seen marketing campaigns filled with selfishness and ones filled with service. One is dying, the other is living. It’s quite fascinating to watch.
At the Olympics games this past Winter, I had the chance to join a group of people to exhibit random acts of Radical Hospitality. It was fabulous. We were a church group, so we couldn’t go on the streets, thumping our Bibles and letting peeps know that they need to repent and be baptized.
Instead, we gave people mittens, scarves and canteens. Just gave them away. People were shocked. “For me?” they’d ask as we nodded, smiled and walked away.
Radical Hospitality.
Consumers are revolting. Marketing campaigns that used to work just 12-months ago is no longer doing so. Consumers are apathetic, aloof and are flocking to businesses that show that they care about the minute areas of their lives.
Whether it’s Christmas time or not, business owners and professionals need to practice random acts of Radical Hospitality. Take time to listen to clients, then, service that need.
And I’m referring to offering a 50% discount on your suite of products. Or, giving people on your list one last chance to take advantage of joining your mastermind group before the deadline closes in 2-days.
Naw, I mean totally un-self-serving acts of hospitality. For example, I read in a book recently the a company called FreshBooks will send out cards, letters even flowers if they hear that one of their clients is celebrating a milestone or going through a difficult time. Now that’s Radical Hospitality.
We also need to operate from a place where we expect nothing in return. Give without any expectation of getting anything back.
I remember one Christmas about 10-years ago, I gave a card to the Superintendent in my building. I wanted to show my appreciation for all his help in the past year.
Would you believe that a day later, I found a card from him? I was disappointed. I gave him the card with no expectation of getting anything back. To see a card from him meant that he gave out of guilt or obligation. That, to me, sucks more than someone saying they forgot my birthday.
I want to operate a business where I give just because. The customer service team at Zappos will point people to a competitor’s website if they don’t have in stock what the person is looking for. I toured their offices in Las Vegas about a year ago and I was shocked at this. They also have no script and can take as little as 4-minutes to as long as 4-hours to solve a customer’s issue (thanks to Unmarketing for the stats). How’s that for giving without expecting anything in return?
