Tales from the Online Marketing Crypt – Vol. 7

Showing Gratitude to The Uncle Toms of the Marketing World

I’m certain every family has at least one of them in them. The rebel. The black sheep, the wild one. We have Uncle Tom.

Mind you, he didn’t hold a candle to the Uncle Buck character John Candy played, but nonetheless, he has a certain flair to him that makes him stand out from the rest of the family.

One summer, he piled several of us into his old Gremlin—one of history’s dorkiest cars, apparently—and headed to the Abbotsford Airshow. This was before seat belts were mandatory and I’m pretty sure there were seven or eight of us crammed into that little car.

(https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gremlin_side_(5903000893).jpg)

Being the youngest, I was delegated to the back hatch.

I remember the time quite well as it was the year a Canadian Forces CF-101 Voodoo exploded in the sky, literally moments after we all poured out of his car. We wondered if that was a part of the show, but it wasn’t. Thankfully there were no injuries.

Uncle Tom was a storyteller too. He told this Airshow story many times to anyone who would listen, each time adding a new embellished detail for entertainment’s sake.

You couldn’t help but smile, because his energy was infectious—especially when he talked about that beloved Gremlin! Come to think of it, we all have clients like Uncle Tom.

You know the kind. The ones that call you up with some wild idea or new adventure they were just on, wanting to tell you all about it.

They’re the ones that make us smile.

They’re the ones that remind us of all the good things we get to enjoy when working directly with clients.

They’re the ones who don’t fit into any marketing guru’s mold—you won’t win over these unique clients with a 10-step guaranteed checkpoint plan. But you know what? They are the ones who will be your ardent champion and will happily send new clients your way whenever the opportunity arises.

Am I right?

So throw away the guru handbook and do this one thing to keep these rebels in your life: show them gratitude.

Tell them how much you appreciate them. Express how grateful you are when they send someone your way.

And if they’re also in business, be sure to share how much you appreciate them to everyone so others can have the pleasure of having them in their life.

Sometimes we get so caught up on marketing funnels, advertising campaigns and lead generators we forget about the foundation of any business: Good old-fashioned relationships with people!

Whether those people are your version of Uncle Tom or not, being grateful they are in your life and business is one way your business will flourish. I guarantee it!

Nurture those clients that make you smile. Invest in them with your gratitude. You will benefit in so many ways you can’t even imagine it yet!

To your business success, Susan Friesen

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In this Tea Time Tip: Marketing for Busy Entrepreneurs, I’m joined by Gratitude Expert Dana Smithers. I invited Dana to join me to talk about how gratitude can make a huge difference to your personal and professional success: How Gratitude is Good for Business

52 Week Law of Attraction Gratitude Journal: Law of Attraction Gratitude Journal: Attract More of What YOU Want to Create a Happy Abundant Life! By Dana J. Smithers

In business, we can’t afford to miss opportunities to say thank you. Gratitude makes us money. Read 4 ‘Gratitude Tips’ to ensure your clients know you appreciate them: ABC’s of Business – Gratitude by Pamela Chatry