I love to visit early morning coffee shops when I am away from home. I listen to the locals meet and greet their friends during their daily ritual on their way to work.
It truly is better entertainment for me than today’s TV selections.
A recent visit was to The White Castle on Central Avenue in Clark, N.J. This could very well have been the birthplace of the famous New Jersey “Death Ball”—a greasy hamburger about the size of a quarter. (The coffee is a notch above okay.)
I was nestled in the corner hiding behind my open laptop when a policeman walked in and greeted the grill master. He then started chatting with another regular stool patron as they both propped themselves up against the counter.
I tuned in.
No Such Thing as Loyalty
The officer of the law apparently had a tree cutting business on the side when he wasn’t arresting the bad guys. He made it sound like his equipment always required repair and he was currently strapped for cash. (Sound familiar?) He then shared a story about a customer and declared in just short of a raised voice that there was no such thing as loyalty today.
His story began with him, the cop, providing all sorts of information to a man whose tree limb just fell on his house. He provided the homeowner with all sorts of sage advice along with an accurate quote for removing the limb from his roof.
He left the homeowner to study the quote as he moved onto the next fallen limb down the street. The cop soon received an email requesting a phone call. He mistakenly placed this task on his to-do list.
I don’t know how much time passed but, when the cop got around to dialing the prospect back, he received another email from the homeowner saying, “Since I did not hear back from you, I gave the job to another guy.”
Another unhappy ending to what could have been a decent payday. (The cop had four kids heading for college and he could have used the extra scratch.)
Responding Quickly is Crucial
A few things come to mind from this story.
It underscores the importance today of getting back to prospects quickly. Your definition of “soon enough” may not be the prospect’s definition. The truth is that the people holding the wallet are the ones holding the “stop watch.”
I am sure Officer Krupke was a skilled officer of the law, but I had to question his business acumen—along with his choice of a healthy breakfast. (He ordered a donut to complete his three-egg breakfast with white toast and what looked like a pound of butter.)
Perhaps he should have mentioned to the homeowner that he would get back to him later that day around 2 pm. This would have told the prospect that he took this assignment seriously without appearing overly aggressive.
Remember the homeowner had a tree on his roof and this was a major priority in this guy’s life. I am not certain, but I am betting the police-tree-man might have interpreted this situation as “business-as-usual.” After all, nobody got hurt and there were no guns involved.
Too Many Choices
Let me wrap up today’s message(s).
First: Loyalty may not be a total thing of the past, but I too feel it is very close to being yesterday’s news. “What have you done for me lately” is more the norm in today’s option-heavy marketplace.
Second: In a world where instant gratification seems to be the rule, speed has become more important than ever. Buyers have too many choices to be put on “hold” for too long. The definition of “too” is up to the buyer.
Bonus Message – If you are looking for a little entertainment and you have a few hours to spare, go hang out at morning coffee shops. (Bring an open mind and a note pad.)
Mike Marchev is always looking for a few more proactive travel professionals to join his Sales and Marketing Club. mike@mikemarchev.com.
*** You want more to think about? Check out my weekly podcast (Mike’d Up Marchev). Also listed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google, and iHeartRadio.
