However, sometimes a story is best told in reverse.

Case in point, I needed some firewood this winter. I only purchase wood every two or three years (and I always wait until the last minute) so I don’t have a regular supplier. So, I opened up the local newspaper and saw a whole list of people selling firewood. It’s all about the same price ($200 a chord) seasoned and split.

I called the first number (starting in my own town first) and I left a voicemail.

I called the second number (also from my town) and left another voicemail.

I figured I’d stop there, and the first one to call me back tonight gets my business. Well, neither called me back that night.

The next day I called another number and got a live person. He’s a few towns over, but can deliver it tomorrow. Perfect.

The wood gets dumped out in my driveway on Sunday morning, I pay in cash, and then I commence to stacking the wood under my deck. For those of you who have never stacked a chord of wood . . . it’s a lot. After a few hours, I finished the chore and figured I’d go in and light my first fire of the year. Guess what? I couldn’t get the wood to burn. It was heavy, it was wet, and (as my father commented) it was “green.”
The next day I was sitting in the waiting room at my doctor’s office and thought about my new “wood guy.” I struggled with contacting him because I didn’t really have a solution. The wood was delivered and I already stacked it up. I don’t want him to come take it away. But I figured I’d text him and see what he might say or do.

I texted, “I’m pretty disappointed with that firewood, Mark. I can’t burn it.”

After sending it, I sat back and wondered how an expert of Appreciation Marketing might reply. I was thinking that if it were me, I might reply something like, “I’m so sorry Mr Wyatt. How can I make it right?” Maybe I’d offer a partial refund, or drop off some extra (better) wood.

Here’s what I got. “Really? You are the first and only customer in 20 years to say that.”

Hmm. Just lucky I guess? Does that reply make my firewood any good? Does that reply have anything to do with my disappointment? Does it do anything to put me at ease? And the most important question of all . . . WILL I EVER DO BUSINESS WITH THAT GUY AGAIN? Would you?

Sorry, Mark from Roxbury, CT. You became a blog post. As my eleven-year-old daughter would say, “Epic fail.”

-Tommy

Obviously you care, but perception is reality.

There are a lot of ways to show you care. The challenging part is slowing down for a few minutes each day to focus on what has proven to be one of the most powerful forms of marketing (showing gratitude), and that is Appreciation Marketing®.

Personal experiences in both my business and personal life have driven me to slow down each day and focus on the one thing really matters in life: relationships.

Joy, happiness and prosperity always lived in the future for me and I had a difficult time bringing them to the present moment. I never felt a sense of fulfillment and it affected all areas of my life

The reality is that we can have it all NOW. There’s a two-part formula, and you can’t expect a positive result without blending the both of them.

The two things we can control are 1) our thoughts and 2) our efforts. Being conscious of the NOW and giving the gift of the present moment requires effort. How are you doing in the area of showing that you care? The marketplace votes with its wallet and spouses vote with their hearts.

The little things add up. The next time you’re speaking to someone in person, refrain from glancing at your phone or looking over his or her shoulder. Remember the last time someone did that to you? It makes you feel insignificant and suggests that they don’t care, doesn’t it?

It’s human nature for us to be drawn to acceptance. When someone appreciates us, we give more attention in that direction. This is true in both our business and our personal lives. It’s easy to point fingers and place blame on what looks to be the issue on the surface. The root of the issue could be that you aren’t showing that you truly do care.

When you show people you care, and you do it in a way that makes an impact, it makes you stand out and be remembered. Whether it’s your spouse, children, customers, or employees, be conscious of how you are (or aren’t) showing them you care. It can be as simple as looking him/her in the eyes and just being in the moment and actually listening when having a conversation.

As you launch into a new year, I’m sure you have big goals and are looking to move fast. I want to personally challenge you to make a New Year’s resolution: slow down in order to speed up.

Slow down a bit, and focus more on what feeds your company (your customers), focus on your employed community (those who allow your vision to be a reality), and focus more on your family (the reason why you do what you do).

Remember, the best investment we can make is in relationships, because relationships are the real currency in life.

Curtis Lewsey is founder of AMcards.com and co-author of Appreciation Marketing®: How to Achieve Greatness Through Gratitude. missiondreambig.com

Ever thought about it?

So how do you rate when it comes to sincerity?

You can instantly tell when somebody has their own best interest in mind (and you don’t like it). Conversely, you always get a good vibe from somebody who you can trust. Somebody who is sincere.

Such an overused word – sincere. We sign letters with “Sincerely yours, . . . ” but do we really take time to consider the word’s meaning? “Daddy, what does ‘sincere’ mean?” “Honey, it means – do you really mean what you say? Or are you just saying it to get something?”

While logging in to write this AM Blog this morning, I noticed 455 messages in our “comments” tab. That means 455 people had something to say about our last blog which was published in April. Disappointingly (but not surprisingly) 451 of those comments were hard-line Chocolate Frosted Dog Crap (see Appreciation Marketing, Chapter 5).

In other words, 451 different people (or companies) posted (mostly) computer generated responses to our blog post, explaining how insightful the post was and how they are either offering search engine optimization software, lists, leads, sneakers, sunglasses, knockoff Rolex watches, tee shirts, concert tickets, or handbags.

So touched by the genuine sincerity of all our wonderful fans who took the time to read the blog, I’m going to get out my credit card and buy from them. Seriously? Does this stuff work?

Instead I’ll spend ten minutes deleting all the spam. What’s wrong with the world today?

As Maya Angelou (whose wax twin I recently met at Madame Tussaud’s Museum in NYC) said, “People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.”

If you don’t care . . . just stay away.

Think about that as you present yourself to your friends, your associates, or your potential customers. Because they can tell.

Sincerely.