Don’t Think. Open the Door.

Why would you open the door for someone?

If you’re thinking, ‘I wouldn’t’, then don’t worry, you can stop reading now.

For what I’d like to think is most of us, we’ll open a door for someone because it’s the decent thing to do. We don’t think about it.

And what if you did?

What if you stopped to weigh up the benefits? If you wanted some kind of return on that kind act?

And what if that were obvious?

Ok, that’s a pack of questions right there, but think about it a second. Have you ever been in a situation where you thought someone was just doing you a favour, only to discover that they had an ulterior motive?

Leaves a bad taste, doesn’t it?

Worse than if you’d never had any interaction with that person - you now have an active distaste for them.

This relates entirely to business too. If you’re going to position your brand as helpful and personable, do it because you believe in it, not because you want something from it.

In an age of disposable gratification, genuine care stands out. But it does take a bit of nerve among those who want/need results.

And, look, at the time of writing, the world is facing an unprecedented situation, with a quarter of the global population under lockdown due to the COVID-19 virus. This is a worldwide disaster. And yet, so many businesses seems to be latching on to it for the sole purpose of selling.

That is dangerous territory. If you really care about your customers, consider why you want to communicate. Consider what concerns they have other than your products and services (let’s face it, your offerings are unlikely to be high on the priority list right now). Consider, if you want to promote, the potential long-term negative sensation that will generate.

Most importantly, to steal a hashtag that was being widely used before this intense pandemic... #BeKind