Are you open for business?
Are you open for business?
My friend Bashir recently followed his heart to Costa Rica. Although his heart ended up broken, he did procure a few businesses – including a restaurant and a small inn.
Recently over a glass of wine at YYZ while en route to an entrepreneurial conference, Bash joked how he and his manager developed a prediction code could determine whether new guests would be difficult or easy to host.
They started by tracking the amount of back-and-forth communication took place with the future guest about their upcoming stay. If all questions were resolved within a query or two, they had confidence that the guest’s stay would likely be a five-star experience.
However, if the would-be guest sent a barrage of emails with endless requests for details, they would note them as a one-star and brace the team for a high-maintenance stay.
Like Bash, I value people who make things easy. At Parcel, the design company I founded in 2006, we’re known for distilling communications that are easy to absorb and make the complicated creative process easier to manage. At Iterate, our consultancy designed to align teams, we teach companies how to create systems that are easy to replicate – and experiences that are easy to connect with.
Here are a few simple ways you can signal that you’ll make doing business feel easier:
1. Release connectors from email introductions: Like you, I get and make many introductions by email every day. But you can reduce the resulting inbox clutter by merely thanking the referring party and moving them to BCC. That way, they don’t have to be part of a subsequent email exchange that has nothing to do with them. So, for example, if “Joe” has introduced you to a new contact, “Jane”, respond with this: “Nice to meet you, Jane, and thanks so much, Joe, for the kind introduction, I'm now moving you to BCC.”
2. Ensure your meeting requests come with a plan: If you want to set up a meeting, suggest a few specific times on different dates. For instance, ask: “How is a call on Monday at 4:00 pm or Tuesday at 10:30 am?” versus “Let me know what day and time work best for you over the next few weeks.” Although it may seem counter-intuitive, sending open-ended requests puts all the work on the other person to set up the meeting. When you give them specific options, all they need to do is check those times and say what works for them.
3. Ensure meeting details are within easy reach: Once the meeting is set, put the contact number directly into the calendar invite to save everyone from having to search for it later. Indicate the topic in the subject line. For example: “Joe & Jane to discuss speaking opportunities for KLM.” Then, while the purpose of the meeting is still fresh in your mind, in the note section of the invite, define the agenda. Even if it’s high-level, make sure it’s there. For instance: Intro scope of services - Review potential topic- Suggested dates- Define next steps Having these details listed ensures everyone participating is on the same page on the purpose of the meeting – as well as demonstrates that you are an efficiency machine! Or, at the very least, a real person who is very easy to work with.
There’s an old saying that when it comes down to it, people do business with people they like. And likeability is strongly linked to relationships that feel easy. So the next time your friend invites you to dinner, stop yourself from asking what you can bring. (Which, let’s face it, only ever elicits a variation on the response: “Just bring yourself!”)
Instead tell them: “I’ll bring a kale salad!”* And, of course, a bottle of wine.
*To make things easy for you, here’s my recipe:
Easy kale salad:
· Bag of pre-washed chopped kale
· Splash of walnut oil
· Dash of coarse salt