It wasn’t until I saw my brother’s face that I knew.
An hour earlier, I’d walked out of a barbershop in my hometown, feeling pretty good. Now I was staring at a cross between Beavis and Jon Heder’s character in Tapawingo. As I write this, I’m on my way home to see my family, where I’m sure they’ll confirm the diagnosis and tease me mercilessly.
Here’s how I got here. I’d needed a haircut for a long time. My usual guy and I kept missing each other for a variety of reasons. His shop has been under renovation for the last couple of months. The nice lady who cuts my kids’ hair hasn’t been around either. So, when I found myself “back home ballin’” with a few hours to spare, I decided to roll the dice.
I’ve rolled them before and had my share of bad haircuts (cementing that I know better). This time I did my research with AI (what could go wrong?) and settled on a gentleman who could take a walk-in. I pulled up next to his shop, walked in, and sat down. I was immediately struck by how welcoming and kind he was.
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We talked a little about what I was looking for. “Just rewind the clock a month and a half,” I told him. “Put me back where I was.” No problem, he said. Then I started calling audibles. Maybe a little more high and tight. He asked about the back. I told him to leave it longer so it lays down well.
He gave me exactly what I asked for.
Shame On Me
What strikes me about this whole thing is that this guy could not have been nicer. If I’d been in a production shop where nobody bothered to build a connection with me, I might have externalized the whole thing. Bad barber. Bad shop. One-star review.
Instead, when I look in the mirror, I’m the one to blame. I’d happily go see him again.
That got me thinking about our own businesses. In the spirit of our Raving Fan Factory initiative, one of the key traits of a raving fan is that they forgive small mistakes. I could question whether this haircut even counts as a mistake. It was what I asked for, just not what I wanted. Was it his job to see where the puck was heading and head me off at the pass? Maybe.
The Stakes Are Higher in Our World
This was a haircut. It grows back. Home technology is a whole different story. Our customers pay us tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars to simplify their lives. They may demand something with incredible certitude today, then nail us to the wall for it six months from now.
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That’s why both halves matter. Build the connection first. Then use it to head bad decisions off at the pass in a friendly way. My barber nailed the first half so well that I forgave him for missing the second. Most of our clients aren’t that generous with a six-figure project.
This haircut taught me a lot, but mainly this: A warm greeting and a genuine attempt to connect with someone on a personal level go a really long way. It costs absolutely nothing but the time invested.
The next time you’re in front of a client, an employee, a vendor, a loved one, or a friend, consider how much rapport you’ve actually built. What’s the trust score? The warmth score? The raving fan score? If it’s a seven, what can you do to get it to an eight? If it’s an eight, how do you get it to a nine? If it’s a nine, what will you do to keep it there?
What are you doing in your business to turn up the volume on your own raving fan score?
Stay frosty, and see you in the field.
