"You can't build a reputation on what you are going to do."Henry Ford
Part three of Exploring the Intersection of Endurance and Creativity.
Whatever your venture, you must show up everyday. Lets look at the coffee shop I mentioned yesterday. What if the sign on the door read;
We Might Be Open
Saturday's
Do you think you'll build much loyalty or confidence in your customers? Probably not. The same goes if, like me, you're a writer. Regularity is key to keeping your audience updated and current. I have struggled with this in the past but find that when I am communicating with my audience, the traffic to my Website increases and I feel better about the way I approach my craft.
One of my favorite podcasts is from This American Life in Chicago. When I am running home from work, I play the weekly show and listen to interesting stories to keep me company. When I click on my iPod and start running, I know that a new episode will have been uploaded because they are good at what they do. They haven't let me down before so why would they start now? If, however, they start getting patchy with their output, I am simply going to go and find another podcast that can deliver what I want and need.
This principle applies to whether you have 10 customers/listeners/readers or 10,000. You owe it to them to not only be consistent but to constantly strive to give them the experience their time deserves. As I said at the beginning, we are in a highly consumerist world and people can just as easily switch off and move on to the next thing. Show that you care and can be counted on to deliver!
I worked as a manager in the restaurant business in London for a few years and learned a few valuable lessons I still adhere to. Some of the restaurants were really great and others were very average and forgettable. I started out in the business as a waiter and realized that it wasn't so much the food that created a great experience, but my service. Unless the meal was just awful, people were happy because I gave them my all. People want to know you care. Whether you are a waiter, manager, or the busboy, it is imperative to deliver on a consistent basis. My rule for the restaurant business and something I drilled into my staff from day one was, good service can overcome bad food, but good food cannot overcome bad service.
If you go out and have a great meal, how many people do you tell about it? Maybe 4 or 5? If you have a bad meal, how many people do you tell? Everyone!
Show up. Put the work in.
Tomorrow in part four: Be Disciplined