“It’s not so much what you do, it’s what you mean.”
This is from a children’s story, The Railway Children, by E. Nesbit. Authenticity in intention is what matters. It is what your buyer is seeking. They also know it is rare. Too many businesspeople are automatons in their approach. They are focused on what they do rather than what they mean. Oddly enough, the skeptics in all of us can sniff out the fraudulent gesture culprits of today.
The very same action – giving a gift, speaking about your product, referring business, tweeting, etc. – can work for one person and not another for a very fundamental reason. The meaning behind the action has to be congruent in order to build trust.
In my work with business owners, I often see their desire for some cookbook system to grow their business. What I see in successful people is an integrity which the copycats lack. They care about their customer. They ensure that last 5% of what they deliver has the ingredients of meaning and connection. That is what makes all the difference.
