It’s Sunday morning and I’m waiting for my weekly email from Chris Brogan, CEO of Human Business Works and co-author of the excellent books Trust Agents and Impact Equation about online and human behaviour.
Every Sunday he writes to me and shares some experience or learning, which is nearly always enriching and really valuable. He does this without fail and incredibly this costs me nothing. I really appreciate his generous spirit and openness and the fact that he does take time to write to me.
Of course he doesn’t write to just me – he has a huge “fan” (he’d never call us that but I’m going to use the word) base and we are all privileged to get his Sunday best!
The other amazing thing about Chris is that he has mastered the art of “reply”. If you send him a simple reply to his Sunday email telling you enjoyed it, he’ll actually come back to you and say thanks.
There is an actual person at the other end of that email who is quite happy to interact with you as well as just broadcast his message ..he’s genuinely interested in what I have to say.
I do appreciate that if he has to reply to thousands of emails he won’t have a life and we do need him to be bright and rested and able to send us those nuggets of wisdom – thanks Chris for your valuable time.
We’re really lucky to have so many really clever and quite brilliant people sharing their insights, experience and very often genius with us online.
I’m talking about bloggers who quite freely share their gems of wisdom on a regular basis with us including people like Chris, Seth Godin and Mitch Joel.
The big difference with Chris is that he replies and interacts.
This in my view is the most powerful thing that he does and it’s this that sets him apart from the others..
Click here to sign up for his Sunday Service.
Greg Canty is a partner of Fuzion
Fuzion are a Marketing, PR and Graphic Design firm with offices in Cork and Dublin
Tags: Chris Brogan, Fuzion, Greg Canty, Mitch Joel, Seth Godin
Greg Canty Fuzion Blog 
March 17, 2013 at 10:22 am |
Sounds interesting Greg and I’ve signed up to the newsletter.
March 18, 2013 at 11:44 am |
let me know if you enjoy them Fergal
March 18, 2013 at 12:13 pm
Will do – thanks Greg.
March 17, 2013 at 2:31 pm |
Lovely and true. I will note that I wrote to Seth on one occasion a couple months ago, and he replied within minutes to my inquiry. It may very well have been timing, because I can’t imagine him replying to every email he receives. I was shocked, in a happy way, just as I was when I replied to one of Chris’ Sunday emails and he replied.
March 18, 2013 at 11:44 am |
this is what makes these guys so special .. well said Ellen
March 18, 2013 at 8:22 am |
Greg – the right of reply, or the right to reply (in terms of correctness, as well) is no more than a common courtesy; something that seems sadly lacking these days.
Whenever someone calls me (or maybe leaves a voicemail, if I’m busy), I call them back. When someone emails me, I respond by email (even if only with a simple acknowledgement). When anyone writes to me by mail, then I reply by mail. Why do I do that?
As a junior bank clerk, after casting the “rems” (listing the cheques that had been returned to the branch overnight for clearing), the next task was to receive the log of the day’s incoming mail. Armed with that information, I’d have to prepare a ;list for the branch manager;s private secretary, so that she could draft replies on any issues that couldn’t be handled immediately. That list would prompt a response to all the other incoming mail, each of the manager;s letters that she prepared for his signature said: “This brief note is to thank you for your communication (of whatever date might have been shown on the letter), which is receiving my attention. A more detailed reply will follow in due course. Yours, etc.”.
This common courtesy. has remained with me throughout my life.
All the best, Greg – looking forward to seeing you next week.
Chris. .
March 18, 2013 at 11:43 am |
Well said Chris …for some reason when you puy many people behind a computer we forget our basic manners.
March 18, 2013 at 8:24 am |
Greg – please review my more detailed response to this message. Thanks
March 19, 2013 at 1:25 pm |
Sounds interesting – have just joined and look forward to getting inspired, while having my coffee on Sunday.
March 19, 2013 at 10:57 pm |
let me know what you think Christophe