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February 28, 2004
No funny business here
From a Fortune magazine piece (registration required) on NBC-TV's billion-dollar man, Jay Leno:
One reason he does not use an agent anymore is that he doesn't want anyone to speak for him and possibly offend a client or fan. "That's really what this business is about," Leno says. "Contact with the customers. Because it's really feast or famine. You meet a guy on the elevator and you say hello. Well, for the rest of your career, you are the greatest guy in the world. But if you go, 'Excuse me, I'm busy,' you are just an asshole. Lyndon Johnson used to say that every handshake is worth 250 votes, and it's really true, especially in television.
Whether you argue NBC's stronger prime-time lineups and better-run affiliates have made Leno the king of late-night television, a dominant part of that equation is Leno's marketing prowess. Leno is accessible outside of his show, and long-time competitor David Letterman generally is not. For all of his comic genius, Letterman is more like the CEO who walls himself off from most of the world, who views life from the skybox, not the regular-guy seats. Leno is Mr. Regular Guy.
As such, this immensely wealthy regular guy meets as many of his customers possible each week through an endless series of concert appearances and hobnobbing with local affiliates, their staffs and their best advertisers. That'll drive 250 votes for every handshake, every time.
Other blogs that reference No funny business here:
» How To Be More Available Without Over Burdening Yourself from Iunctura Daily with Justin Hitt
No funny business here . [Read More]
» How To Be More Available Without Over Burdening Yourself from Building Business Relationships
Instead of stowing yourself away behind protective barriers like some executives do, if you want to influence the people around you, consider getting out among the regular people. Leaders who isolate themselves become sheltered and become myop... [Read More]
Like anything, this all really depends.
In the end, your customers, your objectives, and the current situation will determine how available you are.
Some customers want an action oriented leader who only visits when they are reporting on successes or tell them how they are solving problems. While other customers want daily visits, some will want weekly, and so on.
Your own objectives should come into play. Do you need to influence the customer, your employees, or even the media on your clients behalf. Sometimes being the regular guy isn't the right person to lead a company.
There will also be situations where your customer doesn't want to see you at all. You're expected to be busy getting work done or leading changing results not glad-handing about wasting their time.
You do bring up a great point your readers shouldn't miss -- by being personable you'll gain a better understanding of what is going on around you. Perhaps having a bit more control over the satisfaction gained my your clients.
Sincerely,
Justin Hitt
Strategic Relations Consultant
http://iunctura.com/
I wouldn't say so much that it's about being personable, as if that's a face you put on for customers. In the marketing sense, what makes Leno stand out from Letterman is accessibility.
A big mistake executives continually make is assuming what customers will or won't want, whether that's in product improvements or feedback frequency. The best solution is to ask them.
Business is all about developing relationships. You never know the one person you meet on the elevator and take time to say "hello" to is a son, daughter, or uncle that can make the difference for your business.
Wisdom comes from funny places. As Kramer once said on the televison show Seinfeld, "to rule the people you must walk among the people." In other words, to influence people, you must meet people on their personal level.
