I hang out with a lot of Entrepreneurs. Fun crowd too, full of energy and ideas.
Particularly with “greener” entrepreneurs, I often hear of tactics they’re using to appear bigger – automated email replies, telephone answering services, 1-800 lines, etc. While it’s great to create efficiencies where you can, I worry sometimes that in their efforts to appear larger and more established, they can sometimes miss opportunities to embrace their smallness – to use it as an opportunity for real, genuine connection and interaction.
When was the last time you picked up the phone just to call a client? Not to pitch them anything, just to say “hey, how’s it going”, and to listen?
In his book Peak, Chip Conley reminds us of the importance of this:
“The bigger you get as a company, the more you need to create forums for engagement with your customers. Even if you’re big, act small.”
Peak, page 125
If, to you, being “big” means being professional and reliable, then go for it. Sadly, it more often means “aloof and unapproachable”. If that’s the case for you, it’s time to think small again.
Remember – nobody rooted for Goliath.
