No Agenda, Just Espresso!

I was on a work trip earlier this week. Meetings done, a little time to spare before heading back. I glanced at my phone and thought of a customer I hadn't visited in over a year — a construction company we'd been doing good business with for a while. Solid account. No complaints. But if I'm honest, every single interaction we'd ever had was purely transactional — a purchase order here, a delivery update there, a price discussion somewhere in between.

I called him up and said I was in town. No presentation, no proposal, nothing to discuss. Just: "Thought I'd stop by and say hello if you're free."

He sounded genuinely surprised. But he said come on over.

What happened in the next hour was something I didn't expect. We sat in his cabin, had a cup of espresso, and just talked. About his business, his upcoming projects, his plans for the year ahead, his family, kid's higher education etc. At one point he said, "You know, I've been meaning to ask someone about this." He wasn't talking to a supplier anymore. He was talking to someone he trusted. (the this was related to something personal)

By the time I left, I knew more about his world than a year of emails and order confirmations had ever told me. And I came away thinking — why don't we do this more often?

I think the answer is simple. Most of us reach out to customers only when there's something on the table. A new product to pitch, a complaint to sort out, a renewal coming up. Which means every time your name flashes on their screen, there's an agenda attached to it. Over time, people feel that.

The no-agenda visit sends a completely different signal. It says: I'm not here because I need something. I'm here because I value this.

And in my experience — as I wrote in an earlier blog, "Would you like more ice?" — it's often the small, unasked-for gesture that creates the deepest loyalty. Showing up with nothing to sell is exactly that kind of gesture!

So here's something worth trying this week. Look at your customer list and ask yourself: who have I only ever spoken to when there was a reason? Pick one. Call them the next time you're passing through their city. Have a cup of whatever it is that both of you enjoy. Ask them how things are going.

You might be surprised at what you learn — and what that relationship becomes.

I hope this helps you Shoot to the Top!