In the art of building great business relationships, it’s important to remember that you are never too busy to respond to a request, regardless of the form in which it is delivered. The best way to squander relationships and in turn, opportunities, is to avoid responding to messages that you deem unimportant or not worthy of a response. Whether it’s via email, phone calls, text, DM, or smoke signals, it really doesn’t matter ~ you should always respond (unless of course it’s spam).
I know you’re thinking, “But Lou, I do not have the time to respond to everybody; I’m too busy.” I’m calling you out on this one: bullshit. Everyone has time to respond if they are organized properly; everyone, even billionaires who own NBA franchises. Let me tell you a little story…
This past summer, I was rounding up quotes for my book and asking various folks to review Winning the Customer in order to include their quotes in our promotion of the book. I made a long list, and was thrilled that most everyone agreed to read the book, and the few that couldn’t responded with nice notes of apology. I had one name on the list that, in my mind, was a long shot and I stalled reaching out to him for most of the summer. It was Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks. I was hesitating because we hadn’t had a conversation in over a decade and, quite frankly, I wasn’t sure if he would remember me. I finally sat down and cranked out this email to send to him:
Hi Mark,
I realize that you will not remember me, but back in the late nineties we did a deal when you had AudioNet and I was running marketing for Sports Radio WEEI in Boston. We gave you the rights to air segments of Patriots Monday with Bill Parcels and Drew Bledsoe. While you were selling Broadcast.com, I moved to the Patriots and became their Chief Marketing Officer. I write to you today, not to reminisce, but in the hopes that the business interaction would give you just a little extra push to review my request.
I have written a book that I believe you will enjoy and it’s right in your wheelhouse, entitled Winning the Customer, coming out in September from McGraw-Hill. It’s what I believe is necessary to convert consumers into fans in any industry and told through my stories in radio, TV, the NFL, MLS and as an entrepreneur. My request is for you to check it out and if you happen to think it’s worthy, I would be thrilled to have a quote from you. If you think it sucks, well let’s hope that is not the case… Attached is an executive summary of the book and below is a link to the eGalley of the book if you decide to review.
I appreciate your time and consideration. Thank you.
My best,
Lou
I didn’t have Mark’s current email address, so I went to the HDNet web site, clicked on “Contact Us”, and figured I would ask someone to pass the email along to Mr. Cuban. However, once I clicked through, there was a sentence right in the middle of the screen pointing out a link to email Mark Cuban. I still figured I was sending a note to an employee who sorts through emails and that maybe, just maybe, in a few weeks I would get a reply. I figured it was worth the shot, so I pressed send.
To this day, I am still amazed at the result. In six minutes – not six hours, six days or six weeks – in six minutes, I got a reply that read:
You got it… of course I remember!
m
Wow! It had been literally 15 years since we had any communication of any kind. In all of the sports business I was involved with, and all of the events I have been to over the years, we had never bumped into each other, and hadn’t talked since that Audio Net/WEEI content deal.
I share this because if Mark Cuban can respond in six minutes to someone he hasn’t heard from in 15 years, then I would have to believe that each any every one of us is not too busy to respond to the requests we get. Big thanks to Mark Cuban, not only for the quote, but also for showing us the way. Mr. Cuban is a true champion.
In case you were wondering, here’s the quote Mark gave me for the book:
“Lou was years ahead of his time. His insights into gaining and retaining customers are valuable to every CEO no matter what size the company.”
~Mark Cuban/Chairman, HDNet & Owner, Dallas Mavericks
28 Comments
Wow, great post Lou and great quote from Cuban! I know the intent of the post was to be educational, but I also found it very inspiring. We have all stalled on reaching out to those long shots, but it is amazing what can happen when we take those simple actions. Thought your email was great in how to helped Mark with your connection, made it easy for him to check out your work, and stated your intention without any BS. A lot to learn from here!
Thank you Scott.
You have to always ask, just make sure you are respectful. Worse case is getting a no, leaving you in the same position you were in prior to the ask. It is also important to remember to make sure the ask is appropriate, don’t squander requests that lead to “no” later down the line.
Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Lou,
This is a great example of what differentiates those who truly care. Whether it’s exhibited in their passion or in the manner and timeliness of their response to people who ask for insight or input. Great post pal. ~ Dan
Thank you Dan.
Pretty amazing and at the same time no surprise. The truly successful people, the ones that have earned it, typically do the right things in all areas.
My best,
Lou
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take” – Wayne Gretzky
So true Chris. You have to get into the game. Thanks for stopping by.
Great post Lou – and timely for me! One of my pet peeves of late is people pulling the “I’m too busy” card. We’re all busy, but you make time for things that matter whether business or personal. Proper time management works wonders. Mark Cuban is a class act! Thanks for sharing this story.
Hi Courtney,
He is definitely a class act. I am thrilled this was a timely post for you. There is always time to respond, it doesn’t have to be immediately (although that’s exceptional), but if it’s a legitimate request or question the is no reason not to reply in an appropriate time frame other than laziness and disregard. Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to comment.
My best,
Lou
This is a good kick in the pants for those stalled or afraid to act because they are fearful that they will be rejected in some way. As I always say, “You never know…” Great story! Thanks, Lou.
Thanks Howard.
I think we all fall into the trap at times. The key is to break through the fear and rejection barriers and just go for it.
Hope you are well,
Lou
I worked on a small project with Mark when I was a very junior NBA league office employee. It always amazed me how responsive he was and also how tuned in–not in a micromanaging way, but with regard to engagement. His comportment made a big impression on me.
Thanks for your note Jennifer. It’s pretty awesome. I have received many notes from folks with very positive comments about Mr. Cuban how genuine and responsive he is. It’s very refreshing.
I appreciate you taking the time and stop by and comment.
My best,
Lou
Hi Lou,
I read your blog all the time but never decided to take the time to comment. This post inspired me to leave one. You put so much time and thought into these blog posts, and I just want to say I really appreciate reading them and learning from your insight. I also just finished your book, and ironically enough, I’m now reading Mark Cuban’s book.
Thanks for sharing your stories!
Michael,
Thank you for your kind words. I very much enjoy sharing stories with the hope that they will provide some connection and help others though the experiences. I am happy this post moved you to leave a note. It’s always great to get feedback. Thank you again.
My best,
Lou
Hi Lou: Love your book. I bought the book yesterday and received an idea that will earn an estimated $30M+.
Thanks,
N
Hi Neil,
Thank you. I am glad you are enjoying the book and it would thrilled if the book leads you to revenue. Please keep me posted and good luck.
My best,
Lou
Lou,
Have a similar experience, profiled in my #ignitemel talk where Mark Cuban replied to my email when kicking off Sports Geek trip.
http://sportsgeek.com.au/sports-marketing/ignitemel-slides-from-geek-to-sports-geek/
Cheers
Sean
That’s terrific Sean. I have been receiving a bunch of similar notes from folks. Thank you for sharing your story with us here.
My very best,
Lou
Hi Lou,
I was reading my alumni magazine a few hours ago where it was an article about you titled “How to Score Clients” it was really inspiring and I confess I started searching about you on the web. And oddly, I was wondering if it was possible to contact you in any way, and then I read this article and my question was answered. What a coincidence.
Greetings from Puerto Rico,
Carmen
Thank you for the kind words Carmen. I hope your holidays are spectacular.
Lou,
I have been sharing this post liberally, having “survived” a company culture where non-response–especially by senior managers– was considered acceptable. Often, people with deadlines to meet and work to get done were left hanging without needed information or approval. Non-response is not acceptable, and this story proves that the usual excuses don’t wash. Bravo!
Roy
Roy,
Thank you for your note and spreading the word. You are a wonderful guy and I look forward to seeing you in the New Year.
Happy Holidays,
Lou
Hi, Mr. Imbriano…
I follow your website and post’s often. I was an intern with the Patriots right when you left there. I once sent you an email saying if there was ever anything I could do to assist you I would love the chance…. not really thinking you would take the time to respond, and to my surprse you did and were so gracious. On a much smaller scale it was my Mark Cuban moment. Thank you for the inspiration!
Happy New Year,
Julie Dimakis
Hi Julie,
Thank you for the kind note. I hope all is well. Please send me an email to catch me up on your career. Happy New Year.
My best,
Lou
Maybe it’s timing, maybe it’s fate, either way, your article above confirmed a tough decision I made last night. Thank you for sharing. It confirmed to me that it was the right decision to release myself from someone who kept using the “too busy right now” excuse. That’s all it is. Just a weak excuse. I am also going to turn up the flame on myself and how quickly I respond to others. Very inspiring.
Angela,
I am thrilled this post resonated with you and appreciate you taking the time to stop by and comment. Thank you for the kind words.
My best,
Lou
Lou – A brilliant story and a great lesson. Few things say courtesy or respect better than “making” the time to respond. Well done. A timeless post.
My best to you,
Fred
Thank you Fred. Hope all is well.