Scott Monty

"We've Always Done it That Way"

"We've Always Done it That Way"

Consecration of the Emperor Napoleon I and Coronation of the Empress Josephine in the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris on 2 December 180...

The Power of a Letter

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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kEFvwgBe9Mg/XjhKsCQh7bI/AAAAAAABLYM/VxamUBg2kKoVTzhVR2RGE6JJdfSydSPygCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/James%2BCambpell%2B-%2BNews%2BFrom%2BMy%2BLad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1400" height="364" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kEFvwgBe9Mg/XjhKsCQh7bI/AAAAAAABLYM/VxamUBg2kKoVTzhVR2RGE6JJdfSydSPygCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/James%2BCambpell%2B-%2BNews%2BFrom%2BMy%2BLad.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:James_Campbell_-_News_from_My_Lad_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg">News from my Lad</a> by James Campbell, 1859 (Wikimedia Commons - public domain)</span></i></td></tr>
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<iframe allow="autoplay" frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/604264449&color=%232879af&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true" width="100%"></iframe><br />
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<i><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/fullmontyshow/write-me" target="_blank">Listen to this commentary</a></span></b></i></div>
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Bass Reeves didn't know how to read or write. But he understood the power of a handwritten letter.<br />
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Reeves was a slave who escaped from his owner during the U.S. Civil War. He settled in what was called Indian Territory and began to raise a family.<br />
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In 1875, he was called on to help clean up Indian Territory, which was part of the classic Old West, with plenty of outlaws who were running wild. From 1875 to 1907, Bass served as deputy U.S. Marshal, and he was legendary for his strength and invincibility.<br />
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One day, Reeves caught up with a couple of Texas murderers he was after, but they captured him and held him hostage. He didn't tell them who he was, so they planned to ask people along the road if they knew him.<br />
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It was a lonely road, and after a while, they got tired of keeping him in tow, so they forced him to dismount and prepared to execute him. They asked him if he had any last words, and Reeves said he had a letter from his wife in his hat, and since he couldn't read, he wondered if they might read it to him.<br />
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They all got off their horses, and he handed them the letter with shaking hands. Once their attention was off of him, the marshal drew his weapon and captured them both, as they were too surprised to react quickly.<br />
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Bass Reeves said he <a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/bass-reeves-wild-west-letter-trick" target="_blank">used this trick a number of times</a> in his career.<br />
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<h2>
<b>The unexpected makes an impact, every time</b></h2>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>“A letter always seemed to me like immortality because it is the mind alone without corporeal friend.” </i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">– Emily Dickinson</span></div>
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When's the last time you wrote someone a letter?<br />
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I'm not talking about an email or a text message. I mean an honest to goodness, old fashioned, handwritten letter.<br />
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You know, like the kind your grandmother probably wrote to you when you were a kid.<br />
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For personal use? What about for business? It's probably been a while, hasn't it?<br />
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When your customers are out there trying to figure out how to maximize their Snapchat Stories, or how many photos they should put in an Instagram Carousel, or even how many catalogues to send out, it's a great opportunity to step in with your personal notes.<br />
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In other words, zig when everyone else is zagging.<br />
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I see news about people using Facebook less — even the 15 million Millennials that Facebook lost last year. The pendulum is swinging, and people are opting for more private, intimate conversations. Maybe in groups or chat rooms. Texts and DMs. And in that context, they're ready for something that makes them feel special and unique.<br />
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That's what the written word does. It says to the recipient, "You matter. You matter enough for someone to sit down, keep themselves away from a screen, and think about what it is that they're saying to you."<br />
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Back when I was at Ford, I once sent a handwritten note and a Ford lapel pin to someone I met at a conference who said she was a fan. She wrote about the experience on her site and shared how different an experience that was. <a href="https://www.scottmonty.com/2018/11/human-emotions-win-every-time.html" target="_blank">I wrote about it a few months ago</a>.<br />
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Did it take an effort to do that? Sure. But that's what made it treasured.<br />
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The only thing is, you need to pay attention — to your customers, to your employees, to people that matter — if you want to be inspired enough to make a difference.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>"If you would not be forgotten, as you as you are dead and rotten, either write things worth reading, or do things worth writing." </i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">– Benjamin Franklin</span></div>
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The Power of a Letter

News from my Lad by James Campbell, 1859 (Wikimedia Commons - public domain) Listen to this commentary Bass Reeves didn't kn...

True Personalization

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<iframe allow="autoplay" frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/600718470&color=%232879af&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true" width="100%"></iframe><br />
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<i><a href="https://soundcloud.com/fullmontyshow/tune-that-name" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Listen to this commentary</span></b></a></i></div>
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<i>"Who steals my purse steals trash; 'tis something, nothing;</i></h4>
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<i>'Twas mine; 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands;</i></h4>
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<i>But he that filches from me my good name</i></h4>
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<i>Robs me of that which not enriches him,</i></h4>
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<i>And makes me poor indeed."</i></h4>
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– William Shakespeare (<i>Othello</i>)</h4>
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Iago's speech in <i>Othello</i> is about <a href="https://www.scottmonty.com/2019/02/how-much-is-your-reputation-worth.html" target="_blank">reputation</a>, and how it's more valuable than money (which is ironic, given Iago's own manipulative nature).<br />
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But he mentions one's "good name." Your name is your identity. It's what binds you to your family, your friends, and your accomplishments.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>“A person's name is to that person, the sweetest, most important sound in any language.”</i></b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">– Dale Carnegie </span><span style="font-size: medium;">[<a href="https://ctt.ac/7XJc7" target="_blank">tweet this</a>]</span></div>
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Carnegie was right. After all, he's the self-help guru who wrote How to Win Friends and Influence People, and he helped countless acolytes learn how to deal with people and make themselves welcome anywhere.<br />
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He recounts a story about Theodore Roosevelt visiting the White House one day when President Taft was away. While he was there, he greeted the White House servants by name, right down to the scullery maid. He even asked Alice if she still made corn bread.<br />
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As you might imagine, the staff was tickled. They talked about it for years afterward. Why? Because Roosevelt showed genuine interest in them and engaged them personally.<br />
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<h2>
<b>The Power of the Personal</b></h2>
What's one thing we all have in common? That humans, regardless of gender, race, geography, or even epoch, crave?<br />
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We all want attention.<br />
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Not in the infantile, sociopathic-narcissistic way. But we simply want to be acknowledged. We want to be recognized as individuals.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>"No more fiendish punishment could be devised…than that one should be turned loose in society and remain absolutely unnoticed by all the members thereof." </i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">– William James</span></div>
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One of the most basic ways of expressing this is to call someone by name. We all recognize the sound of our name, and it sounds even sweeter when spoken by someone we know, respect, or admire.<br />
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Your name is your identity. It's one of the first things you heard from your parents. And in some ways, it carves a path for your future. My friend and fellow marketer David Berkowitz <a href="https://mailchi.mp/8a9f1597de55/1xoh13wl0v-642181?e=31f41658d1" target="_blank">recently opined on names in his Serial Marketer newsletter</a>, musing about whether or not your name predetermines your success. It may very well do so.<br />
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In the realm of the modern marketer, your name is the key to unlocking a relationship with you. With marketing technology being as advanced as it is, there's no reason a brand can't know who you are and address you accordingly. This is the promise of personalization.<br />
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Of course, it goes beyond that: customizing content based on your previous actions, knowing your preferences, etc. But your name — that should be table stakes. Woe betide the email marketer whose algorithm slips up and you receive a Dear {FIRST_NAME} salutation.<br />
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Which brings me to a pet peeve. It's an earwig of sorts, perhaps acquired by virtue of my kids watching countless YouTube videos that begin the same way:<br />
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"Hi guys!"<br />
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But I've also run into this frequently when listening to podcasts.<br />
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My issue is this: when a podcaster (like me) is speaking to you, I'm speaking directly to you — likely directly into your head via earbuds or headphones. Maybe you're commuting. Or perhaps you're at the gym. Or listening at your desk. Or walking down the street.<br />
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Whatever the situation, I'm speaking directly to you. You! Even if you're in car, listening with your family or your fellow commuters. This is meant for you. Now, I can't address you by name in a pre-recorded show (unless there was an audio version of mail merge and I created thousands of different versions and emailed you directly).<br />
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But if I opened with, "Hey guys," you'd immediately sense the difference. It's less personal.<br />
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Because I can't get so personal with you here (a podcast or blog post is too one-sided), here's what I'd like to suggest: I'm inviting you to tell me something about yourself. Tell me about a business challenge you're currently dealing with — a board member, a boss, a colleague, a project, a strategic imperative. I'm interested to hear what's going on with you right now.<br />
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Maybe you just need a sympathetic ear. Or you're looking for some feedback — it's always nice to do a gut check with someone else. Whatever it is, let's turn the tables.<br />
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Send me a note or an mp3 via email at fullmonty AT scottmonty DOT com. Or leave a comment in the comments section of the website.<br />
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By the law of averages, most readers or listeners won't do this.<br />
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But <b><i>you</i></b>? I have a feeling you <b><i>will</i></b>.<br />
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<i>Image credit: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Othello%27s_Lamentation.jpg" target="_blank">Othello's Lamentation</a> by William Salter, 1857 (Wikimedia Commons - public domain)</i>

True Personalization

Listen to this commentary "Who steals my purse steals trash; 'tis something, nothing; 'Twas mine; 'tis his, and h...

Scott Monty - Strategic Communications & Leadership Advisor

"We've Always Done it That Way"

The Power of a Letter

True Personalization

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