I was thinking today about how Facebook has changed birthdays. We’ve all been there by now: Birthday morning, you check your email to find 157 notifications from Facebook that someone has written on your wall. You check Facebook and find 157 “Happy Birthday” one-liners (Hope it’s great; Have the best birthday ever; Can’t believe you’re ___ years old!; etc.)
I don’t know about you–though I have a gut feeling you’re with me on this–all those birthday wishes are spoiled by this simple thing: Facebook told them all it was your birthday. They didn’t remember; they didn’t even have to think about it. It took them precisely four seconds to see your birthday on the upcoming events widget AND type a tres court message on your wall. The convenience of it all steals the excitement.
One handwritten happy birthday with a Sharpie on construction paper means more.
I think there’s an important truth to be noted here:
Convenience is often the enemy of impact.
Think about the last time someone mailed you a note (thank you notes don’t count, since everyone expects those to be handwritten and mailed). I’m not trying to be passe; I’m a blogging, email and Twitter-addict like the rest. Here’s my point: The simple time it took to write a note, buy a gift, make a call… the inconvenience you are willing go through to make a certain gesture…still means something to people.
Now obviously there are times when convenience reigns. But inconveniencing yourself enough to honestly THINK about what would impact someone is the only thing that really will impact them.
Take some time to think about your clients or the people you serve; ask yourself what they expect from you. If you’ll spend some time dreaming up ways to go beyond those expectations, you might just change some relationships for the better.
