Answer the damn phone!

Written By

FBI wanted poster for D.B. Cooper

Here the shortcuts to this months musings:

Every month I put out an update on what I am working on, what I am talking to people about and what I am reading. All this gets put together into a Newsletter which you can sign up for. It comes once a month and I promise there is no other use of your email address to me. I appreciate those who do both to receive and read my updates. Thanks! Click here to Subscribe

The Chase

I tell anyone interested about how I just love what I call “the chase”. The chase is when I am looking for and preparing a new podcast interview. I call it a “chase” as every time I sit down to interview someone, either in person or remotely, I am nervous. Will they show up? Do they have enough time for this? Are they prepared? Well, the last one is pretty easy for them as I am asking about what they do.

For me there are 5 parts of the podcast or basically any interview process:

  1. Identifying new subject

  2. Preparing for interview

  3. Conducting interview

  4. Production of podcast/article/video etc

  5. Publication and other promotion activities

The first 2 are, for me, The Chase. They are the most exciting part of the process. I come across people when I read social media updates or articles and if I find something interesting I will add them to my data sheet as an “idea”. Once I have done a bit of research I will then reach out and see if they are open for an interview. The fear of rejection is always an exciting time, waiting for a response to come back then hopefully see a positive answer. Once they accept the idea and we agree on a date I will continue my preparation for the interview itself.

The interview itself is really, really fun. Sometimes I will be nervous. Sometimes I will be very relaxed. I am always very concentrated. I love the exchange and the chance I have to listen first-hand to their responses, their thoughts and experience their insights. It is the cherry on the cake. Why follows is, for me, a longer than necessary, process. When I finally get to editing the episode I take too much time going through the interview again. Listening closely to the tape. I am not sure why but this takes me quite some time.

Once done with the edit there are a dozen or two things which happen which I won’t detail here. If you are interested then leave me a comment and I will put that all together. The chase, yeah the chase is the best part. More to come!

Pick up the phone!

I’ve been thinking about this interview with Steve the Intern with Rodeo Adventure Labs in September. I spend a large amount of time with each podcast, probably too much time to make this an efficient enterprise but heck. I keep coming back to my interviews to pick out little tidbits or some random insight I forgot about. Nevertheless, Rodeo put out a tweet a few days back and it was thanks to their customers. You can read the tweet below. This took me back to our interview.

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Steve makes and sells bicycles. Most of you know that the global supply chain has been really struggling for a while now. Anyone trying to buy a new car now or a gaming console? Yeah, long delays and these delays are affecting the bike industry. Steve told me that for most of 2021 his business had become a customer support business. They were shipping hardly any bikes but talking with those who had placed orders. He even hired a new person who focusses solely on talking to their customers. Steve said the most important part is communication with your customers, keeping them informed of the situation and up to date and most important: ANSWER THE PHONE!

Today while I am writing this I got an email from the phone company informing me that my new phone line is coming soon. Not to make this too much about that here the TLDR version.

The process of the mail was as follows:

  • Hi, pick a date to get your new line (dates are all one week away from today)

  • Once you pick a date your new box will arrive 2 weeks before installation (ok, well uh…see the point before)

  • BTW DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL

After handling that mail (yes I chose a date just to test the process) I sat back down here and thought about Steve. They don’t want me to easily call them. There is a 0800 number I can call (how do I describe what I am seeing on my PC over the phone?)..So, I will just sit back a test the process.

Steve is right; when you want to keep your customers ANSWER THE PHONE.

Link to the podcast with Steve is here: https://digital-done-right.com/new-normal-podcast-1/2021/10/24/stephen-fitzgerald-riding-donkeys-for-a-living

D.B. Cooper

I was 8 years old when this hit the news. D.B. Cooper highjacked an airplane and requested $200,000. He got the money, let all the passengers go and had the pilot take off again. Oh, he also asked for a parachute. After takeoff he had the remaining crew go into the front cabin while he opened the door and disappeared.

This was in the news for months! $200K is about $1.2M in today’s money so not bad. To an 8-year-old this was better than the movies. No one saw him jump. It was dark, rainy with clouds and he had the plane fly at 10,000ft/3000m. The planes following also did not see a parachute open. I will include a link below for all the details. He was never found. The money was never recovered. It was a fascinating story then and I enjoyed reading about again this week on its 50th anniversary.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D._B._Cooper

Hey, if you made it this far then, thanks! I hope it was worth your time and if you have a comment please leave one below. I am on a journey to learn how people and organisations are coping in this New Normal. If you are interested in sharing your story or know of someone who might, just reach out. Use the contact form here and leave me a short note. I would love to hear your story.

Thank you for coming here and sharing your day with my stories.

/Andrew

Previous

February 2022 Newsletter