The Power Of A Thank You

I left my former employer over three years ago to co-found a start up. Although I left on good terms, it's always weird when you leave...no one really treats you the same anymore and there seems to be an unwritten rule about how much communication can still be had with you (I stayed in the same town and many people were friends of mine) since you stopped drinking the Cool -Aid. I would get it if I went to a competitor however I started a company that acquired customers for companies like the one I left. As a matter of fact, I had an agreement with them to bring them customers and I did just that. I wasn't setting any records by any means but if I was anyone else I would be invited to lunch frequently, probably golfing outings etc. Hell at very least, I would have someone acknowledge that I was actually bringing them business and they were thankful for it. Guess what, I stopped trying to bring them business just because all the other companies we worked with treated me better.

That all changed when I ran into the CEO the other day. I've known him for some time and we were chatting briefly outside a meeting we were both attending when he said he heard we had brought them some business and although I don't think he realized how much, he said thank you for the business. Those two words totally changed my whole outlook on things. Until that point, I don't remember ever hearing that besides in a signature line or a generic salutation in an email.

Listen, money is still the trump card however don't underestimate the power of Thank You.

#thankyou #comunication #power #startup