Pride Shows

So a few weeks ago, I decided to get my building painted (I am a part owner in an investment property – a building of 30 apartments). So, I met with several painters each of whom claimed they could do the job best for the least.

One painter stood out (literally and figuratively). About 6 foot 3 and as thin as a stick, he just looked strange, in a pleasant way. His name was Eric. I liked him. He seemed to know his trade and when we negotiated him down (I love getting a good deal), he seemed amenable – far more amenable than the other painters we had called. So we took our chances and went with Eric

He started the job when he said he would, he did what he said he would do and he finished when he said he would. (That in itself is rare these days). I was told by my partners, (far more detail oriented than me when it comes to painting), that he did an awesome job.

About halfway through the job, my partners and I (they had never met Eric before) went for a site inspection, and Eric – with much pride, walked us through the building, pointing out all that he had done and all that he was going to do.

Man – was this guy proud of the job he was doing. You could see it in the way he walked. You could see it in his animated expressions. It was clear that this was no ordinary job to Eric – it was a special job and he was so proud he had won our business.

During the walkthrough of the building, we paused and sat briefly in the building’s laundry room to discuss next steps. It was at that point that Eric finally blew me away. “Do you mind if I take off my leg – it’s kind of itchy,” he asked nonchalantly. “What? (I said to myself). With that he lifted op his pant leg and proceeded to take of his prosthetic leg (below the knee). “I lost my leg a few years ago,” he said. “In an accident.”

Now, painting a building is far more physical than say sitting at a desk or even driving a car. Painting is not easy for a guy with two legs. For a guy with one leg, it must be an order of magnitude more difficult. But for Eric, our job seemed the easiest he had ever done.

And that’s the difference. I saw it in Eric’s work and I see it in PR/ social media all the time. You see, you get the doers and the talkers. The talkers spend their time talking and the doers spend their time doing. And in most instances, there is an inverse relationship between talking and doing.

And that’s what my clients have come to appreciate about me over the years:

I don’t overtalk
I make every client feel special
I am proud of what I do
I give my clients a fair deal
I do what I say and say what I do
I start and finish when I said I would

Looking for a painter? Contact Eric at (416) 828-7469. Looking for some PR/ social media help? Call me.