My guilty secret

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I'm going to share one of my dirty little secrets with you....

I'm one of those weird people who actually likes airline food.

I'm not sure if it's actually the taste or whether it's the way everything comes neatly packaged in its own little container or own separate compartment on a tray.

Whatever it is, though, it works for me.

But it definitely wasn't working for Oliver Beale when he flew with Virgin from Mumbai to London in December 2008.

In case you've not heard of him, let me tell you Oliver's story.

There he was, sitting in his seat 35,000 feet up in the air, getting ready for what he hopes will be a delightful in-flight meal.

The tray comes down, the silver foil is peeled back, and...

...disappointment strikes.

Instead of the gourmet meal he dreamt of, Oliver is staring at a plateful of food so bizarre that he can't even figure out what's the main course and what's the dessert.

Now, most of us might grumble a bit, eat what we can, and maybe complain to the person sitting next to us. But not Oliver.

Armed with wit, imagination and a dash of sarcasm, he wrote directly to Richard Branson himself telling him about his experience and including several photos of the meal.

I won't quote the whole letter here – it was quite lengthy and you can find it online because it has become legendary as one of the best passenger complaint letters in history – but here's a little taster:

So what did Sir Richard Branson do when he received this letter?

Well, whereas most CEOs might have rolled their eyes and tossed such a complaint into the 'address-later' bin, Branson saw an opportunity.

Instead of going on the defensive or getting one of his minions to issue a standard apology, he picked up the phone and called Oliver.

But not simply to apologise to him.

Branson offered Oliver Beale a job as Virgin's new in-flight food consultant and put him in charge of revamping the airline's menus.

Now, I know we're not all billionaire entrepreneurs, and we might not get feedback as cheekily written as Sir Richard did.

But in the realm of business, especially when engaging with your clients and prospects, it's about taking those little lessons and applying them to our own unique situations.

And if this story about Richard Branson's reaction to Oliver's complaint teaches us one thing, it's that connection is king – especially when it comes to how you communicate with people on your email list.

I'm on lots of business's email lists and in just the past few days, I've had:

• An email from a company I hadn't heard from in over six months telling me they'd won an award (well done, but I really didn't need to know)

• An email from a consultant telling me that they've launched a new website (I don't care)

• An email from a mortgage broker telling me that interest rates decreased last month (I know – the BBC got to me before you did)

So, if you want to actually get proper leads and new business from the emails you send to your list, here's what you need to do...

Forget about sending those dreary newsletters, proudly announcing your third-quarter achievements or showing off your new office.

Instead, why not share an engaging story, or an insight that your audience would actually find useful?

Take a leaf out of Virgin's book: be genuine, be helpful, and always, always be looking for ways to form meaningful connections with the people on your email list.

And if that's something you feel you need a bit of help with then I have some good news.

My book, Building an Automated Lead Machine, has a whole section on how to grow an email list and how to send the kind of emails that will turn that list into a consistent source of new and repeat business.

It's available as a PDF for instant download for just £7.

Click here to get your copy today.

All the best,
David.

PS – all the world's top chefs know that a meal is about more than just food on a plate (or an airline tray). It's about the experience, the expectation, and the engagement with the chef's brand.

Similarly, when you send out an email to your list, you're not just sending information – you're sending an experience. And if you're only giving your audience dry bread when they're expecting a gourmet sandwich, you've missed an opportunity.

So, next time you're drafting an email, think of it as crafting a meal. Would you serve it in your restaurant or on your airline? If not, maybe it's time for a rethink.

Click here to get your copy of Building an Automated Lead Machine and learn how to do email marketing properly.

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