One of the reasons my clients tell me that they stay with me and recommend me to other companies (in addition, I suppose, because I do great work) is because I do things for them that they don’t expect. I show up at their offices without warning at 12:30 in the afternoon carrying a pizza. Or I send them clippings out of magazines that have nothing to do with their company, but rather, with a personal mission of theirs, like rock climbing, or knitting.

Going above and beyond the call of any agency’s duty is what I’ve been told separates me from other consultants. And I like that.

That was reinforced to me last night when I arrived in my hotel room in Lexington, KY. I’m here to keynote a company’s annual meeting. The company found me through my book, contacting me after they read it, and asked me to come speak.

I was picked up at the airport by one of the key officers in the company, who drove me to the CEOs home. He was having a BBQ for his employees. I was introduced to everyone, and made to feel like I was a part of the company within five minutes.

After a great meal, I got to my hotel and saw the following as I walked in:

A gift basket filled with all sorts of things Lexington, and – get this – running and cycling magazines! I remembered that we’d spoken on one of our first calls about my passion for running. They remembered this, and made sure to make me feel right at home.

It was one of the nicest gestures a client has ever made on my behalf. It was spectacular. I felt like a rock star.

How many of us are doing the same things for our clients? This isn’t to replace doing great work – This is to complement it!

Are we doing it?