Whiskey Company Makes People Feel Good…It’s Not What You Think

People won’t remember what you say.  People will remember how you make them feel.

Jack Daniel’s knows this.  And whiskey was not involved.

So, what are we doing writing about a whiskey company in a blog post about consulting skills?  Because we can all learn a lesson in how to deliver difficult messages well.

Back story:  A writer (purportedly to increase exposure / get free publicity) used book cover images and website art very similar to Jack Daniel’s world famous branding . The letter below was sent by an attorney.  Given the situation, we all know that receiving anything we get a from a company attorney on official letterhead is probably bad news, and is more than likely threatening.

Read the letter, and then consider this; It is often justifiable to say “No.” or “Stop!”. It is also important to be nice about it. Most people will both listen and give you credit for your politeness.

The attorney in question wrote the letter in a way that she might talk to a neighbor or a friend about something that is bothering her. I’d lay money that the person who received the letter both complied and remained a fan of Jack Daniel’s products. Said author probably cannot quote a single line from the letter, but probably remembers fondly how friendly the letter was under the circumstances.

When you run into interpersonal or other difficulties on a consulting project, just remember: people will not long remember exactly what you say, but they will definitely remember how you make them feel.

And, it almost goes without saying: clients will (re)hire consultants who make them feel good over those who do not.