A quick reply saves the day

In July, we launched the promotion for our new book, The Art of Self Promotion, offering also a free copy of Designing Websites:// for Every Audience to everyone who bought by the deadline. In two days we were sold out!

Needless to say, we were overwhelmed by the positive response. Then we had to get to work fulfilling those orders, which took a little longer than we'd planned:

We mailed the books via USPS Media Mail (book rate, which is not the quickest but much more reasonably priced). A week later, I started getting email messages asking where the books were. Most of them had a very impatient, customer-is-king tone, which is understandable in this world of instant gratification, where email travels in seconds from one part of the planet to another. How could two books take so long to arrive?

Here's what I noticed, though. When I responded right away with details about the status of the order, people became instantly understanding and patience seemed to materialize out of nowhere. It was a complete 180 and each time, I was surprised by it.

The lesson: always respond right away, especially when what you have to deliver isn't necessarily good news. People are always happy just to be in communication.

BTW: we have just received another shipment of books and the "2 for 1" offer still stands. So check it out here.