She Said My Name Before I Could

Last night, I was flying home from an event in Charlotte and normally, travel is travel.

But this time was different - we just had a baby last week and every minute away feels like a day too long. (the grandparents are with the wife and kids at home)

So when my first flight got delayed a couple of hours…and that delay wrecked my connection through Atlanta…and the original Vegas flight was no longer an option…I felt, well, disconnected hehe.

The “I want and NEED to get home” urgency, that dad urgency.

There was another Vegas flight about 90 minutes later, so I went to check my options.

I approached the gate agent calm, respectful, hopeful and before I. could. finish. my. sentence. she said…

“Are you Manny Vargas?”

Instantly, my whole posture changed. My ears perked up. Smiled…

I said, “Yesssss…I’m Manny. How did you know?” With a bigger smile…

And she goes, in good humor.

“I know everything about you.”

Now, we’re laughing. Feeling like maybe I’m important or something.

But then she smiled and she continued…

I saw you had a baby last week. I saw you were trying to get home.
I already started working on getting you on that later Vegas flight.

JUUSSSTT KIDDING!!! She didn’t say that or else I woulda had way more concerning questions…

Mannnn, let me tell you…what she said stopped me in my tracks.

The lesson was a simple reminder that made me want to write this today.

Your name matters. Your details matter. Your story matters. And when someone uses your name, when they recognize you, when they show you they’ve been paying attention…

You feel seen, you feel valued, you feel taken care of.

This is what makes great follow-up…No sales. No scripts. No tactics, even though those matter…

It’s the recognition, personalization, presence.

It the, “I know who you are. I remember what you said. You’re not another name in the system effect…

The gate agent built trust in 2 seconds flat.

And she did it with one thing, my name.

Here are the follow-up facts we tend to need a good reminder on…

People will most likely forget the majority of your pitch/demo/conversation/insert your choice words here (what you say)

But they will remember how you made them feel (as the old Maya Angelou quote goes)
when you’ve used their name, referenced their situation, and showed them you’ve actually been paying attention.

It’s all about connection, and for this connecting flight mishap, this gate agent made a connection!

That gate agent made me feel seen and your people should feel the same when they hear from you.

Have some fun this week, follow up with a name, with a detail, with a memory, with something that proves you’re doing the job you’re doing, with intention.

Because when someone feels seen (me) they take the time to write about a gate agent in Charlotte on his weekly newsletter, hawttt damn! Now that’s an impression…

She didn’t move any mountains, but she made some moves with my flights and my feelings and the experience around them so shoutout to her and Delta for that one ;)

See ya next week, Follow Up Fam.

Manny “That Follow Up Guy” Vargas