Are You Easy or Playing Hard to Get?

Today I got the the final-last-ever-please-act-now-or-never renewal notice for my subscription to Fast Company magazine. Despite the many prior notices I hadn’t renewed yet, for no good reason other than it was low on my radar and list of priorities (even though I really like it). But today the renewal caught my eye because Fast Company makes it so easy to do – it’s a pre-printed, postage-paid, perforated card that I just tore off the outer cover. All I have to do is pop it in the mail. Don’t have to fill anything out, dig out my credit card, nothing. Couldn’t be easier – the necessary tool was provided and they’d even done the work of providing all the pertinent info. Easy-breezy.

And that got me to thinkin’.

Making things as easy as possible is simple, good business. It astounds me sometimes how certain companies make you jump through hoops to do business with them.

This applies as much to events and festivals as anything else. Certainly most events try hard to make things great for the audience, as well they should. But how easy is it for everyone else to get involved and stay engaged? Event staff, participants like vendors and artists, sponsors, volunteers, suppliers – a critical key to a successful event is to make it a no-brainer for them to come to the table with their A-game. Again, I have at times been astonished at some organizations that take so much for granted and act like they’re doing you a favor by allowing you to be part of the action. That leads to high turnover. Bad business.

Don’t play hard to get. Be easy.

Posted Tuesday May 20, 2008
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