I got this email from community member Jerry Priddle yesterday. It was completely out of the blue. His simple note made my day.  He said I could share it, so I’m going to.

Jerry is the president and founder of Accelerate Marketing & Communications. (no website yet, so no link sorry. Shame on you Jerry, 🙂 not even a blog?) He started the company last spring and hasn’t looked back.  I’m proud of him.

Jerry reads A Sales Guy from his email so I didn’t know he existed. I didn’t know him as a member of this community. He was a hidden member. That made it that much more cooler to get this email;

Jim,

A note to say thanks.

Have been reading your posts via email sub for a few years now; enjoy reading them & am prodded along to doing better because of them.

I jumped off the cliff last spring, leaving a secure, well paying, job to launch a PR/marketing agency….modest growth to date, but so far, so good….no looking back & no regrets.

While your focus is the sales industry, I’m “selling” just about every day in mine, and most of what you write is relavant to my industry too, on several levels.

This is becoming long winded….again thx; all the best with YOUR consulting biz, and keep on posting & inspiring.

Regards,

Jerry Priddle
Toronto, Canada

One of the things that gives me the most pleasure is helping people get where they want to go. I’m a sucker for a good story of achievement. I’m quick to help a friend or anyone at that matter with advice and ideas on how to get more out of their career, life, relationship, etc. Nothing makes me happier to know people are living the life they want to lead and if I played even the smallest part in that, I’m ecstatic. Getting Jerry’s note felt great.

Jerry’s note did something else besides make me feel good. It reminded me of something we all should pay attention to. Jerry’s note reminded me there are hidden members in all of our networks; lurkers who are watching us. They are listen to what we are saying.  They are watching us and they are forming opinions for us or against us. Hidden members matter just as much as the active, known members and sometimes even more. We can’t forget, in today’s online world our reach and influence is a lot deeper than we realize and a responsibility comes with that.

At the end of the day, none of us will ever know our true reach. Who is following us, who is listening to what we say. Therefore, the best thing we can do is act as if the entire world is watching and put out the best content we can. If not we’re failing ourselves AND our all our members, hidden and known.

Thanks for the note Jerry. It inspires me to keep going and get better. Thanks to this community for all of your support over the past 3 years. You motivate me everyday to put out the best frickin’ content I can!  The idea of letting you down, those of you I know and those of you who are hidden, scares the shit out of me.  🙂