Never Eat Cake Alone

Party Bears with cake

Let’s get this party started! Image by Randy Stewart

“One thing I love about Experience Design,” I mentioned in the comments of last Saturday’s post, “is *everyone* sees it every day. You don’t have to work in it to have something to say about it, or to be creating those purposeful experiences in your own field.”

That’s been the story of this Little Blog That Could… we get together a few times a week, to talk about the zillion (and counting!) ways that Experience Design touches all our lives every day, and how great Customer Experience can make your business grow.

It’s nearly Spring, the birds are singing, and yes, this is the 300th post at Maximum Customer Experience. Thank you, dear reader, for your incredible support and wonderful insights. You make this the community I hoped it would become, way back in the beginning.

Darn, I feel so good I should do something about it. No wait—let’s do something together!

WOOT! KELLY’S GIVING STUFF AWAY!

It’s the Maximum Customer Experience Word-of-Mouth Birthday Giveaway, and all you have to do to have a chance at some awesome reading from my favorite butt-kicking authors, is to spread the word about this post!

A gift for one of my dear friends and loyal commenters:

On March 25, 2009 (that’s one week from now), I will be randomly drawing one name to receive a jump-start kit of four of the books that have changed my business life for the better. I hope they’ll do the same for you!

Get Clients Now! A 28-day Marketing Program for Professionals, C.J. Hayden, a totally practical WOW guide to growing your business;

Never Eat Alone, Keith Ferrazzi, a brilliant guide to making personal connections that enrich your business and personal life;

A Whack on the Side of the Head: How You Can Be More Creative, 25th Anniversary Edition, Roger von Oech, the ultimate kick-in-the-pants for the creative side of everyone;

Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us, Seth Godin, the book that blew me away with incredible insights on true leadership and connecting with your fans

Read “If you have previously commented,” below, for How to Enter.

A gift for one lucky new friend:

On the same day, March 25, 2009, I will be randomly drawing one name of a new commenter to receive a copy of my favorite, life-changing book about the power of personal connections:

Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi, master connector.

Read “If you came because a friend asked you to visit” or “If you’re a new commenter,” below, for How to Enter.

What’s it all about? There’s not much of a trick to it—I have a crazy, personal desire to see the most ever commenters arrive here, on the occasion of MCE’s 300th post-birthday. Of course, as always I love to spread the word about the blog to new readers, and I hope you’ll all become subscribers—what better way than by getting my dear friends and readers involved?

How to Enter the Maximum Customer Experience Word-of-Mouth Birthday Giveaway:

If you have previously commented at the Maximum Customer Experience Blog,

Ask at least five friends to visit today’s post and leave a comment here, at http://maximumcustomerexperience.com/2009/03/19/win-a-prize-wish-mce-a-happy-300th

Then email me: kellye (at) visionpoints (dot) net, with the subject line: I Spread the Word Today, Kelly! ONE EMAIL PER PERSON, so think of all the people you want to ask beforehand! In the email, please list the five people’s names so I can give you credit (no contact information, just their names is fine). Yes, you must spread the word to at least five people to enter. Yes, you must email, not leave folks’ names in a comment.

That’s it! For asking your friends to come by, you get your name in the hat once; for each friend who visits and leaves a comment, you get your name in the hat again. So the better you are at word-of-mouth, the better your chances to win!

One note: I would LOVE to have your help on Twitter, StumbleUpon, your own blog, and other ways of connecting with gobs of friends all at once—please do!—but I can not count all 20,000 of your Twitter followers or blog subscribers as entries, even if they all swear you personally invited them when they come by to comment. Please, limit your entry email to listing friends you asked in person (I would ADORE that), on the telephone (still quite loveable), or personally via email or other electronic means (Skype, IM, etc.; also delightful ways of telling a friend). Let’s play nice and have fun with this!

If you came because a friend asked you to visit,

Leave a comment here, at this post, with the words “Word of Mouth Works, Kelly” somewhere in the comment. Other lovely and flattering comments such as “Happy 300th post” and “I love your writing and I’m your newest subscriber!” are greatly appreciated, but not strictly necessary.   :)

Your comment enters you and increases your friend’s chances, too!

If you’re a new commenter, but not personally sent by a friend, of course I’d still love to have an opportunity to give you that copy of Never Eat Alone!

A new commenter is someone who has not commented at the Maximum Customer Experience Blog before 5:19am EST on March 19, 2009.

Just leave me a comment here, at this post, with some nice words about at least one other post you’ve read here at MCE.

Your comment enters you for a chance to win!

No purchase necessary. Limit one entry per person. Entries made with multiple e-mail addresses, under multiple identities or through the use of any agent or other device to enter multiple times will be summarily tossed (i.e., they are not valid entries). By entering, you acknowledge compliance with these official rules, including all eligibility requirements. Your information is not going into any database, nor being used for any purposes beyond giving you a cool gift for being a loyal fan of the Maximum Customer Experience Blog. The two winners will need to email me their mailing address, in order to receive their prize. Void where prohibited.

In the event that either prize has no entries *gasp*, that prize will not be awarded, so get going!

This Maximum Customer Experience Word-of-Mouth Birthday Giveaway closes on March 24, 2009 at 11:59pm EST, after which I will choose the winners from eligible entries, in a random pull from my daughter’s lovely purple hat. Winners will be announced in a post on or before March 27, 2009.

Winnie the Pooh holds the hat

Winnie-the-Pooh in her best party dress, representing our esteemed auditing firm of Bear, Oso, and Ursa

Thanks, once again, for being here. My days have ups and downs and joy and craziness, just like yours, but it’s always a wonderful Experience to talk with, scuffle with, and learn from you, my dear reader.   :)

 

Grow and be well,

Kelly Erickson

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