How to Be a “Carrier Pigeon” of Good Feelings
Carrier pigeons have a long and valiant history. The dauntless
winged messengers, often maimed by shellfire and dying after
delivering their messages, have saved the lives of thousands. One
tenacious little bird named Cher Ami is credited with saving two
hundred lives during the Battle of the Argonne in World War I.
The brave one-legged little birdie, one of his wings shot through,
carried a message dangling from his remaining ligament. The
blood-smeared little ball of feathers arrived just in time to warn
that the Germans were about to bomb the city.
Stumpy Joe, another plucky pigeon, had such a heroic battlescarred career that his fans stuffed him, mounted him, and put
him on display in the National Air Force Museum in Dayton,
Ohio. And millions of other brave birds have brought joyful messages to racing-pigeon enthusiasts around the world. In that fine
tradition, I present the complimenting technique I call "Carrier
Pigeon Kudos."
Whenever you hear a laudatory comment about someone,
don't let it end there. You don't need to write it, roll it up in a capsule, strap it to your leg like Stumpy Joe, and fly it to the recipient. Nevertheless, you can remember the kudo and verbally carry
it to the person who will get the most pleasure—the person who
was complimented.
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How to Be a
"Carrier Pigeon" of
Good Feelings
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Copyright 2003 by Leil Lowndes. Click Here for Terms of Use.
Keep your ears open for good things people say about each
other. If your colleague Carl says something nice about another
colleague, Sam, pass it on. "You know, Sam, Carl said the nicest
thing about you the other day."
Your sister tells you your first cousin is a dynamite relative. Go
ahead and call Cuz'.
Your mother tells you she thinks Manny did a great job mowing the lawn. Pass it on to him. Hey, we all like a little appreciation, even from Mom.
Here's where it benefits you. Everyone loves the bearer of glad
tidings. When you bring someone third-party kudos, they appreciate you as much as the complimenter. Call it gossip if you like.
This is the good kind.
Carry More Cargo than Compliments
Another way to warm hearts and win friends is to become a carrier pigeon of news items that might interest the recipient. Call,
mail, or E-mail people with information they might find interestHow to Be a "Carrier Pigeon" of Good Feelings 205
Technique #52
Carrier Pigeon Kudos
People immediately grow a beak and metamorphosize
themselves into carrier pigeons when there's bad news.
(It's called gossip.) Instead, become a carrier of good
news and kudos. Whenever you hear something
complimentary about someone, fly to them with the
compliment. Your fans may not posthumously stuff
you and put you on display in a museum like Stumpy
Joe. But everyone loves the carrier pigeon of kind
thoughts.
06 (199-228B) part six 8/14/03 9:18 AM Page 205
ing. If your friend Ned is a furniture designer in North Carolina
and you see a big article in the Los Angeles Times about furniture
trends, fax it to him. If your client Sally is a sculptor in Seattle and
you see her work in someone's home in New York, send her a note.
My friend Dan lives in San Francisco, and whenever he runs
across anything in the paper on communications, he clips it and
sends it to me. No note, just "FYI—Regards, Dan" in the corner.
He's like my own private West Coast clipping service.
Try it. Think of the money you'll save on greeting cards. A
relevant clipping is the big winner's way of saying, "I'm thinking
of you and your interests."