# Do Unforgettable Work

Do unforgettable work. This is not hyperbole.

_At minimum,_ customers must think you are superhuman. Respond instantly. Finish
work quickly. Check in frequently. Proactively prevent problems. Deliver stellar
quality. Exceed expectations in every possible dimension.

To be _unforgettable_, embrace **experience**. Create arbitrary rules and
rituals. Ask your clients to participate in your personal process. Lead people
on journeys. Working with you must feel surprising and special, even if your
clients already know what's coming.

To be _unforgettable_, embrace **empathy**. Make somebody's year. Listen
intentionally and take authentic action. If a client mentions that they collect
spoons, visit a local antique store and mail them some local finds. And if you
don't know what would delight your clients, you aren't asking enough questions
or listening closely enough.

To be _unforgettable_, embrace **eccentricity**. Magnify your strengths and
weaknesses and passions. Become a caricature of yourself. Charisma can't be
copied, but it can be created. Become someone worth talking about.

There are no shortcuts. Hand-written notes and flowers and donuts are cute but
completely forgettable. Exceed common convention. Continually reinvent your
reputation.

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[^note]:
    This essay is part of [How to Productize Yourself](/productize-yourself).