Listen to the audio version of this post here.

Surprise and delight. In a text?

What? Am I supposed to throw confetti and drop balloons when my plumber shows up at my door?

You know those standard texts you get when you have an appointment with your doctor, hair stylist, or, well, almost anybody.

“Reminder: your appointment is tomorrow at 10:00. Please reply C to confirm.”

“An appointment has been scheduled for (your name) on September 22.”

“Your (window washer/electrician/landscaper) is en route now.”

My phone is full of those messages. So, you can imagine my surprise when I heard from my plumber.

“Get ready to witness plumbing mastery in action! Your appointment with Baethke Plumbing is set. Our skilled team will grace your doorstep … Together we’ll plunge into this plumbing adventure with gusto. Need to tweak the plan? Dial us up … we’re your go-to flow pros. 🛠️ ”

“Go-to flow pros” – really? It made me smile. Along with that quizzical look you get when something seems a little over the top.

The next one was just as enthusiastic.

“ 🎉 Exciting news! Tomorrow, one of our awesome technicians will be popping by your place. Got any burning questions or just want to say hi? Give us a ring… Oh, want to lock in your appointment, just shoot us a quick ‘C’ in reply! Catch you later, plumbing pro! 🛠️ ”

And then …

“ 🌟 Hey there! Your superhero technician, Ron Page from Baethke Plumbing is enroute to your home. 🚀 Need the inside scoop or have any questions? Give our office a buzz. We’ve got you covered! 🛠️ ”

Wow! Who knew getting an estimate for a little bathroom upgrade could be such a big, exciting occasion?

The first of those messages made me chuckle. Then I started thinking—why not? And … how do we handle those pro forma notifications we send to clients and customers?

You probably do that about the same way I do. A quick text or email saying something like, “See you tomorrow at 1:00.” Or sometimes I go this far: “Looking forward to seeing you Tuesday at 10.” That’s about as rich as my reminders ever get.

What if I dressed it up? Could I make myself sound as special as my superhero technician, Ron Page?

I’m thinking something like this …

“Your fantastic coaching program launches tomorrow. 🚀 Master communication coach Catherine Johns will help you rocket to speaking success. You’re about to become the star you were meant to be. 🌟 ”

My instinct is to be more low-key than that. And, I’m beginning to think my instinct might be wrong.

We spend so much time and effort trying to differentiate ourselves from the thousands of professionals who do pretty much the same kind of work. And then we settle for formulaic texts and emails that blend right in with what those other professionals are sending.

So, I have two questions for you.

Let’s just say you got a dolled-up message from me reminding you of an appointment or a conversation we’d planned to have. How would you react to rocket ships and stars and enthusiastic language?

And … if you were going to translate your own client communication into more colorful language, what would you say? I can’t wait to see a sample of your new and improved reminder message in the comments here.