I see you

I caught a few minutes of Titanic the other day and heard Jack say to Rose “I see you.” It was early in the movie in a scene on deck when Rose was looking at Jack’s drawings. She said “You really see people don’t you?” and he replied “I see you.” I loved that from AVATAR and had no idea it was repeated from Titanic.

The concept is really powerful. How often do you really see the people around you? Are you really present in your conversations with friends and family? Do you really hear what they are saying? Can you see the fear or hope in their eyes? Or are you thinking about your response to their argument? Or a funny story you want to tell? Or how you're too busy for this conversation? Do you see an arrogant, condescending business woman or a scared little child with low self-esteem?

How often do you get introduced to someone new and two seconds later you have no idea what there name is?...and you are still talking to them! This is something I’m really working on. I repeat their name three times in my head to try to help.

And from a marketing perspective, how many companies really see their customers? I can’t tell you how much junk mail I get addressed to “Current Resident.” Really? You care so much about selling me your product but you haven’t even learned my name? I love Seth Godin’s analogy about how selling is like dating. You can’t ask someone to marry you the first time you meet them. You have to build the relationship. Are you really asking me to marry you and you don’t even know my name? Really?

ps can you guess whose eyes are above?