I have a personal theory that any time a customer, client or other individual says something like “Don’t you know who I am?” or “Surely, you’ve heard of me”—the situation or communication cannot go well. I think when you are up against that much Ego (with a capital “E”), it can be really tough to find common ground when it comes to business relations. But, maybe that is just my ego getting in the way!
Why is it that this sets me off in work and business situations? First, unless you’re the president of the United States or Elizabeth Taylor, I probably do NOT know who you are. The very idea that we might assume that other people will be able to recognize us because we are so brilliant, important, or accomplished seems amazing to me. It’s funny because I can relate much better to super-famous people who confess that it shocks and surprises them when people recognize them or know who they are. That seems a bit more sane and human to me (not that ego-mania isn’t very human too!)
Plus, it seems like a strange way of advertising insecurity to me—as soon as a person says: “Don’t you know who I am?” it is an invitation to have someone answer, “No, I have no idea who you are” and that cannot feel very good to a person who needs to feel important. So, how do I handle it when people say this to me? (and, yes, it does occasionally happen—in fact, I had someone say this to me on the phone just two weeks ago)—I try to strike a balance between assuaging their ego and keeping things real: “I’m sorry, I am just not as familiar with XYZ as others might be. I apologize, but hope we can come to some agreement…” (After all, don’t you know who I AM?)
Also: Dealing with a “Hot Headed” Client or Customer
I am Not So Good at Pampering and Stroking Egos