A long time ago, I was very “professional”, “corporate” and somewhat formal in my emails, proposals, etc like most people are and I had success. And then I eventually brought more of my personality into my biz dealings, and I still delivered valuable info and content in my communications, but I changed my greetings and endings and had even more success. I noticed that when I start my emails, proposals, etc with things like “Hi Bob, I hope you had a great holiday season and didn’t gain 15 pounds like I did” or “Hi Bob, Did you see that Broncos game? I haven’t seen choking like that since the Heimlich video in high school health class” and ended my emails, proposals, etc with things like “And don’t forget that Valentine’s Day is coming up so get your wife something nice. Think about what you’re planning to spend on her gift …
Your Newsletter And Ezine Isn’t A “Touch”
We all get various newsletters, ezines, etc. Many people and organizations who send these out think that they’re “touches”. That’s marketing speak for impersonal mass communication. They’re not bad things, but let’s not pretend that they are in any way personal. When I work with my clients and I teach them and help them develop their own simple “High-Tech/High-Touch Relationship Marketing System”(TM) we don’t consider those newsletters, ezines, etc as touches. They’re normally accepted and expected forms of communication, but they’re not touches. When someone says “that touched me” they’re probably not saying this in reference to a newsletter they just received. Ever. But when you take a sincere interest in someone and add value to them in a personal way, you better believe you’re touching them. When I care enough to learn what’s important to you, where you went to school, your spouse’s name, your favorite sports team, your …
One Conversation At A Time
No matter how many Facebook friends, LinkedIn connections or Twitter followers you have, nothing happens until a conversation is started. A billboard on the highway isn’t a conversation. While most people are running around trying to get more “likes” remember that business is conducted one to one. You can use Social Media to broadcast your message, but at the end of the day, biz is conducted one to one. This may sound obvious, but just look around. Very few people and even fewer organizations understand this. Take a deep, sincere interest in the one person you’re speaking with right now. Whether you’re speaking to them face to face, by phone, or on a Social Media site. Your success always occurs in a conversation. Never outside of a conversation. One conversation at a time.
Make Them Smile
The top 20% of your clients probably wouldn’t mind it if you picked up the phone, called them and told them that you care about them and asked them if there’s anything you could do for them today to make them smile. The bottom 20% probably wouldn’t mind it either. Perhaps just start with one client.
End Of January High Touch Recap
We’re almost at the end of January, and I’ll bet none of your competitors have picked up the phone, send a postcard, or dropped by with a Frappa-Macha-Lacha-Whatever to any of their prospects, clients, Networking Partners or Strategic Alliances so far in 2014. It really is so easy to differentiate yourself from everyone else in your industry. High touch always makes an impact. Only every time.
Personalize Everything
It takes so little to be above average. In a more and more interconnected, over-caffeinated, hyper-competitive, Mach 5 with your receding hairline on fire world, it’s easy to forget to make personal connections. And most people just hit the Like button on Facebook, Accept Connection button on LinkedIn and Follow button on Twitter. If someone walked up to you in real life, stuck out their hand and introduced themselves to you would you look at them, ignore their extended hand and just turn around and walk away? If you did, your mother would smack you. Don’t be a Social Media drive-by Liker, Friender or Follower. That’s what the masses do. By the way….watch what 95% of society does and do just the opposite. Always, and I mean always, personalize everything. Send a personal note saying thanks, asking them how they heard of you and how you may be able to …
Social Media Cross-Pollination
Remember the old days in the last century when you had your work life and your personal life and never the two shall meet? How’s that working out for you in a more and more interconnected world? When you connect with someone on one Social Media platform do you also connect with them on other SoMe platforms? I do. I’m not suggesting that you should too, but allow me to tell you why I do. I do because for me SoMe is all about relationships. The more I can get to know someone the easier it is for me to figure out how I can add value to them in some way. Don’t read into my “add value” comment as code for “sell them something.” When I accept someone’s LinkedIn connection request, I see if I can find them on Facebook. If I find them, I send them a friend …
You’re A Mosquito In A Nudist Colony Of Opportunity
We have almost unlimited ways to connect with each other. When you meet someone either personally or professionally do you look to connect with them on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter? I do. It’s a good habit to start. Then after you connect online, offer to help them in some way. Without an agenda. And not so they can owe you. There are a lot of people who are out of work for long periods of time, tolerating jobs that they hate, dealing with clients they’d love to fire, and a hundred others types of soul-sucking torture. The reason they’re living in this situation has nothing to do with the economy, the Democrats, the Republicans, global warming, the Mayan calendar, or any other excuse. It has to do with the fact that most people don’t understand that all things being equal people do business with and refer business to people they …
Timely Follow-Up Will Always Be Important
We’re all running faster than we’ve ever run before. And when we’re cruising at Mach 5 with our hairline on fire things tend to fall through the cracks. With the ever-increasing amount of LinkedIn connection requests, Facebook posts, tweets, and a million other things including email that come at us every day, it’s easy to get backed up. Social Media Constipation. It’s still important to get back to people in a timely manner and it will always be important. This is something that I work on on a daily basis. Sometimes I’m on top of my communications and sometimes I’m backed up. Way backed up. It would be easy for you and me to use the “I’m so busy” excuse. But that’s a cop-out. We make time for the things that are important to us. And our relationships are very important. People may forget what we say, but they never …
Don’t Be A Drive-By Social Media Connector
It’s nice to have a lot of Friends on Facebook, Connections on LinkedIn and Followers on Twitter, but don’t let the numbers fool you. Every connection regardless of the Social Media platform is an opportunity to add value to someone and to create a mutually beneficial, win-win relationship. Many people are “drive-by connecting” with people. They’re just trying to increase their numbers in an egotistical manner. This isn’t everyone by any means, but it’s certainly a lot of people. Just look at the evidence. A drive-by connection is someone who “friends, connects, or follows” and they’re then off to the Social Media Witness Relocation Program. You never hear from them again. Nothing, nada, bupkiss, goose egg. When connecting with someone, send them a personal message acknowledging them and asking if you may help them in some way. You may be surprised at some of the wonderful replies you get. Most people …
Who Did You Touch This Week?
While success is composed of a number of things, it’s pretty much agreed upon that our long-term success will be dependent on our ability to build and maintain relationships. The best kind of relationships are mutually beneficial, win-win relationships. Friday is a good time to look back over your week and see who you’ve interacted with and whether you’ve added value to everyone who has crossed your path. Take a few minutes and look back over your calendar for the week. See who you communicated with whether in person, by email, or perhaps on Social Media sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Was your interaction positive? Did it add value to the other person? Did it lead to a stronger bond? Did you offer help in some way and pay it forward? If not, pick up the phone or drop an email to the person and let them know that …
Gain Client Engagement By Being Engaging
We hear a lot in the business world about gaining client/customer engagement. I’m a simple country boy, and although I did grow up in New Jersey, I think there were more cows and horses in my home town than people. Client engagement is a fancy word for happy, repeat clients. KISS : Keep It Simple Sweetie Folks can keep their metrics, analytics, NASA computations and so on. I’ll stick with what Dale Carnegie taught years ago: “You can make more friends in two months by becoming genuinely interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.” Engagement is not about advertising, spamming, stalking or any other intrusive ways of dealing with people. The easiest and fastest way to gain engagement is by being engaging. Let me repeat that, the easiest and fastest way to gain engagement is by being engaging. …
Gifts That Are Not In Little Blue Tiffany Boxes
As you’re winding down 2011, I’m sure you’re taking a few minutes to review the year and take stock of how it all panned out. Did you hit your goals? Did you have goals? How did your job or business fare in 2011? Despite the economic tsunami, did you stay afloat or perhaps even thrive? Think about your professional and personal relationships. How are you doing with the people you work with? Look back at December of 2010 and think of how your professional relationships were then and ask yourself if there’s been any change between then and now? Is it for the better or worse? There is no status quo in relationships. How about your personal relationships? How’s it going with your spouse, kids, relatives, and friends? Take a minute and ask yourself if these relationships are getting stronger or are they getting weaker? Remember that kids often spell …