I was educated by an old-school media professor, and it stuck. It made me a little old-fashioned. So, while I realize the awesomeness of the web 2.0 craze and all of the wonderful things social media has to offer from texting to “follow me” to web analytics… I’m not totally buying in to it as a marketing strategy. You’re no better off in winning over people than if you pick up the phone and ask how the kids are doing. Now, I love technology, but building relationships does not exist there?
Do you have a relationship with your favorite nightly news anchor? The TV station wants you to feel like you do, but no, you don’t. It’s one way communication. And social media is just allowing us all to engage in the fun of being news anchors, delivering our own newscasts of sorts. We are mainly talking up ourselves, but not talking with people.
This week we brought dinner over to neighbors – two working parents adjusting to a new situation where the economy has pushed the mom to work full-time after being stay-at-home. They couldn’t have been happier customers. Did I say customers? I meant friends. Here’s an idea, don’t we want our customers to be our friends? How do you earn a friend? Find out what’s going on in their life and reach out to help them solve their pain. The only way we’ll know their real pain points is by talking with them and listening.
I don’t believe you can create that by pinging everyone in your LinkedIn network with your latest blog post or e-newsletter.
Spend more time on the phone or… deliver your own meal. Find out what their needs are and meet them. So often we spend a lot of time doing the talking – one-way – but not one-to-one – with our emailing, blogging, e-newslettering and Twittering. Go have a cup of coffee, and devote yourself to learning about them and listening. Then cater your offerings to help ease the pain.
This is being a good friend, and making it last. It will earn you new and loyal customers too.
By the way, you can twitter, text, email or visit my blog to get the Taylor family recipe for Italian Pork Chops.
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