Relationship Marketing isn’t speed selling, it’s about taking the time to date someone, chat with them, invite them out and then figure out if you are a fit for each other.
The biggest concerns in getting business is to Brand or Differentiate ourselves from what other people are doing/ being so they want to work with us. There are several ways and key points to cover to be heard and for you to become the specialist you want to be.
Recently, my buttons got pushed about being heard. Do you now most of us just want to be heard, considered before making a decision? This concept is valid whether you are married, in your family, doing business or just communicating with each other. This has always been my button, so rather than getting quiet about it, I just get upset, mad and I end up weeping because I just get so hurt about it all. Being heard is very important, talking over someone because you want to make your point, it’s rude, it’s also disrespectful.
When people are not hearing us, then it’s time to take a look at ourselves to figure out why they aren’t. It could just be that we need to listen to ourselves and clear up the energy that’s in the way. Or it could be our messaging or the way we communicate. I tend to be direct and honest, some people are just afraid of this. In order to be heard, this is how I reacted.
How can we have better messaging or communicate in a more effective way?
1. Know the value you offer your customer and why Differentiate Yourself
2. Be Different – too often we want to be generalists, it’s safe however you will not likely get shorter engagements, too many let me try you out 1st. Create a targeted niche as much as possible. You want to specialize – be exclusive.
3. Do your marketing differently – Instead of the traditional marketing you want to reach out by creating educational content, blogging, do speaking engagements, do free Webinars, engage in conversations with people in groups.
4. Get into smaller networking groups, as a small business owner, or consultant network with smaller events. Network on LinkedIn groups, Twitter, Facebook, Alignable and the like. Have more targeted smaller groups instead of larger groups where it is hard to be heard. Seek to Educate and Serve.
As you grow your network, you’ll find other people you can work with, partner with, do joint projects on and keep marketing and building relationships with people to help you to have customers.
5. Spend more time listening, seek to understand a person and or their business, find out more about them than what you know about them.. It’s easy to keep talking about you and what solution your company can do for the other person.
This one time, a salesperson was telling me all about what his photocopier could do for me. Never asked any questions, blah, blah how many copies per minute it could do, the type of machine and what it could do. After about 5 minutes, I said, “Stop, speak english.” He was a little shocked at 1st, but then he appreciated my comments back to him. I couldn’t hear him, he was in an obvious act of desperation to make a sale.
6. Shut-up and listen, if your mom was like mine, “God gave you two ears and one mouth, listen more than you talk.” Get to know the other person 1st, it’s NOT speed-selling, it’s about making yourself to be different than the next guy.
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