Business Media Club blog: Seek to connect not just communicate

03 Apr Business Media Club blog: Seek to connect not just communicate

Compare these contrasting experiences.

How you feel when one of those irritating generic emails lands in your inbox from a so-called marketing expert, full of extravagant boasts of the supposed results they can bring to your business. Hit ‘delete’, right?

Then how it feels to meet someone you know, a good friend or colleague maybe who truly ‘gets’ what you’re about. They like you and you like them. They understand your background, experience and expertise and maybe what your business is, what it does, what can offer and the values it is built on.

Chalk and cheese, eh?

With the first experience you risk wasting disproportionate time on a blunderbuss approach to marketing to win over some faceless perfect customer you hope exists. Pointless marketing lacking focus or direction. Sure, with some suss and clever techniques you can narrow it down to build some long term engagement – but it is a guess and a gamble into the unknown.

The latter experience is more likely to glean results. They want to help. Not necessarily as direct customers but to offer a leg up, lead in, opening into someone who may be perfect for you. Better still, you come on recommendation. They WANT you to succeed. What’s not to like?

Sure, it can be difficult to grow a business solely by reputation but it isn’t impossible. Many successful businesses grow via referral without ever advertising. They let the quality of their work speak volumes. Depending on the nature of your business, you may not be able to grow this way. Most businesses need a blend – but it is about priorities.

Never underestimate the true power of human interconnection for it is a two-way thing. In marketing or any other facet of life or business, we need to connect not merely communicate. To prioritise reaching out to those we know over random customers.

That’s why the way you communicate matters – not just the marketing tools and tactics you choose to use.

Rather than lumping everyone in together a homogeneous mass, clearly some people are closer to your business than others. Focus on them first.

I call it reach and ripple out. Start with those closest to you and spiral outwards, finessing and personalising the message as you go so it always matters and is relevant to them.

The comforting reality is that I suspect most of us already know the very people who can boost our business fastest. We just haven’t asked them yet…or maybe not in the right way. They are lumped in ‘the rest’. How daft are we?

Perhaps it is time to pop the question in the right way and at an appropriate time. Oh, and to make it a two-way thing. Why not hold out an olive branch or come bearing gifts, or at least, with your best wishes and kind thoughts.

Connecting with people is more than cold-hearted marketing. It is common sense decency and you know what? The best people in every walk of life are good at it. They make people feel special. Some say this is a gift. Not true. They work at it. They get good at giving not just getting and know how to make people feel special.

And so can you – with effective communication that connects not merely boasts or brags or lacks focus.

At April’s Business Media Club meeting on Friday, April 29, we’ll focus on how to use the power of connection to grow and market your business, specifically your very own One Big Thing.

For further information visit our Business Media Club page.

To book your seat for this meeting head to our Eventbrite page.