"G" NUMBER TWO: GROUPS
VIRTUAL TRUST
We are all used to the traditional "handshake" and it is still
a big part of how we build trust and bonds between business alliance partners,
but now the journey leading up to that handshake has drastically changed. Over 78% of all online users build trusting
business relationships with online brands and virtual companies.
What does this mean for
you? Trust is gained by means of
others. That's right, third party
credibility. You are only as good as
others say you are. The same principal
is true in the SMU. Sometimes your mere
connection with another SMU traveler is reason enough to trust you. An example of this is when Facebook suggests
people to you that you may know or would like to be friends with. This is based on how many mutual friends that
you and the suggestion have in common, plus the types of searches and personal
content categorizing on the part of Facebook.
Many people gain new friends on Facebook everyday by this method.
Now let me get something
straight. The word FRIENDS on Facebook
refers to CONTACTS, not just your pals and buddies from school or work. When Facebook first began, it did only refer
to friends, but as it has evolved in the SMU, friends now encompasses all kinds
of contacts and connections. So, when
you heard the word "friend" don't get hung up on it. You don't have to share a meal and you don't
need to have gone through a traumatic experience with them to have them as a
friend on Facebook. They are just your
categorized contact list within Facebook.
So the goal is to get as
many friends as possible, right?
Wrong. The goal is to get as many
TARGETED friends as possible. What do I
mean? Let me explain.
NICHE vs. NICE
Carving a niche or settling for nice is a choice that a business owner
must make when building their online brand and navigating the SMU. It is very easy to fall into the trap of
"Nice Friends" instead of forging "Niche Relationships".
Here are my top three tips on how to carve out your niche
business relationships:
1. Become a SPECIALIST not a GENERALIST.
2. Become the
"Go To" person for ONE area of your expertise.
3. Get your
contacts to give testimonials of your expertise in the SMU.
The first step in any
niche carving is to limit your marketing and promotion to a single
expertise. In some cases, a second
expertise closely complements the first so it is appropriate, but in most
cases, stick with ONE expertise that you wish to promote and market.
Jack of All Trades
(Master of None) has a limited effect in most professional fields, and most
professions require a level of exclusivity and a mastery of a skill or craft to
provide an excellent product or service.
Yes, you may be a master at several crafts and have a multitude of
skills, but the only one that really knows that about you is YOU. The public doesn't really care. All they care about is what can you do for
them and how much is it going to cost them.
There are several others in your same profession that your prospective
client can go to in order to receive service, so how do you stand out? You specialize in ONE area and beat all other
competitors in that one area. The public
will easily understand your message and will gravitate to your expertise and
exclusivity. Think of it this way...
When your drain clogs, do you call a General Contractor to come a fix it, or do
you call someone that specializes in the EXACT area you are looking to be
serviced, like a Plumber? Think about
that the next time you are telling someone what you do for a living. If you sell insurance, don't say, "I
sell insurance." There are lots of
people that sell insurance and you aren't giving them a reason to come and talk
to you. Say something like, "I
specialize in Small Business and Commercial Insurance." The latter is more specific and the
prospective client that you are talking to can easily categorize you into your
area of expertise.
Ultimately, you, the
business owner can pursue a niche, but your prospective clients are the ones
that actually place you in that niche based off of what your brand message
is. This is true in traditional
marketing as well as in the new media platforms that are out there. Your brand help your prospective clients
place you in the niche that you want. So
make sure to know your niche and be specific on how you fill that niche for
your clients.
VIRTUAL HANG OUT
Within the SMU, there are several different types of hang outs.
1. Personal
(Family and Friends)
2. Recreational
(Everyone can participate)
3. Business
(Selected individuals with common purpose)
The key to any
successful business relationship building online is getting connected with
people with common interests. Now these
interests do not need to be merely about business related topics, but can be
about a wide variety of likes, interests, expertise, etc. Don't limit your social media networking efforts
to only things that relate directly to your business. That gets boring really quick. People in the SMU want to learn more about
you the person so they can build trust.
Most people want to build trust, but it is up to you to give them the
needed information about you and how you tick so they can connect with you
EMOTIONALLY.
That's right, most sales
are made or broken based on the emotional connection to you and your
offering. If you have not properly made
that emotional connection with a prospective client, you will have difficulty
closing the sale. And even if you do
close a sale, it will be difficult to replicate that process since the
emotional foundation has not been established.
In the SMU, there are
several groups and organizations that are connected with a common purpose. Join these groups and participate in their
conversations. You will quickly zero in
on a couple prospects in those groups who want to know more about you and what
you have to offer. And again, I must
make this abundantly clear, what you have to offer is NOT your great price, or
your wonderful product...not yet anyway.
What you have to offer is a free resource engine for these prospects to
tap into. In turn for the free advice
and offerings, you are given the right to contact them about other things you
have in the works. This is drastically
different than a static email campaign.
In the SMU, all communications are based on a two-way permission basis.
You can communicate with them and they can easily communicate with you in a
non-soliciting, company/customer way.
This relationship building will not only help your conversion of sales,
it will also help you improve your marketing approaches in the future by
getting honest feedback from your clients and soon-to-be clients.
Bottom line, virtually
hang out with others that like the same things that you like. These groups will be a better source of
business in the long run and a better source of referrals for future
relationships to be spawned.
Until next time,
Dan Fowler
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