You don’t “do” relationship marketing. It’s more about who you are.
What is relationship marketing?
Relationship marketing has a slew of definitions. They cover everything from strategy that fosters connection; a primary focus on current customers; and goals of satisfaction vs. sales transactions. I was struck by an observation in a Forbes piece that talked about “emotion” as a missing key word in many definitions.
After all, emotion is the means to connect between two people and from one to many. I like to think that when I write to the masses I’m actually speaking to each person as an individual. I believe relationship marketing happens one connection at a time.
How do we learn relationship marketing?
I have to admit, I don’t think it’s easy to learn (or teach!) relationship marketing. Some are born connectors. Some are not wired that way. It doesn’t mean you can’t improve your ability to connect but it may take a bit more doing … or unlearning, at first.
Getting started
I’ve worked with clients who openly admit they don’t feel they’re natural connectors. Not surprising to me, the very fact that they acknowledge that tells me they place a value on connection. When all is said and done, they’re often some of the best connectors. They just need to be supported to show up in their business and online more of the way they are.
Relationship marketing is about relaxing into who we really are and what we’re all about.
For many of us in service-based businesses, our clients do want to know a bit about what makes us tick. They’re interested in what’s important to us. How we got to where we are. Why we care to help them reach their goals. These are the connective pieces. They’re important. They matter.
For relationship marketing, share who you are
In a recent post on Facebook, I shared a story about how I love language. It’s about what I do in my business, but the post focused more on my personal interests. It speaks to how I got to this place of supporting business owners to create better content that helps them get more of their ideal customers.
And you know what? I wrote it in a few minutes. I tried not to overthink it and just tell a story. Do you love language, too?
How do you connect?
Connecting in relationship marketing is about relating. Can you see yourself in the story? Do you understand how the writer may feel? Are there components that connect to your own story?
These building blocks of connection in your content helps attract the people you’re meant to serve. They make is easier for them to decide if you’re a contender to help them. The more they know that relates to how or why you can help them, all the better.
Can you relate?
Do you relate to the post from Facebook? I’ll share it again here:
“I find language so interesting. Always have. I’m not sure when I realized that I had this weird ability to key into how people say something, the intonation in their words, the pitch of their voice, the letter combinations that they used in a different way.
Not that I’m the only person who does this but I hear lisps where others don’t, or up-talking, or a higher pitch when people are nervous. I hear their “live streaming” or “video voice.” I hear their “I’m so uncomfortable talking about this that I could melt into the floor” voice. It’s ok. Really, it is. And I’m not saying I haven’t done this all, too. It’s actually all quite normal.
And yet there is a way that feels and IS more natural. More conversational. And more effective.
Oh, and I also have a thing about remembering what people’s mouths look like. A new person reminds me of someone else based on their mouth or how they speak and sound.
I’m sure this sounds weird and maybe makes me weird, too. I don’t care. It’s helped me key into language in a way that helps me serve my clients better.
Language connects.
How we say things. The specific words we choose. How we even breathe through our nerves when we live stream. It all tells a story.
And if the story ends with an invitation for how we can get to know the person better or buy their “thing,” well, we better have had opportunity to connect with who they REALLY are because we don’t just hand our credit card over to anyone … even for a “high-value-priced-to-move offer.”
We are people first. Before we are buyers, we are just people. People wanting to understand what you’re saying and why you’re saying it and wondering about the way you’re delivering it and why it’s important to you at all. We want to know what you’re all about. At least I do. Especially before I buy.
I help business owners connect with that part of themselves that often gets overlooked in their own marketing. It’s the REAL them. Are you sharing the REAL you?
You may know how this plays out.
When you script your message too much, it seems inauthentic even when you are the most real person around. You see, we trade in who we are when we step into who we think we need to be to market our business.
We don’t have to step into anything new. Trust me on this.
Take a step back into who you already are.
That’s what people want.
That’s enough.
Dare I say, “It’s perfect”?”
Moving beyond the story
This post (above) from my Facebook page wasn’t created to sell something specific. I wrote it hoping to reach people by telling them more about me. I wanted them to know more about me long before I even thought about becoming an entrepreneur. I posted it to share the me who thought she was going to be a teacher, a doctor, a psychologist and ultimately landed on the path to my own business.
It’s funny how it happens, isn’t it? You probably have a story about your journey, too.
Do you share that story in your business? Will you share it now? How about sharing just a piece of it in the comments below? I’d love to hear it. Really.
Speaking of connecting, let’s connect!
As you think about your own relationship marketing, are you are interested in reaching more of your ideal customers? Do you want to create better content that helps them buy from you? If you are wanting to use relationship marketing in your business more, I’d love to help. It’s what I’m all about and I’ve met some awesome people along the way by practicing it as part of a content conversion strategy. And not just because it’s effective (it is!), but because it allows me to be who I am and trust that the right people will connect with me. Are you one?
If you’d like more content like this in your inbox, you may want to subscribe. And when you do, you’ll also get my 3 Costly Content Mistakes Guide (so you can learn what to do instead). I hope to connect with you further so I can hear some of your stories.
