con·nec·tiv·i·ty noun \(ˌ)kä-ˌnek-ˈti-və-tē, kə-\
It was the foreshadowing of Facebook: techs linking different computer platforms, systems and applications together so that users could share information. Mobile devices and social networks have transformed connectivity from a hardware/software feature into a state of mind. People who use social media believe they, not their laptops or tablets, are interconnected. Intimidated by this brave new world? Try thinking in terms of the “good old days.” Anyone who’s been successful has explored opportunities to “plug in” to a dialogue with potential customers, clients, constituents, benefactors or other important supporters. You can use new technology to connect in some very old-fashioned ways.
- Build a community. Remember when “networking” had to do with your business lunch, not your printer connection? You exchanged social or professional information, experience and contacts. Used thoughtfully, social media is an impressive tool for empowering this give and take.
- Keep in touch. Once upon a time, the only way you could catch up with each customer every morning was to unlock the doors of your coffee shop at the crack of dawn or to stay up till the wee hours while you tended bar. Now they welcome you into their homes or offices at all hours, at their – and your – convenience.
- Know what your customer wants. The best salesman of yesteryear understood that he needed to discover a customer’s need and then fill it. He spent lots of time and money on phone calls, cold calls, trade conferences and expense account lunches. What he would have given to review the comment section of a website or the responses to an e-mail survey!
- Get the word out. News cycles and calling trees – we rarely talk about them in our 24-hour, text & Tweet world. You can issue a call to action in an instant – though you should always pause to think before you “send.”
- Share your success. Not long ago, you hoped a trade group would recognize your accomplishments. Sent a press release. Bought a self-congratulatory ad. Resorted to a splashy mailing. All in the hope that customers would realize you could make them successful, too. If you build a following for the blog on your company website or your Facebook page, you can MAKE CUSTOMERS MORE SUCCESSFUL EVERY DAY by regularly posting helpful insights and solutions. (Afraid you’re giving away advice for free? How much did that ad and mailing cost?)
- Dress for success. We once taught college grads the importance of first impressions. Your online content and design speaks volumes to both the community you’ve built and the curious visitor (once know as a prospect). Your e-blast, website or Facebook page is where the public gets its “first impression” and should reflect the quality of your goods, services or cause.
- Mind your manners. Is there anything worse than a pressured sales call at dinner time? Perhaps a blinking neon pop-up that locks your screen at the first click into a website. Your online presence demonstrates that you deliver value and treat your clients with respect. Make visits pleasant and worthwhile – give something before you ask for something – offer visitors a reason to return. Then promise you won’t pester them with idle chatter just because you got your hands on their e-mail addresses.
- Get your clients together. Remember the awesome feeling of looking around a banquet room or skybox and realizing that YOU drew this group of successful people together? Everyone loved the experience and thanked you for the important relationships they formed. You spent a lot of money to host the shebang, and your guests gave up the time it took to get there, but it was worth it. Didn’t you wish you could do it more often, with everyone on hand? Now you can.
- Hold a company picnic. The object: everyone rubs elbows and gets comfortable with each other. The unintended consequences of mixing in children, spouses, heat and the occasional drink? Online discussions can’t fully substitute for face-to-face interactions, but they can get everyone talking to one another – and you – in a place where you set the tone.
So, take a deep breath. Remember, you have something powerful to offer: goods, services, advice, a reason to change the world. You just need to connect. Let me help.