Dear Voornaam,
My children are at an age where everything embarasses them. This isnât because I walk around with a red nose, floppy clown shoes and a bicycle horn. Itâs because they worry about being âLIKEDâ by others. They want to fit in. They want to belong. My wife and I constantly reinforce their self-image and we do everything we can to help them understand that the way they feel about themselves is more important than the way other people feel about them.Â
This requires continuous focus.
In my business, I work with professionals (attorneys, engineers, consultants, accountants, etc.) and I often find the same dynamic at play. Hereâs an example:
The director of business development at one firm is constantly showing me how much engagement his posts receive on LinkedIn. He spends hours taking photos of himself with other people and posting them. He does live videos while wearing a goofy hat. He posts pithy quotes and shares cartoons. All in the pursuit of âLIKES.â
After a couple of years of him sharing his stats, I finally had enough and I asked the following questions:
How many referrals have you passed to the people you are connected with on LinkedIn? How many introductions have you made for them, to people with whom they can work? How much value have you added to their businesses or to their REAL lives?
And then finally the killer question:
How much new business has come from all of this social media activity?
As you have surmised, the director of business development was first shocked by my questions, then dumbfounded, then, finally, aggravated. Why? Because the answer was ZERO. He had not done any of the REAL LIFE activity necessary to build relationships and he had not received any value in return.
If you want to wear goofy hats and make a fool of yourself to pump up your social media engagement numbers, Iâm fine with that. Just donât think you are doing anything to advance your business.Â
You canât take âLIKESâ to the bank.
If you want to build relationships, you must take your online relationships offline and deliver real value. Pass referrals. Invite people to participate in educational events. Make introductions. And help people solve problems.
Social media can be a great tool to identify an ideal client or referral source. It can help you start a relationship. It can increase your credibility. But donât lose focus. Relationships require work and that means you must have an occasional meeting or at least a conversation.Â
Take off the fuzzy hat. Stop posting the stupid cartoons. Deliver value online and then, when you connect with someone, find out how you can help them.
Relationship revenue and client lifetime value is derived from human interaction at the highest level. Make the investment of time and effort and it will pay off.
When was the last time you set up a meeting or called someone you found online?
Warm Regards,
Dave
P.S. Youâre receiving this email message because I value our relationship and I want to stay in touch. I only send one email each week and I respect your privacy. You can reach me by calling: 888.444.5150. Dave Lorenzo & Company Int'l 1442 SW 155 Court Miami, FL 33194 USA | Unsubscribe |
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