The internet gives everyone an equal ability to communicate. You have just as much access to the tools of the internet as your biggest competitor. As far as potential business, there are limitless possibilities thanks to the web.
It is easy to get giddy thinking about it. The internet gives you access like you’ve never had it before. Especially this new wave of social media, which is all about conversations. All of the customers you could possibly need are now within reach, via the web. Yet, its still not easy to turn strangers into customers.
Think of the internet as one big, very crowded room. It probably has a bar. There is music blaring. And there are tons of people, having a good time.
And then there is you. You have a goal. You want to win some of these people over as customers. What do you do?
Don’t Shout
Well, here’s what you don’t do. You don’t just jump up on the bar with a megaphone and begin shouting out your message. That would have an incredibly negative effect. Even the people in the room who might want to hear what you have to say would be offended with your method.
Unfortunately, that is precisely what many businesses do. Its called interruption marketing. Whether its a pop-up ad, or a self-serving post on LinkedIn, or an unsolicited email, its all the same. It is some company trying to win business by shouting into the crowded room.
The act of shouting your marketing message only serves to isolate you. It instantly proves that you are not part of the crowd. In fact, the only reason you are in the room is to get something. If you come to the party just to get, you are going to quickly find that no one wants you there.
Strike Up Small Conversations
People don’t start shouting just to be rude. In most cases, businesses shout their messages because they don’t know what else to do. There is a strong history of interruption marketing, after all. But as a small business, you don’t have dime one to waste on this dying method of getting customers.
Instead of shouting, try talking. The people you want are here, in this big room. Your job is to find them, or better yet, to make it easy for them to find you. You can be found by standing out. Be different, be attractive, be silly, be informative, or whatever. Pick something to be and be it consistently. People will take notice of that. Never forget that you are trying to attract a specific kind of person, one who will eventually be your customer. Act accordingly.
When you meet someone who might be a good prospect, you should strike up a conversation with him or her. While you may be overwhelmed with the possibilities presented to you by a whole internet full of potential customers, this is still a one on one world. At least until you build up enough trust and a good reputation, where you will be able to attract groups of people at a time.
Don’t think about all of the prospects. Think of one at a time. If you meet someone on Twitter, focus on that person. Strike up a conversation and find out where it heads. Through multiple little conversations, you start to build relationships that will turn strangers into buyers.
Continue the Conversation
If you have ever met anyone really cool at a party, chances are you made arrangements to meet later. If you want to turn a chance meeting into a relationship, you need to arrange a conversation in a quieter setting, where you can focus and talk. You need to have this same goal for the prospects you discover online.
You need to have a place to take the conversations that you strike up in the crowded room. There are many ways you can do this. One to one, you can set up a phone call or send a series of emails back and forth with the prospect. On a larger scale, you can invite people to join your newsletter or to view a webinar.
The goal is not to get a stampede of new customers. Instead, you want to build relationships and have conversations that will lead to a steady stream of customers. At the same time, you want to build your credibility so that more and more people in the room will start to listen to what you have to say. Eventually, you can become the guy or lady that everyone flocks to at a party. But remember, charisma is build one conversation at a time.
So the process is pretty simple. Join the room, don’t shout at it. Start small conversations and meet people who could become customers. Then invite those people to a deeper conversation and convert them, not just into customers, but into fans who will help spread the word and build a following.
Take Action: Create a plan for engaging with new people on the internet using social media (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn). Set up a “location” (newsletter, phone call, webinar) to continue the conversation with the right people.
photo credit: David Boyle in DC
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Bradford Shimp is the publisher of All Biz Answers. He is also the co-creator of Idea Anglers, a place to see your ideas come to life through collaboration. Follow on Twitter @bradfordshimp. Let Bradford help you with your business – visit BroadRiverCreative.com
