Big Changes

Marketing and sales is going through another sea change. In the past, messages were pushed through, broadcast to as many eyes as possible. But now, things are starting to get more personal. Customers are beginning to expect and value the relationship again. More and more people are recognizing the negative effects of buying from the faceless giants, rather than the family business.

This is good news for the small business, but it also presents a challenge. People are more and more connected, thanks to online tools like social media. Customers want the personal experience, want to know the people they are buying from. In some cases, that means they will walk into your local store. But they are just as likely to get to know small business owners and staff online, and build a loyalty and trust through that medium. Appealing to high tech customers that want more interaction is your next big marketing challenge.

Building Friendships Through Conversation

Used to be you could walk into any local shop and strike up a conversation with the owner. He knew you and you knew him. You had “history” together. These were the good old days. Well, here’s a shocker. They’re back!

Just the other day, I had a question about a product I use. It was a simple question, and I could have probably figured out the answer myself. But I know the owner of the company, so I just walked in and asked him. Well, actually, I used Skype, and free online chat tool. And I know the owner because of Twitter, where we often connect. Not exactly the same as walking into the shop for some small talk. Well, actually, it is exactly the same, except for their is no walking and often no actual talking involved. Just surfing the web and typing.

This is not a anomaly. More and more businesses are opening up because of the web, even some pretty big ones. By opening up, I mean becoming available for conversation. On any given day, I can have conversations with some pretty interesting business owners. It is kind of like strolling down main street and just stopping in to say hi. And as far as customer service is concerned, many of these small online business owners take the same exact approach as the downtown merchant with the barber shop or deli.

Does Conversation Scale?

Of course, this is an approach that cannot scale, right? Wrong! With new tools, business owners can hold a lot more conversations, even simultaneous ones. The web makes is possible to have both live conversations and time delayed ones. It is those time delayed conversations that make it possible for small business owners to connect with a whole lot more people. A customer might send an email or a tweet, and the business owner can read it and respond in kind, on her own schedule. Of course, the sooner the better.

People are People

This rediscovery of the conversation means that businesses can no longer just push out marketing. Customers want to be engaged, want to feel a connection and be recognized. And all a business owner really has to do to comply is to remember that he or she is still a person at heart.

It is okay to share personal stories, laughs, and even tears with customers. Who ever said it wasn’t? The bond between customer and vendor should go deeper than the transaction of money. Every interaction in life should be treated as a possible doorway to friendship, even customer interactions.

Join in the Conversation

So what is a small business to do in light of these changes? First off, adopt a policy of friendship and conversation. Commit to engage more with each customer. Remember, the key to good communication is to listen.

On top of that, learn the new tools of conversation on the web. This includes instant messaging services such as Skype and social media like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. It can also include email, and the good old telephone. Technology is a means to making conversation more scalable. Surprisingly, it can be personal too.

This is a good change. If we can reconnect with each other on a more personal level, not only will we have better businesses, we will have a better world.

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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 Bradford on Twitter @bradfordshimp.