The importance of building connections in your business and how to grow them
The best ways to market your business have definitely changed over the years. It’s gone from using your typical sales tactics to get quick and easy sales, to having to build genuine connections with your audience and potential customers before they buy.
I’m all here for this change…good riddance bro-marketing tactics!
But, that doesn’t mean it’s an easy change.
Having to build and continuously work on relationships with potential customers, clients, and people in your industry is hard work.
Whereas before you really didn’t need to think about ways to form deeper connections with people or how to spark up conversations to sell, now you very much do.
So I’m here to help!
I’m going to break down what connection looks like for product and services-based businesses and give you a few ways to help elevate the way you operate to ensure you’re building good ones!
Service providers vs product-based businesses
There is a definite but subtle difference between how you connect with potential clients/customers depending on whether you’re a service provider or you own a product-based business.
However, this subtle difference is a very important one.
Essentially, when it comes to service providers, you need to connect with your potential client but if you own a product-based business, you need to connect to your potential customers.
And those two little words make all the difference! Allow me to explain…
In a product-based business, you don't necessarily have to have that super deep and meaningful connection with a customer before they buy. However, it is nice to give a personal touch to your brand and in today's market, the only way you’re going to stand out is by letting your personality run through your brand and having a bit of fun with it. This gives potential customers something to connect to.
However, if you’re a service provider, typically speaking you will be a lot more involved (often very directly) with your client once they sign on. And because people are actually working with you as an individual, it’s really important for you to form a real connection with your audience in order for them to trust you enough to buy from you!
See? I told you those two words make all the difference!
How to build connections as a product-based business
Okay, so this begs the question: as a product based-business, how can you connect to your clients?
Well, I’m about to share all the best ways for you to do this! So grab your pens and start taking notes, honey!
This might sound obvious but make sure your products and the way you’re delivering and interacting with customers throughout the buying process, are really good! This builds up trust and a reputation for good service.
Give people an emotional reason as to why they need the product you’re selling. This will give them something to connect to. The best way to do this? Humanise your product by getting on your stories and talking about it! Show it off and tell them why they need it.
Add personal touches wherever you can, including in how you deliver your product! The buyer's experience isn’t over after they've checked out, things like a personalised note or free gift go a long way!
Invite them to join your online community! Encourage them to share their experiences and pictures of your product and then (here's the really important part) when they do, share the picture on your feed/story and show gratitude!
The 4 C’s of building connections with clients as a service provider
There are 4 C’s I want you to remember when it comes to forming connections with your clients:
Connection. Communication. Confidence. Conversion.
You need to create connections with your clients before you even think about selling. Find common ground and just see if you get on with someone, person to person. If you see something you relate to in their story- reach out! But not to sell…purely to connect and open communication.
When you’re having a conversation with them, the goal is not to sell. Because girl, let’s be honest, feeling like you have to sell when talking to someone feels icky on both sides and puts a lot of pressure on you! Instead, just communicate with them in an open and genuine way, focusing on forming those connections and building confidence (in you and your services). And remember, these conversations don’t have to be solely with potential clients! They can be with people in your industry too. Having a wide network works wonders because you never know who knows who or what a connection will lead to!
By doing this, connecting and communicating with different people, you’ll slowly start building up other people's confidence in you and your skills. Helping people relate to you as a person builds trust in your business and forming genuine connections is what leads to conversions.
It might not happen overnight, but I promise you, it will happen!
Whether that sale comes from getting to know potential clients OR getting to know other people who aren’t your target audience (you’d be surprised how many sales and referrals come from outside connections!).
The ultimate goal of building connections
Whether you’re a service provider or a product-based business, there is one very big advantage (and ultimate goal) that building connections and genuine relationships brings you..
And that is referrals.
If you provide good service and form real connections with others, building up that trust and confidence, sure enough, past customers or other people who know you, will start referring you to people they know.
It is one of the most powerful tools for growing your business.
So go out there and get connected!!
And if you’d like to connect with me, I’d love for you to join my email list so we can get to know each other better as I love welcoming new people into my circle!
You can sign up here!
