In today’s world it’s massively easier than it ever has been to connect with people all over the world. It never ceases to amaze me some of the cool people I’ve met the last few years.
I’m a huge advocate for using the great tools we have available, like social media, to make those connections.
But, I’m seeing a huge strain of people that are abusing the privilege and are quite honestly doing more damage than good to their own reputation. They may be getting some traction because they are spamming so many people at a time and it’s partly a numbers game but I’m not a fan of doing business that way. (I hope you aren’t as well.)
I want to do business with people I can call friends. People who want to hear from me and don’t cringe when they see an email or text from me.
That’s why, if you want to connect with me or anyone else that gets swamped with a bunch of messages every day, I’ve got three key steps that will make you stand out and are much more likely to get an actual response. It’s what I do and so far it’s opened a lot of doors for me over the years…
Do A Little Research First
Before you reach out to someone, take just a few minutes to research a little about them. Visit their website, find them on Facebook. Get to know who they are BEFORE you try to reach out to them.
It amazes me how many people send me messages about how awesome I am when they obviously haven’t even looked at my website. (Not that I’m not awesome, but at least try and fake it a little!)
🙂
Nothing makes you look worse than talking about how much you love their stuff and it’s obvious you never even looked at what they do. I’ve had people say “I’m looking for like minded people like you…” and when I look what they post we have NOTHING in common at all. I’ve even had people address me as “Ms” before. Obviously they didn’t even bother to look at my photo at the least!
Trust me, you can’t fake your way through these things. Just spend a couple of minutes before you reach out to someone to find out a bit about them.
Which leads me to bit #2…
Personalize Your Message
When you send someone a message to connect with them, make it a bit personalized. I’m not talking about writing a whole letter in the process. Just spend an extra 2 minutes to write something that lets them know you did your homework and are a real human.
I get so many social media connections that just sound like a robot that I get frustrated.
I’ve even got messages from people that I know (and have for years) saying “we don’t know each other but I wanted to reach out…”
I’ll tell you right now that those types of message destroy the trust people have with you.
Be a real person.
I’m not saying that you can’t have templates to work with. I’m a fan of using templates in my messages since 95% of what I say is the same stuff over and over.
But… it’s that 5% that makes the difference and lets people know you actually care and aren’t just spamming them.
How did you meet them?
Did you read their book?
Were they on a webinar you watched?
Find something in common and mention it in your message. That one single sentence can make the difference between a real connection and getting deleted.
Add Value To Them
Remember it’s about making connections and mutually beneficial relationships, not about pitching your stuff.
What can you do to help them out?
Maybe you noticed something broken on their website.
(I see this a lot and mention it to them, INCLUDING what I think the problem might be so they can fix it faster).
Is there someone you know who you think would be a good fit for them? Offer to introduce them.
Try to add value as soon as possible and that is NOT about them buying your stuff. It’s about showing you value them and truly want to help them.
I’m a huge advocate for reaching out to people and building relationships to help each other out. Just yesterday I saw someone on a webinar that I think would be great to connect with. I reached out to her, thanked her for the shares on the webinar and asked if she’d be open to a chat.
She responded almost immediately with a yes and I’m looking forward to a great conversation to see how we can help each other out.
People love to talk and connect with others but they hate being pitched by complete strangers. Remember, people buy from who they know, like and trust. It’s the “KLT Factor”.
They have to get to know you and like you before they will be willing to do business with you.
