It’s a pretty simple statement. It applies in our personal life as well as our business one. I was thinking about this statement, not only how it might relate to social media, but more importantly to everything we do.
Think about the people you deal with on a regular basis. What kind of reaction do you have when salesmen are always selling and not necessarily listening?
I don’t know about you, but I either try to avoid them or spend as little time as necessary with them. On the other hand, who do you like being around? It’s probably someone who listens not only about your work issues but also gets to know something about you, your family and what’s going on in your life.
These types of folks aren’t always looking for a sale. As a matter of a fact, they are probably trying to find out how they might be able to help you. Novel thought! You probably build relationships with these types of people.
Then why is it that lots of people who use social media for business are always pitching and not listening? Aren’t you trying to get someone to react to what you post online?
Don’t you think that by helping people by answering questions on what keeps them up at night would be a better way to engage folks in a conversation instead of telling them five reasons they should buy from you?
Stop pitching and start helping! If you can answer questions or give guidance on how to solve a problem, I guarantee you will start way more conversations online.