Marketing departments work tirelessly to create new and original content through social media platforms, email blasts and mailing campaigns. The visibility that they foster is valuable, strategic and necessary. These initiatives are far more successful when they target customers who already have pre-established relationships with their brand, and fostering connections with your audience is key to longevity in relationships and opportunities.
Connections are one of the most vital elements of any organization to create business opportunities and growth. But when meeting new clients and customers, how do you create lasting impressions? At what point does an interaction lead to more than a transaction, and how can your business foster a lasting relationship that can lead to opportunities beyond a one-time sale?
Establish Credibility
What can you bring to the table when communicating with prospects? Do you have an extensive network of connections or concrete examples of your accomplishments? Being able to answer those questions fosters trust for you and your business when communicating with clients, members and prospects. Be self-assured – but be cautious not to overshare and drown people with your resume. Establishing credibility is key to founding meaningful relationships in business.
Make it Personal
Be person-focused. People are far more receptive to a personalized touch than they are to receiving communications as a part of a massive campaign. Don’t make your client feel like a number. While emails and print mailings can lead to business, being specific and purposeful in your conversations allows you to open more doors. Personal partnerships can lead to new connections, which is the ultimate goal.
Bring it All Together
Once you know your audience and you’re a familiar connection, the next step is to link back to credibility and how you would be able to solve issues, assist ventures and partner for opportunities in the future. Use language that is concise and aims to persuade individuals that you are not only a great new connection, but also a goal-oriented professional.
In sum, create a lasting impact that is backed up with credibility; connect with emotional appeals you create; and bolster logical arguments that support your services and offerings. You will attract and retain individuals that are passionate about your work, and will be advocates of you and your services.
The principles presented are paramount for the Columbus Chamber as we strive to foster connections within Central Ohio, as we have since 1884.
If you would like to learn more about how the Chamber works to elevate our business community, follow us here. We provide credible and personal connections to help boost our members’ bottom lines, and we aim to create a collaborative environment filled with opportunities and partnership potential. Find out more about what the Chamber can do for your business today.
— The Columbus Chamber of Commerce offers news, information and other resources that are free and available to all businesses at columbus.org. —
