The Value of a Conversation
July 29, 2009
This article from Inc. validates something we have been saying for the past few years: he who owns the conversation owns the customer.
In other words, all marketing/branding is eventually one-to-one. This could be ordering something off your site, engaging with a salesperson, or talking to a clerk at the counter. At some point there is a human interface to your brand. When these interfaces lack the elements of a conversation, you are missing a huge opportunity to not only influence the customer's decision right now, but their over-all perception of your brand.
In this lies the true awesomeness of social media - especially Twitter. Ultimately, social media is a conversation platform. In business, this means it is a sales tool. If you treat it as such, it will produce results.
This is also where all of the skills of a good conversationalist come in to play:
- Listening
- Empathy
- Telling a story
- Authenticity
- Inviting others to participate
Use the above as a check-list for the people inside of your company that are the face of your brand. Can they do these things? If not, then you have a cultural issue - or maybe you picked the wrong people. Either way, becoming a good conversationalist can be taught - and that is far more important than just getting on the social media bandwagon.
Posted via email from Tricycle’s Lifestream
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