We all know we have to do it – social media, appearances, events, in-person book sales, groups, book-signings, email newsletters, etc. But most of us struggle to just find the time to CREATE, so how are we supposed to fit all that other stuff in?
The way I see it is all of those additional things are extensions of the bigger conversation around what you do, and it’s with people who are either creators, like you, or fans of your creations. What this means is that every task presented in that first paragraph is an opportunity to build relationships.
You’ve probably heard it before, but have you internalized what it means to “Build Relationships”?
Let’s dig deeper into this…
Building relationships is about empathy – understanding and responding to someone else’s needs. To do that as a business (and if you’re a creator who sells what you make, you’re running a business) takes more than just figuring out the demographics of your audience. It takes looking at the world from the audience’s perspective, understanding what matters to them and what they respond to.
Once you know who they are (and you find this out by asking questions), you can better respond to them, anticipate their needs, give them what they want.
All those things like social media, etc. are about being there for your audience – the people who are out in the world, having conversations with you.
To have better, more responsive conversations, I practice these principles:
- Talk with them, not at them, following their lead
- Empathize and respond with them in mind
- Know when to back off
- Don’t offer unsolicited advice
- Don’t act superior
- Don’t offer opinions
- LISTEN, ENCOURAGE, Seek UNDERSTANDING
- Be authentic and genuine
Making your online and offline interactions about putting other people first signals your willingness to be open and approachable, non-judgemental and unbiased. Find out what makes them happy and excited. Maybe you’ll find something that resonates with you, and the conversation is off to a great start. Before long, you’ll have a fan. And it’s all because you took the time to put them first.