Personalizing Your Touches

Now that school has started and the weather is pretending to be early October in the Catskills, the frenzy of this year’s hotter market may be starting to slow down a bit.   Now we can take a deep breath and relax for a moment.

But only for a moment!

In addition to "Mastering your Stats" and "Planning your Roadmap" for 2014 (yes, time already to start planning--okay after you take a vacation!)  you should also take some of your "extra" time and use it to personalize your touches and connect with folks more directly than you can during the busy season. 

Remember, Michael Maher's hierarchy of The Seven Levels of Communication--from Relationships to Referrals--tells us that we can't rely on advertising or websites alone.  Here is his list of communication levels from least effective to most effective:

7. Advertising:  broadest form, expensive, shotgun approach

6. Direct mail:  more targeted but still scattered

5. Email: aha, a person's name at last!

4. Handwritten notes: truly personal, finally

3. Phone:  and now we hear a voice!

2. Events/groups: and finally see the person and shake a hand, but we have share them with others

1. 1 on 1: best of all, we look them in the eye and have their full attention

As the days approach when you have more control over your schedule, take advantage of that extra time and go to those club or organization meetings and shake those hands, and, more importantly, arrange to meet those closest friends, past clients, and referral sources one on one.  Don't forget the value of the "What can I do to help you and your business?" conversation and its natural extension to how those friends might help you!  And the more you personalize the venue--the racquetball court, the volunteerism opportunity, the traditional lunch, or even the cigar bar--for each individual contact, the more likely you'll achieve positive results, not to mention the simple human pleasure of communion with another person. 

So reach out and touch someone and your business should prosper.  Enjoy!

David M. Hassler

Director of Coaching