And actually get to the heart of things. The touch of a human hand is always welcome. Yet it is what scares people the most. All kinds of push back and walls have been built to rationalize, compartmentalize and control the most basic of needs - that to connect with another human being.
Yes, I'm also talking about social media environments. It's time to start mingling with the rest of the world - and do/create something. Doing business is a way of connecting, that of the current economic model and context. While it would be nice to think about intrinsic value, we use money to buy groceries and pay rent - business today equals earning money.
If we're on board with the human fabric of business concept (or try this Fabrica), then why do we spend so much darn time measuring and dissecting and segmenting and watching what people click on online instead of just reaching out and touching them - potentially making their day? Why do we keep chanting the SEO/SEM mantra in organizations at the exclusion of content and people?
Do you know how you get good - no scratch that - great results? You touch people. You help them by providing a service that is trustworthy or simply relating to them. You care, and you show them by being in the conversation with them - not about them. People join care. Go dust off the manuals of the lost art of conversation, they will come in handy here.
If you're selling me your marketing services, for heavens sake don't send me stones for foot massage. What does that mean? That I'm such a dolt you'll need to do all the work while I get my SPA feet on? Give me a taste of the content that will make me doing my job easier and me smarter. Engage with me on a human level.
Enough with gimmicks. We need more business people to teach us about connections, to market and to communicate. Business people understand the importance of value. It's time for the technologies to become boring. It's time for us to stop seeing "channels" and start seeing people.
Technologies like Twitter and Facebook are approaching market saturation. Why? Because there are only so many people interested in a given activity, or in investing in platforms created by others.
People often tell me that I sound more like a business person than a marketer, communicator, or PR person - whichever bucket you'd put me into. I consider that a compliment. What are three things you'll do today to make a difference to someone in business?
[image courtesy of Gregory Bastien]
The problem is twofold over here.
At one end people don't trust others online, especially with all the phishing going around.
Second the market is becoming saturated that its really hard to get through to customers without fighting a smog of low class competitors that just manage to drive all the customers away.
While you might have a genuine and innovative idea its sometimes very hard to market it and get it through to the customer unless you have the backing of a good marketer. and that usually costs money.
Posted by: M.Bamieh | October 20, 2009 at 08:13 AM
Wow - a very powerful concept! Really touching lives is a nice goal to have, especially since it injects joy back into the whole process. It's a whole lot more fun to do "business" in a human way. Great reminder!
Posted by: Brandon Cox | October 20, 2009 at 11:38 AM
years ago, i started a museum whose motto was"Please Touch", i also added a caveat--
"please touch, hands-on, but
with understanding"
whatever endeavor one takes on, it is good to remember and incorporate into one's personal as well as business life.so enjoyed your article,"since it injects joy".
Cordially,
diane bassman
Merry Pop-Ins,inc
Posted by: diane bassman | October 20, 2009 at 02:52 PM
You are absolutely right and I think part of the problem lies in the way that people have been told to market themselves. People start blogging because they either see it as a hobby, or want to get rich quickly.
The problem is that neither crew takes it seriously. You are right, we need to elevate our game.
Posted by: Nathan Hangen | October 20, 2009 at 04:54 PM
The three things I 'll do:
Care
Help
Act without expectation
The three I hope to do:
think deeply
speak plainly
and, act accordingly ( thanks to who ever came up with that)
We may have discussed this years ago, but I've observed that many in business are deeply embarrassed about being human. They don't say it but, you see resentment for deeply human qualities such as love, compassion and touch. As a result, their communications don't sound human. I wonder, if we need to get over our the human cringe?
By the way, I routinely get you don't sound like a lawyer - now that's a compliment.
Spk soon.
Peter
Posted by: Peter | October 20, 2009 at 08:42 PM
@M - what I'm proposing does cut through the clutter and reach people.
@Brandon - we can be empathetic and warm and still be professional and business-like.
@Diane - I *love* your caveat. It's a brilliant qualifier. Thank you for stopping by.
@Nathan - I don't always do what people tell me ;) And we also cannot take ourselves too seriously. I do get your point. Nothing we can do about others. Lots we can affect by changing our own attitude and approach.
@Peter - we did talk about it. Being human is what makes us interesting. We do feel, how fascinating that we'd deny that very ability that permeates our whole surface. Truly, you don't sound like a lawyer, I work with many.
Posted by: Valeria Maltoni | October 20, 2009 at 09:37 PM
Hey, I just discovered your site, and it's great. I'm relatively new to blogging, and my goal from the get go was to touch and inspire people. I saw it as an extension of the work I do, not a hobby or get rich quick scheme. But as I've experienced more and more of the blogosphere, I find myself recoiling at times and asking why I'm doing it. So your post motivates me to do it the way I want to, and not get sucked into all the mania.
Posted by: Patty | October 21, 2009 at 01:11 AM
Enjoyed your post. I agree 100% we need to add the conversation back and focus on business. 3 things Im doing
1) Help
2) Learn
3) Repeat
Thanks for the post
Posted by: Rich Lazzara | October 21, 2009 at 08:04 AM
"Enough with gimmicks. We need more business people to teach us about connections, to market and to communicate. Business people understand the importance of value. It's time for the technologies to become boring. It's time for us to stop seeing "channels" and start seeing people."
Well said Valeria! All thoughtful and caring people eventually come around. :)
Posted by: Tom Asacker | October 21, 2009 at 09:07 PM
"Making a consumer's day" - what a great objective for companies, brands and communications, and a great way to be invited into a conversation. Spending more time and energy doing stuff for people rather than telling them how great we are has implications for how we define and manage brands, wrote something on this here: http://happilymisunderstood.com/2009/10/02/do-then-say/
Thanks for a great post.
Posted by: Tim | October 23, 2009 at 07:05 AM
@Patty - glad you felt motivated. We cannot resist the temptation of comparing and contrasting... resist we must though. We connect best when we make our own game, at our own pace.
@Rich - good of you to keep it simple. We all know simple is not necessarily easy.
@Tom - born of a reflection around the behaviors and conversations observed online in the last several years. There seems to be a maturity point we're coming to, and a welcome one at that. Thank you, as always, for stopping by.
@Tim - nice to meet you, virtually. Thank you for the link. Service is a powerful message when shared in the right manner, isn't it?
Posted by: Valeria Maltoni | October 23, 2009 at 09:53 AM