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Español How to create real connections with teammates and customers
Despite the social media boom (or maybe even because of it) many of us feel more disconnected than ever. Talk to most people and they’ll say they’re craving more genuine connections. The way forward might be surprisingly simple: being specific.
We’ve grown very used to thirty second elevator pitches. We approach people and state where we work, and what we study, if we’re married or not and what kind of hobbies we have. But a lot of these things are simply generic: we don’t share the specifics. And that’s where the disconnect begins.
To truly build a relationship with someone, you need to communicate. For instance: I live within walking distance of four grocery stores. They’re all within fifteen minutes away, and the competition between them is fierce. Three of them are chain brands, and one is locally owned.
I like to support the locally owned one, and it’s not because of the reason you think I might: not to support a small business (although that’s a valid reason). I go because I like one of the men who scan through my items at the checkout till.
He’s got three children, he’s an immigrant, he loves his wife – they spent three months in Portugal last year (his wife insisted on their children seeing the country), and he was excited to fix up his truck for the trip. He comes from a family of firefighters. He’d like to be a firefighter too but he can’t justify quitting his current job, especially with a family to support. So he’s saving up as much as he can for now.
And to help him, I buy from him employer.
For a long time the memo was networking. We worked out ways to pitch ourselves and our projects, and we stopped talking about our favourite television shows. But the way to connect could be just that simple: giving someone something to hold on to and relate to.
Connecting with people will help them choose your business to buy from. It will help them come back again, and it will help build lasting relationships: and not just with customers, but with everyone in our lives.
For a long time the memo was networking. We worked out ways to pitch ourselves and our projects, and we stopped talking about our favourite television shows. But the way to connect could be just that simple: giving someone something to hold on to and relate to.
So if you’re looking to increase your sales, but also your relationships with stakeholders and teammates, start to elaborate: on exactly why you are who you are, what your values are what they grew from, and what things you genuinely enjoy as a person.
- Lena Klein