The Power of You: Keeping Things Personal in
Business
In the world of business, one of the most powerful assets that
you have is the deep, emotional, and very real connection that you're capable
of making with the people around you. It doesn't matter if you're talking
to a prospect or a client or a superior or someone in between, and it
certainly makes no difference what industry you're operating in - this
connection is everything. The key word here, however, is "real."
If you talk to someone and see them as little more than a line item on a
balance sheet, they're going to be able to tell and your relationship with
that person is going to suffer. This is where the power of "you"
comes in handy.
Putting the "Relations" Back in "Relationship"
To boil this concept down to its essentials, think for a moment about how
irritating it is to write an impassioned letter to a business expressing
some important concern or criticism that you have only to receive a
standard form letter in return. You poured your heart and soul into this
issue, making sure to detail every last grievance you had and that every
word got the importance of your message across loud and clear. In exchange,
you got a letter that has been sent out 1,000 times before that was
probably sitting on a server somewhere, just waiting for an intern to swap
out [INSERT NAME HERE] with your actual name.
It doesn't make you feel good and it certainly doesn't make you feel
appreciated. It might even make you think twice about doing business with
that particular company again. Though this is a simplification of the issue
you face when you keep everyone at arm's length, it is actually quite an
apt example and is something that you absolutely need to keep in mind
moving forward.
"You" and the Customer
There are a number of different things that you can do to help deepen this
emotional connection, even if you aren't actually speaking directly to
someone. It's all about the language that you use and how you're using it.
Consider a promotional poster outlining all of the great features that a
particular product brings with it into the marketplace. You could have the
best product in the world, but if you're just listing features in a series
of bullet points it will still come across as a bit cold and distant. That
emotional connection just won't be there.
Now, consider what happens when you re-frame the exact same message to
directly address the reader. "X feature helps YOU solve Y problem in
your life." Suddenly, you're sending forward the exact same message,
but in a way that doesn't seem like he's being recited by a faceless
corporation. It sounds like it's coming from a friend. Ultimately, if you
want to instill loyalty in your customers, that's exactly what they need to
think of you as - a trusted friend that they know they can depend on and
turn to in their time of need.
We believe that this is one of the many ways that "you" will come
in handy. Remember that everyone you deal with, from the customers who buy
your products or services, to the vendors and suppliers that you depend on,
to your own employees and more, you're dealing with unique individuals who
always deserve to be treated as such. It doesn't require a lot of work to
keep things personal in the world of business, and the benefits will pay
dividends for a lifetime.
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