Being so helpful (or so good) that people cannot ignore you is the basis of enduring relationships. It’s knowing that someone can count on you – no matter what.
Does your marketing communicate that? How about your sales or customer service?
Helping and adding value is the new marketing, selling, and customer service. Thanks to the power of digital, the consumer does not differentiate between them.
Everyone is answering questions and offering advice, and it’s all free.
The winner in business today is the company that does helpful better. Tweet this
Here’s how to be that company.
#1 – Build a Process for Continuous Improvement
The expression to be so helpful they can’t ignore you was inspired by a very similar quote from comedian, actor, and musician Steve Martin. His mantra when he was building his stand-up comedy practice was to be so good they can’t ignore you.
As he developed his craft he went back to what worked. In the early days he worked in a booth in a carnival. Yet, what works always works if you develop ways to make it better – so good that people cannot ignore it.
What are some of the qualities that people admire, and therefore should be built into your business processes for helping them? Here are a few that come to mind.
- Consistency
- Graciousness
- Personality
- Humility
- Inspiration
- Humor
- Gratitude
If you have a process for improvement you should be proud of it, because it alone earns the attention of those that have yet to experience how you can help them.
#2 – Explain How Your Process for Helping Works
People tend to fear what they do not understand. Therefore, they are unlikely to work with your business if they do not understand your process for helping them.
This is the magic of helping, as opposed to traditional selling. Your content marketing strategy should be designed to help people understand how you can help them. This goes beyond answering questions.
Facts and figures are useful, but they are impersonal and easily forgotten. Stories are relatable, and therefore memorable.
Relevant stories help buyers understand how you can help them. Tweet this
From a business perspective, stories are proof that you can handle the work. This is why original stories from direct experience are so valuable for making emotional connections that move buyers.
#3 – Make it Fun
Just reading the traditional news is enough to bring anyone down. Interacting with many people can also prove to be less than inspiring.
Want proof? Just ask people how their day is going. Most people will respond with something like this: alright, pretty good, not too bad. Not too bad?!
Probably the easiest way for any business to get noticed in this world is to be fun to work with. Your efforts may not always be acknowledged, but they will nearly always be appreciated.
When Steve Martin was at the peak of his stand-up comedy career, he was filling stadiums with nearly 20,000 people. This is why he started wearing a white suit – to be noticed.
Even though he was working with massive audiences, he stayed true to his mantra of being someone they could not ignore.
What’s your business mantra for not being ignored?
About the Author: Jeff Korhan, MBA, is the author of Built-In Social: Essential Social Marketing Practices for Every Small Business – (Wiley)
He helps mainstream businesses adapt their traditional growth practices to a digital world. Connect with Jeff on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.
