What you say says a lot about you (obvs). What you don’t say, also says a lot about you. But how you behave is a foghorn in the mist that truly broadcasts exactly what it would be like to work with you.
Recently, the topic of indirect communication has come up in several conversations I’ve had with fellow business owners, and clients.
Here’s the deal.
Social Media: It’s a thing that allows us to promote ourselves to whoever will follow, building an audience for our services, giving us a bigger platform to broadcast from and share our news, right? Well, sort of.
What many of us tend to forget is the indirect side of Social Media (and for the sake of this blog, I’ll include what we put on our website too).
Here’s an example (and I do love a great anecdotal example).
I have a friend who lived in the US, and who, together with his wife and children, tragically passed away in 2016. At the time, I sent my condolences to the extended family members – none of whom I actually knew. Not expecting a response, I nonetheless received a friendship request from the wife’s mom. Happily, I accepted, but that was the end of our correspondence. We’ve never really spoken. Fast forward to a year later, and out of the blue, I receive a message from her this past week (again, we have never met, and never actually spoken), which reads (and I paraphrase), “Just a quick note to tell you how much I enjoy you! You are such a bright light in this crazy world. Thanks again for making me smile”.
And then it hit me.
How I have behaved indirectly, has created an impression (thankfully a good one!) of what I am like, as a person, while at the same time, actually having forgotten that I had given access to my profile, I had been acting completely naturally, without agenda or fear, and without much pre-meditated thought. She had built up an understanding of who I am as an individual, what I would be like to know and to such a degree that she has invited me to visit them when next I am in the US.
Turning towards the business communication where social interactivity is a much more planned, thought-out, pre-meditated activity which aims to show branded messaging, company vision, but at the same time practiced spontaneity to appear human, likeable and someone easy to do business with. But how easy do we really make it for our customers to get a handle on who we are? Do you give your customer enough information that allows them to interpret indirect communication into an impression that will leave them wanting to do business with you?
Here are a few ways that you can do that:
All of the above are elements of your social profile that speaks for you, and represents what you stand for. All of these are things that allow your customer a little bit of insight into who you are as an organisation – without you broadcasting it yourself.
Think about your own LinkedIn profile for a second (if you have one).
Example A: The profile which tells the reader all about what you’ve done and why they need to pay attention to you. You’re probably telling us that you have done several amazing things, and succeeded at many impressives tasks. Great.
Example B: The profile which does the above, but also demonstrates ex-colleague / client testimonials which echo your Amazingness, groups that you belong to that echo the services you provide, a profile picture that is befitting of the audience you’re trying to capture, volunteer activities or causes that you’re passionate about (which may note have anything to do with the services you provide).
Which profile would result in a higher level of confidence in the person in question? The one where the individual is doing all the talking, or the one where the things s/he does, belongs to, believes in, echoes what they’re telling you about themselves?
If you’re not standing out – there’s a reason why. You need to allow your customer the opportunity to develop their impression of you – and hopefully, it will be a good one. If not – then we need to talk.
The March giveaway has been and gone, and the lucky winner, local business Winyards Gap, won themselves a free business photo-session. As it is Easter, and because we are feeling generous – we’re running this competition in April again.
How to enter: Simply follow Fresh Brew Marketing on Twitter, or like the Fresh Brew Marketing page on Facebook, find the giveaway post, and share it. It’s that easy!
Competition closes at the end of April 2017.
Note: Competition limited to businesses in the SW of the UK only.
If you’d like to see some of the things we’ve done – check out our gallery here
In the spirit of Spring being sprung – it’s time for another giveaway.
And this time – it’s something for your business. Fresh Brew Marketing is giving one lucky local business the chance to revamp their team head shots! We’ll come to your business, and take as many, or as few, corporate head shot photographs as you need – and we’ll throw in a few additional photographs for you to use, of your team in action.
Real photographs (we’re not talking stock images of people talking on call-centre phones) create a huge impression on your customers. They want to see the face behind the service – the team that keeps things going for them – so what better way than to revamp your look and feel with some new photographs.
How to enter: Simply follow Fresh Brew Marketing on Twitter, or like the Fresh Brew Marketing page on Facebook, find the giveaway post, and share it. It’s that easy!
But you’d better be quick. Competition closes on 31 March 2017.
We’ll announce the lucky winner in the first week of April, and will then get in touch to arrange the best time to pop round for a photoshoot.
And if it’s only you – that’s ok! We’ll get some great photos of you for your own social media profile, or website.
Note: Competition limited to businesses in the SW of the UK only.
If you’d like to see some of the things we’ve done – check out our gallery here
In April this year, it will be my official first birthday after saying goodbye to the corporate world and dedicating 100% of my time to Fresh Brew Marketing.
A daunting thought. And I couldn’t be happier.
I currently find myself sitting in a pub, at 09:59 on a drizzly Tuesday morning in the heart of London town – where outside suits and heels frantically make their way from one tube stop to the next, where taxis and busses, delivery trucks and bicycles create the soundtrack of this grey day. But as I sit in this somewhat dreary environment, my heart is filled with joy, gratitude and humility. I’m doing ok. In fact, I’m doing wonderfully. Yes – I still don’t have the security of a monthly pay check – but then again, in today’s economical environment – who actually does? Yes – working independently does sometimes mean that there may be days when your biggest confident becomes your cocker spaniel. But, honestly? I wouldn’t have it any other way.
So, what have I learnt?
FEAR: Without the risk of uttering some cliche that ideally needs to be one some spiritual photograph of a flowing river, I’ve learnt that life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. (Thanks Ferris). I’ve also learnt that fear has been the single biggest chain preventing me to follow my goal. Saying goodbye to a life routine that I’ve known for so many years, wasn’t a decision I took lightly. But when my English gentleman gave me a virtual flare gun and told me to use it when I needed to, I knew that the power to decide was absolutely in my hands – along with his support, the knowledge that I had something to offer, and a desire to do something completely new.
LONELINESS: I’ve learnt that an independent life, albeit wonderfully free, can be quite a lonely one. No longer do you have the daily faces that greet you from behind computer monitors, and the frustration of being pulled into endless meetings and discussions. Working independently means that now, you have to put in the effort to not become stagnant – but to actively seek out opportunities to build your network, spend time with like-minded people, and build on your client relationships, to a point where the independent, quiet hours become powerful result-producing times.
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: I’ve learnt that networks matter. Throughout my career, regardless of how frustratedly desperate I’ve been in full-time employment, I’ve always tried to maintain open and respectful communication with my employers. After all – while I was employed, it was because I chose to stay. If I was truly frustrated and angered by wrong decision, or didn’t agree with process, I would voice my opinion and try to influence change – but after all was said and done, it was my choice to stay. So – put up with it, or get out. And I stayed. I have always tried to leave employment on a constructive note – which proves itself in the fact that for every single employer that I’ve had the privilege to work for, I still hold dear the relationships I built up with my peers. And as an independent worker – building your network, looking for your next project, finding your next business lead, is supported heavily by the network you have built up. And I am so incredibly thankful to those clients who have seen my potential and have allowed me to work alongside them to deliver results for them, as I started this new journey.
KEEPING ACTIVE: Working independently also often means long periods of static, head-down, grafting. In the early days, I’d move directly from my bed, to the office, with a cup of coffee, and it was when the postman delivered the post at 11:30 that I’d realise, I hadn’t looked up once, I was still in my pyjamas and I had simply gone into auto-pilot mode. That changed quickly. I’ve learnt that working independently is all about setting your own routine now. So – most mornings now, wake up is at 6:30 / 7:00, head off to the gym for a swim and then the day can start with a good breakfast. The beauty of owning a dog is that throughout your day, you have the pleasure of nipping out for a quick, brisk walk – keeping her happy, and keeping your creative juices flowing.
GIVING MORE: What I’ve probably learnt most out of all of this is that through the beauty of a clearer mind, a more active routine, a proactive approach to learning and hearing more about the challenges that my clients face, I’ve developed an even bigger capacity to give more. So – where I have fixed myself, my clients benefit because they get someone who is more focussed, happy in the service that they offer, clearer-thought process and an excitement about every project that comes along. And that’s what it is all about, surely!
I’m not telling you to quit your job. In fact – I’m doing anything but. In no ways would I have been ready to take the plunge as I did last year, years prior. What I’m saying is that if you are ready to become independent – and you’re weighing up the pros and cons of a much more flexible working environment – then, I hope that my ramblings have some relevance to you.
And in the spirit of a new way of working, if my ramblings hold any relevance to you – why not get in touch. Let’s meet for coffee or have a call. After all – you never know when the opportunity may come for us to work together.
Be happy!
It would appear that the New Year has really meant A New You – and not in the diet-mad-gym-crazy-approach that falls subsequent to New Year festivities, fireworks and too much champagne, but rather, the increased demand for an online profile review and development into whatever 2017 holds.
Fresh Brew Marketing has been honoured to have been asked by several individuals to work with them on their personal online footprint and profile – and in particular, to review how they, as individuals, can be more effective as a brand representative.
This got me thinking.
Why the sudden demand for a better, all-improved profile?
We live in a largely social world. And I’m not referring to having a few friends over for coffee every now and then, but the Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Snapchat worlds that occupy every second of every blimp of downtime. And we know that no longer are social trends and fads here, that they’re already yesterday’s news. And with a world that has become instant and on-demand, so has the need to keep yourself constantly updated and relevant to the news happening around us.
We’ve all been there. Set up a profile years ago, on some website that we thought looked interesting, but failed to captivate us beyond our first login attempt. And for a large number of people that I’ve had the opportunity to work with, what they captured in their original profile creation, still stands today.
Yes, you may have added in another job prospect, or shared an article here and there on your LinkedIn profile, but when was the last time that you created a custom URL for your profile, created a Pulse article, shared a video of something you’re passionate about, reviewed the groups that you’re a member of? Probably never, right?
Can you actually remember which groups you belong to?
Your profile speaks for you long before you’ve uttered your first word. What people read about you gives them an idea of what it would be like to work with you or for you. They get a feel for the type of person you are, what you believe in, whether you’d be worth their investment of time. So, set aside the bits and pieces that you’ve written about yourself – and think about the indirect stuff. I’m talking about the groups that are displayed on your profile. The causes you support. The influencers you follow. Your indirect activity by belonging to these groups, causes and influencers, also tells your audience more about you. So, if you can’t remember what groups you actually belong to – then you probably have no idea what indirect message your profile is sending out.
If that’s the case, it’s time for a profile re-fresh.
If you’re looking for someone to help you through that, and interpret the way you portray yourself online, then give me a call, today.