Building and maintaining relationships is crucial in any industry, yet there’s a delicate balance between earning that position to be top-of mind without seeming overbearing or intrusive. To navigate this challenge effectively, we’re talking today about some refined strategies for remaining memorable to your clients in a positive way.
Lead with Value
Reflect deeply on the genuine needs of your ideal client. Consider their primary concerns and what occupies their thoughts persistently. How can you offer straightforward solutions that directly address their needs? Presenting simple, effective solutions that resonate with their core issues demonstrates your understanding along with your readiness to relieve their problems and help them achieve their aspirations.
Be Authentic
Authenticity is key, though often easier said than done. Many professionals find it challenging to maintain genuineness, especially when feeling pressured to conform to certain expectations or personas to fit the suit they’re showing up in. Me personally – I can’t stand false pretenses and disingenuous tactics employed to try to pull a sale out of me. This feels more like manipulation and prompts me to pull away as fast and far as possible.
Still, I think often, it’s not that people are intentionally trying to do this but rather that they don’t know how to bridge the gap between who they are and who they think their audience needs them to be in that moment. “Bearing all” hardly sounds like good strategy but I would HIGHLY encourage you to really assess what points of your values, personality and character may be more fitting with your audience than what you once thought.
Professionally, I wrestled for a VERY long time with this one. One the one hand, I’ve long been right at home in the suit and stilettos. On the other, I’m well known around martial arts gyms across the country. I’m 38, not dead and not done. The running joke/descriptor for me has years been “classy but will throw hands.”
I spent YEARS feeling like I had to create this distinct separation between these facets of me. Looking back, every time I’d see me in pastels and pink anything, I’d cringe inside because I felt like a sellout not being true to myself. I was trying to fit the image of what I thought people wanted to accept me as a professional.
My own pivot point came when I accepted, “you know what? YES! I am classy but will absolutely throw hands. (Only by invitation or provocation – I’m a protector type – not a yabo!)
What I found is that me being okay with who I really am and the unique way I connect with people gave me stronger positioning with the people I want to do business with while making me less attractive to those I kindly don’t.
Emulating others might seem tempting, but remember, the world benefits from your unique contributions. Whatever your authentic personal identity and brand identity, owning it in a way that turns the right heads is key to locking eyes with your key prospects.
Engage on Social Media
Utilize social media platforms to maintain engagement with your audience. This should involve a combination of sharing your own content and interacting with followers through comments, sharing their content, and conducting Q&A sessions. These interactions keep the conversation going and strengthen your relationship with your audience.
Little PSA I’ll drop on this one: be real but also relevant. 50 random posts asking them everything from their favorite color to their favorite soup is NOT the type of engagement I’m talking about. Keep it real, relevant, relatable and meaningful. If you’re asking for their time and attention, you should be rewarding them with incredible value for what they just gave you.
Maintain Regular Contact
Keeping in touch with your audience is essential, but it’s important to strike the right balance. You want to be present in their minds without becoming a nuisance. Regular, thoughtful communication can help achieve this balance.
Pro Tip: You might find it useful to drop notes and reminders on your calendar or in your CRM to follow-up periodically. If you haven’t heard anything in a while, drop a short note that invites a re-connection.
Personalize Your Interactions
Customize your communications to match the interests and needs of your audience. Whether through emails, messages, or social media interactions, personalization makes your audience feel valued and understood. Again, a solid CRM can be great here. Add notes about their partner, kids, hobbies & interests…maybe where you met them, mutual connections and any little tidbits that could jar the memory to prompt you to ask about them in a specific and thoughtful way.
Be on Top of Your Game
Stay on top of industry news and trends, and share your insights with your audience. Staying informed and sharing your knowledge positions you as a thought leader in your field. Times are ever’a’changin.’ You doing this is kind of like saying “I know this is important to you but also that it’s SO hard to keep up with all the things. I’ve got you covered and here’s what you need to know…{insert stellar sage advice or a quick hack that’s gonna change their life.}”
Building meaningful relationships requires consistent effort and a strategic approach. By offering value, ensuring authenticity, engaging effectively, maintaining regular contact, personalizing interactions, and staying informed, you can remain memorable to your audience in the most positive way possible. What are some ways you like to maintain strong connections for the long haul?
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