Out of the "cave" and into the light

Messaging on social is great...

But direct connection is a much better way to go, dont'cha think?

I’ve been guilty of this on more than one occasion, and I realize how not good that is for more than one reason.

I’m talking about spending an immense amount of time working in my office, parked in front of the computer, cranking out tons of content, engaging other people’s posts on social, sharing these posts with my followers, but, never making an attempt at direct connection with the thought leaders whose work I admire.

Months ago, my consultant referred to this method of operation as doing all the “cave” work, and never stepping outside into the light and having a real, non-electronic conversation with these folks in order to truly foster a relationship.

Oops.

Oftentimes, we - okay, I’m talking about ME - get tied up in our routines and processes that we believe will help get us the visibility that we want, but ultimately, the whole point of having a social presence is to attract those who need our help by sharing our expertise, and the best way to find out how to help those is to actually stop typing, pick up the phone, and have a direct connection through real conversation.

That conversation will reveal much more than you could assume based on someone’s social posts.

For example, I was on the phone with a thought leader in the marketing for wellness practitioners space the other day, and before I picked up the phone, I was thinking of potential referrals I could send her way in order to support the awesome work she does.

Within the first 2 minutes of the call, she mentioned that she was in a weird place and thinking about pivoting her entire business and brand in a yet-to-be-determined direction.

So much for those referrals, lol

She mentioned that she wants to spend the next month free writing and posting these thoughts to an online publishing platform to see where her ideas take her.

She specifically said the reason for not doing this on her social platforms is simple - she wants to think and experiment BEFORE she brings this new direction to light with her existing tribe.

Basically, she’s giving herself a safe space to figure out her next move.

So, rather than me sending her client referrals that might not be relevant to her in a month, I now plan to support her by engaging these posts and waiting to see what comes from her self-exploration.

Had we never done the direct connection off-line, I would have just assumed her needs based on her social content,  which means I wouldn’t have been truly supporting where she was right now.

What kind of relationship is that?

When there is a direct connection with people on the phone or on a video call, you open the door to finding out where they truly are with their business and with what they need help.

You can hold space for them to share their vulnerabilities and thoughts, and that creates a much more meaningful conversation, and is a way stronger foundation for an authentic relationship.

This is not a one or the other conversation, and my consultant impressed upon me the need to still continue to create valuable content that targets client pain points.

He just reminded me that it’s not enough to get me where I want to go.

So, I have to constantly remind myself to put down the tools, step out of the cave, and walk towards the light, :)

Have you found yourself getting bogged down with your work and skipped out on having a direct connection with those you serve?

Please share your stories in the comment section.

PS - For those of you who aren’t in the know, I mail out these blogs 3x a week, and lemme tell you, they’re a real party, so, if you’d like to get in on this, sign up for it here and I’ll throw in a free gift for you...because I care, :)