No one likes a one-way conversation. Have you ever been on the phone or speaking with someone in person and had the feeling that the person just isn't listening to you at all? Whether that conversation happens on the phone or online, it's pretty obvious and it's always a bit unnerving. Sometimes it's because they simply aren't interested but most of the time, it's because we're simply not speaking the same language.
With each relationship that we form we must take a step back and observe the clues that make communication mutual. Sometimes people "bark" at one another, especially online. They tweet, text, send updates and schedule banter but don't ever "check in and join the conversation." It's not always deliberate, but these relationships usually find themselves fizzling out very soon. We have a lot of conveniences that are supposed to make staying in touch easier, but in truth, we still crave that one-on-one engagement.
To keep me in organic communication I've put a few rules in place that keep me connected (and also make me and my friends, like you, feel good). It does require that I put in a bit more time into my communication, but isn't that what relationship is all about? If you're looking for a way to make the connections that you forge much stronger, here are a few tips:
1) Start small, stand tall. Walk into a crowded room and you're sure to feel overwhelmed if you want to speak with everyone there. Enter an online community and it's exponentially more than anyone can handle. Technology doesn't have to overwhelm us. Start small by choosing to connect with 5 people. Imagine if you have meaningful dialogue with 5 different people every day. Powerful!
2) Ask questions. One of the most popular ways that people request feedback is through surveys, but I think when possible it's much more effective to simply ask 1 or 2 questions in a small setting. Unless you're doing data driven research, surveys can become so ordinary, and you know I'm all about the extraordinary! As an example, instead of sending a survey to your entire mailing list, send it to the top 10% of active subscribers. The feedback you get will be quick and genuine, and they'll appreciate you having made the special effort.
3) Be consistent. I recently discovered that I had to take one of my favorite meet-up groups off my plate because I was simply too busy to attend consistently. With my travel schedule this year I found I was only a partial presence, and because I valued the relationships so much, I decided to send an email and let the group know why I had been absent and that I'd only be able to make it out every once in a while.
An amazing thing happened... all of the members reached out to me and told me how honored they were that I considered the group such a part of my routine that I would reach out in this way. It helped them to feel more connected in my absence and it means when my schedule clears and I'm able to reconvene with them I'll be accepted with open arms.
4) Skip the script. A great way to engage with friends and strangers is by creating videos with tips, updates, lessons and interviews but often they come off as cold or disjointed because they are scripted. There's definitely a time to script out your communication (such as when delivering a formal speech) but most of the time an unscripted communication is expressed with much more authenticity. It includes the pauses and stumbles of general conversation and that's very inviting to us real human beings.
5) Give others a voice. Let others in your community give voice to your cause. This includes interacting with them in their space (such as blogs, forums, networks) as well as giving them contributing power in your space. In doing so you create a global trail of influence and you stand out from the millions of selfish servers out in the world.
That should be enough to get you some measurable results, do you have some? Try this exercise: Write down one way that you can fulfill the suggestions from this list every day. For instance, on Monday - comment on relevant blog; Tuesday - call or write 3 subscribers; Wednesday - record an unscripted video, etc. etc. Chart your results and observe the increase in engagement.
Beatrice Johnston, Director of Brand Excitement, is founder of the Brand Visibility System®, the proven step-by-step program that helps you to gain more visibility, opportunity and prosperity in your small, service based business. To get your F.R.E.E. Beginner's Guide and receive her weekly tips and exercises on boosting your brand visibility, visit http://www.BrandExcitement.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Beatrice_Johnston
With each relationship that we form we must take a step back and observe the clues that make communication mutual. Sometimes people "bark" at one another, especially online. They tweet, text, send updates and schedule banter but don't ever "check in and join the conversation." It's not always deliberate, but these relationships usually find themselves fizzling out very soon. We have a lot of conveniences that are supposed to make staying in touch easier, but in truth, we still crave that one-on-one engagement.
To keep me in organic communication I've put a few rules in place that keep me connected (and also make me and my friends, like you, feel good). It does require that I put in a bit more time into my communication, but isn't that what relationship is all about? If you're looking for a way to make the connections that you forge much stronger, here are a few tips:
1) Start small, stand tall. Walk into a crowded room and you're sure to feel overwhelmed if you want to speak with everyone there. Enter an online community and it's exponentially more than anyone can handle. Technology doesn't have to overwhelm us. Start small by choosing to connect with 5 people. Imagine if you have meaningful dialogue with 5 different people every day. Powerful!
2) Ask questions. One of the most popular ways that people request feedback is through surveys, but I think when possible it's much more effective to simply ask 1 or 2 questions in a small setting. Unless you're doing data driven research, surveys can become so ordinary, and you know I'm all about the extraordinary! As an example, instead of sending a survey to your entire mailing list, send it to the top 10% of active subscribers. The feedback you get will be quick and genuine, and they'll appreciate you having made the special effort.
3) Be consistent. I recently discovered that I had to take one of my favorite meet-up groups off my plate because I was simply too busy to attend consistently. With my travel schedule this year I found I was only a partial presence, and because I valued the relationships so much, I decided to send an email and let the group know why I had been absent and that I'd only be able to make it out every once in a while.
An amazing thing happened... all of the members reached out to me and told me how honored they were that I considered the group such a part of my routine that I would reach out in this way. It helped them to feel more connected in my absence and it means when my schedule clears and I'm able to reconvene with them I'll be accepted with open arms.
4) Skip the script. A great way to engage with friends and strangers is by creating videos with tips, updates, lessons and interviews but often they come off as cold or disjointed because they are scripted. There's definitely a time to script out your communication (such as when delivering a formal speech) but most of the time an unscripted communication is expressed with much more authenticity. It includes the pauses and stumbles of general conversation and that's very inviting to us real human beings.
5) Give others a voice. Let others in your community give voice to your cause. This includes interacting with them in their space (such as blogs, forums, networks) as well as giving them contributing power in your space. In doing so you create a global trail of influence and you stand out from the millions of selfish servers out in the world.
That should be enough to get you some measurable results, do you have some? Try this exercise: Write down one way that you can fulfill the suggestions from this list every day. For instance, on Monday - comment on relevant blog; Tuesday - call or write 3 subscribers; Wednesday - record an unscripted video, etc. etc. Chart your results and observe the increase in engagement.
Beatrice Johnston, Director of Brand Excitement, is founder of the Brand Visibility System®, the proven step-by-step program that helps you to gain more visibility, opportunity and prosperity in your small, service based business. To get your F.R.E.E. Beginner's Guide and receive her weekly tips and exercises on boosting your brand visibility, visit http://www.BrandExcitement.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Beatrice_Johnston