The People Business

No matter what road of life your business is on (whether traditional, online, networking etc.) its important to recognize and remember one thing.

"You are in the people business"

Do me and the entire world a favor. Forget about your product. (I know....it seems like heresy!) Let's face it....for one reason or another we probably got involved in our business because we "somewhat" were attracted or loved our product. So, we decided to jump into the business because we have a PRODUCT!!!! It works! It's totally Green! It's safe! It's delicious! It's packaged environmentally friendly! It's economical, fun, smart, fast, stylish, tasteful, sweet, and the world is a better place because of it! Right?

That's not WHY people choose to do business with you. They choose to do business with you because of YOU. It's the only thing different you can really add if you are starting a soda company and run up against competition like Coke? It's the only thing different you can add when you are running up against cereal like Kellogg's Frosted Flakes. Anything else is JUST product....but YOU add something totally different.

In the world of Internet marketing it appears that many people fail to recognize one thing. (It's still a people business...and it always will be). If you think just because you have a computer that you can hide behind the monitor screen and not develop relationships and talk with people you are fooling yourself. Relationships exist because people communicate with each other in MEANINGFUL ways...not just through a blog, twitter, facebook, a website, or any other social networking site. Yes...it allows you to stay in contact with people and give and receive useful information, but its only a tool and that tool is totally useless if you are not expanding WHO YOU KNOW, and WHO KNOWS YOU and developing those relationships.

The other day I was having a tea at the local coffee shop and a total stranger approached me and asked, "What is it that you do?". How do you answer that question?
Do you go into your mindless spiel about how you market a juice, or vitamins? Do you unleash the fire hose of information on a stranger that is simply seeking a simple answer?

The answer is..."I market a health beverage....or non-toxic cleaning supplies, or high quality vitamins, that helps with asthma, arthritis...." or whatever your product helps.

The reason is equally simple...because it usually leads to another question. If a person is genuinely interested in YOU, they will be genuinely interested in your product....especially if they feel and get the response that you are genuinely interested in THEM.

And the world goes round and round and round. That's how real authentic relationships work. If a person isn't interested...guess what happens? The questions cease. Its a perfectly normal human reaction when a person loses interest. They quit asking questions. However, that doesn't mean that YOU quit asking questions. Your objective is to further your relationships.

A lot more to come on attraction marketing.

Just remember that you are in "the people business"