Personal connection and authenticity are more important than ever before.
Four decades ago on August 1, 1981, MTV was born and launched its very first broadcast with a music video of the appropriate 1979 hit: “Video Killed The Radio Star.” For those who wanted their MTV, it is an ear worm to this day.
My point today is video has killed the networking-for-clients star.
In the former times before the pandemic, if you wanted to attract high-paying clients one of the top five business development activities was to network at live events that were target rich in prospects.
Ah, good times.
But now digital marketing and social media, once secondary marketing platforms for many, are now the primary source of business development for a myriad of professionals, consultants, trusted advisors, financial planners, attorneys, advertising and marketing agency principals, service-business entrepreneurs and so many more who sell their time and talents to clients.
“When it comes to business, our virtual self is as important, if not more than, our in-person presence,” says author and digital marketing consultant Minal Sampat. “How do we connect in this digital age?”
Minal and I met when I helped her edit her international bestselling book Why Your Marketing Is Killing Your Business. Recently she shared with me three ways to make sure video doesn’t kill your client-attracting career:
Learn to connect through the screen. “Video meetings are the closest thing we get to in-person interactions, so we need to make the most of them. If you tend to get more formal on camera than you are in person, start working on lowering that filter. Have some fun and share behind the scenes when appropriate. Who you are onscreen is who your prospects will see.”
Get comfortable with tech or get help. “Avoiding technology simply isn’t an option anymore. You either learn how to use hashtags, or you hire someone who can do it for you. Practice makes perfect, so the braver you are in trying out new tech, the more success you’re likely to have. If you can’t get the hang of it, delegate these tasks to someone who’s a whiz. This really is an either/or situation—after nearly two years of businesses going virtual, digital marketing is here to stay.”
Aim for the same reactions you’d want in-person. “If you want your audience laughing, use funny Zoom backgrounds. If you’re trying to personally connect, use less presentation slides and spend more time on camera. Personal connection and authenticity are more important than ever before. Aim for a social media presence that’s split 50/50 between posts about what you sell and posts about you. Share relatable stories and give glimpses behind the curtain of your business. When they can’t see us in-person, clients want to get to know us through our virtual presence.”
Bottom line: Indeed, we are no longer going to conferences and networking in person. Even as the pandemic passes, the world is changed forever. Meeting clients and prospects on Zoom sure beats wasting time on planes, trains and automobiles.
