Jamie Shibley
The 2023 Surgeon General’s Advisory on “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation” is a wake-up call for those who are in the business of selling their expertise, such as agency owners, strategic consultants and professionals.
The Surgeon General's Advisory revealed that one in two Americans feel isolated and disconnected, with consequences as harmful as smoking 15 cigarettes daily. Many of these are your prospects.
How do you connect with right-fit prospects in this landscape?
“Shifting from a focus on transactions to one of deeper relationships will provide the foundation that businesses are going to need to thrive going forward,” says Jamie Shibley, CEO of The Expressory, who believes the key to growing a successful business in today’s high-tech world is by nurturing strong relationships through personalized expressions.
Shibley, notes that this disconnected trend is colliding with another trend, the increased pace of technological evolution such as social media, smartphones, and AI.
“This collision is about to cause disruption in the fundamental practices many of us have been using to conduct business,” said Shibley.
She is a fan of the “Know Like Trust” strategy Bob Burg outlined in his book, Endless Referrals. “All things being equal, people will do business with, and refer business to, those people they know, like, and trust,” wrote Burg.
“For years, we’ve lived by this, but the world we are living in today is about to make it difficult to move beyond the know part of the equation,” says Shibley.
Shibley notes three specific challenges and offers advice to combat these issues:
Longer Sales Cycles. “Industries such as advertising agencies are seeing longer sales cycles. In today’s world of always on streaming, most people have learned to ignore and distrust. To establish trust with prospects, businesses must now focus on nurturing personal relationships. People crave connection and validation, so it's important to show you understand their pain points and you care at a personal level. Building this level of emotional connection will help create a trusted relationship.”
Decreased Client Retention. “In a world of endless options, clients can easily leave if they don't feel valued. With half the country feeling disconnected, it's crucial to take a proactive approach and keep existing clients. Make a meaningful effort to connect with them twice a year, acknowledge something personal, show you care, or simply express gratitude. Small gestures go a long way in building a lasting emotional connection.”
Disengaged Employees. “Remote work poses a long-term challenge for business leaders. Keeping employees engaged, motivated and feeling connected will require companies to make social (personal) connection part of the strategic plans going forward. Encouraging personal connections will create bonds and foster a sense of community and culture within the remote team.”
As the Surgeon General points out in his advisory, “our individual relationships are an untapped resource.” For those in the business of selling their expertise, relationships have always been key in attracting right-fit prospects and generating referrals.
What is new and noteworthy is the severity of the mental health slump that the nation faces. Psychologists that I have interviewed in the last six months have shared their views of the enormity of these challenges.
