17hats building business relationships

Business owners everywhere use marketing tactics to tell the world about their mission and their products or services. Everywhere we go, we see ads – whether it’s during the commercial break of our favorite reality show (guilty!) or when we’re scrolling through our social media feed.

Without marketing and investing money into your advertising budget, not a single soul will know that you have a business, much less want to make a purchase with you.

Why?

Because people buy from people they know, like, and trust.

Customers want to know that you’re a real person, with real feelings, instead of someone who only cares about the almighty dollar. They want to see who you are, and what you stand for as an individual. They want reassurance that you’re not a scam artist who will steal their last dollar without providing a product or service. And they want to hear recommendations from others who have purchased before them, to be sure that you delivered what you promised.

Bottom line? People with purchasing power want a relationship with you before they buy.

Enter “relationship-based marketing”

That desire for connection is the key insight behind “relationship-based marketing.”

Relationship-based marketing is just what it sounds like: marketing efforts that seek to foster an ongoing relationship with the customer. These days, that relationship starts long before – and extends long past – when you might meet your customer in person. At every touchpoint, including social media, blogs, emails, and your website, that relationship is either strengthened or weakened.

Trust us, relationship-based marketing is powerful. Before you get distracted by some “next level” marketing tactic, remember this: Relationship-based marketing has stood the test of time. It’s where you should be spending the majority of your time and effort.

The two of us have built a business through relationship-based marketing, which is why we’re so passionate about it.

Relationship-based marketing gives you:

1. Connection

In order to have a relationship with a single person (or a large audience), you need to interact with them. You need to get to know their likes and dislikes, to know what issues they’re experiencing, and to identify how you can help them solve their problems. To learn this information, you’ll need to have consistent interactions with your customer(s), whether on social media or in real life. That builds your connection.

Creating connection with your audience means sharing things about yourself that go beyond business. Consumers want to get to know the person behind the brand.

What are the values and beliefs you stand for? What would you want someone to know about you as part of the first impression that you create? Think of “connection categories” that you would want your audience to know about you.

For example, in our business, we share the connection categories of:

  • Family Family is one of our key values, and it’s the “why” behind our business. This is so important for our audience to know when they begin working with us.
  • Inspiration We love to inspire others and we get inspired by watching people in various fields “do their thing.” We reinforce the theme of inspiration every chance we get.
  • Impact Making an impact in our communities (and in the world) is important to us. Our business is built to give back to causes and organizations that we care about.

See how sharing just a little bit about ourselves personalizes us as people? This is something that you can easily do to establish meaningful connections with your audience.

2. Authority

Do you share your knowledge with everyone, or do you save that only for paying customers?

Sharing your knowledge, practical experience, and even case studies for free will position you as an authority who cares about helping others. Today’s digital platforms make it easier. You can heighten your visibility – and establish authority – by sharing on social media, podcasts, or YouTube videos, or by writing a short report or e-book.

Such thought leadership isn’t about boasting or bragging. Instead, you are reassuring your audience that you are the go-to person in the field, and you can truly help them.

People want to feel good about their decisions to work with certain businesses, so share your knowledge! 

3. A stellar reputation

Can you see how connection and authority build on each other and lead to a stellar reputation?

As you connect with people and become an authority figure in their eyes, your audience will naturally form a positive opinion about you. If you over-deliver with your products or your signature programs, your reputation will continue to shine. And it’s a snowball effect: The stellar reputation you earn with one client will help you earn the trust of more potential clients!

Another way to earn the trust of your audience is to share the experiences that others have had working with you. This can be done through testimonials, posted on your site or social media. Testimonials are motivating because it’s not you saying you’re awesome (we know you are!), but people who’ve actually worked with you who are singing your praises. 

It’s powerful when others share their heartfelt experiences about working with you. It’s genuine and real. 

4. Happy & enthusiastic fans

You’ll know you’ve made it when fans are clamoring for your latest product and telling all their friends how wonderful you are! This is the ultimate result of relationship-based marketing, and it’s worth all the time and effort it takes to reach that goal.

Remember to pay attention to all the relationships you build, not just to this week’s customers. (This week’s leads are next month’s customers, of course.) One way to foster these potential-client relationships is by setting up nurture email sequences.

A nurture email sequence is a series of emails that you set up for your leads to let them know you’re thinking of them, and giving them value in exchange for reading. The call to action for these emails is simple: You give them one valuable tip that will really help them. Note: That tip is not to buy your thing.

You may be scratching your head about this one. “I thought I was supposed to sell,” you might be thinking.

Yes, of course, you should sell. But for those on your nurture email list who haven’t immediately bought from you, patience is key. You need to strengthen those relationships and build trust over time. This is where a nurture email sequence works best, because it delivers value on a regular basis, so you remain top of mind.

17hats lets you easily set up a nurture sequence of emails within their Workflow process. You can schedule these emails to go out automatically at certain times of the year (think tips related to specific holidays), or set up personalized emails to follow one of your major promotions.

The fact is, relationships fizzle when you fail to keep in touch. So build systems to continue to build and nurture relationships.

Never stop the process of building relationships. Find a way to connect, convey your authority, enhance your reputation, and take care of your happy fans. The power of relationship-based marketing will hold you in good stead for years to come.