B&M The Power of Outreach.
Regardless of whether you are launching a new product, a new business or a new organizational initiative, you need a team around you to be successful. But what do you do in these times, if you or your craft make you a single practitioner or a solo-entrepreneur? Now, more than ever, the large degree of separation and isolation during this pandemic, forces each of us to turn to technology to reach out and maintain connection when we can’t physically be in the same place as those we seek.
I was recently interviewed by top goal coach Debra Eckerling. She is host of the weekly broadcast Goal Chat Live and author of “Your Goal Guide: A Roadmap for Setting, Planning and Achieving Your Goals.” The book is all about defining goals, setting up for productivity and working from home. She has created a fun roadmap with worksheets and other tools to help you lay out your plan. She deploys the “DEB” method; Determine your goals, Explore your options and Brainstorm your way to success. You need to know your desired outcome in order to build a plan to achieve it. In the hour long broadcast, we focused on various aspects of outreach.
Used as a business growth tool, I defined outreach as the act of reaching out to those who can help you and who believe in what you are doing. These individuals may already be close friends or they could be casual internet acquaintances who might do more if only you asked for specific help.
I shared strategies for confronting the three extremes of outreach challenges:
For introverts – how you can stretch your comfort zone
For Extroverts what you can do if your outreach isn’t translating into results
For people somewhere in the middle – who are connecting but feel like nothing is happening along the path to successful goal achievement.
Here’s one quick tip that anyone can use. Simply go online to your favorite social media platform and start “liking” more things. But, the secret isn’t just clicking whatever like button exists. You need to show your interest in others by sharing their commentary or observations and engaging in real dialogue. This is real human interaction and when you do this, showing real interest, you are also helping the algorithms know more about the things you care about. The words you use will send you more conversations along the same ideas and subject matters you show interest in. If you are selling a product or service, you need to have faith that the right people will find you for the right reasons at exactly the right time for them. And waiting for “the right time for them” is the most difficult part of delivering solid business growth. That’s why I recommend stretching your comfort zone. You’ll begin to identify your own crew of cheerleaders who can help amplify your message.
There are a number of ways to apply this theory to your work whether you’re an artist, a retail store owner, a writer launching a book, or a small company with a product to sell. I also go against the common thinking that you have to pay Google or Facebook to get your work seen. Paid media reach is just another gatekeeper that pops up to establish a tollbooth between you and your audience. Once you start paying this troll, you’ll always need that push to be seen. Social media views don’t mean much unless you have a connection to the people. Even a thousand views (while it might feel good) doesn’t compare to the one connection who makes a purchase or closes the deal with you.
If you want more guidance on goal setting check out Debra’s book. If you are ready to take your business results to the next level, contact me and we can set up a chat.