How Well Do Your Social Media Clients Know You? And You Them?

By Susan August 4, 2011 Blog, marketing No Comments

This week I have been thinking a lot about my clients. Those first phone calls where you are just getting to know each other and how those calls are solely focused on the client’s needs. As they should be.

After you’ve worked together successfully, moved forward with other projects, and become more familiar with each other, do you think your client truly knows you as a real person, or all that you can do for them? Do you know them? This can only be true if both parties are willing to share and open up.

I realized recently the huge difference between those who really don’t take the time to learn my core values and those clients who I have worked with more closely, and know me as an individual.

So, how do we turn a new client into someone who will want to know us more fully, gain them as a brand advocate, or even a friend? Some may argue that we shouldn’t want a client to be a friend? I know that when I know someone better, I can help them with what I know and willingly pass along. I know that I design better when I know more about my client’s needs.

There needs to be a solid connection of understanding. We need to have that moment when we reach the all important point… we now respect, confide, and just get the other person. We place our trust in them and feel we have moved in the right direction. From that moment on, the relationship becomes one of integrity and honesty and will continue to grow.

Social media has opened up that arena for us to be ourselves and it’s supposed to give those interested (when they see your posts) a better understanding of us, but let’s be honest. Direct contact is really the only way to feel someone’s presence. In person get togethers and meetings can build substantially to a relationship like no other way. I do feel Skype helps, because the face-to-face is so much more than a phone call or posts, photos, audio, even video. Anything other than direct contact will always be just scratching the surface.