Posts tagged as:

Conversation

The Fastest Way to Shut Down Conversation on Your Blog

by Daria Steigman on January 24, 2012

blogging, moderated comments, community, social media, conversationWant to know the fastest way to shut down conversation on your blog?

Moderate comments.

(And if you’re going to hold comments, you should at minimum have a process for getting them approved quickly.)

Case in point: I followed a link to a terrific blog post the other day. Good information, well-written, and well presented. I left a comment, and then tweeted out the link to my community.

What happened next? Nothing.

“Nothing” is not a good response.

My comment never appeared. Nor did any other comments–which means either no one else tried to respond or their comments ended up in comment limbo as well. So what do you think the chances are that I become a regular reader? Put that business on my radar screen?

Silence isn’t always golden.

First contact can be the start of a beautiful friendship.  Don’t squander it by shutting down a conversation before it even begins.

Photo by Katie Tegtmeyer (Flickr).

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6 Sales Questions Every Business Must Know

by Daria Steigman on November 1, 2011

sales, business, value proposition, Independent Thinking, Steigman CommunicationsI’ll be the first to admit that conversations about CRM, lead times, funnels, and sales systems make my eyes glaze over.

Maybe it’s because I’m a small business. Or that I’m a fan of paper, pen, business cards, big red desk calendar.  Or that every time someone starts talking about sales systems all I hear is jargon, jargon, jargon. Or that it really isn’t rocket science.

Mike Schultz broke the elements down nicely during a Webinar last week on The Art of Sales Conversations. The gist of his message was that it’s all about bridging the “conversation gap” between what you deliver and what your prospect wants. And then understanding how to talk the (right) talk.

Which brings me to the six sales questions every business must know.

Can You Answer These Questions?

My big takeaway from Schultz’s presentation is six questions you better be able to answer about your business:

  • Who are your ideal customers?
  • How do you help? (What needs do you address?)
  • What value do your clients gain from working with you? (How do they describe it?)
  • What are your core offerings?
  • What is the proof that you can do what you say you do?
  • What makes you distinct? (How do your customers describe it?)

If you can’t articulate your target clients, the target need, the business value, your offering, your proof points, and what makes you unique–then how do you expect anyone else to buy what you’re selling?

Photo by Holger Zscheyge (Flickr). 

Have you signed up to receive the Independent Thinking newsletter? Now’s the time! Once a month I’ll send you exclusive, subscriber-only content highlighting interesting articles I’ve found, as well as tips on marketing, social media, and how to grow your business. Sign up today!

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The Problem with Soundproof Rooms

by Daria Steigman on April 7, 2011

Business, Customer Service, Independent Thinking, Steigman Communications llcSoundproof rooms can be great if you’re practicing the piano or planning a coup. And while they provide you with a distraction-free space to work, if you’re not careful you might just shut out conversations you should be heeding.

In the early 1990s, U.S. agribusiness companies regularly brushed off consumer safety concerns about genetically modified organisms (GMOs). I tracked agricultural policy for several clients, so I was in that room a lot. When safety questions came up, they seemed to think that saying GMOs were safe was enough. Who could possible disagree? They were completely surprised when the European Union, prodded by consumers, started asking its own questions.

See, they had been hanging out in a soundproof room. Are you?

Photo by Becky Snyder (Flickr).

Have you signed up to receive the Independent Thinking newsletter? Now’s the time! Once a month I’ll send you exclusive, subscriber-only content highlighting interesting articles I’ve found, as well as tips on marketing, social media, and how to grow your business. Sign up today!

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How Not to Start a Conversation

by Daria Steigman on September 28, 2010

Talk, Don't Market | Independent Thinking | Steigman Communications, llcI received a two-paragraph e-mail the other day from someone looking to connect with me at an upcoming event. She spelled my name right, told me it’s her second time going to an event put on by this particular group, and said she hoped we’d get to meet.

So far so good.

But then paragraph two, in its entirety, read:

“Advancing organizations and individuals toward clear communication to produce and present best products and services using best practices…”  I’ll look for you Thursday to wrap up my elevator speech.

Why?

Please don’t pitch me. Talk to me instead.

I like networking events because I love to meet new people. Find out what makes them tick. Who they are when they’re not in default work mode. Sure, we’re all selling something. But we’re not all buying the same things.

You can’t sell me if I tune you out. So strike up a conversation instead.

Postscript: When I emailed that I was happy to meet her but to please leave out the elevator speech, I got a mea culpa. She’s going to ditch the speech so we can have a genuine conversation.

See, it’s really not that hard.

Photo by Marcin Wichary (Flickr).

Have you signed up to receive the Independent Thinking newsletter? Now’s the time! Once a month I’ll send you exclusive, subscriber-only content highlighting interesting articles I’ve found, as well as tips on marketing, social media, and how to grow your business. Sign up today!

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Can Social Media Cure Reticence?

by Daria Steigman on September 15, 2009

reticence_TAHANI al oSIMiYI was talking with Marc Meyer yesterday about this post, and the conversation expanded as it often does. And I tweeted this–

@Marc_Meyer: Good thing we don’t have reticent personalities.
about 4 hours ago from TweetDeck in reply to Marc_Meyer

–and he replied–

@dariasteigman: Reticence and social media are like oil and water…
about 2 hours ago from TweetDeck in reply to dariasteigman

But are they?

I have a good friend who’s very reserved when you first meet him. But once he gets comfortable, he opens up and his personality comes through. He’s on Twitter, but he’s not in his comfort zone yet. So his tweets have this formal, wall-between-you feel, and I haven’t figured out how to help him break through.

It’s no surprise that many of the people I interact with on social networks are naturally conversational. But what happens when you aren’t? Can you teach someone how to open up online?

Photo by TAHANI al oSiMiY (Flickr).

Have you signed up to receive the Independent Thinking newsletter? Now’s the time! Once a month I’ll send you exclusive, subscriber-only content highlighting interesting articles I’ve found, as well as tips on marketing, social media, and how to grow your business. Sign up today!

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