Forming authentic connections online is my jam. As an introvert, surface connections don’t really excite me. To be honest, I feel like I continually stumble on my words with chit chat. I am not a good person to talk about the weather with.
I’m looking for that deep connection, and I have a gift for forming them.
From the toughest to the softest, I can connect…
It hasn’t always been that I recognized this ability. I’ve always worked in an industry that requires trust. It required it almost instantly. As an insurance agent, I had about five minutes to build the level of trust it would take for someone to trust all their personal information with.
That got me to thinking, is it just a gift that I was born with or is it something that I developed along the way? Maybe it was a little of both, but I know I’ve used the ability to gain trust so quickly has served me well over the years.
So, I’m going to share with you my top tips on building a strong connection within minutes.
Smile
You need to meet everyone with a genuine smile. Online, this would be your profile photo. Your profile photo should be a professional photo of you smiling. The smile is welcoming and aids in building rapport with your audience.
People are more likely to approach someone with a smile on their face than with a frown. Also, if the photo is of you alone, then there is no confusion in who the profile belongs to. I have visited social media profiles, and I was confused about who the profile belonged to.
Compliment People
It needs to be a sincere compliment. People see through fakeness quickly. Everyone loves to receive compliments, and a simple compliment can make anyone’s day better. Especially for people whose love language is words of affirmation, a sincere compliment will go aid in the like factor of know, like & trust.
Find Commonalities
You need to look on their Facebook profile for something that you may share in common with them. This will help form a connection between you and your potential client.
Show Respect
You need to show the potential client respect. Being from the South, lack of respect will get you blacklisted. Just a little common courtesy goes a long way. They are more than a potential sale. They are a human with a problem that needs to be solved. You may have the solution to their problem. Being respectful of their problems, needs, and wants will help you form a lasting connection.
Ask Questions
Ask questions and listen, well in this case read their answers. Pay attention to what they say, engage with them, and stop with the scripted conversations in messenger. Have real conversations and get to know them as individuals, and let them know something about you. What better way to build a connection than with common interests.
Every day I use these online, and I have formed some amazing friendships and connections online. Just a few short months ago I would not message anyone that I didn’t know. I had to figure out a way to bring my ability to connect in person to the online space.
One thing, I want to warn you about when it comes to building connections. I have recently realized this. The knack for building connections really quickly can lead to familiarity. Familiarity can lead to less sales.
When people and situations feel familiar, they can feel comfortable. It can skew a person’s view on the person. They may become “friend zoned”. This will definitely lead to less sales for you and your business. You can lose your position as the expert of the problem you are trying to solve.
The key is finding that genuine connection without crossing over into the long-time friend zone. People tend not to buy from friends.
This can be an extremely hard balance to find. It will take practice.
If you need additional help with building an online business, check out the Super Affiliate Accelerator Program. Jacob Caris provides incredible training with daily action steps needed to build a successful business online.