Being With VS. Speaking To (in Marketing)
Businesses have a tendency to SPEAK TO people with their Marketing.
We get worried about telling people what we do, how to optimize that for search engines, how to make that louder than our competitors, how to make sure people know us for that.
We SPEAK TO people so they know us; like us; trust us.
But if we peel away the business, the financial requirements and the responsibilities, and we simply look at whether or not that works on US...
We realize that SPEAKING TO people doesn't really accomplish anything.
Especially in a digital sea where so many people are SPEAKING TO everyone.
And it's not about optimizing narrative, stories or packages.
It's not even about how your personal brand LOOKS from a profile perspective.
It's about the EXPERIENCE people FEEL.
Are you inviting them (and allowing them) to BE WITH you?
Or are you just SPEAKING TO them?
Let's explore the difference between these two things with some examples.
At An Event
There are a LOT of events that exist in Marketing. Whether it's a small community event, a business open house, or a huge tradeshow, it have become SUPER common for events to be focused around Keynote Speakers, panel conversations, and education in general.
People come to LEARN. So we TEACH them.
Just like our teachers in school stood at the front of the room and taught (yeah, because that totally worked for most of us, right?)
But we continue propagating that norm. All the way up to the "most important jobs" with political speeches and debates.
And even when it comes to entertainment, we give away awards and listen to people speak while we sit in a crowd (hello, Oscars).
You know what's happening right?
We're being programmed to CONSUME.
Being programmed that consumption is the answer to all our problems.
To sit back and let someone else do the work, or get the glory.
So sure, we can create an event where we PROPAGATE that programming.
OR...we can care MORE about BEING WITH our people instead.
And what does that look like?
It looks like NOT standing at the front of the room and presenting answers. But standing in a room with your people being part of the solution. And also making THEM part of the solution.
You see, when people CREATE something, they become more invested in seeing that thing through. And when that's a solution to a problem, all of a sudden we become problem solvers, active in creating the world we want to see.
So yeah, maybe you're not the one who's on the stage the most. But you ARE the one who enabled people to create the solutions THEY need, and you'll be remembered for that.
With Your Partners
Partner programs, especially in business, continue to grow in popularity. And when there's no cost to being a partner, why wouldn't people say yes?
And companies end up having a LOT of partners that don't add any value to their business; at least from a business development perspective.
And also then need internal resources to service the partners. And HOW do most companies service those partners? With a SPEAKING TO strategy.
"Let me tell you what you need to know about us, and then you'll tell YOUR clients, who will then want to purchase our products."
I don't know about you, but if I was on the receiving side of that, I would be like,
"Umm. No Thanks."
What you've just done there is a double (negative) whammy on your profit margin; additional cost and no additional revenue. All because we think the answer is to SPEAK TO the partners.
Now, let's imagine what BEING WITH our partners might feel like.
Just take a look at the header image for some inspiration 😎
Chatting. Smiling. Laughing. Connecting.
Solving problems TOGETHER.
I mean, what if they have an amazing idea that would make the partnership more powerful? Does it even make sense to not ask for it?
Oh, plus...do you think any of their OTHER partners are showing up that way? Because if not, you just implemented a competitive advantage. Bonus.
In Your Content
Ok, this one is interesting because content, often anyway, is interpreted as a one-directional activity. I create content. I post it. People consume it (or more often than not, don't).
Makes it easy to get excited about generating content, right?
NOT.
All because we're looking at content creation as SPEAKING TO people.
Often, people who aren't intending to listen, which is even less inspiring.
But what if, a post, or an article, or a video, was an invitation to BEING WITH?
An opportunity to get into a conversation about something that's meaningful to both parties?
How might your content look (and more importantly, FEEL), if your intention was not to SPEAK TO (or to just check off a thing on your To Do List), but to create an opening to BE WITH?
What might you ask?
What energy might you want to tap into?
Who do you really want to be with?
How do you want to be with them?
What does it feel like for them to be with you?
What does it feel like for you to be with them?
(Just to get you started)
Now, take a look at the last 10 posts you distributed.
How are they contributing to your ideal clients getting an invitation to BE WITH you?
If they're not, then there's more potential there ✨
How To Begin Your "Being With" Practice
Just like anything that's mindset related in Marketing (or in anything else), understanding the CONCEPT isn't actually the answer.
The answer lies in finding YOUR way of bringing the concept to life.
Plus, being with YOU isn't by nature the same as being with ME.
So, it's not something someone else can just come in and implement for you.
YOU have to BE.
BE with yourself (in confidence).
And then go BE with others.
And there's not ONE way to do that.
Not one platform. Not one strategy. Not one tactic. Not one "solution".
It's a mash-up of things that allow you to BE the MOST you. With the people you want to be the most you with.
So, take a look at where you're effectively BEING WITH your people today...
And bring THAT energy to your marketing too 😉
And if you need some help identifying that, let's chat 💖
