I would definitely say yes you can with only a few
reservations. He is my story
In the residential construction market, I've noticed a huge
shift in consumer’s behavior which previously focused on price, quality and
project completion. But in today’s world of identity theft, malware and material
scams these security concerns have driven consumers to rethink what is
important when hiring a service professional .
One way a client can offset this concern is by going out on the web and discovering
which service professionals provide more
insight into who they are not just what they do. Many review based social media
sites have built large platforms online in an effort to bridge the gap for
consumers in an effort to answer these questions. So, if you’re a business
professional and would like to express yourself online I suggest that you do it
and definitely build your profile, but with a few reservations. The big
question is “how much is too much” or counterproductive and inappropriate to actually
divulge online in order to respond to this growing market? I suggest that whatever
you do, be crystal clear. In college we learn many principles, one is that ambiguity
rarely pays off.
A great starting point is the process of building trust with clients which requires you
to post quality content (online) simply and succinctly. I’m personal in my posts but that doesn't mean you have to get emotional, bias, or caviler
to drive a casual point. Think of it in terms of would you post a thought that
your competitor could easily go negative with and twist to drive a client away
from your firm instead of supporting you.
Also, keep the personality (online or in the field) to what
is relevant within the scope of your professional conversation or content; only
sprinkled a dash of humanity and perhaps
a pinch of humorous character in as you write or present.
In conclusion, what
is too personal and how can potential clients misinterpret it? If you come across
as to helpful or available that can actually work to your disadvantage. It says
that you are not as interested as being profitable and probably unscheduled for
future work. It’s never a good sign to be in business and have time to kill so
don’t. Be busy, because you really are (or at least get that way). Just
remember, what you say online should be an extension of who you are
professionally and partly private. Beyond that your risking alienating a
perfectly good client that your competitor is now serving which is never any
fun and unnecessary.
Hi Eric,
ReplyDeleteI agree that you need a healthy balance on being personal and businesslike with quality content on your blog. Also to your point of one's character -- when I am searching for a service provider, specifically on "Yelp," I pay attention to what the reviewer says about the person who performs the service - easy to get along with, on time, friendly, professional, etc. Competition is tough, but the difference for me is the person I would be able to trust to get the job done, is reasonably priced, and a professional. Thank you. Aloha, Dorothy
great story and good advice. however if you're being helpful i don't think many customers will think that much into it that you don't have work scheduled or don't care about profit.
ReplyDeleteExcellent post. I would definitely appreciate the opportunity to hire someone who showed their personal intelligence, creativity, and sense of humor through their online presence. Especially when it comes to something like construction where any number of things could pop up unexpectedly during the course of the job! It just adds that extra layer of assurance that, whatever happens, this person/business has shown the flexible personality to deal with it efficiently and as pleasantly as possible.
ReplyDeleteGreat post. It is so true that people like to know or feel they know someone that they are brining into there home to do work. It gives them a sense of security. It is also true that there is a fine line to walk, you must be careful. You can be personal without being opinionated.
ReplyDeleteThere is has to be so much thought put into a business blog since like you said there is that fine line where too personal can be misinterpreted. You have to give the audience a feel of what your work will be like, but being too personal might come across as too unprofessional.
ReplyDeleteI think you make a good point in keeping your personal views business like on a business page. We have all seen some of the crazy personal posts that people have made and how it has backfired on them, it's in the news all the time. I also think that because of the publicity that some of those posts have received, people have become more careful in what they do post on a personal level.
ReplyDelete