Within the collective of online businesses, there are various schools of thought as to how you should go about building the most effective model for business.
Two of the most popular models for success online are automation and also relationship building.
The automation model simply suggests that by automating or having as many aspects of business running on auto-pilot, certain resources (namely you), are free to focus more so on other money generating activities.
The relationship building model is more of a psychological approach, which is built upon the notion that people tend to do business with individuals or companies that they like, trust, or are at least more familiar with.
Here there may be something of a debate. . .
Now, many will argue that hey, with this one VS the other. You can certainly do both. Right?
This is true, but I believe this is only true to a certain extent without sacrificing the value of one model for another.
Automation of those business activities that don’t deal directly with the customer is highly efficient.
However, once you begin to automate your methods of direct contact, such as customer support, pre-selling, even e-mailing your list, I would suggest that you are also sacrificing your relationship in favor of automation.
Here is an example…
One popular method for automation is undoubtedly the auto-responder. The auto-responder allows a business to send any number of pre written e-mails to a list of customers or prospects.
Although, this is tactic definitely conserves time, most automated e-mails have the look and feel of something that has been mass produced.
These e-mails don’t have much of a personalized touch which eliminates the opportunity for a customer to develop any sort of bond or personal relationship with that business.
E-mail marketing is an incredible method by which a business can build relationships with lists and customers.
The key element to this approach is consistency as well as a personal touch.
When people here from you on a regular basis, they become accustomed to that contact and begin to expect it.
As apposed to, “Oh! This guy again. He probably wants to sell me something and off the top of my head I can’t say I feel like spending any money. So, delete. ”
When a business automates the contact with customers they lose much of any personal quality and take on the image of some huge money hungry machine that frankly doesn’t have the time to send you a personal e-mail.
This is not relationship building by any stretch of the imagination. People like to do business with other people, not corporations, or franchises, or operations, but people.
Other highly effective methods for actually connecting with people online (and that is the power of the internet), include forum marketing,blogging, and viral marketing.
I won’t go into detail about these methods here, because each could easily warrant an entire piece on that topic alone.
I believe that closely associated with that initial query by potential customers, “What’s in it for me?” there is also an implied questions of,
“Why should I listen to you…Why should I trust you?”
This is the importance of relationship building and any business, but especially business online. People like to know that you are as real as they are.
Character may almost be called the most effective means of persuasion.
-Aristotle
