I am told that in order to reach peak performance in a sport an athlete must go through what is called the ‘pain barrier.’ I understand this in part only because as a young man I struggled with asthma.  However, I loved long distance running and found that at some stage in a cross country run my chest would begin to tighten.  It would have been easy to stop at that point but I began to train myself to run through this barrier.  Well, the short period of struggle turned in to a most beneficial outcome.  After doing this a few times I found myself free of a tight chest and the symptoms that go with asthma. Once through that barrier my performance improved significantly.

Is Social Media A Barrier for You?

I have been speaking to people that  see Social  Media as a waste of time.  However, just as with anything new there is a barrier we need to go through.  Some Architects and Engineers I have spoken with want nothing to do with Social Media and list the negative reasons why.  Their  perception is that conversations on social media are inane and hold little or no value.  Personal privacy is threatened and getting on with work is more important.

One Architect told me he was not convinced about the use of social media as Twitter was just another new tool to be used by Marketers. He preferred face to face meetings. Yet, I believe that Social Media increases our chances within the marketplace and with the right conditions will lead us to the table where ‘virtual’ friends become ‘face to face’ clients.

However, particularly within the construction industry this is not a quick fix.

Traditional Marketing

Marketers are taught that the rule of thumb is between 6 to 8 contacts from a cold start to the first job is realistic. Having planned who I am going to call on the phone I have a good first conversation with a decision maker at a large organization. I promise to email him and agree a follow up call. I send off the email and note that I receive a read receipt. Wonderful!  Two weeks later I am on the phone and he has read my details. I then want to meet face to face and the meeting is agreed.  Mission accomplished!

The above paragraph describes the acceptable way most traditionalists in construction would market their service because the end result is a face to face meeting.  However, Social Media is a great way of doing exactly the same thing.  I regularly send quality leads out to people I know will be interested and capable of doing the work.  Why? It is because I have had contact with them and it is the most natural thing to do because I have allowed myself to trust them.

“Trust men and they will be true to you; treat them greatly, and they will show themselves great.”   –  Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

Let me encourage you to really CONNECT with others.

• 1.    Include Social Media in your Marketing mix.
• 2.   Develop relationships with the people you want to connect with and talk with them.
• 3.   Don’t sell, but rather share yourself, your business and your technical expertise.
• 4.   Be prepared to go through the pain barrier. The challenge!
• 5.   If you are involved in social media just for fun. Enjoy yourself.
• 6.   If you want to build a network, work hard and be patient.
• 7.   Always remember, you are connecting with real people. Respect them.

I will do business with people I feel I can trust. It will be the same with others. Social Media is simply a means to an end helping us to connect with others.  If I can help you in any way please give me a call on 0782 515 5165.

What are your experiences as an Architect, Engineer or Building Contractor?  Feel free to share them with me. Thanks in advance.