Jul 11
24
Do You Have 400 Friends?
I am probably one of the few people left on the planet that does not actually enjoy Facebook. I loathe getting on there, seeing a bunch of drivel from people I barely recognize, let alone want to know all of my goings-on. But alas, resistance is futile and for both business and personal reasons have a Facebook life. An article I read the other day got me thinking about the word “friends.”
As a writer, words are impactful for me. I love words. If you ask by man, he will tell you that I use far too many of them every day. I love finding that one perfect word
that can convey an entire sentence of meaning. The word friend is one of those words for me. If I have known you long enough to call you a friend, then that means we have been through some things together. We have seen the seasons of life change in each other’s lives and we came out better together on the other side. That’s what a friend is to me today.
It didn’t always used to be that way. I was a former member of an association where we all called each other friends. I remember introducing other people to them saying, “Meet my friends.” After some much unexpected illnesses, I realized that not one of those people had come to see me in the hospital, called or offered assistance to my family. However, they did post a get better soon message to me on Facebook. I let it pass under the ready-made excuse of “it’s the thought that counts.”
Facebook has cheapened the word friend in my opinion. Even if I allow you into my network, adjust my settings to determine who sees my profile; it’s still not very real to me. I have a number of people in my personal/professional/business social media networks that I would really enjoy getting to know. If you just looked at it on paper (the screen) it would suggest that I am well connected in the Legal Nurse Consulting industry. Pat Iyer is a friend on Facebook, a guru in this industry that I haven’t actually met face to face. But she is a virtual friend. I can see her posts, her thoughts, her connections, but I have no idea what makes her laugh or what she takes in her coffee. It would be very difficult for me to make a sale to her without knowing these things.
I need real relations with people rather than virtual ones. I have found that as a consultant of any kind, people buy YOU more than they buy your services. Any professional educated marketing person can consult, but my clients happen to like the way I consult for them. They only know that because they got to know me. And I got to know them.
Legal Nurse Consultants must understand that your social network is NOT your relationship network. What you do and say online might get people to notice your practice and your work, but eventually you will have to speak with them. You must be able to sell to them face to face or on the telephone.
As a simple rule of thumb for marketing your Legal Nurse Consulting practice today, go make a friend. The real flesh and blood kind. Offer to take any of those 400 virtual ‘friends” to lunch. “Like” her opinion on the funny dress the woman at the counter is wearing. To build a better practice, build better relationships not better networks.
For more on building a remarkable Legal Nurse Consulting or Life Care Planning practice, subscribe to the RSS Feed for the Blog and my Email Newsletter. Follow us on Twitter, join our LNC/LCP Group on LinkedIn, or friend us on Facebook. We also offer one on one practice coaching as well as amazing LNC/LCP marketing materials, website design and social media page designs. Email us or call me at (317) 426-1170.
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