The Art of Becoming an Overnight Expert
Have YOU ever heard of the Rule of Seven?
The Rule of Seven is an old marketing adage. It says that a prospect needs to see or hear your marketing message at least seven times before they take action and buy from you. Now the number seven isn't cast in stone. The truth of the Rule of Seven is you can't just engage in a marketing activity and then be done.
It's funny because I have used this rule in many instances over the years and in many different scenarios. I think you can apply it to marketing but it also can be extended to communication within your organization...to your teams...to your colleagues...to your kids! We can't count on that one time where you told someone something and that they remember it or can place the importance of the message in context with ALL the other things that happen in the run of a day...a month...or year.
The Art of Becoming an "Overnight" Expert
I had the incredible opportunity to present this week to over forty people participating in the #hpsocial program. It has been such an amazing experience to get to know the founders and drivers of this group. I am at the point where they have achieved so much in their social selling journey that I am not only learning from them all the time but I feel like I am in the midst of celebrities!
What is fascinating to me is that yesterday's presentation may actually have been my 7th time presenting in this forum on the tips....tricks and stories that I have amassed over the years. Having said that...it was the first time for many of the folks on the phone but for several it was their 7th time through. While I don't want to be naïve or or buy in TOO much to their generous feedback...what struck me was that more than one person who had been through my presentation before said "I learn something new each time I hear you speak". I honestly don't think that my pitch has changed much since the first time...even though I mix up the live demonstration and examples... I think that the rule of seven means they are absorbing and OWNING more of the information each time through. As they have made the leap to do more social selling...the more the message makes sense and they connect the dots faster on things that they weren't ready for or interested in the last time around.
Having said that... I had to make an impression the first time I did it... with a few key people... so that I could have the chance to keep coming back. There must have been something in that first pitch that had enough of a hook that enabled the rule of seven to come into play. I would like to believe that it is because that pitch....while new to them...has been developed over numerous iterations...with multiple pieces of feedback over time....I'm guessing more than seven times...but who is counting at this point?
What is also becoming more apparent to me is... that with this rule of seven... I am seemingly being viewed as an "overnight expert" on LinkedIn even though I have been at this for a while. I had to keep showing up in different ways...in different mediums...with different content and messages to earn credibility with decision makers in my network. In fact...I can be so bold as to say...that I have been to the HP Rio Rancho offices many times over the years and done a lot of in person training but I am not sure I left as lasting an impact on my message or relationships as I have through this social selling journey.
How Do YOU Turn this into Growing YOUR Business?
Now...you may well be asking yourself....what does doing Social Selling presentations have to do with my day job?
Well...I think it has EVERYTHING to do with my day job as the Relationship Director in the AMS for HPE Financial Services. It is my job to build relationships and add value to my customer HP Inc. It just so happens that what this amazing group of people need and value right now is growing in their social selling journey. To ignore that I have a passion for it or that it is my "professional hobby" would not be authentic to who I am or my mandate of adding value to the customer experience. I also strongly believe that these relationships and being viewed as a trusted expert continues to keep our company top of mind. I have been humbled each and every time I have interacted with this team on our financial solutions they have been willing to accept the meeting...give us time with their teams and work with us to develop campaigns and offers to our shared clients.
It also gives me a chance to boost the HP message in context with the HPE Financial Services message. As the team is social selling I can boost the message through my network to say "and if budget to acquire HP world class products & services is constrained or if customers are trying to figure out how monetize their existing assets all the while ensuring they are disposed of in a secure and sustainable manner...HPE FS to the rescue!"
In Closing...
My experience has taught me that the rule of seven is a key contributor to me being viewed as an "overnight expert" on LinkedIn. Here are a few other truths that I have learned along the way:
YOU have to show up as a whole person with varied expertise and unafraid to add value in more than one way
YOU have to listen to what your customers needs...not just on what YOU want them to know. Once you add value and delight them with your content....showing them options to solve key problems... and demonstrating that you are in this to help THEM the rest will all fall into place
YOU have to find varied ways and mediums to reach YOUR audience. Mix up your content and postings with video, articles, industry expertise, and company specific information. How they learn...consume content or sit up and take notice will vary and one size doesn't fit all
ALWAYS put YOUR personal spin on WHY your network should care or pay attention to what you have to say. Don't be afraid to have an opinion
Get involved in conversations with your customers or initiate them. Ask questions of your network or even better tag and expert to get the ball rolling
I know many of us are caught up in our own heads and worry that we will post too much. I believe that if you are just "going through the motions" and posting a monotone stream of content because someone "told us to" then yes...that will be too much. That may be the one thing that breaks the rule of seven or should be a caveat to it. Simply showing the same thing over and over again without additional context...perspective or WHY will create fatigue rather than confidence.
Maybe that is why I keep getting asked back to present? (and I hope they WILL ask me back because it inspires me more than I could ever inspire them). Anyone could read the presentation and honestly the steps are NOT hard to follow...it's that YOU try in different ways...in different forums so YOU can be an overnight expert and keep them coming back for more!
Leadership Questions of the Week for YOU:
What are YOUR thoughts on the rule of seven and how it has influenced your approach to things?
What advice do YOU have for others in communicating a message and how to get others to take action or do business with YOU?
How have YOU been adjusting your approach...or have you...now that we are all remote and not out visiting our customers in person? What best practices would YOU share with others?
What has been YOUR experience in becoming an "overnight expert" either your own experience or what you have observed in others? What do you think the "secret" was or what advice would YOU share?
Thanks for reading….and remember…YOU make a difference!
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