Recently, I participated in a discussion over at Tiffany Dow’s blog concerning southern hospitality. Her post referred to this original article, which talks about tech industries and how they thrive in the South.
Tiffany resides in the great state of Texas and believes:
Southern hospitality is welcoming people into your family even if they’re not related to you. It’s showing guests a good time, cooking for them, and letting them into your home for comfort when they need it.
So as far as business goes, I think it’s AWESOME that companies are now shunning the “how fast can we make money off consumers” mindset for one that puts people first.
I told Tiffany how I agreed with her analogy of Southern culture because I experienced it for myself, 35 years ago, after I hitchhiked to Texas from Pennsylvania.
One day I will tell you about my traveling experience, but not today. Instead, I would like to share how you can incorporate a little southern hospitality into your business to build rapport with an audience.
Be a Helper
I always believed that if you help others get what they want – you get more of what you want, too. For example, when you become a helper of people, you are building goodwill with an audience.
Likewise, an inevitable exchange takes place.
- As you regularly extend a helping hand through your blogs, newsletters and podcasts, you attract a community of followers.
- Your acts of kindness add favorable deposits into your “branding” pool. Mari Smith, author of The New Relationship Marketing, labels this as social equity.
This is a good thing because your genuine efforts will eventually pay off in a big way. Rest assured, people remember kindness and reciprocate in a like manner. This is known as the Law of Karma. (i.e. What you do to others will be done to you.)
In a world of online commerce where the gurus are always pushing the next “best product” down our throats – your helping hand approach will stand out. I guarantee it.
Building business relationships is not about how fast you release a new product or how often you collaborate with a high profile guru; it is about putting people first.
Please do not listen to people who tell you to “fake it, until you make it” because others bear witness to your actions. If you are not sincere, people will notice. It is important for you to express a genuine concern. Always treat visitors and customers with respect.
You must be authentic because people can tell if you are in it just for the money. If you learn anything from today’s post, I want it to be the concept of putting people first and making a profit second. If you are doing what you can to help others, the money will follow.
I am not saying that you should never try to sell to an audience. There will be opportunities to sell, and you should, but there has to be a balance between what you sell and what you give away.
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I'm sharing my personal, honest opinion, and ask that you do your due diligence in evaluating the product or service before making a purchase. Individuals differ, which has a bearing on how profitable one can be. There is no guarantee you'll make money.
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