Imagine someone walking up to you at a business networking event and saying this to you… “Hi! Want to buy a house?” They go from stranger to sale in one step. And then they walk away. How would that make you feel? If we would not like this to be done to us face to face, why would we like this online version either?

This causes me to remember a tweet that one of my mentors [@MarkShaw] on social media put out. Here is what I tweeted:

The tweet was short and right to the point. It’s like walking softly and carrying a big stick.

It is one thing when a stranger comes up to our business and asks for help. It is another thing to play the numbers game and try to shove business down people’s throats in one foul swoop. As a business, I know we have to ask for the business. There is nothing wrong with asking. But what ever happened to the foreplay and the casual conversations leading into the buying process?

For some people, the Internet is like the “Wild Wild West“, where they can get away with anything. They can be rude and abrupt in their quest to create business. But the one thing these people forget is that there are living breathing people on the other end that want to feel validated and acknowledged. People like to ease into the process. Sure you might get the odd one that likes the abrupt approach, but they are few and far between.

Most businesses exist as small businesses. They generally try to build relationships with people in their community. They know that there is small talk involved when people come in their stores. A social media savvy business will do the same on social media as they do in person with their customers. The ease into everything.

Now I know that there are a group of businesses that are only interested in the quick sale. They could care less about people. They are only sale focused. Their goal in business might simply be to get past all the No’s and arrive at the one Yes. To them, business is a numbers game. More numbers means more Yes. But this is not the best approach to take on social media, and it’s not the best approach for a face to face encounter.

So I agree with Mark Shaw when he says… “Stop trying to go from stranger to sale in one tweet”. As a social media marketer, we need to value creating relationships with our customers. This in turn will help us create more good will towards our business, and more future referrals. Good will and referrals are much better things to create than “Quickies”. As a business, we need to make the first sales experience great and keep them coming back for more. And that my friend is going to take a courting process, so to speak. Let’s call it business dating.

So think about what you are building with your social media. Please take the longer community building method to heart. Don’t go for the “Do you want to buy a house” quickie that only allows you to briefly interact with people, and leave them wondering. Build community and referrals into your game plan.

So here’s to a great day of business for you. Let’s start creating more great relationships with our customers.