Hint: Here’s the 5 min read handed to you on a platter. If you want the real fast track focus on agreement #2.
A few years back, my business coach and friend pointed out “The 4 agreements” by don Miguel Ruiz to me. Being the good and obedient student I am (YA) I bought the book on the spot. Funny how things unfold. A month ago I finally picked it up and puffed the dust away. I read it all that same day. Its’ wisdom was spot on and penetrated deep. It has been positively shadowing and guiding me ever since.
At any given time, in nearly every experience I have at least one of the agreements come to mind, untangling me from a thought which could easily block me from moving forward, and moreover give me a great excuse to do so: be it a business encounter I anticipate and then analyze, a misunderstanding with a close friend, and let alone when parenting or couple hood.
I’ve even noticed the 4 agreements guide me through my marketing briefs.
1. Be impeccable with your word:
Your words are your manifest, your intent and most of all your power. Use them wisely. As a brand and business you are as accountable for them as for your products and services.
On a positive note: a great visual, contextual and verbal engagement increases your chances of converting to sell. What does it mean to be impeccable with your word?
Say what you mean. Mean what you say
Talk about yourself DON’T GOSSIP
Refrain from trash mouthing – focus on you and your benefits.
Live up to your promises – be it in mass media but moreover in your one on one interaction, be it over the phone, emails and customer support.
2. Don’t take anything personally
In short, as always: ITS NOT ALL ABOUT YOU DUDE!! In the personal world this is easier to apply. Feeling offended? Disappointed from other peoples words and action? Remind yourself that even the harshest actions and words from the closest friend are expressed from a person, who has tons of issues going on, interpretations of their own some of which they, themselves aren’t even fully aware of. That’s what really affected their interaction with you, not solely you.
When it comes to marketing it’s a bit more complex to apply this rule as oppose to the previous one. However, we should have our intent very clear.
We don’t know in what mood we caught our prospect or client, especially when it comes to the online world. However, we could strategically map out the main psychological state of minds, which our users could be in – and be ready for them (be it a B2B or B2C brand).
Thank God technology and great content creators are at our side. Use them to detect your visitors state of mind by connecting the dots: where the user landed from, what they are seeking, the time they spend on each page and how quickly they add items to your cart, seek reviews, bounce or turn to assistance and what they ask and more.
Connect these usage patterns and clusters with your CRM’s, Analytics and VOC platforms and add up all the information you collected to add layer to their personas based on the psychological state of mind they could be in.
Then create the experience or escapism your client is after by using the right language, various landing pages, online assistants, and contextually changing content.
3. Assume nothing
Be clear with your communication and clarify others intents and meaning.
When you are clear with your intent from the moment your create a brief, or page all the way through the way you communicate. ex: “this page is here to connect you with our brand, this is to sell and this is for assistance” your customers will enjoy an easy and effortless ride on your web site.
Also, be sure to identify your customers’ intentions through their words and actions. As mentioned in the agreement above, technology is at our side. Also, use search bar, and online assistant like Liveperson or NanoRep to narrow down your assumptions even more.
4. Always do your best
I mean really do your best. Follow your customers’ flows and actions all the way through, follow up with your customers after every interaction. Mean it and own it. Do your best to give them the best experience you could ever want for yourself.
