A role model for vulnerability.

You know it’s time for a new blog post when a topic comes up in multiple conversations in the same week. So here’s this week’s theme.

I work with heart-centered business people, and many of them struggle to express that side of themselves out loud — especially in the business world. But we all need to go there.

We tell ourselves: “Can’t say that, that’s too mushy,” “That’s too personal,” or “They’ll think I’m stupid.”

If you need a practical reason to say it out loud (or in any business communications), here’s the kicker: our holding back on our hearts is getting in the way of our success.

Showing our caring human side is exactly what will draw the audience and results we want! I promise.

The Proof that Heart-Centered = Better Results

For the left-brained scientific types (and everyone who needs a little encouragement), here’s the evidence:

1. Check your own buying decisions for evidence. You make spending choices based on how you feel about a business, right? And don’t you feel better about the businesses that seem to care? Don’t you prefer the ones with thoughtful live people on the other end of the customer service call?
2. It’s proven that the most loyal customers are the ones who got the most honest helpful responses after a company made a mistake. People become more loyal when someone admits a mistake. Think about that. We get to be imperfect! Phew.
3. If you read blogs, aren’t you most drawn to the ones where the writer seems light-hearted, funny, vulnerable, or just plain real? You wouldn’t read it otherwise.
4. Oprah. Need I say more?

Go Past Your Comfort Zone

Go a little past your comfort zone and then you’re probably in the right place. Get in above your elbows. (Yikes.) That’s where the gold is!!!

Know that you are already heart-centered, so all you have to do now is let it come out in your words — on your website, Facebook, LinkedIn, brochures, phone conversations, and at that dreaded networking event. Why hold back anywhere?

I’m not asking you to be something you’re not. The key is to reveal more of the real you — mistakes, stuttering, and all.

Heart-Centered Communication Sample

Here are three different styles for a LinkedIn status update. Which one would make you click to read more?

Old business style:
“New Article: Best Practices for Business Newsletters”

Heart-centered business style:
“I hope this saves you from my mistakes: 10 Things I’ll Never Do Again with My Newsletter”

Bolder heart-centered style:
“Ouch, I just learned a hard lesson on what not to say in a business newsletter. I hope my readers know how much I love them even when I goof up.”

OK, what’s your bold LinkedIn or Twitter post going to be? Tell me below and I promise I’ll become a fan.

My bold action for the moment is to hit “publish” before I make sure there are no mistakes in this post. OK, here goes.

Related Posts from the Blogosphere

• The lesson from two lemonade stands (Seth Godin’s Blog, 1/11/10)

When you’re done writing that perfect blog post or webpage, go back and sprinkle in a few synonyms of your main topic. For example, if you’re writing about “volunteering,” refer to it as “community service” too. Why?

It’s People-friendly.

Not everyone uses the same words you use for your topic, so it’s more reader-friendly to offer alternate words. You say “sweet potato,” I say “yam.” (But let’s not call the whole thing off.)

It’s Google-friendly.

As an added bonus, Google loves synonyms. It helps them understand the main points of your page and potentially show your webpage in the search results for a broader set of search terms (keywords).

Be sure to add in your synonyms logically, such as the way I did for “search terms” and “keywords” in the previous paragraph.

Your Trusty Thesaurus… and More

Sometimes you need more than a thesaurus to find new words. What about idioms, phrases, and slang? Here’s some handy free references on the web:

• Idioms and phrases at FreeDictionary
• Slangasaurus
• Merriam-Webster (dictionary and thesaurus) – my favorite standby

Flooded by Social Media Options

At a seminar on Web 2.0 for small businesses last week, the first panelist, Chris Amato, started us off by giving a quick (and excellent) overview of the hottest online bells and whistles — from viral videos on YouTube to Twitter and iPhone apps.

Widgets, nings, and apps, oh my. The new media options are enough to make even a techie’s head spin.

But the last speaker on the panel, John Bidwell, calmly emphasized that it’s the message, not the medium that counts.

I couldn’t agree more. When it comes to online communications, I like to say:

It’s what you say, and how you say it.

Web Marketing Is a Social Science

Many people want to categorize web marketing under technology or Internet services, but truly, it is a social science.

A developer can build a great website or a mobile phone app, but it’s up to you or your marketing team to create the right message that will make the difference.

I commend Diane Dougherty (of the MSBDC) for gathering panelists for the Web 2.0 seminar that not only had web technology experts but also included an online journalist and a branding expert. It’s all in the blend.

Even though search engines are robots, their “artificial intelligence” programming is so sophisticated that they know if your web content is written well or not. The better your content reads to a human being, the more “points” you get from search engines.

If you write content that gives your visitor something meaningful to them, you will not only be more popular among search engine robots, you’ll gain human followers too.

A perfect exchange

The main reason people search online is to look up information, so if your online communications are only about selling or asking for something, you’re missing the boat.

The key to effective marketing and communications whether online or offline is to give your audience something they find valuable first.

Be helpful. Then offer them the option to check out your opportunities.

Be like the appealing flowers that give a little nectar to the birds, and in return, they get a little pollination.

The people who get the most followers online are the ones that are the most helpful. Tried and true.

People tune out old school sales pitches, don’t you? Who needs metrics to prove that?

If you use marketing 1.0 in the 2.0 channels — you will fail.
—Brent Leary

The take-home lesson (in case you didn’t learn it in kindergarten): Play nice and people will often play nice back.

What Can You Offer?

Here’s a few ideas to get you out of the mindset of asking for something. Instead consider answering questions; providing useful tips, downloads, coupons, gifts, links to valuable information; or spreading their message. Watch what others offer. The possibilities are endless.

In a recent email campaign I helped with, we got far better click-through rates when we focused on offering free downloads of activities for kids. The freebies were featured in the subject line.

We left our “pitch” as an aside near the bottom of the email. The free downloads drew traffic to the website, where visitors were exposed to our key messages, and we got more leads.

Indirect is the key.