Remember the song that Barbara Streisand sang; “People who need people, are the luckiest people in the world”. Good thing you are only reading this and not hearing me sing it right now, I would lose you for sure.

Let’s just think about that for a moment. People who need people; who doesn’t need other people? Now I’m a very independent person, but I would be absolutely lost without other people in my life, and so would you. People make the world go round, we need each other whether you want to admit that or not.

I remember an old Lee Marvin movie, “Hell in the Pacific”. It’s a story of an American marine pilot and a Japanese naval officer, stranded on the same island back in 1944 during World War II. They are naturally enemies but it’s very interesting how they finally realize that they need each other if they are ever going to leave the island alive.

People and relationships are what make our lives move and have meaning. A relationship is what got you married, if your married. A relationship with your friend is what got you in trouble, when you egged that house way back on a cold dark evening in October, and it’s relationships that keep your business growing and thriving. The same trust that comes from relationships where we are saying, “I do”, is the same trust that’s going to turn a curious lead into a valuable customer.

Here are four steps you can take to get yourself and your blog out there where other people can see you and come over to read what you have, that will allow you to make that very important connection.

Join Social Networks

More than 80% of Americans use social networks

I don’t mean to just get a twitter or a Facebook account and start sending out friend requests. Join some groups and get to know some people. Talk to them and ask them questions. It’s like the new neighbor moving in, you come down to their house with a pie and introduce yourself to them by being a little neighborly.

That may be the old-fashioned way of doing things but it works, and people will get to know you by seeing you around, and they will eventually ask you about what you do. It happens all the time. Having the right tools in place will give you that extra edge.

We live in a social networking world, even governments can’t get away with doing things without the whole world knowing about it, or even some of our political figures. You have to be careful what you send and say on your cell phone and your face Book account because everyone will read about it.

Join groups where the people have a need for your products. Don’t join weight loss groups when you have a cake decorating business.

It’s Not All About You

This is a big mistake that I’ve learned the hard way. Don’t just write content about you and your business, write about others and those that can contribute value to your readers. Give them content that will enhance them and thus you will be enhanced in their eyes. You will now become that someone who they want to come back for more and pass you onto others.

It’s even good to have guest writers on your blog, something that I’ve not done as of yet, but will definitely do in the future. Forget about yourself, and think about your customers. What are their problems? What matters to them? That’s what you need to be bringing to the table.

There’s nothing more impressive than stopping by the side of the road and helping that person fix their flat tire, and ask for nothing in return. People will remember that and you.

Give Them What They Want

Sometimes we get caught up as the expert in our field, and we know exactly what the customer’s problem is. I don’t mean the symptoms, or the issue that they want to fix right now — I mean the real problem that lies deep down at the root of it all. The trouble is that people don’t always know that, and so they aren’t looking for that solution. Start by introducing them to what they want and then you can deliver what they need later along the way.

Give Them a Call

This is the most important one. More than 80% of your business depends on this one.

I don’t care how many leads you can generate, if you’re not on the phone and connecting with people you will never make a dime in this industry. Even if you don’t make a sale, you’ve made a connection that might come back later to a sale. That has happened so many times.

I’ve talked with people and never closed a sale, but I’ve helped them with something that they may have been struggling with, and they are grateful and are going to remember me.

This was the hardest thing for me to learn to do, was to pick up that phone and give that person a call. I remember doing all those cold calls back when I was in the mortgage industry. I hated doing them, but they were a great training ground for what I’m doing today. It’s like riding a bike, once you learn how to do it, you never forget and it gets easier and easier as you go along. Sure you will fall down and get bruised up, but that’s how you learn.

Just do it and that 800 pound gorilla, we call the phone, will become as light as a feather, and your bank account will thank you.