Imagine meeting someone new, who you find interesting, at a bar. You wouldn’t spend the entire conversation talking about yourself, right? If you want to make a connection, and a good first impression, you’d ask questions, show interest in them, and understand their likes, dislikes and goals.
The same principle applies to marketing, especially when engaging with new audiences.
Too often, marketers fall into the trap of self-promotion, spending 80% of their message talking about their own products or services. But to truly connect with your audience, you need to flip the script. Use Pareto’s 80/20 rule: focus 80% of your messaging on your audience’s challenges, goals, and brand aspirations. Ask questions, listen to their needs and position yourself as a solution to their business problems later. By building rapport first, you’ll earn the trust that gives you permission to talk about how you can help.
Just like dating, it’s all about making it about them first.