Self Employed Success

Who are those people who attend your class but never talk, or who friend you on Facebook or Twitter, but never respond?

Back in the mid-90s when I first went online via CompuServe (remember those days??), we noticed that for every 1 person who was interacting in the message forum, another 10 were logging on and reading the message threads, but never interacting. Back then, we called the people who didn’t participate actively in discussions “lurkers.”

Fast forward 17 years, and we find that Lurker Ratio of 10:1 still exists – in online message forums,on my teleseminars, and in any other place where groups of people congregate.

In some places, especially Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other online social media forums, the lurker ratio is closer to 100:1 (for every 1 person who participates, there are 100 people just reading and absorbing the conversation).  

I think there are a number of reasons why people don’t comment on Facebook or blogs: too busy, nothing to add, feeling shy. That’s what the “Like” button is for on Facebook: if you don’t want to leave a comment but you want to still let the folks know that you’re interested, you click Like.

Jakob Nielsen calls it Participation Inequality. I see it most often with “remote” groups that meet online or over the telephone.

But here is what I think is most important:

We ALL have something to add to a conversation – our feelings, our experiences, our knowledge. What comes from within counts for a lot with me. I love when people leave comments on my blog and when they interact in my classes.

In your business, you want to build connections and relationships with your customers and audience. Being aware of the lurker ratio when you’re using social media for marketing, and in your classes and online message forums, will help you gauge the quality of your connections and relationships.

For all types of classes, here are some guidelines:

• In live, in-person classes, the lurker ratio is much better. There’s something about being face-to-face in a learning environment (especially with a good teacher) that brings people out of their shells and encourages them to participate. In my live classes, I’d say that for every 100 people who attend, 30 will be lurkers.
• The larger the group, the larger the lurker ratio. Social psychologists call this phenomenon “social loafing.”
• The longer the event, the lower the lurker ratio. (Sometimes it takes while to get people warmed up.)
• If you want high participation in your classes, you have to build in interaction into your lesson plan. Don’t wing it: plan it.

Just thought you’d like to know!

Remember the “Rule of the Glass Entrepreneurial Ceiling”: 

If you work one-on-one with clients billable by the hour, you will eventually run out of hours to offer clients, thereby limiting your income.

Ask yourself: “How can I work with groups of clients, or offer products and classes to many people, so that my income is not limited by the number of available hours in a week?”

Aly and I had lunch the other day with my Mom and Dad at a trendy fusion restaurant with a really creative menu. While we were trying turkey wraps with butternut squash inside, what did my Dad have? A steak sandwich and a Coke.

“Dad,” I said, “Why not try something new?”

My Mom (as many Moms do) answered for my father:

“Because men won’t eat what they don’t understand.”

I cracked up laughing because it seemed such a preposterous and over-the-top statement, especially since Aly was sitting next to me trying quinoa for the first time.

But on the way home I got to thinking: maybe she’s right!

Aly had asked the waitress: What Is Quinoa? She gave him a full description of what it was, how it was cooked and how it would taste. She took the mystery out of this new item and made Aly feel safe in trying it.

It’s not just men who won’t try something new unless they feel safe about it, it’s all of us.

When you’re doing marketing and explaining to your customers the service or product you’re offering, you must help them to understand everything that’s involved with it:

• what it does
• what it doesn’t do
• who it’s for and who it’s NOT for
• who are you and why should they listen to you
• what it costs
• how much time they’ll have to invest
• what to do if they don’t like it
• what outcomes to expect
• how to buy it
• what will happen after they buy it

Some buyers are risk-takers and love to have the newest, latest thingie regardless of whether there might be some glitches or not. They want to be the first to have something or to be in on the newest experiences. Often these are the customers who already know you and trust you, so the risk isn’t actually too high. But they still won’t buy if they don’t see a benefit or if the price seems too high for the benefits they’ll get. You need to help them see that the price is equal (or less than) the benefits.

Next you have those customers who don’t want to be “bleeding edge,” but they do want to get in on a great service or product that will help them. They have to think about it, weigh it in their minds. They can take days and weeks to decide, so you have to keep your offer in front of them, and answer any questions they have. Sometimes they’ll call you with questions, sometimes they’ll email you, sometimes they’ll post a blog comment. Your job is to be present on whatever channel they use to communicate, and answer their questions thoroughly so that they understand the offer completely.

Because customers won’t buy what they don’t understand.

Do you have a story about a time you walked away from an offer you didn’t understand? What comes up for you when you try to put together your words around your service or product? Please share your stories, questions and comments on my blog…I’d love to hear from you!

Adding mastermind groups to your existing service offerings, or simply setting one up for your personal use, will help you grow yourself and your business.

The beauty of Mastermind Groups is that participants raise the bar by challenging each other to create and implement goals, brainstorm ideas, and support each other with total honesty, respect and compassion.

Mastermind participants act as catalysts for growth, devil’s advocates and idea-generating colleagues.

If you are new to mastermind groups, this introductory level class is for you.

In this 3-week teleclass series you will learn how to:

• Help people distinguish between a mastermind group, group coaching, and training classes
• Pick what type of people should attend your mastermind group
• Choose to facilitate, participate, or both
• Select your mastermind group’s niche and type
• Decide where to hold meetings
• Determine if your group should be free or paid
• Create meeting agendas
• Prepare for your first meeting
• Write group guidelines
• Choose among basic masterminding techniques
• Determine why mastermind groups fail — and what you can do to ensure the success of your group

Two Bonuses!

1. Once you register for the this teleclass, you may list your mastermind group for free at The Success Alliance website, which receives 20,000 visitors annually looking for mastermind groups. You will receive an email with instructions on how to list your mastermind group once you register.
2. You’ll get access to my private Student Website, where you’ll get sample forms and handouts for your mastermind group.

This teleclass series begins March 10.

Instructor: Karyn Greenstreet
Registration fee: $129

This class WILL be recorded, so if you miss a session you will be able to download the recordings and listen at your convenience.

For more information and registration:

http://www.TheSuccessAlliance.com/start/

I look forward to seeing you in class!