Communication – the human connection – is the key to personal and career success
Paul J. Meyer
I can’t agree with this saying more. When it comes to relationships, regular and meaningful communication with the other person is what makes it stronger and more pronounced.
When you are a professional, creating lasting relationships with your fellow professionals plays a principal role in building a solid career.
Most importantly, when it comes to key industry influencers in your niche, not just simple communication, but a valid and impactful exchange is what will keep you in their radar and help you craft a trusting relationship with them, which will ultimately benefit your profession.
Here are the most effective ways in which you can cultivate relationships with industry professionals and key influencers.
Let’s get right into it.
Follow Them on All Available Online Channels, Including Their Blog and Social Media
Online platforms like blogs and social media are the place where everyone expresses their views and opinions. Following industry influencers in these platforms shows your involvement and support for these individuals.
Be engaging and interactive whenever a new post of theirs gets published. Your response lets them know that you are paying attention. Being a spectator will never gain you much. It’s always good to engage and communicate. Leave a comment or interact with the other commenters on the post.
Don’t be shy. Share their posts with appropriate individuals online. Be a participator, not a bystander. Your actions translate to interest, which will help you make a positive impression on the influencer.
Increase Direct Communication With Them
Commenting and following on their posts aside, direct communication with influencers is also a great way of building trust and relationships. If you have a question regarding something in your niche, reach out to them in the form of a personalized email.
Industry influencers are busy individuals. They have a lot on their plate so it may take them a while to get back to you. But they sure will, if your query or message is relevant and specific to them. So, be patient and don’t ever spam them.
Talk to them face to face when you meet them in a professional event. Let them know of your interest and ask for their valuable opinion. You will not only be benefitting from their advice and outlook but also getting noticed as a serious professional.
Value Their Time
Time is a precious commodity. So, be sure to value yours but most importantly theirs.
Reputed professionals and influencers are busy, so don’t waste their time by asking them irrelevant questions. Discuss and ask them about topics and ideas that are intriguing and specific to their niche. Generic queries will lead you nowhere and most probably will land you categorized as spam.
Be very specific about your questions. Don’t just contact them for the heck of it. Crafting a personalized email with a clear objective and motive is always a must while communicating with influencers.
You need to respect the time and effort they put in while responding to your queries. So, be worthy of it.
Add Value to Their Life by Offering Selfless Professional Help
Nobody likes or trusts ‘takers’, you have to be a ‘giver’ as well. A good relationship is built on a healthy amount of ‘give’ and ‘take’.
Extend a helping hand to them as well. Be selfless and share with them anything worthwhile regarding their industry. Share new ideas that you have had, which can help them with their target audience. They will definitely appreciate you for your knowledge and interest.
Be Grateful and Show Gratitude
The industrial influencers put a lot of effort into developing materials which help other professionals in their careers. They share their experience and knowledge with the world selflessly. So, show and give them their due gratitude.
Be appreciative of their posts online by commenting on them or by reaching out to them directly through email. Be humble when you comment or write to them. Always leave a positive impression on them through your communication. Even if you are disagreeing with them, do so in a kind and logical manner without sounding insulting or arrogant.
Quote Them Often on Your Writeups and Let Them Know of Those
Being a professional yourself, you frequently publish articles in your blogs or related posts on social media. Make a small change and start quoting key influencers and industry professionals in your niche.
Tag them in your writings and posts. Lastly, make them aware of it by letting them know. Knowledge sharing is always important, so, don’t pass up on an opportunity where you can cite other professionals and influencers in your writeups. It will add value to your writings as well as provide you visibility and credibility.
Interview Them on Your Next Blog Post
Reach out to relevant influencers for interviews in your blog. This way you attain a direct exposure to these individuals while also adding values to your blog.
Let your readers know about them. Give them an outlet on your domain to talk about their stories, opinions, and experience. It’s a great way of creating a good rapport with these professionals and developing lasting relationships with them.
Ask for Their Suggestions and Seek Help
Don’t be shy in asking reputed influencers for help. Be it a query, a suggestion, their opinion or their help on relevant matters, communicate with them and ask them directly.
They will be sure to appreciate your enthusiasm and drive to learn more about your industry from them.
Be Genuine, Patient, Business-Minded and Offer Win-Win Value
Relationship-building with influencers work if you are transparent and genuine in your motives from the very beginning. Be authentic about what you want from them.
A mutually beneficial collaboration with an Influencer whose target audience coincides with yours is what you should always strive for. To make that happen, reach out to them for their endorsement in exchange of monetary compensation. Apart from that, think of creative ways in which you can support them. An equivalent return for their efforts in any form is always prudent.
Creating a trustworthy relationship advantageous to both parties takes time and a lot of trial and error. So, be patient and keep at it. Your efforts will pay off in the long run.
There you have it folks, 9 foolproof ways in which you can cultivate and curate impactful, positive, and lasting relationships with influencers and industrial big-wigs. Jump onto them right now and let me know in the comments, how these suggestions worked out for you.