Our Thinking

Social Effectiveness: Not about me

Maybe you also have seen this TV commercial. After a service encounter, an attractive business woman (an actress, no doubt) faces the camera, smiles and says, “It’s all about me.”

If someone said this type of comment to you, what would you think? If everyone had this type of attitude, we wouldn’t have volunteers, mentors, coaches, or charity. Networking would be all about taking, not give-to-get. Work teams would be unproductive and political, and families would fall apart. “It’s all about me.”

While this thinking may be somewhat extreme, one quick look at Social Media shows that we are fast moving in this direction. Consider:

  • How many people do you know who seem to “live” on Facebook or some other Social Network, posting every lurid detail of their life. (Instead of actually living their life?)
  • How often do you look at others’ status updates on LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook and wonder why they posted what they did.  (Really, who cares about today’s trip to the dentist?)
  • Consider yourself. What is the me-to-we ratio in your posts? What percent are all about you versus all about others?

This week’s action plan: The secret to successful networking, successful relationships, and successful selling is to remember that it is all about them, and not about you.  This week, remember “them” each time you post to the (social) web.

Marketing insight: It’s (not) about me is even more true when it comes to marketing. Prospects don’t care about you – they only care about how you can solve their problem. Next time you post about your organization, product, or service, keep this in mind: it’s all about them.

Randall Craig, president of 108 ideaspace, is a leading Social Media & Web Strategist.  We share Randall Craig’s blogs here on 108 ideaspace. However, the Make It Happen Tipsheet is also available by email. Go to www.RandallCraig.com to register.

This post has been written by 108’s Senior advisor and former CEO Randall Craig.