Someone sent me this book by Kody Bateman as a gift last year and I just got around to reading it. Last year I was more into making my nonfiction books SEO focused. This year I’ve been branching out into books that focus on other aspects of marketing. This one fit the bill, and it was already sitting on my shelf, so it was an easy decision to make.
Honestly, I debated whether to even review this book on this blog because it’s only tangentially related to content marketing. Bateman himself has a section very early on in the book in which he stresses the “relationship” part of relationship marketing.
The full title of the book is, The Power of Human Connection: How Relationship Marketing Is Transforming the Way People Succeed. Bateman points out there’s a reason “relationship” goes before “marketing” in the title. It’s because it’s all about relationships.
I kept thinking about something I heard on a podcast early this year where someone said she asked a mentor for the secret to success. The mentor said, “It’s all about relationships.”
That’s the kind of thing that I think a lot of us hear and nod in agreement, but we don’t really think about what it entails. Or is that just me?
I nodded along while listening to the podcast, thinking I knew what she was talking about. This book made me realize I didn’t have a clue. Or maybe I did, but I was just paying it lip service rather than really thinking about how I could up my game when it comes to my relationships (both professional and personal.)
Table of Contents
- Features vs Benefits
- Does Anyone Use Cards Anymore?
- When to Send Cards
- Patience Pays Off
- Better Relationships = Better Business
- Consistency Is Key
- Think Positive
Features vs Benefits
I didn’t realize when I started reading this book that the author is the founder of the company, Send Out Cards. It’s a company I just became familiar with early this year (around the same time I was listening to the podcast.) I met someone who is a representative of the company at a networking group and we had a 1:1. We had a good conversation, but then she gave me a presentation on how the system works. She put together a card for me, which I did receive a few days later along with a couple of brownies, and yes, they were delicious.
But it felt like a sales pitch and that turned me off.
I realize as I write this that all she told me about was the features. This book explained the benefits. That’s why the book had a bigger impact on me than the presentation.
Does Anyone Use Cards Anymore?
I’m a millennial, so I’m not big on physical cards. I never send them, and when I get them I don’t know what to do with them. Am I expected to hang onto them for a certain amount of time? Am I just supposed to let them clutter up my space? That’s a recipe for stress and overwhelm I don’t need.
I do regularly get cards for my birthday and Christmas, and they are fun, but I can remember for sure who does and doesn’t send me a card. Yet Bateman recommends sending all your clients and prospects cards on their birthday and holidays.
When to Send Cards
I prefer the piece of advice I heard a few months ago about sending people cards on their half birthday. Everyone gets a pile of cards on their birthday and the end-of-year holidays, so it all blends together.
But send them a card on their half birthday and you’ll stand out because no one else will send them a card for their half birthday.
For holidays, go with the lesser-known holidays. Send them a card for national ice cream day or national deep dish pizza day.
The other problem I have with this system is asking for people’s addresses. That feels pretty presumptuous for someone I just met, especially in this day and age. I guess I’ll just have to get used to feeling uncomfortable about that and try it anyway. If I get a lot of pushback, I’ll move onto something else.
The piece of advice I got from this book that I did really like was to send people congratulations cards. Did they just win an award? Celebrate a major life event? Send them a card to celebrate.
Patience Pays Off
The key here is to give for the sake of giving. Don’t assume every card you send will result in a sale, or even a card back. But if you send out good things, good things have a way of coming back to you.
It’s not entirely different from my philosophy on blogging or email marketing. Not every blog post or email will result in a sale, especially from new readers. It’s about building trust and that takes time.
Patience is an aspect of both marketing and relationships that I wish Bateman had acknowledged, but I don’t think it ever came up. He talks about how it’s a habit of his to send cards to everyone he meets, every time he meets with them. He used case studies in which one card did end up leading to a lot of business, but I have to assume that’s the exception rather than the rule. Relationships take time, especially if you’re selling high-cost services.
One thing with which I did completely agree with Bateman was the importance of making it all about the other person. Don’t send a card to tell them about all the awesome ways you’re helping your clients. Send them a card to celebrate them. To thank them. To reminisce about your relationship.
All aspects of your marketing need to be equally focused on the person you’re writing for. Don’t worry about what you want to talk about. What do they want to learn about? Ditch the industry lingo and use their own language to teach them what they want to know.
Better Relationships = Better Business
I should mention that, while there is a lot of touchy-feely stuff in this book, it’s not all mushy. Bateman acknowledge that it is a business book, and at the end of the day, we all want to know how this will improve our bottom line.
He does give some impressive stats regarding the ROI some of his clients got from sending out cards habitually — my guess is they were his most successful clients. But I suspect this is one of those things that is hard to quantify for most people. You could meet someone at a networking event, meet with them 1:1, send a card thanking them for their time, and make a sale. Did they become a client because of what you said in the meeting or because of the card? Or both?
In some cases, I’m sure we’ll never know, and that’s OK. One thing you can do is keep track of your sales before and after you start sending out cards. If sales went up, I doubt you’ll be able to entirely credit the cards, but it’ll certainly be a sign that they didn’t hurt.
Consistency Is Key
Another thing Bateman talked about, and that I agree with, is the importance of forming good habits. Presumably, the more cards you send out, the better your results will be, so work on making it a habit.
I also frequently talk about the importance of consistency in your marketing, but that’s easier to do because you can create a schedule for yourself. If you need help making sending cards a habit, you can include a reminder in your calendar to send a card after each meeting. Once it becomes a habit, you won’t need the reminder anymore.
Think Positive
The end of the book also had some interesting thoughts on mindset and positivity. I think it was only tangentially related to sending out cards. Maybe the idea was that sending out cards helps you focus on the good things in life, and that helps you look for and go after more good things.
Either way, it’s always good to get a reminder about the importance of maintaining a good mindset.
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