How To Bond With Your Subscribers, So They Know Like, & Trust You

Let’s start with an obvious statement…

“People do business with those they know, like, and trust.”

It’s obvious but very rare when so many business owners are stuck so far up their arses… their inability to connect emotionally with their customers seems a far-flung idea unsuited for “serious” business.

So, how do you strip off your straight jacket and get folk to “bond” with you?

Step 1: Show You’re a Real Person

Have you ever connected at a deep level with a bot (autoresponder or a corporate “entity?” Of course, you haven’t – that’s why you’ll want to employ the following tips…

Use Your Real Name

You may be trying to build a business or brand, which is excellent. But when it comes to sending emails to your subscribers, be sure to use your real name. Include it in the “From” field of your emails… also sign off with your name. This way, your readers know it’s “personal.”

This brings us to the next point…

Put a Face To Your Name

To connect with your subscribers on a deeper level, you’ll want them to be able to see you… at a bare minimum, a picture of you. For example…

You can include a photo of yourself in every email at the bottom or top. Ideally, though, you’ll want to go a step beyond and do some “talking head” videos for them. Maybe present an over-the-shoulder look at how you perform a specific task. Something valuable to your prospect/customer.

Step 2: Share Personal Details

Imagine you had a friend that shared nothing personal. You could chat for hours about trivia, like the weather, politics, current events, and so on. But even so, this person doesn’t indicate who they really are. They don’t express their opinions or anything else… all you get is facts, FULL STOP! It’s like talking to an android.

You wouldn’t feel close to this person (unless you’re an android), no matter how long you spent with them. And you’ll hardly form any lasting bond if you don’t know them.

Likewise, if all you’re doing for your audience is sharing facts, strategies, tips, etc., in your newsletters. This is why you’ve got to allow folk a glimpse into who you are if you want to become friends with them.

But take note… it doesn’t mean turning the focus of attention OFF your prospects and onto you. Instead, sprinkle in a few personal titbits and stories to give folk a chance to warm to you. (DON’T hurry or show signs of “neediness”).

This is easy to do while still keeping the focus on helping them.

For example…

• You run a weight-loss newsletter and share a story about how embarrassing it was when you were a chunky monkey and went to the gym… only to discover the equipment was too small to accommodate you.
• Similar to a dog-training newsletter. Share personal stories, photos, and videos of memorable moments.
• What about a golf newsletter… and how you managed to chip the ball into a bunker and discovered your wife playing in it with your best friend (Whoops!)

Of course, these personal examples also tie into the niche. This is great, as you can share lots of personal information while providing tons of value simultaneously. And it’s also a great way to build rapport.

However, not every personal detail you share must be directly related to the niche. Take a gander at these examples…

• Just wanted to let you know I’ll be unavailable all next week as I’m scuba diving off the coast of Mexico… it’s one of my fav’ things to do on vacation! Catch up soon.
• I’m typing this message with one hand because I’ve managed to break three fingers (ouch). I know you’ll want to know what happened, so here’s a condensed version for you. But just before that (in case I forget), here are some quick tips, strategies, etc.).

And now the last step…

Step 3: Encourage Interaction

One problem with sending emails is… it’s generally a one-way communication – “you talking to your audience.” While it’s possible to build relationships that way… it’s better to turn the “monologue into a dialogue.

One way to do this is to ask questions to encourage your subscribers to email back. However, if you do this, be prepared to answer each and every email that comes in personally. Obviously, this method becomes impractical when your list grows too large.

You can also encourage your readers to interact with you on one of your other platforms. For example…

• Entice people to follow you on social media. Then interact personally with them… like getting them to comment, liking your comments, and replying to them.
• You can post an article teaser in your newsletter and get users to visit your blog to read the article. At the end of the article, ask readers to comment. For example… you might end with, “What do you think?” or “What’s your favorite [niche] tip?” or “What would you do if this happened to you?”

Now a few parting thoughts…

Conclusion

Getting your subs to know, like, and trust you works the same with your offline newsletter. Just get personal! And you’ve just discovered several “proven” ways to do this, so take the information and put it to work.

Good luck… and see you in the next lesson