#45 The Power Of A 1:1
The #1 thing that has helped me grow my business this year is the 1:1 conversations I've had, aka the relationships I've built.
In today's newsletter, I'm digging into why a 1:1 is so powerful and why you should prioritize them in your life and business.
Let's get into it –
1:1 conversations are how we build connections and relationships that help us grow. Here are just a few ways that 1:1s can have a positive impact in your life and business:
Your products:
Onboarding – This one is a huge win-win. If your members or clients have 1:1 time with you then they'll feel that their experience is personalized. On top of that, you will learn so much from these sessions that will help you improve the product and your member experience. Do this as long as you can... until it doesn't scale.
Customer research – 1:1s are crucial for understanding the depths of your customer emotions to help you make data-driven decisions (with something beyond a conversion-rate data point). You'll see themes in as few as 5 conversations.
Your self development:
Career growth + mentorship – Asking for 1:1s with people in your organization or other companies you're interested in working at can help you push your career forward exponentially. Additionally, hiring a 1:1 coach has an amazing ROI. Hiring a leadership coach was a huge catalyst for me in my career.
Learning method – Watching others have a discussion can be a super powerful learning tool. Spend time consuming content that helps you grow – podcast interviews are a great way to be a fly on the wall for other 1:1 conversations.
Your business growth:
Referral partnerships – You never know what future projects or collaborations can come from a quick conversation. Just this week I had a conversation with someone that is in an online community with me where we discovered our services and clients are complimentary. We created a 10% referral deal on the spot.
Unofficial colleagues – Building a business alone doesn't have to be lonely. Find people to go through the daily challenges with. I have a few entrepreneur friends I talk to every single day. We help each other work through our business challenges. I go farther because of them.
Elephant in the room: Your availability for 1:1s is limited.
We only have so much time and attention to give away at that level... so you must choose wisely and make sure that they are effective.
Here's how:
Embrace The Ick
I know it can be uncomfortable.
But if you want to grow, step into the uncomfortable zone and watch your life change.
Here is an exact script I used to get a 1:1 in a direct message this week after we interacted in a comment thread on a public community post.
Oh and this 1:1 led to a paid project...
"Hey [Name]! Your comments in [thread] really resonated with me. It seems like we have some overlap with [industry / client roster] and I bet we could learn from one another. One of the challenges I'm currently facing is [X] ... if you have space on your calendar and are open to it, I'd love to have a 1:1 chat and get to know each other."
She quickly replied with her scheduling link.
And if someone reaches out for a 1:1 and it doesn't feel right to you or you can already tell you'd dread the calendar invite, gracefully decline.
"Thank you so much for reaching out. I'm in a season of busy projects and not currently taking 1:1 calls. [If possible, add some value here like a referral or resource]. Wishing you the best! [Name]"
Ask Great Questions
A 1:1 conversation can be meaningless if you don't ask great questions.
Of course, it depends on the nature of the conversation which questions you ask. But always make sure to jot down some ideas before jumping on the call.
Take 5 minutes to review their website or online presence so you aren't walking into the conversation blind.
Here are a few of my favorites:
What is a challenge you're facing right now with [your business / topic of focus]?
Why wouldn't you recommend [topic of focus]?
If you could wave a magic wand how would you reimagine [xyz]?
Tell me about the last time you [solved x challenge / tried something] (stories are so powerful)
The most crucial opportunity of a 1:1 is that you have the chance to follow up with a healthy dose of "why?" – this allows you to get to the root cause and a deeper understanding. It's not surface level like a survey response.
Lastly, make sure you're deeply listening. You're not pitching yourself, you're here to connect and learn.
Protect Your Time
Sporadic 1:1s every day are going to crush your productivity.
But sometimes we worry so much about protecting our time that we don't make time for 1:1s at all. Don't make this mistake.
I reserve Tuesdays for connection calls and I am careful to control my availability using my calendly account.
I also block entire weeks for no extra calls so that I can double down on projects for myself and my clients.
This week I had 4 hours of meetings. I don't know about you but I used to DREAM of weeks like this.
1 hour mastermind call
1 hour client call
2 hours of connection calls (3 total)
All other client work I handled with email and loom videos. Most problems and projects do not require a meeting.
Maintain The Relationship
If you had an amazing call with a new person, don't forget to follow up.
I do this with both members and customers, as well as potential business partnerships and future clients.
Here's my approach:
Send a thank you note for their time - just a quick email. You can include any resources you discussed too as an added value.
Add a task to your calendar to follow up when it makes sense (sometime in the next 1-6 months). I like to add a note to the task with ideas. Something like "Follow up with Angie to ask how her product launch went."
Engage with their work - if you follow this person online, engage with their work so that you stay top of mind and you show that you care about the connection.
And if the conversation wasn't great, it's okay to let it fizzle. Don't worry about the follow up from your end.
Lastly, don't be afraid to "double text" ... when I don't hear back from someone I'm not afraid to follow up again. And 9/10 times I get a thank you back for bringing it to the top of their inbox.
Life gets busy - people aren't ignoring you on purpose.
👋🏻 Quick Note:
If you want to learn more about how to run an effective customer 1:1, I'll be teaching that in the first class during Journey Makers Live. We're going to use these insights to develop our community journey maps.