#143 - 27/01/2025 - The Truth About Relationship Marketing
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Introduction and Host Background
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Welcome, welcome to the Heads Together podcast. I'm your host, Gill Moakes, and thank you so much for joining me again this week. I always kind of jump straight into these these episodes, assuming that you all know who I am and what I do. Like isn't that very arrogant of me? I'm gonna take a moment for those of you who are new to the podcast because I've been seeing lots of growing Download numbers lately, which is fabulous.
Thank you so much And so for those of you who don't know who I am, I'm just gonna tell you Introduce myself a little bit. How beautiful. I feel like I'm at a networking event, except that would be horrible and I wouldn't be there. So I'm Gill Moakes I am a business coach. I work with entrepreneurial women around the world to bring their full fat version of their business to life. I [00:01:00] work with women who have big visions for their businesses. And as I grew my own really successful thriving coaching practice, I realized that there are a lot of really excellent coaches out there. These are coaches who have invested in really good quality coach training. They get transformational results for their clients, but their revenue does not reflect that reputation.
The Coaching Business Academy
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And that is why I launched The Coaching Business Academy. So, on the one arm of my business, I'm a business coach in my own right with my own wonderful private clients, but I'm also the founder of the Coaching Business Academy where we help really great coaches. build phenomenal businesses. Because here's the thing, when you do that coach training, and there are some phenomenal training, institutions out there, we actually partner [00:02:00] with the Institute for Coaching Studies, which is where I did my own, training for my accreditation.
But we find that those places give you the most phenomenal training to be a great coach, but what's missing is the answer to actually growing a successful, thriving coaching practice with a consistent and sustainable flow of perfect clients who need what you offer. And that's where the Coaching Business Academy comes in.
So in the Academy, we help. Coaches to really refine their niche to get clear on what their offers are to create really sustainable feel good marketing strategies that actually work to get clients. So that's that part of what I do.
Unapologetic Retreats
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And then I'm also the co founder of Unapologetic Retreats, which I co founded with my amazing [00:03:00] partner, Lauren Jones, who is the founder and CEO of Brand by Boudicca.
I'll pop a link in the show notes to her business as well, which is amazing. If you want a bit of brand envy, go and check that out. And Lauren and I host retreats for ambitious women who really want to take their business and life to the next level. So that's the third arm of what I offer. So I thought it was really time just to set that stage because I do always just jump into these episodes and start ranting on about whatever topic has got my goat that week or whatever, passion I've fallen in love with that week and I need to share with you.
That's a little bit of a background to who I am and what I do. And of course, I'll pop all the links in the show notes. So if you want to do a little cyber stalking of me after this, you can do.
Podcasting and Listener Engagement
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If you are [00:04:00] a regular listener to the show, I just want you to know how much I appreciate it. You know, podcasting It's an odd thing to do, isn't it, right?
Like, I'm sitting here now talking to, um, no one. I'm just talking into my microphone. And so, when I get feedback from you, my precious listeners, and I get emails saying, You know, I absolutely love the show, really liked what you said the other day about such and such. Yeah, it just makes my bloody day. I love it.
So if you, if anything strikes a chord with you, if you ever feel the urge to drop me an email and tell me, I would be so grateful. Or even better, maybe you could drop a little comment in the , Apple iTunes anymore, in the Apple Podcasts, if you could leave a review in there, that helps me no end. A rating and a review in Apple Podcasts is like, that's the gold to a [00:05:00] podcaster.
The Importance of Relationship Marketing
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So this week's episode, I am going to share with you the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth about relationship marketing. And before we dive in, I just want to point one thing out, and this is a very important thing.
There is no other kind of marketing that works.
That's the low cost version of a actual sound effect. Relationship marketing is the only kind of marketing that works. And I'm going to dive into this in the episode and we're going to explain what I mean by that. All right, let's go.
Welcome, welcome to the Heads Together podcast. I'm Gill Moakes, and I am obsessed with cutting through the noise when it comes to growing your business. Each week, via intimate coaching conversations and [00:06:00] inspirational stories, I share what it really takes to get the results you want, in a way that feels right to you.
I am all about attracting higher ticket opportunities, building authentic relationships and creating the abundant full fat version of your dream business. I mean, how many of us have beavered away creating a light version of what we really want? The thing is, I honestly believe when you're outstanding at what you do, there is no limit to what you can achieve.
Son. Are you ready to put our heads together and make it happen? Let's go.
Predictions for 2025 and Online Business
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So, I predict that 2025 is going to see the biggest shift that we've seen so far in terms of what it takes to grow an online business. And I want to make something clear. If you are [00:07:00] running a business in 2025, Let's face it, if you're not online, you probably don't have a business in 2025. And particularly as coaches, you know, we are running online businesses. You might sometimes meet your clients in person and coach face to face, but to all intents and purposes, in terms of your marketing, in terms of, having offers that you can deliver virtually, you are running an online business.
And I predict that this year is going to see a shift in how important relationship building is to having a sustainable online business. It's always been important. Don't get me wrong. But I think that this year we're going to see the back of totally anonymous, passive, generic, templated businesses.
And I think we are going to [00:08:00] see a rising in authentic, Honest, transparent, look me in the whites of my eyes kind of marketing and relationship building in business. And I think a lot of that is the reaction to AI. And AI is fantastic. I love it. I use it in my business. But it's never going to replace human relationships.
And actually, I think in reaction to the whole AI influx, I The focus on the value of relationship building is shifting. It's getting more and more and more important because trust is down. We're suspicious. We're suspicious of AI. Am I reading this that's been written by a person or is it AI? And therefore, is this what this person really stands for or is it clever words that they've had spouted out [00:09:00] of Chat GPT?
Right, so that's affecting our trust when we are consuming content online.
Building Authentic Relationships
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So if you are a creator of content, and if you own an online business, you are to a greater or lesser degree going to be a creator of content, then that's really important to know. Because it means that you need to be embedding the most authentic and full expression of yourself.
into your content because that is what will build trust. And trust is what brings you clients. I mean, we know that. Know, like, trust, and pay. Those are the four things that we are aiming for. I saw a Facebook ad the other day it's targeting introverted business owners. But this ad promised to share the secret to growing a business without having to be visible online, without having [00:10:00] to do social media, webinars, or even have discovery calls, you know, with potential clients. I mean, I am calling bullshit on that.
If you don't want to do any of those things, get a job where you don't have to. But don't try and grow an online business, and especially don't try and grow a coaching business if you don't want to be visible in any way, if you don't want to speak to people and give people an experience of what it's like to be in conversation with you, right?
So, I think we have to have a reality check. We're in this strange time where we are kind of the next generation of online business owners. We're not in that first flux of online business owners who had it actually very easy because everything [00:11:00] was so shiny and new so it's very easy to build these huge email lists and it was you know people had never heard of a opt in funnel before you know what a freebie was or you know you'd give your email address away for anything in those days we don't have that luxury now Right?
So we have to infuse everything we do with so much of ourselves. We have to be visible, and I just want to clarify something, being visible doesn't mean being online all the time, all over social media, on all of the platforms. It doesn't mean having to do live video every hour of the day.
It doesn't mean like, you know, people who have practically vlogging their entire life on TikTok. That's not what I'm talking about, but I am talking about showing the real you, giving people a taste of how it feels to be coached by you, giving [00:12:00] them an experience of that. It means sharing your genuine thought leadership.
So that means being brave. That means courageously putting out there your opinions, the things that you believe in, what you stand for as a coach. And, you know, this isn't just about reaching potential clients either. We've got to be working on building deep relationships with, yes, prospective clients, but also with your own team, with your peers, with referral partners, with your advisors, your mentors, you know, business is a relationship thing.
My blog is called coaching. It's a people thing, right? That is the business we're in. And I want to be really clear on what I mean about relationship building, relationship building isn't just putting, hi, great to connect into a connection request on LinkedIn.
[00:13:00] Building relationships with people, takes time. It's a two way street where, and it happens much more naturally than that contrived kind of, right, I'm going to message 20 people today, and I'm going to put the same message to each and every one of them, and I'm just going to see what comes back.
Like a, like a trawler, a fishing trawler, you know, casting a net wide and, and seeing how many tiny fishes I can, bring back. That's not real relationship building. Real relationship building is, it's a two way street where you're exchanging value, support, friendship. You're inspiring each other. You're teaching each other things.
And a real relationship, you want to hear from the other person. So going straight into cold DMing, people that you don't know, no wonder it feels so spammy. It's not natural. We don't do that in real life. [00:14:00] But what we do do in real life is we share experiences that then connect us. And that can be something really simple like laughing at the same joke.
Who hasn't struck up a conversation in the Costa queue because you're both watching a baby pull a funny face, for example. And that shared experience where you look at each other and you sort of smile and then you strike up a conversation, right, that is how relationships get started. So, think about what are the shared experiences That lead to relationships in your life think about all of the people that are in your network at the moment Is it because you've worked together in the past?
Is it because you've been in the same? Networking group is it because you've been in the same training program. Is it because they know someone that you know and You've been introduced or you would love to be [00:15:00] introduced, right? So So bombarding someone's DMs uninvited is not relationship building. Just to be clear, that is harassment.
Please don't do that. And the other thing is that you can't build a real relationship. So that meaningful connection kind of relationship based on a shared experience. You don't build a real relationship like that based on expecting something from the other person. Right? That then becomes manipulation.
That then becomes, I'm going to be really cunning about how I speak to you because what I want from you is X. Right? That's not relationship building either. Relationship building is about being a decent human, providing value and serving without any expectation of return. That's hard to do when you're building a business, especially in the early days, when it's like, I just need clients.
I need clients. I don't know what I need to do, but I know I [00:16:00] need clients. Then it's really hard to detach that outcome from the relationship building process. But I promise you, if you can keep reminding yourself that I need to put the relationship at the forefront, a relationship, a true relationship without any strings attached, and let the money, the future money that that could possibly end up representing, be a side effect of building the relationship.
That will change everything for you. Just a note about people who are thinking, well, That's all well and good, Gill, but relationship building takes time and it's really slow. I need loads of clients and I can't, build enough relationships the way you're talking about to, to fill my pipeline.
Effective Email Marketing
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So I just want to remind you that there [00:17:00] are different ways to build relationships. One of the ways that I build relationships with potential clients is by offering them something of value. I'm not telling you anything record breakingly new here. You know, don't get on the edge of your seat thinking I'm about to share something very groundbreaking with you.
I'm not, but I am going to tell you that most people don't do this well. And that is offering something for free. Welcoming someone onto your email list and then Nurturing them, treating them like they have stepped into your inner circle and nurturing them, providing them with value, offering them things that you don't necessarily offer outside of your email list, until they are ready to raise their hand and say, yep, do you know what, Gill, it's time, it's my time, I want to work with you now, I'm ready.
That's how email marketing works and email marketing is [00:18:00] relationship marketing. It is part of it. So, I want you to really think about all of the opportunities you have to build relationships, whether that is conversation by conversation, So that might be networking, it might be joining groups, it might be, in person, events, right?
Whether it's that, which is obviously where our mind goes to when we first think about relationship building, that very natural way. But it could also be other ways that you can create a shared experience. So that might be about creating something really valuable and offering it, no strings attached.
And if it really resonates with someone, they will raise their hand and, and opt into it. And then it's about treasuring that relationship, really honoring the fact that they raise their hand to say, Yeah, okay, I really like what you're saying here. And I do want to hear more from you. I'm [00:19:00] going to opt in.
And that's going to lead me onto your email list. What you do from then on, that is relationship building. All right.
Conclusion and Final Thoughts
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So, The long and the short of the message of today's episode is there is no other kind of marketing that works. Relationship marketing is what you need to be focusing on. So, step away from the hacks, the big promises of generating thousands of leads, all of that kind of thing.
What are the shared experiences that will give us a meaningful connection between us? You listening to this podcast now is a shared experience, right? I'm between your ears, casting my pearls of wisdom. This is a shared [00:20:00] experience. I'm doing this because it's really important to me that you get to hear who I really am.
That you get to understand what I'm all about. What I'm not doing is then forcing you to take any next step. You will make the decision that's right for you. If you listen to this and you say, you know what, Gill, I love listening to your podcast every week. I always get something out of it. Then you might consider the next step.
You might head to the show notes. You might see what links are there. You might go to my website. You might download something. That will mean you're on my email list. You might enjoy the emails that you get from me. And eventually when I make an offer to you of something that I think will help you,
you might take me up on it, and then you might pay me. But it will happen in a very natural way. You won't feel like I've harassed you into it. Because [00:21:00] that is what relationship building is about. So I hope this has landed with you. Hope this has resonated. There's so much noise out there about marketing and I always say to my clients, you know what in terms of strategy marketing always works You know if you if you infuse enough Authenticity enough realness enough transparency enough honesty into your marketing and if you are consistent in your execution Then marketing works, it's just that we rarely trust the process.
And we rarely do it with enough realness. Alright everyone, well thank you so much for joining me again this week, and I will be back here again next week, same time, same place. I'll see you then. Bye for now.
I hope you enjoyed this episode [00:22:00] and that getting our heads together this week has filled your mind with what's possible. If you love the show, would you do me a massive favour please? Would you leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts? It would really help me put more heads together, reach more ears and expand more minds.
Until next week, bye for now.