What Does Social Validation Mean To You?

A friend of mine sent me this video the other day and as I watched it I began to think about how important it is for all of us to be validated and feel good about ourselves. Times being what they are, it just seems so few people have the time or inclination to make the extra effort. People don't seem to smile at each other as much, servers barely make eye contact with you, no one holds a door for you or thanks you for your time. It's rare that others take the time to selflessly make others feel special or good about themselves anymore.

It then occurred to me that the same mindset was beginning to permeate the places where we spend a lot of our time...social media sites. Outside of an occasional (Thanks for the RT) or (a thumbs up on Facebook) how do we go about making our prospects and customers feel valued, special...validated? It seems to me when there is so much competition for sales and notoriety amongst marketers that customer validation has become something we overlook in a jaded attempt to make a sale or get the next client. Our responses often lack appreciation or feeling.

How can we make our prospects and clients feel validated and special in a way that makes them feel special as people as well as customers? What steps should we be taking to engage them on a humanistic level and not just as a number? And how can we do this in the context of a business environment?

Solutions, comments, ideas...? I'd love to know what you think or are currently using in your business. Watch the video and let me know if anything comes to mind.

Comments

[Online backup]

I recently came across your blog and have been reading about Online marketing. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.

[Monica McPherrin]

Thanks for the compliment. I'm glad you are enjoying the blog and I hope I continue to hold your interest.

Monica McPherrin

[brett]

.This is a great post Dmitry. I just had one of the ‘Doh!’ moments and ran back to correct my own site before publishing my comment. You see my own comment form did not match what I’m about to advise. I get less comments than you, so never noticed any problem. I’ve changed it now anyway so here goes.

work form home

[Frank L. Robbins]

Yea, you've certainly hit the nail on the head with this one, and I fit right into the catagory of this neglect; after reading this Blog I've decided to make the effort to change!

My Mother use to say it to me all the time: "its only nice to be nice"; I used to cringe under this because all that I ever recieved was the opposite of nice, all my life I tried this concept and without the success of that exspected reception. As a result I grew angry yet temperate in maintaining politness, I just din't speak so easily to everyone anymore and that result: enclosure.

But today we live in a new era and dispensation, and many of the familial conclave walls are being broken to include others that we never would have considered as part of "The family" to be family, as we look at Facebook, Twitter, Myspace; and much more Blogs have now become just the right "personal family" Touch.

We who have never felt or been made to feel a comfortable part of our own blood-tie families can now finger-to-the-keyboard create or join a brand new one; but its like you just said "It's rare that others take the time to selflessly make others feel special or good about themselves anymore"; this is where my change will now and begain again take affect so that I can effect others around me in a positive way!

I will consciously make that effort daily!

Thank's Monica!