Social media is completely about relationships – beginning, maintaining and taking them to the next level.  And, savvy, rain-making professional service providers know that, at the end of the day, clients hire individuals, not firms.  Clients naturally want to feel connected to the businesses they buy from and evolve the relationship from a purely transactional one to a more emotional relationship.  That’s why we like to go to the store where they know our name or, at least, our regular order.

In this respect, providers of professional services have a leg up on corporations.  You’re a real person with depth and stories to tell.

When time began, stories only travelled by word of mouth. Today, stories continue to be passed verbally.  How many times have you shared a story with friends or clients about a poor service experience or a great experience at an establishment you visited?  Just as you tell stories about your experience, you can rest assured that clients are already telling stories about their experiences with you.  The World Wide Web amplifies these stories to an infinite degree, so telling your own story and building/shaping the existing narrative is critical to how you’re perceived.

Many professional service providers are unsure about how to enter the vast realm of social media. I have social media packages that allow individual attorneys, accountants and brokers to jump in and start creating and strengthening relationships in the social media realm.

If you do nothing else in social media from a storytelling perspective, consider implementing these two examples:

• Consistently publish images and text or even video of stories showing your passion for your practice.
• Always share the personal side of your practice; it’s particularly important to share mishaps and struggles, and how you resolved the issues.  Honesty counts in this world.  People know that no one is perfect and you cannot have credibility if you only share your success.

Get started sharing your stories now!