As like most of you, I find myself checking my Instagram and Snapchat feeds every few hours. Typically, it’s full of personal stories of people showing the ways in which their life is better than yours (amiright?). However, a constant on my timelines is Tera Geishauser. She’s a trainer and lifestyle coach who I’ve known for several years as we both grew up in Altoona. Tera is always posting content about healthy recipes to try, a few workout snippets and general positive vibes about living life.
I know what you’re thinking… another personal trainer with in-your-face motivation or intimidation tactics… nope. In fact, that’s actually what inspired me to write this. In a recent post, she was explaining that since transitioning to her own company. Obviously one of her main responsibilities was building her entire client base on her own.
Passively watching Tera’s videos for months, I knew through her daily videos and messages that she was setting out to do the following:
- Shift people’s own perceptions about their minds and bodies
- Build trust with her audience
Tera went on to explain that she isn’t one of these high-pressure, in-your-face sales people. She would rather continuously provide valuable content, show her knowledge and positivity, and allow people to perform their own mental shifts when they are most comfortable and personally ready.
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FROM TERA:
“Everyone wants a business where word of mouth is their primary mode of advertising, right? Well, social media is basically our brand new best friend and biggest WOM advocate IF used correctly and you stay authentic to your personality and mission. Why does this matter, you ask? Great question, young grasshopper. Here is an example of how showing up on social and staying true to your style can actually snag the sale.
I have had a newsletter for a few years now. It allows me to have an instant reach to people that actually WANT to consume my content because they voluntarily signed up to receive it. About a month ago, I posted on my social networks about one of my clients that hit a huge milestone in her training program and saw some huge results. I also took to my newsletter, aka my true SQUAD, and explained this story in my own personal, written voice which, if you’re signed up, you know it’s like I’m writing to my bestie — yes, I’ve been known to slip a curse word in every now and then and improperly use grammar from time to time… whoopsie).
Well, one of my readers had seen my IG story about this and also read my newsletter and forwarded this email to her mother. She also called her mother and explained to her WHY she thinks we would be a perfect fit for working together (hence, the authenticity in the way I choose to show up on social). AND…. her mother signed up to work with me the next day! BOOM. Mic drop. Word of mouth, social media, and being true to myself is what landed this sale. It was NOT from a tacky sales pitch or badgering anyone to death… that’s just not my thing.
It may take a little more time and TLC to land these sales. But what I can promise you is that by fostering true relationships instead of seeing everyone with a dollar sign over their head, you will not only keep that customer for the long-haul, but you will gain their trust. They will talk to their friends about you. You will get organic leads. And the best part….. You get to truly impact the life of another person by bringing a little extra light, good vibes, health and sure, a whole lot of laughs along the way. Now THAT is something you can sign me up for.”
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Following Tera and her daily videos, it’s easy to develop a relationship with her through her authenticity (trust me, you feel like she’s your best friend). It’s natural to easily build trust and lower the walls you might’ve built up for other trainers, wellness advocates, etc.
All of this got me thinking about a phrase… Jab, Jab, Jab – Right Hook.
It’s one of the biggest business mantras and title of a book written by Gary Vaynerchuk, entrepreneur and CEO of a top agency building the biggest brands in the world. But, what does boxing have to do with business?
Let’s break it down…
- Jab is the value that you or your company provide for its followers. It could be the content you put out, sending a hand-written note after meeting someone or any other ways you might display an appreciation for someone or something.
- Right Hook is the ask. For instance, it might be asking someone to purchase a product, subscribe or follow a social media channel, volunteer their time, solicit a donation, etc.
The point is… it’s a very noisy world out there, and with people trying to infiltrate inboxes, social media feeds or even voicemails with “Buy Now” messages, providing genuine value to someone is more important now than ever.
So, let’s dissect this a little more. Is “Jab, Jab, Jab… Right Hook” a formula? Does it mean that you can put out three blogs and then automatically ask someone to purchase something? Absolutely not. You’ve got to understand the rhythms, the actions and the intent behind where your relationship is. For some, it might be appropriate to give ‘em the right hook after three jabs. However, for some audiences, they may be passively following your content and appreciate the lack of in-your-face sales tactics. Everyone can have a product to sell, but not everyone can set themselves apart from their competitors with valuable content.
So, what should you do?
- Think about your business and its boxing rhythm.
- Do you throw too many right hooks?
- Should you be throwing more jabs?
Think about this over the next week, month or year. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this strategy and how you utilize it in your own world.
As a marketing company in Pittsburgh, 232 Creative is trying to provide you and your organization different ways to think about business.
PS – I’d like to personally thank Tera for providing valuable reminders on the value of creating valuable content your network. You don’t have to be some health nut to find Tera helpful. At least once a week, she’ll challenge you think about an aspect of life or the world around you in a way you wouldn’t have otherwise.
Plus if you know me, I always say, “Hey, if we can’t make fun of ourselves, then what are we doing here?” It’s safe to say she follows the same belief.
Give Tera a follow on the following platforms:
Instgram: @terageishauser
Facebook: /VagabondHealthClub
Website: Vagabondhealthclub.com