Developing a Relationship Marketing Strategy with Megan Winkler

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.9.0″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.9.0″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.9.0″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_image src=”https://michelledenioconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Blog-Header-Images-64.png” alt=”The reason you are not further along in your business” title_text=”Blog Header Images (64)” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.9.1″ _module_preset=”default”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_code _builder_version=”4.9.1″ _module_preset=”default” text_orientation=”center” module_alignment=”center”][/et_pb_code][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.9.1″ _module_preset=”default” text_line_height=”1.8em” link_text_align=”center” link_text_color=”#695071″ hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]

Relationship marketing seems to be a lost art in the online space.  When I’m reality, it should be a crucial, almost essential, part of your business. Megan Winkler aims to teach people about the importance of forming a relationship marketing strategy and creating real connections that help you build a business that is truly aligned to you. 

 

Meet Megan.

Megan Winkler is a Spiritual Business and Marketing Coach who works with soulful entrepreneurs to build sustainable, authentic, and energetically aligned businesses. She’s known as The Good Business Witch and has a podcast with the same name. Megan incorporates strategy and spirituality to create one-of-a-kind business and marketing plans for her clients through her proven Client Attraction Circles Framework. 

She’s worked with award-winning architects, physicians, and multiple Fortune 500 companies. Megan holds a Master’s in military history and is currently pursuing her MBA with a concentration on Women’s Leadership. Megan lives in North Texas with her partner, Mike, their teenage daughter Emma, and some very temperamental house plants.

She loves mentioning that she’s worked with Fortune 500 companies and consulted with physicians and architects because she thinks people have this image of a marketing person that’s going to work with those types of companies and firms. Then they talk to Megan, and she’s totally different from the idea they have in their head. While Megan is big on academics, strategy, and numbers, she’s also huge on spirit, heart, connection, and relationships.

 

What would be your number one tip for business growth or professional personal growth? 

For Megan, it’s all about creating connections. So, you need to develop a relationship marketing strategy. That starts with knowing who your present and former clients are. It’s also about knowing who your colleagues are and how you can work together. 

Megan is big on community over competition. She really, truly believes that there’s enough business, and enough clients for all of us in the online space. And if we work together, we have happier clients. You have clients that stick around longer because your clients feel seen. 

You accomplish all this through a relationship marketing strategy. And you can also do that through your social media.  It’s about really being yourself, connecting with people on a more personal level, and building that like, know, and trust factor through genuine, authentic connection.

 

Creating real, authentic connections is crucial to business growth. 

The way Megan and I connected was through a networking group on social media. It’s an amazing thing that can happen when you actually take the time, be authentic, show yourself personality, and connect with someone.  Share more about your life.

For example, if you are in health and wellness, sharing the food you eat is part of your brand.  It’s part of what is going to connect people to you. If you are a health and wellness coach, then I do care about what you’re eating for lunch.  Inspire me and share it with me. There’s so many ways to really make a genuine connection online.

 

Megan’s favorite way to connect with people.

She loves to have what she calls “Hallway Conversations”. This term came up when she and her partner were chatting about the value of him going to in person meetings or conferences.  It was not so much about the “official” conversations in the conference room.  It was more about the hallway conversations that you have walking between sessions. We have the opportunity to have those hallway conversations in Messenger, aka the DMs. 

Megan actually went to a retreat back in August. It was for business owners, but it was just basically like a sleepover! There were nine people there, and they all had the same coach. Megan made so many connections there, sipping a glass of wine with a friend, or sitting out by the pool.

Megan loves having forward facing sales efforts like social media and newsletters, but she loves to get more personal in her emails. She loves to say, “Just reply back”. When people hit the reply button, they are getting HER. She’ll have little side conversations and that is really where that connection begins and thrives.

 

The power of personal connection.

I actually have somebody who sends out one of the best newsletters. They’re the best newsletters because they’re so personal. They’re full of her stories like getting stuck in the mud doing something weird. But she always incorporates it into some kind of business lesson.  

She always encourages people to reach back out to her. It really does feel like I know her, even though I’ve never ever met her. I’ve only really spoken to her a couple times, but she sends the most genuine emails out, and it just makes such a big difference. 

You have the power of that personal connection, and it is so important. Once you become a business owner and entrepreneur, all of a sudden, it’s like you no longer have any personality. You don’t share about the personal things in your life anymore. Talking about business is all you do. And you need to share some of those personal things because that is what enables people to connect with you. 

 

Those side conversations are solid gold!

I was thinking about pre-COVID when we could go to conferences. I met this young guy in the line at Starbucks. While waiting in line, we had the best conversation. I follow him on Instagram, and he’s just so inspiring.  And I would have never met him if I hadn’t just started talking to him in the line at Starbucks.

 

What can you do to increase making these connections?

Megan says to start by grabbing a pen and paper, sit down, and write down your last 5-10 clients or customers.  Then, next to them, write down how you met them.  Were they a referral? Did you meet through social media? Was it a DM?  Then, group those together and see if there is something that overwhelmingly stands out. Do you really close sales in your DMS, or do you really close sales via referrals? 

Start there!  Then based on those results, move forward with making those connections. So, for instance, if it’s referral based, then start thinking about all the people you could ask for referrals. That feels super awkward, but if you really turn it into a situation where you’re giving some value, it makes it really easy for them to refer people to you. 

If you know you’re connecting with people over the DMs, go through your DMs and figure out when’s the last time you were chatting with somebody that is your ideal client. Just reach out and see how life is going for them. It doesn’t always have to be about closing the sale. Always be connecting with people! Through the connection, that’s when the sales come.

 

I call this continuing the conversation.

It’s no different than if you were calling a friend. Think about it as if you hadn’t talked to a friend in a long time. You can pick up the conversation regardless and carry on those conversations.  But making a list takes this to another level in business. 

Using the data that’s in front of you is something that a lot of people probably don’t do. They don’t really know how to do it.  This is an incredibly easy way to just go through your list and see how you connect with people best. You need to know where your clients are coming from and how you can do more of it. 

 

Megan’s last thoughts.

If you’re not bringing in the leads that you think you should be, just take that step back and look at that list. Anytime she has done that personally,  or she’s asked her clients to do that, it’s always this light bulb moment. Megan is actually really good at gaining clients through this avenue.  You can get so caught up in the “we’ve got to be everywhere all the time, all at once” mentality, and that’s not the case.  You need to be in the place that works for you. It’s gonna be different for everybody.

 

How you can work with Megan.

The Good Business Witch is her podcast.  You can also find her on her Instagram profile, themeganWinkler. And you can find her at meganwinkler.com.  In both of these places, you can find links to her Client Attraction Circles and her podcast. 

In November, she’s also relaunching her signature program. It’s actually going to be a 6 month program where we’re working together through all of your marketing and sales. We will really work on shifting your mindset and creating content. She’s with you the whole way! It is not anything pre-recorded. There are implementation calls as well and little mini workshops throughout. 

 

Who is a good fit for this program?

The best fit for this program are coaches and service providers. People who don’t necessarily want to hire somebody to do their marketing and sales because they’re so personally involved with the process.  It could also be for somebody who is looking to eventually hire somebody, but wants to make sure they understand everything. It is a really great time and place to dive into your brand story and your messaging.

At the end of the 6 months, you’re going to have an overall playbook for your brand and for your marketing.  We’re not waiting until the 6 months is up before you start marketing with soul.  You’ll do that from day one. 

It takes 4-6 months to really get a marketing strategy up and rolling. Marketing is a long game. And you have Megan throughout it all. You also have a group of like minded people there with you to encourage you to support you. It is so awesome, creative, wholesome, and life changing.

 

When in doubt, see where you can connect with people.

See where you can connect best with your current clients, previous clients, and future clients.  Just be yourself! Be human because people love to work with people that they like.

 

Apple |  Spotify | Google | Stitcher | Youtube| 

 

Connect with Michelle-

Connect with Megan-

 

Have Questions? Let’s have a Cup of Virtual Coffee!

 

 

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.9.1″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#37123c” border_radii=”on|20px|20px|20px|20px”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.9.1″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.9.1″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#f9eae1″ text_font_size=”24px” header_text_color=”#f9eae1″ header_2_text_color=”#f9eae1″ header_3_text_color=”#f9eae1″ header_3_font_size=”38px”]

Want in on the Secret?

Secret Small Doses is an EXCLUSIVE email (you can only access them by being on the list -that’s why it’s a secret!) that goes out every other week with “secret” mini-trainings to help you grow your business, create long-term sustainable success, and grow your business in unique and genuine ways.

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_button button_url=”http://www.secretsmalldoses.com” url_new_window=”on” button_text=”I ABSOLUTELY DO! ” button_alignment=”center” _builder_version=”4.9.1″ _module_preset=”default” custom_button=”on” button_text_size=”23px” button_text_color=”#f9eae1″ button_bg_color=”#64d3cc”][/et_pb_button][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *