It's all about relationships

This week, I had the good fortune to attend the Inbound Marketing Summit. Despite the occasional marketing jargon, the theme running through all the presentations was relationships. That it's about connecting with people, having authentic conversations, the power of listening, and ultimately, respecting the person/customer you are in relationship with. It's no longer a top down, pushy approach. It's about trusting the messenger and the message.

Years ago while attending graduate school, this same theme was present in every one of my classes. My degree is in Holistic Health Education. Not quite the same as marketing, but the concept was there too. We talked about the rapport between the health educator and client and how that affected the health of both individuals and the relationship itself.

It isn't just in marketing & holistic health. This new framework of relationships can be found in any field. We are becoming more aware of both the delicate and strong link we share with each other and the planet itself. The focus is shifting, from what can I get to what can I give. The old systems are breaking down. We see this happening all around us - in the economy, in health care, in marketing, in world relations. And it isn't just about areas of work, our whole understanding of what it means to be alive is changing. Each one of us is actively participating (some consciously, some not) in the creation of a new paradigm!

This is very exciting, unless you are too busy being caught up in the fear about what's "falling apart." That's the real epidemic. Though it's only one part of the picture, it can have a nasty grip on every part of your life. Fear of money, the swine flu, the terrorists, oh lordy, the list could go on.

I felt a bit of this fear wave at the conference. On the surface, we were talking about social media (blogs and the immense power in going viral), social networking (Facebook and Twitter to name a few), and inbound marketing (focused on relationships not ads). Underneath the specifics were the real questions: How do we make sense of the changes going on? How can we work with it and have it work for us?

Have you asked yourself similar questions about the changes going on in your life? Perhaps some of these soundbites from the conference can be guidelines for the changes you are facing. 

Follow known patterns of success.

Learn to listen and listen to learn. 

Find the clear signal through the noise.

You control the volume and the channel.

Make it (your life) relevant. Make it matter.

Take the info you have and weave it together. 

Engage with people in their own backyard, where they are comfortable. Speak with them in a way they understand, that's relate-able.

No matter how small your world of interest is, there is someone else out there that shares the same passion. Tell your story. 

It's not just about you, your product, your story. It's about you in relation to a community and the value you add to it.

Did you attend the same conference and collect valuable soundbites regarding new media, relationships, and change? Share them here. Or make some up and share those too!