What is H2H?

Human to human, (H2H), is all about relational capital, personalising the way we market our services or products; allowing both staff and customers to get to know each other. This type of marketing is much more rewarding for all, and, carried out correctly, it will not only increase initial and repeat business, but also recommendations leading to new transactions. As surveys suggest, shoppers and users of services respond much better when dealing with people that they feel they ‘know’, which is where social media plays a big part in H2H marketing. People want to do business with people.

Trust and Loyalty

These go hand-in-hand: if a customer trusts you, they will recommend you, leading to increased sales and more profit. Using real-life photographs on your website of team members and products – stock ones are a non-starter – and blogs written in a friendly way are important with the H2H factor. Also, it is essential to remember that, whilst you know a lot about what you are offering, a new customer will require simple explanations which will retain their interest without becoming too technical or complicated. Your contact button should be easily accessible from every page on your website, allowing potential customers to get in touch with a ‘real’ person who will ask them questions about what they hope to achieve with your product. This type of contact is exactly what turns a lead into a sale.

How To Initiate H2H Conversation

It’s all about being a friend and not giving an interview! Questions should be natural and spontaneous, so pre-prepared scripts are out. You should focus on asking the ones that will establish a rapport, whilst also discovering exactly what the potential customer is looking for. Pay particular attention to what the client is hoping to achieve, listen for keywords such as easy-to-use, flexible, cutting edge, as you can use these organically, in the course of discussion, to create what the person is looking for. Some sample opening questions could be:

• What information were you specifically looking for during your search?
• What changed or happened to make it important to start looking?
• How are you hoping that we can help you/solve your problem?
• Rather than me make suggestions, what are you particularly interested in?
• Invest in Social Media

Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are great ways to individualise your business, by introducing personal staff biographies and life events alongside direct marketing, allowing people to interact with you.

All these show that you are interested in the person. Go back to the basics and focus on relational capital, focus on H2H. Discuss solutions, while subtly leading the person to their own conclusion and decision: do not become ‘salesy’ as this can be a turn-off and break the bond that you have been building up. H2H is all about establishing a relationship and it is perfectly okay to answer and, if appropriate, ask personal questions, perhaps about family or holidays.

Personal Insights From Your Customer

Listening to your potential customer will not only provide you with valuable information as to how to close the deal, but will also create that businesslike yet friendly, easy going relationship which builds confidence and trust, regardless of whether it is a private individual or a corporate customer; we are all humans who enjoy H2H. It will also help you to discover whether you are talking to the main decision-maker or whether you need to ensure that your product will appeal to higher up in the chain. There is no doubt that communication is key to a brand’s perception and reputation, so giving your potential and current customers the opportunity to relate, the  H2H factor  is essential.

P.s. Although the topics is new, the concept is as old as the first days of communication. Due to the digital world we live in, most marketers became techies and lost this hum connection.