Retail entrepreneurs wrestle to chop via the noise and make significant connections on social media, typically specializing in surface-level metrics whereas lacking the basic human parts that drive engagement and conversion.
Immediately’s Social Pulse: Retail Version, powered by Agorapulse, visitor Lisa Wells brings a novel perspective to retail, social media advertising and marketing, and mixing her Grasp’s in Psychology and expertise as a wedding and household therapist together with her function as proprietor of Geneva Flooring, a profitable retail flooring enterprise in San Diego. She’s additionally served as president of the San Diego County Flooring Masking Affiliation and brings over a decade of retail management expertise to our dialog. Don’t miss this episode as she talks with host Agorapulse’s Chief Storyteller Mike Allton.
[Listen to the full episode below, or get the highlights of the Social Pulse: Retail Edition, powered by Agorapulse. Try it for free today.]
May you share the way you transitioned from being a therapist to working a retail flooring enterprise?
Lisa Wells: Remedy was only a facet gig. It was a ardour venture. I used to be in flooring since I used to be 18 years previous in a household enterprise, and I received my bachelor’s in enterprise with a minor in psychology, and I simply liked to be taught. So I used to be going again to high school, I used to be going to go for enterprise for my grasp’s in enterprise, and I simply discovered it so boring to check extra stock and advertising and marketing.
So I went for what I used to be keen about, which was little one psychology, and it turned out that they turned you right into a therapist. So I used to be doing it, I liked it. So this system required an internship. I stayed on years previous the internship as a result of I used to be deeply embedded within the networks of the varsity system, so I used to be doing artwork remedy and anger administration remedy with junior excessive and highschool, and elementary college children, and I used to be working the applications and coaching individuals. Then I used to be working within the juvenile delinquency applications. I used to be working on the police station and within the courthouse with minors who have been taken away from their dad and mom.
So it was simply compelling work, and I used to be doing it 20, 30 hours every week for, oh, I don’t know, possibly 4 years. However I ended after I had children of my very own as a result of I already had a full-time job. I’ve positively been in a position to implement the issues that I’ve discovered, clearly, in that point. However I don’t mix and relate the 2 fairly often. Weirdly, I consider them as so separate.
However I completely use psychology in crew administration, and doubtless my strategy to advertising and marketing and creating relationships with clients and builders is greater than in a gross sales method. I do know I don’t give it some thought in that method, however I assume when you be taught individuals and respect, and listening expertise, which is what remedy is, empathy, then you definitely use it in all sides of your life. I’m definitely utilizing it with my seven and eight-year-old daughters.
Lisa Wells: My advertising and marketing is so natural, it’s so genuine. I’ve by no means written a script or created one. I take into consideration what could be attention-grabbing for me, I need to know in regards to the technical specs, how do I promote to my clients that I’ve been promoting to for 20 years? They need to learn about efficiency. They need to take into account the pets and circumstances of their house. They need to discuss their very own structure and their very own design preferences. So I’m simply listening after which screening via my information, modifying, and giving them the knowledge in a digestible package deal.
I don’t plan that for my social media both. I take into consideration the questions that folks ask me on a regular basis, after which I do little snippets in order that my identical message may exit to a bigger viewers, after which they arrive again in and so they can get it for me individually. However clearly that is scalable, and I don’t know the place it’s going to go long run. I don’t make it for that. I don’t know. I do it as a result of I do know that it’s related, and my advertising and marketing crew has been telling me that it’s related. And clearly, like I’m a model, I’m a character, so studying one thing on a web page isn’t the identical as pondering who the narrator could be. An image’s price a thousand phrases.
So I’d slightly it come from my very own voice, and I don’t plan it, so I simply provide you with the questions after which I reply them, and I by no means do a second take. And that’s how I got here up with it.
Mike Allton: That’s nice, although. That’s an actual elementary fact of promoting and social media specifically. Marcus Sheridan coined the phrase They Ask You Reply, and that’s precisely what you’re doing. It’s so necessary in all sides of content material advertising and marketing.
What are some widespread psychological rules that you just see in play as you’re creating this social content material, and also you’re seeing it resonate with clients?
Lisa Wells: I believe that persons are sick of promoting and lies. And if I’m simply telling them my fact and I’m offering worth and I’m not being pushy, we’re so delicate to that. Persons are extra keen to hearken to me on-line. Then, coming into my showroom 20 years in the past, individuals would are available and be like, “Inform me about flooring.”
And I’d spend two hours telling them and having that dialogue. Now they arrive in, they go, “Don’t you promote me one thing? I already did my analysis on-line.”
Although the analysis on-line is extra jaded and marketed, and blogs are bought commercials, we don’t know that as shoppers but. We predict that’s analysis. It’s not. However they arrive in fairly protecting and jaded.
Mike Allton: I may see plenty of the ways in which retail clients they’re being triggered. By the issues that they see on social media, whether or not it’s directed at them particularly or not, they’re scrolling via Fb, and so they see a submit that’s clearly promoting to them, and it’s triggering.
However we additionally know from a psychological perspective, not all triggers are destructive. There are some optimistic triggers. That was one thing that Jay Baer talked about lots. He had a whole ebook about triggers.
Lisa Wells: I truthfully haven’t had very many. And it’s not in my character to dwell or obsess on how I look, what number of likes I received. I don’t learn feedback. So what I’m delivering is what my advertising and marketing individual wished of me. I’m coping with the identical insecurities as all people else. I used to be 25 kilos heavier final 12 months. I turned 40, and my physique modified. And so, truthfully, it is rather onerous to see your self on-line and never have judgment.
So I’m attempting to return from—and it takes private work to return from—a non-ego, heart-opening place that claims, “No, regardless of how many individuals are watching this, I’m simply speaking about issues I do know and I’m coming from an excellent place.”
So, it’s giving your self grace and simply giving your self grace, and I don’t overanalyze individuals’s acceptance or judgment of it.
I believe that’s a key in making social media content material as a result of no one likes the look the best way they give the impression of being or the best way they sound. They don’t sound sensible. I’m flubbing proper now. So it’s necessary to get an excellent modifying crew. I attempted for 5 years to create my very own content material with out an editor, and the one method that I received the boldness to say one huge spiel and know that it was going to be edited, and the flubbing of your phrases like I’m proper now could be going to be edited out. So then you’ve the boldness to simply make it via to the top. Truthfully, I solely have usually about 30 seconds the place I can speak earlier than I begin blacking out and being conscious that the digital camera’s watching me and all people’s watching me, and it’s solely Tony, my digital camera man, and possibly I’ve an individual or two within the workplace, and so I begin getting self-conscious. So I consider the query I need to reply. I discuss it till I begin getting nervous, after which I shut. And that’s why most of my media content material is brief. After which the important thing to success is I don’t ask for permission to edit.
I belief that Tony’s going to chop out the locations the place I stutter, after which he’ll submit it. I by no means approve or deny, reject something, I simply let ’em submit it. After which I work on that self interior work of acceptance and love, self-love, after which I don’t spend the time to see if anyone’s saying imply issues to me. I’ve actually by no means seen something. Most likely any individual has mentioned one thing, however I do three movies every week, and I simply have to maneuver on with my life. I’m a really busy enterprise proprietor, mother, and pal, so I keep busy, keep assured.
Lisa Wells: It’s not beginning. Individuals say to me on a regular basis, even in my workplace, that I don’t wish to see myself on digital camera. No person does it. It’s not satisfying or fulfilling to any of us. They usually, so that they don’t begin, and so they overedit, after which after they create content material, they get caught. And I did for over 5 years in logistical content material modifying, creation. I employed any individual, however he didn’t do it. I purchased this system. I attempted to show myself. We’re going to attempt to determine who was going to do it.
You would get a video edited for 30 to 50 bucks. So you need to discover who that individual is. Then how are you going to create it? Are you going to create it in your cellphone? Are you going to purchase {hardware}? Or are you going to purchase the software program? Are you going to ship it via Vimeo? Then you definitely run out of space for storing as a result of you need to purchase a subscription, and are you going to ship it via Dropbox?
However that individual doesn’t just like the pixelation, so then you definitely’d should ship it via the drive. So these logistics held me again for over 5 years earlier than I posted a video, and nonetheless stopped my YouTube channel from rising proper now as a result of I’ve two groups, and so they don’t like how we convert and transport the movies, and who’s going to edit it.
So now I’m attempting to gather my uncooked footage in order that it may be chopped up and packaged in numerous methods. I’m like, I’m not getting youthful. I ought to be capable of reuse these things. I do an hour-long shoot. Most of it dies on the reducing room ground. So what I did, which modified all the pieces two years in the past, was hiring any individual to return into my house with a digital camera and we set, he calls me and he units up a date and he brings higher lighting, which it was important for me and makes me look good and edits it out and offers me the boldness. And I simply have a three-hour filming window, after which I’m finished for the month, and I’ve three posts every week.
That’s the solely method this was going to occur for me. I did 5 movies a 12 months for 5 years, and never considered one of them noticed my Instagram web page due to the logistics and rallying my crew collectively. So as soon as I received all that found out, now I’ve plenty of posts, however I believe individuals simply want to begin now and spend the cash that it requires to get the crew to do it, if that’s what they assume could have an excellent consequence for them. Do you have to spend $1,500 a month? Yeah. You do. That’s a minimal that I’ve heard to get any individual to return out, create content material, edit, and submit and distribute, and that may be a full-time job that requires a full-time crew, {hardware}, and software program, and that by no means occurred for me after I tried to save lots of the cash.
Mike Allton: I really like that you just began by principally simply blowing away limiting beliefs. For those who assume that is one thing that you just’re not fairly sufficient or communicative sufficient or no matter sufficient, simply do it. Get your self on the market.
Lisa Wells: It’s by no means going to get simpler, though creating content material does get simpler. Accepting myself will get simpler. My anxiousness has gone down over time. I used to be so anxious. I do my filming very first thing within the morning, so I get my hair finished, go to the health club, all that stroll in, and I need to movie. As a result of I’m simply getting increasingly anxious because it goes.
I wish to get it outta the best way after which get on with the remainder of my day.
Is Instagram primarily the place you’re pushing your movies, or are you on different platforms as effectively?
Lisa Wells: I don’t contact it. So I do Instagram socially in a small circle myself, in order that’s the place I see my posts. And I’m pals with my firm, and my pals are pals with my firm, and a few of my work friends are pals with my firm. So my movies are each day, and I get plenty of suggestions. About my Instagram, from my circle, as a result of the algorithm has me found out. And so I’m well-known within the flooring neighborhood after I’m attempting to make these movies to promote flooring to different individuals.
And I’m like, none of those persons are going to purchase a ground from me. They’re all in flooring. So it’s extra of simply not a joke, however it’s good-natured. I don’t know. I’m attempting to think about the fitting solution to describe it, however now I’m blanking. I’m simply well-known within the flooring trade, and that’s humorous for all of us.
Like I’ll go to a conference, in one other a part of the nation, and a ladies’s luncheon, and so they’ll be like, oh, I noticed you on the web. Or I’d be strolling via a conference and be like, you’re the lady from the web. It’s humorous as a result of I set this out for gross sales, and as an alternative I’m getting plenty of unwarranted or unsolicited consideration from my friends, but it surely’s good-natured, and I’m accepting it, and I’m accepting the love and reward as a result of all persons are saying is, I want I had finished it. I want I have been courageous sufficient to begin. No person’s asking me how, as a result of all people is aware of why they’re not doing it, as a result of they don’t really feel safe about their picture or how effectively spoken they’re.
Modifying provides plenty of confidence.
Mike Allton: That’s an enormous level that you just simply made as a result of as entrepreneurs, we’re creating content material for our shoppers, and we get zero suggestions from shoppers about our content material, ’trigger they don’t care. They’re simply consuming the message after which shifting on or taking some motion. They’re by no means going to inform considered one of our gross sales reps that, you realize what? I noticed your video, and Lisa did a improbable job. I liked her script. They’re not going to say that ever. So to get optimistic suggestions from colleagues, that’s the place that’s going to return from. And I believe that’s enormous. I do know precisely how that goes effectively out there.
Lisa Wells: Yeah, we’re having a blast with it. I despatched one out final evening, and I used to be like, have a look at me promoting your stuff. And like after I ship it out to my reps after I’m that includes considered one of their merchandise. We’re all buddies. Typically they arrive into my showroom and I allow them to perform a little blurb with my digital camera man, and we’re simply having a blast with it.
So it provides some texture, however finally, the credibility that I’m gaining with my clients, they’re proper. They’re not going to evaluate my supply. They’re attempting to see this girl and her firm, is it a model that I can belief, and do they know what they’re doing? And I believe that message comes throughout fairly clearly.
I do know what I’m doing, and I do communicate eloquently about flooring, no less than it rolls off the tongue as a result of I’ve talked to hundreds of individuals about it. I don’t know. I’m simply attempting to do good in my world. On the planet, that authenticity interprets so it’s not manufactured. In order that’s what they’re on the lookout for.
Lisa Wells: Simply Tony from Tony Hernandez, the social media man. Truthfully, having an individual behind the digital camera who’s calm and reassuring such as you, Mike, and possibly provides you prompts, however both method, is nice power. That helps lots. However he’s the one who’s getting collectively, the crew of editors, and the logistics. He brings the {hardware}, just like the digital camera and the reminiscence stick. The little issues that cease me from posting are that I didn’t need to look into the {hardware} and software program, and logistics.
So one of the best factor I may do is say rent any individual else to do all that, until you’re occupied with it. However then that’s what you are promoting. Like, my enterprise is flooring. I’m not going to take the time to determine the best way to edit. I simply won’t ever get throughout the end line. I’m having so many issues. Let me write coaching manuals. Let me make a brand new banner. I simply purchased a brand new signal. Let’s change our emblem. I simply purchased one other firm, like let’s goal builders and designers. That’s the place my consideration goes, so I can’t take the time and power for media stuff. That’s any individual else’s ardour, not mine.
Mike Allton: I couldn’t agree extra, of us listening. A few of you is perhaps in possession management roles like Lisa, and it’s best to completely be doing what Lisa is doing. You outsource. You might have crew members who help you, and also you deal with what you have to do to create that content material after which transfer on to the extra strategic and visionary facets of what you are promoting.
However I additionally know a few of you listening are the precise practitioners, social media managers, different kinds of content material entrepreneurs, and so forth. There are plenty of issues that our pal Tony right here is doing which you could truly do yourselves. We talked about it in another episodes.
Lisa Wells: Completely, that’s what you guys can do is help us and make it straightforward.
Comfort is all the pieces. I’m so busy, so the less factors of contact, the extra implications for the following step. Don’t wait. So he calls me, “When can we get it on the schedule? We want extra uncooked content material.”
Aside from that, I’ve been with him for over two years, and I can set it and overlook it. He solely wants at some point a month for me.
So if I have been telling different promoting companies, “Every part is precisely the help that I want. Simply attain out to me. I’m too busy to consider it and attain out to you. For those who await me for content material, we’ll by no means get posts up.”
And I believe that’s the place all people will get caught. They don’t know what to do subsequent. Tony isn’t in flooring, so he’s always giving me prompts. He says all of my clients need to know the place you begin. And he’s put emotion into it. “So, how does a brand new ground make you’re feeling?” And I’m like, “If it has to do with flooring, I’ve talked to a buyer about it.” So, if he provides me a immediate, if he thinks that is how I might store for my flooring, the place do you begin? What’s the distinction between good, higher, and finest? So he provides me these prompts, and I’ll ramble on for an hour, however something you may do to help the individual and decrease the anxiousness of how ready they should be.
Once I’ve labored with different pals within the final 12 months, realtors, and so on, attempting to encourage them to do their social media, I’m like, “I’ll come shoot it and I’ll offer you some prompts, dude, actual property, you may simply speak to me.”
After which general, they’re like, “I want you to prep me with questions. I began a podcast. I’ve finished two. All people must know the questions beforehand.”
I’m extra of an informal individual, however I see individuals obsessing about this. In order that’s what I might say to different advertising and marketing corporations. The way in which that you may help us is to provide you with a few of these inquiries to decrease their anxiousness, after which attain out to them, set a date, and get it began.
Are there any assets or thought leaders that you just flip to?
Lisa Wells: Oh, it’s so necessary to have a crew to try this.
I’ve 5 advertising and marketing groups. So I’ve the those who host my web site and have interactive visualizers and search engine marketing, Google Advert Groups, a Google specialist that runs my YouTube channel, after which this social media crew. So I’m related many occasions a month with a number of groups of individuals which are on the innovative.
And there are issues, they’re like, “You might want to maintain the digital camera this manner. You might want to maintain the digital camera this manner. You want it to be 15 seconds, 30 seconds, or 2 minutes. Google’s on the lookout for a 15-minute, made that after.”
They’re always altering their algorithms and their parameters of what they’re on the lookout for. They’re on the lookout for blogs now. They’re on the lookout for movies. They’re on the lookout for a carousel of change. So it’s tremendous related so that you can know what Google algorithm is on the lookout for proper now, after which change your web site and your YouTube. They’re on the lookout for thumbnails. You possibly can’t have your face like in the beginning of the video, you have to have a thumbnail. So these issues are necessary, and any individual else wants to inform me that as a result of I’m not late at evening. Googling what Google wants from me. So there are people who find themselves consultants in that, and also you simply have to align your self with an excellent crew.
After which within the half-hour that I give that individual, they’re going to say, “That is what they need from us proper now.” After which I create that content material, and I shoot it out. And I’ve been doing this for over 5 years, in all probability nearer to 10, with all of those advertising and marketing groups [and] tremendous refined corporations like Broadloom or tech corporations.
I do see that it’s modified over time, and I do see that there is no such thing as a method I’m going to try this. I’ve a job. I’ve a full-time plus job doing issues that don’t have anything to do with the web.
So, it’s about aligning your self with the crew.
Thanks for studying the highlights from this episode with Lisa Wells. Don’t overlook to search out the Social Pulse Podcast: Retail Version on Apple or Spotify, the place we’re digging into the challenges, successes, and tales of social media and neighborhood professionals within the trade, similar to you.
