Outreach

The other day a friend asked me, “Of all your skills which is your strongest?”

I thought a couple of seconds and answered, “Outreach. I have the ability to help others reach out.”

Outreach

How do you know when you have gotten your message through?
Perhaps you notice a glimmer of understanding in the eyes of the person or people you are talking with; or, your message is repeated; your product is purchased; a vote is cast in your favor; or, a donation is made to your cause.

Most people judge their success by measuring the obvious parameters which characterize one-way information transmission such as these. All of them require a nearly immediate conclusion in the sense that someone must do, initiate or say something before you believe you have communicated with that person and he or she actually understands what your are saying.

On one level that’s all that you may want to accomplish — one action or datum point racked up on your scorecard.

That’s fine.

However, if you plan to operate your business or nonprofit in the future there is much more that you need to accomplish.

More than a one-time sale, you need to ignite a sense of passion for your concept, cause or product. You need to bring 'em back for more.

There is only one way to do that…Outreach.

Outreach is a multi-lane superhighway of social interaction. Outreach requires that you speak with intelligence and hear with comprehension. All your senses must be tuned in to understanding, acting upon, meeting and exceeding your friend’s feedback message.

Communicating through Outreach, that is, truly getting your message into another's thoughts, requires more than making a casual effort. It requires that you travel 99.9% of the communication path to your friend, relative, customer, member or potential customer.

Then, if you succeed and your friend is open to hearing you, Outreach requires that your product, your service, your idea must be the very best product, service or idea available and obviously the best choice at a reasonable price.

Then and only then will you have earned the right to meet and exceed your friend’s needs and most importantly his expectations and trust in you.

Still, your work is not done. You must repeat the Outreach process again and again.

Only then will you and or your business or organization flourish.