A rainy Friday afternoon, and I was sitting in a coffee shop, catching up on some work while my daughter slept.
As a freelancer, I love sitting in coffee shops to work because you have the buzzy- ness going on around you and you can dip in and out of people watching. If find it’s where you catch the best stories!
On this occasion, there was a little girl of around 7 sitting on a sofa, waiting for her mum who was at the counter. Another little girl who had ants in her pants, and was bouncing between her chair and some pretty good dance moves.
The little girl on the sofa popped her head up and looked around. She smiled at me. She continued to look around and saw the other little girl.
Jumping up from the sofa she walked over and said, “Hi, are you (name) from class (number)?”
The other little girl looked shocked at first, but then she smiled and said “Yes”.
The first girl smiled, said, “Hi”, and wandered back to her sofa.
And that was it.
Not much I know, but in that moment I felt I witnessed a very pure and innocent moment of human connection. In that moment, one little girl gave something to another little girl, something we all crave.
To be seen and feel like she mattered.
Who knows if these girls know each other, are friends or will become friends as a result of this interaction. All I know is that a connection was made, by one person putting themselves out there, and walking over to talk to another; and in its simplicity and innocence, it was a truly beautiful moment.
In today’s world where we are constantly busy with our heads buried in our phones or laptops, sometimes the simplest things remind you of what really matters.
A moment of connection with someone, the foundation of a friendship or a relationship, or just simply a common thought or smile shared.
In business, there is a need to put yourself out there on a consistent basis to stand out, nurture your audience, share your message and make connections.
Sometimes you don’t feel like it, sometimes you don’t want to, and this is where we slide into content for contents sake.
You’re desperately scrabbling because you haven’t posted anything of a while. You get caught up in the panic, overthinking what the content should be, and forgetting that simply by being present and human you are able to demonstrate your values.
So humour me for a minute. Forget everything you’ve ever learnt about marketing, and put yourselves in the shoes of these little girls.
One little girl, plucking up the courage to go and say hello. The other happy that she was recognised, and at the prospect of making a new friend.
Now when you apply this back to your marketing, doesn’t it seem so much simpler?
So next time you are worrying about what to share, or what message or content you need to create for your audience and to deliver against your marketing plan; just stop.
Take a moment, and think back to these two little girls.
And finally, if all else fails…just tell a good story.
Written by Lesley Stonier
Founder | We Mean Business, London
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