Quality interaction is essential to all learning and change. Just think about something you wanted to learn or change and didn't receive feedback. Did you ever read a book on writing and you couldn't tell how well you were doing? What about on the job? Did you feel doubtful or stuck afterward? Did you give up? You needed the 4 keys to quality interaction—and so do your clients.
The Need for Quality Interaction Leads Clients to Upgrade
When you provide an information product, like an ebook or video, even if you provide exercises and activities, your community will miss interaction with you. Many of your clients will want to upgrade so they can achieve their goals. They'll be ready for webinars, forums, groups, workshops, or one-on-one services that provide the four key to quality interaction.
Four Keys to Quality Interaction that Your Clients Seek
While there are many types of interaction, the four key types of interaction people seek for learning, progress, and change are feedback, acknowledgement, encouragement, and brainstorming. These four keys to interaction overlap and often occur at the same time.
Feedback
People want to know how they are doing. Good feedback gives out a lot of specifically what they did well and a little about what could be improved, while maintaining acknowledgement and encouragement (see below).
What passes as "good criticism" in our society is often focused on the negative, which does nothing to help people improve.
Emphasizing what people do well builds confidence, helps people know what they did right and what to keep doing. Then they can improve.
Examples of situations requiring feedback include information on performance after role plays for job interviews or sales meetings and about the clarity of written messages for emails, websites, and products.
Acknowledgement
People need acknowledgement of their efforts and accomplishments in writing, planning, and making new contacts. They need to celebrate their successes with someone who understands.
Often overlooked is acknowledgement of people's efforts, hard work, and feelings about what they've done, even when the results are not there. When we can acknowledge that someone has progressed despite fear or difficulties, our client will feel gratefully understood and more ready to move forward.
Encouragement
People also need encouragement to move through fear, doubt, and inevitable challenges. They need someone to hold their vision for them when they seem to have a long, hard way to go. As in feedback above, people often don't see their strengths or their gains. Our society is too focused on results.
Don't underestimate the need for someone to hold the vision, acknowledge fear as well as effort, and provide encouragement at all times, especially when doubt creeps in.
For example, for me, growing a business after a lifetime as an employee can be daunting. Having the long-term encouragement of colleagues and mentors who've been there and believe in me helps me get through rough spots.
Brainstorming
One-to-one and group sessions of all kinds raise the number and quality of ideas astronomically. Each idea leads to others, and people can share resources and methods. Each person has a different point of view, different experiences, and different contacts and resources that could come to bear for someone else.
While your experience and expertise make you a primary brainstorming partner and resources, groups provide powerful brainstorming, whether in person or online.
Questions for Reflection and Comment
- What are your clients learning from you?
- Which of these forms of interaction do you provide your clients now?
- Where do your clients need more or better quality interaction?
- How can you provide these forms of interaction for them?
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