There’s an artform to marketing yourself at virtual events. They should be treated with the same professionalism as live events if you want to market yourself successfully. That’s what I discuss in this episode with serial entrepreneur Daniel Ruke, better known as Ruke.

Ruke has been doing 100% virtual networking for six years now. He believes that it’s the quickest and easiest way to build your brand. Unfortunately, most people don’t understand the power of virtual networking and how to successfully engage with people at virtual events.

Consider advertising; brands need repetition to get in front of their audiences. Statistics say you need to see a brand eight times before you buy whatever they’re selling. TV commercials, radio commercials and print ads are all doing the same thing. Eventually you investigate the product or service that you’ve seen eight or more times. When you’re networking virtually you get to show up to the same groups multiple times. When you do show up multiple times, you’re getting that repetition that leads to branding and marketing results.

Here’s another thing that most people don’t understand: At virtual events people are watching you like a television show. The power of that is you get to control what you people are seeing. That means you have control over your brand image at events.

It’s important to understand that because people get curious. What books is he reading? What’s that in his background? You can show off your brand every time. That’s the greatest branding opportunity that you can do for your business at virtual events. Most people don’t take advantage of that. Personally, I’ve realized that having my book (Idea Climbing: How to Create a Support System for Your Next Big Idea) behind me is product placement while I’m networking. Yet many people don’t think about creating opportunities like that.

What do people do wrong?

While you have control over your brand you can also destroy your brand at virtual events. Take some pride in the way you’re showing up. Most people think that while they’re networking virtually: “I’m seeing you who cares about me?” Fortunately, or unfortunately, they are looking at you and forming an opinion about the way you show up. Is the way you show up the way you want to represent yourself in the business world?

Before you expect someone to value you, you must value yourself first. Value yourself in a way that you want the people in the room to value you. If you’re not making any sales and nobody’s hiring you maybe it’s because you don’t look hirable. People take note of things like seeing your laundry in the background. It’s not good branding to call in leaning back on a Lazy Boy chair. Would you go to a job interview or a sales call and slouch down in your chair? Come on. This is business, people will think “how can I trust my business with you if I can’t trust you to show up in a professional manner?”

I want to reiterate: You have the power to control that brand experience. It’s 100% in your hands. When we see your brand is not professional, we think to ourselves, “There’s no way we’re going to trust you.” “If you can’t take your brand seriously, how are we going to expect that you take anything else seriously? “

If you want to get paid a respectable amount of money, are you showing up in a way that’s worthy of that? At virtual video events are you constantly calling in on your phone or do you plan your time accordingly and show up on a web cam? Do we see that dirty laundry in the background? That means you didn’t care enough about your brand to clean up your space.

Create a Professional Space

If you’re running a business that does business virtually get a dedicated space and be sure its branded appropriately for the image you want to portray. Make it look like you would a physical office. Set your space up in a way that people want to hang out with you virtually. If you don’t respect your brand and your scenery, there will be people that don’t want to hang out with you in that atmosphere.

Breakout Room Conversations

Unless instructed to share a long story Ruke doesn’t spend a lot of time introducing himself. Some people feel they need to share too much detail and that people are going to value it, but they don’t. Why is brevity important to your brand? If it takes someone verbal paragraphs to share what they do, that means they don’t really know how to explain what they do. Without brevity there’s no confidence, there’s no clarity. Ruke will put something out there that’s kind of fun, such as “I help entrepreneurs win every day through branding, marketing and sales”. Boom. And just let it sit. That’s his undisputable truth, that’s what he does. Brief and to the point.

Don’t Overwhelm People

Let’s use a metaphor to explain your 30-second commercial. You have two hands, let’s play catch. I throw you a tennis ball (that’s an idea), and you’ll catch it. And then I throw another one, you might catch it if I pause enough that you can reset your hands. If I throw you another one, you’re not going to catch it. If I throw out yet another one you forget everything because you’re overwhelmed with my pitch.

Networking, Marketing and Sales

What is the balance between marketing and sales? Ruke believes there’s nothing different between the two. Networking is sales. Marketing is sales. It might be the introduction of the idea that leads to sales, but it leads to sales. You must be conscious of and have purposeful conversations in a business context. If you’re building mutually valuable relationships, you’re making superfans or you’re making clients. Those are the only two things that will build your business. Superfans introduce you to clients.

How to Develop Superfans

Your job is to solve problems for other people.  When people are comfortable around you, they feel like they know, like and trust you already and you haven’t even formally met yet. Never lead with “What do you do? Let’s set up a meeting to get to know each other” to everyone you meet. If you do, that means you’re not being strategic with your meetings.

If someone you just met leads with a comment about wanting to refer business to you: Tell them the best referral, you find, happens because you’ve done something to help the other person. You might ask something such as “In branding, marketing, and sales what’s your biggest challenge?” Because you’re going to give them some valuable advice right now. That will open the doors for the other person to be an incredible referral partner of yours.

During first-time interactions aim to make superfans, don’t “go in for the kill” (sale). Your energy should be that you’re going to help the other person first. If you can’t make them a superfan they’re not going to become a client or refer you clients. If you can’t be their superfan the same rules apply. Ruke believes that if he comes into a conversation with the goal of changing your life, he’s no longer selling you. If he does his job right in helping you by showing up with generosity, value, and genuineness, you’re going to want to do business with him. Then you just talk about how to figure that out.

If you can’t do any of that, give them a virtual hug and walk on.

You can get my book here: “Idea Climbing: How to Create a Support System for Your Next Big Idea”

About the Guest

RUKE is the founder of multiple companies that brings your intellectual property to life.

They take Brands through the flow of create, monetize, and scale… handling their branding, marketing, and sales.