Trust

Earlier this week, Canada celebrated the first ever, Canada’s Agriculture Day on February 16th. #CDNAgDay was trending on social media all day – it was healthy to see people getting involved in the conversation around agriculture. There were people participating who otherwise, may not have even known what ‘agriculture’ is and how it impacts them each day with what they eat and the food they consume. It reminded me of an experience I had in January with fellow grocery shoppers I shared about on Twitter.

I happened to stop at the meat section where a young couple were trying to decide what type of chicken to buy. They were having a very educated conversation about antibiotics and growth hormones. You could tell they were confused though, about what type of chicken to ultimately buy based on the labels they were reading and the various brands, packages and options.

The ‘agvocate’ in me saw this as one of those rare opportunities.

A rare opportunity that a social media interaction or TV commercial with big marketing $$$ couldn’t provide in the same way.

This was an opportunity to have a face-to-face, educated interaction in the middle of a grocery store with the product in our hands and with people who were interested in how their food was raised.

What type of facts did I share with this couple?

That I am a dairy farmers’ daughter who knows many chicken farmers in Ontario & Canada who take pride in growing the chicken they do for the Canadian public (this built ‘credibility’)
That even I, as a person working and being raised in agriculture, find the choices overwhelming with the information and options available in grocery stores (we found common ground…’relatability’)
That chicken in Canada is some of the safest in the world because of the high standards of our food system- that all chicken available for purchase in Canada is Canadian because of supply management (same as dairy, turkey, eggs); that because of this, chicken sold in grocery stores won’t be grown with growth hormones because that is not permitted in Canada (read here) and that Canadian chicken is grown in the most responsible way when it comes to the use of antibiotics (read here) (this gave them reliable information they could ‘trust’)

Luckily, the couple were extremely receptive to someone ‘chatting them up’ in the middle of their grocery shop. At the end of the productive conversation they said thanks and seemed grateful for the quick interaction as they happily walked off knowing they had made an informed buying decision (purchasing Canadian chicken!!!).

I’ve always thought it would be an awesome marketing campaign – to walk into a grocery store and have farmers who actually grew or raised the product, standing by their product to answer consumers’ questions as they grocery shop. There would be no better way to connect people with the food they eat to the farmers who are proud to grow and raise it.

This simple 2 minute interaction proved the power of conversation. How you remember, through conversations and interactions like this to 1) build credibility with the person or people your speaking with; 2) make them feel like they can relate to you; and 3) share trustworthy and factual information to better equip them to make an informed decision.

These are the types of interactions and conversations we need to have more of in Canadian agriculture #Agvocacy

Hello from sunny, friendly Manitoba! The canola fields are in full bloom and I couldn’t be happier to be spending some holiday time in my second provincial home, Manitoba!

Some food for thought while I am away….

You stumble upon someones social media profile and read that they have labelled themselves an ‘expert’ in their given field. Or, you read the tweets or posts of someone you follow who gives off the impression that they know what they’re talking about but you wonder to yourself, how do they know so much (or worse, why do they think they are an expert in [insert field]?) It makes you then question whether you could be technically considered an ‘expert’ in your given field.

What constituents an expert anyways?

Is it schooling?
Number of hours worked in the industry?
How knowledgeable you are on the topic compared to others in the field?
Number of followers you have in your social media networks and the influence you have?

Now a days, it is easy to be an expert in anything and be labelled as such. The internet, technology and social media have helped provide people with a platform to showcase their skills and talents. People now have access to people, communities, tools and resources like never before. Endless tools (that are free!) help people promote who they are and what they can offer to others.

So back to the initial question then, what constitutes an expert? Is there really a right answer to this question?

“What constitutes an expert?” – #PassionateVoice

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People with many years of schooling are highly regarded as an expert in their field. People who have been identified by their peers and continue to give talks/teach in their field are considered an expert. People with large social media networks are often regarded as experts by their followers because of what they share and the value they bring to their network.

To be considered an expert in your field, it comes down to how you are seen by others.

If you are the “go too” person in your field on a specific topic, then people most likely will view you as an expert. How you have positioned yourself in your field by what you’ve said, how you’ve said it and how you’ve made people feel all help establish yourself as an expert.

Referrals and testimonials also help speak volumes to your expertise. If you are good at what you do, you will come highly recommended by your peers which will help others see your value.

“To be an expert, you have to be trusted by people” – The Passionate Voice

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To be an expert, you have to be trusted by people. That is something that hasn’t changed over time regardless of new technology, social media or the internet. These tools have only helped enhance how many people can see you as an expert. The fundamental reason why experts exist, still lies in how you make others feel, how people see you and whether they trust you in what you are talking about.

Gain people’s trust. Be THAT expert in your field.

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