Just Keep Swimming...

Sometimes Social Steering seems like an uphill battle with very little results, and other times Social seems like a language you have always spoken, wherever you find yourself, Don't give up. Five reasons to keep swimming according to Nemo (and my 4 year old Lucas).

1. You won't reach your goals if you quit
Learning a new way of communicating can be challenging and uncomfortable. Some things will certainly look and feel unnatural until you become familiar with practice. Take for instance the hashtag #: it can be both #powerful and #redundant. When used appropriately and strategically, it can emphasize your point and help you hone in on specific queues and triggers. However you use it, make sure you use it.

2. How can you measure any success if you never get into the water. 
Most professionals will tell you that you cannot learn to swim unless you get in. Social is no different. Because this is a conversation first, remember that conversations are fluid. If you make mistakes, humble yourself, and keep talking. Getting in the water gives you the tools and understanding of the environment. It poses the challenges and risks first hand and it gives you the skills and confidence to overcome them, or at least face them. Social is talk! Get in the conversation and maneuver through.


3. Risks open us up to new realities, richer and deeper insight. My son and I have a  favorite part of Finding Nemo. It is the part when Dori tells the sea turtles what great obstacles Marlin has conquered. That story travels so far that it reaches Nemo in the fishtank. This is marketing. When you fight through to achieve an outcome, the message itself is what gives your customer confidence. Everyone wants to work with a hero, and overcomer, a success. Whatever motivates you to push through, keep your eyes on the prize. You have nothing to lose.

4. The Payoff shows itself in the relationships that bring us both personal satisfaction and business.
When we finally get to our goal, the reward is well worth it. It's the difference in working a job and working a passion. A passion is always fulfilling at the end. Make sure you take the road that leads you to your passions, and make that road the only one you travel. Your work will thank you, and your clients will as well.

5. A mind is a terrible thing to waste!  Learning keeps you alert, awake, and ready to Go. Learn something new everyday. Learn how to inspect, examine, and apply what you learn. But most of all, learn how to discern when something you have learned is not for you! Critical thinking is something that we can learn and use to grow our business. It can save us, our work, and our clients from wasted time and resources! Be on the lookout for opportunities to invest in new solutions, but be aware of solutions that are just murky waters.

Strategy is all about developing a pattern that is holistic and implementing it consistently over time. Do you need help with this? I know someone...

-GoldCoastLady

5 Reasons CRM Projects Fail...

Taking a look at the whole story...

I was sitting in the office of a new prospect just the other day, and the inglorious topic of software blunders came up as a topic of conversation. This particular professional was carrying on about how they have found most software they have implemented in the past to be a real headache for users: filled with bugs, not user friendly, and poorly designed. When I looked around their office, I took note of many clues as to why this person felt this way. It led me to write this post. Here are the five most evident reasons software fails:

1. NO Implementation Strategy ~ This is not just the Why, but the How, and the What. They need to be clearly defined to measure not only the proportion of need for this software, but the methods to how it will solve problems, meet needs, achieve goals, and fix something that is broken. Many time I find that clients who sign on for new technology without strategy, haven't properly assessed the situation as a whole. They sign on to fix one thing, and create a slew of other concerns in the aftermath. There has to be a good strategy behind any successful implementation.

2. NO Desire to Change ~ Let's face it, any new addition to your already comfortable system is change. Change that is not embraced corporately will create a bigger problem for any company. Data is our most precious commodity, and it needs to be preserved and protected. Companies that resist change are usually not good candidates for successful implementation unless they change their thinking.

3. NO Proper Investigation ~ You can't be an expert at understanding the ins and outs of technology and business process unless that is what you do... for a living. Working with experts can help you find and address the right questions, give you all the options, and help you understand thoroughly the pros, cons, benefits, and differences. This is desirable in order to make a solution last, and not have to revisit the existing issues that were not solved or that were newly created over and over.

4. NO Appropriate Training ~ I tell my clients that training, and not just software training, but process training is 95% of a CRM solution. I have gotten to a point where I will refuse to perform an implementation without commitment to train in most corporate environments. The reason should be so obvious. People who are busy don't have time to teach themselves a new software and a new process. They need the method predetermined for them. This is not only fair, but it is necessary. You cannot expect a person to develop a system for use and a application on their own, and yet so many companies do this to their employees. This can cause anxiety about implementing any of the right software tools because of the wrong software experience.

5. NO User Feedback and Follow-up ~ This is critical to pass or fail. Like most technology, once you get your users on board, they become your biggest evangelist. Once the see the vision, tackle the mission, and embrace the tools, they drive your productivity sky high! This is what we want. This is what we like as Software Experts! We want to see the user commit. You have to engage the user to get them to marry the strategy. They have to be able to work, refute, develop, and rework the technology to best fit their roles and needs. They are as diverse as there are options! This is why feedback and communication can seal your deal. If you want a technology solution that delivers, include the users in its development and redevelopment. You won't be sorry.

Think of your technology as not the solution, but the method to your philosophy. Get a really good expert to help you define it in ways that can be interpreted through sophisticated software tools. As you do this, you will realize that your technology has endless possibilities and immense value to you, because of your timeless and developed philosophies underlying it. Then and only then will almost any software solution you implement will be a success.

When Expertise Escapes You, Call in Reinforcements...

How Leveraging your relationships to create value for your online community!

Have you ever heard that old saying, "If the shoe fits, wear it" I have been wearing that shoe a lot, lately. I can't always seem to figure out how I get myself into these fixes, but I do. Maybe it's called a heart too big. Whatever the case may be, here is how it began.

Last week, a very dear friend called me with a problem. Her problem was one I couldn't solve. A friend of a friend needed help upgrading to a newer version of software that was no longer supported by the software company. She gave them my information, and they gave me a call. I wanted to help them, I swear I did. But I couldn't. This is often a limitation of being an expert at certain things, and not a generalist with many.

Luckily for her, I had an expert in my back pocket who could proficiently handle this complex upgrade. So that leads me to 3 things to remember about creating value for your clients and their friends!

1. Your referrals are just as valuable to them as your advice! This is why I am loving some #FF aka follow Fridays on Twitter! This gives me a chance to showcase my favorite and most trusted network of connections for introduction to my valued followers.

2. Your referees are a major tool to keep in your arsenal! My best question for you is this: Are you a brand ambassador? If not, you might want to consider it! Recognizing good stuff and showing the love creates good will in every direction!

3. Your referrers are a mixed bag of both of these! I love my clients, but I also love my brand ambassadors. Many times, they are strategic partners who don't use my services, but understand their value to their own clients. Make sure you develop these and know who they are! This should be an important part of your strategy!

Leverage will serve you well in the long run! Incorporating and Comprehending their value in your relationship strategy can move you into a new level of esteem. Make sure you plan for how long you want to run!

Sometimes you need a little break to realize you were missed

Summer Days are gone too soon, and fall is approaching rapidly. This is the time of year for backpacks, candy corn, homework assignments, and pumpkin spice lattes, but did you know it is also a good time to reach out to your most favorite customers? Did you know that a good contact schedule can keep you visible, favorable, and even missed by your customers? Many of us take some vacation time in the summer. Did you ever think that it might be a good idea to give them space?
Like any relationship, you need to learn how to honor the way your customers want to be reached. Fall is a good season to begin to reconnect with your relationships, both business and personal. Setting a good reach strategy could be the difference between your success and failure in business.  Here is the rule of 4: When touching your contacts, use these initiatives and track them:

• Have I emailed them?
• Do I show up in their Social Media Feeds?
• Have I showed up at the end of their dial tone?
• Have I sent them a card?

In the fall, I always start with a card! Something along the lines of, "Hope you had an awesome summer and I am looking forward to connecting with you soon" Use your #CRM to manage the ways they have been touched, how frequently, and keep it consistent. Come up with a variety of ways to stand out, be different, and create meaningful impressions. Spice it up! Analyze your Big Data and create Loyal Relationships with your customers and your prospects. Take breaks, and then meet back up again. This is a real relationship, so let it look like one. Build your relationships like an ant farm, one small treasure at a time that creates a great big long lasting history that means more to each of you than any thing else. This is the way to success and it takes time. That's your greatest investment.

Email is Personal... Be Polite! 5 Do's and Don'ts when sending email

I hate marking messages as junk, I really do. As an email marketer there is nothing more brutal than to tell someone their messages are the worst. It's like missing the spectacular vision behind the raindrops on your window pain. Sometimes we are so blinded by our message we miss the opportunity to give someone what they want! I call this self focus.
But what happens when you get on a list from someone who constantly sends you advertisements on viagra, or they market to you in another language? What do you do when you are suddenly receiving messages from someone you don't know, about something you don't care about, so much so you can hardly keep your inbox clear?  YOU take NOTE! That's what you do.  Here are five do's and don'ts when engaging in email marketing!

1. ALWAYS use a SUBSCRIBED LIST!  Under the federal CAN SPAM laws, you can be fined if you email someone with out the explicit permission. Make sure you get the A-OK to proceed.
2. Segment your list ~ Here are some really good questions to ask yourself: Who is this? How do I know them? What do they want from me? What do they do? How can I help them? How do they desire to be helped? What is the purpose of my relationship with them? How can we help each other?
3. Be creative: Don't send the same email to everyone, it's not appropriate.  Get those creative juices flowing and design an email campaign that is target toward the segmented lists you just created.
4. Don't over email! People want to see you, but not everyday! Use your click through rates to determine how often they want to see you.  Send them good info, but don't just send them any info.
5. ALWAYS reply to RESPONSES! Engagement, just like in Social Media, is key. They want to hear back from you. If you can't do this in a timely fashion, set up auto-responders. But make those responders targeted, too.  This creates a comfortable situation for your audience.

Email is personal. People want to feel like each message they receive is specifically for them, and that it addresses their needs and interests. They don't want you to waste their time. They don't want you to waste yours.
If your opt out rates are high, it's time to design a new campaign.  You are more likely to win by counting your losses and revamping your efforts! There's no sure fire way that works, just get in the game. I pays to be personal, and personality pays...

To Drip or Not to Drip... That is the Question

In my previous post about the power of perpetual touch we talked about what is a drip marketing technique and why it is an important part of cultivating relationships for business.  To expand on the idea that perpetual touch is important, I wanted to cultivate and explain the difference between a good drip, and a bad drip.  As I explained in that article, it is not enough to simply touch someone, they have to desire your attention.  So what are some good ways to drip, and some not so good methods you ask? Here are my top five:

Top 5 good drip marketing tips:

1. Always ask them first!  This is especially important with email marketing, and does not relate as much to Social Media touching and direct mail!  Permission is key, email is private and personal to many of your recipients. The very first bad way to ruin your impression is to send them something they don't want!
2. Be authentic! If you think about business all the time, it is OK to post about business, however, you will tire your audience! They want to know that you are well rounded! Keep your posts centered around who you are. Get a little personal by sharing your values and your humor! They will connect with it.
3. Show up for every meal you are invited to! If you know what they want and need, give it to them and show up on time. There is nothing worst than getting someone to give you access to their trust, and under delivering what they expect you to know and offer them. 
4. Send cards! People love them and they go a long way, especially if they are hand written!
5. Be spontaneous!  As much as you can try to stick with a blueprint of how you want to touch your audience based on information you have gathered about them, but don't hold tight and fast to this.  Spontaneous and unprompted reach can be very compelling. Follow your promptings! If you think of them, send them a note!  This always translates into a language they receive!

Top 5 bad drip marketing tips:

1. Don't: Send them everything you got! If they don't care about this service, product, or event, don't bully them with information about it.
2. Don't: Forget their interests, important occasions, and technical aptitude! If they give you a birthday, remember it! If they don't tweet, don't invite them to connect on twitter! If they want to learn about email marketing, don't teach them about widgets!  You know longer look like a person who wants to help, but like a person who wants to sell!
3. Don't: Send them a letter you send to everyone else. Be careful of form letters! They look very impersonal and usually get trashed.
4. Don't: Show up for every meal! Don't overstate & over saturate them with your presence! People like seeing you, but if they see you too much, they will certainly get bored with your content. Listen better than you talk. You will be received much better.
5. Don't: Get too personal! People care about your kid and the cute things they do, but they easily get tired of your opinions on all hot topics!  Have opinions, just respect the opinions of others more! Stay close to places where we all see eye to eye, relate, and understand with common ground.

Drip Marketing is not rocket science, but it is an art!  Be creative, courageous, and meaningful so all will value what you have to say, and how it affects them... beyond business, into every day life.

Drip Marketing... The Power of Perpetual Touch

I think that in most areas of life, we underestimate the power of touch.  With Valentine's Day on the horizon, it has never been more on the forefront of my mind.  Little things we do; physical, spiritual, intellectual. Our initiation makes a mark; it leaves and impression.  How much of an impression, we never know.  But we do know, don't we.

Drip Marketing is applying this principal to business. It is allowing the importance of touch, wanted and sometimes unwanted, to leave an impression.  Your strategy can be the difference in the impression you make.  It can make you or break you.  Some people say that it doesn't matter what people remember, as long as they remember.  I don't believe this to be true.  I think silence is golden, if the noise you make turns someone away.  This is where cultivating a strategy will serve you well. 

What is a Drip Marketing Strategy you ask?  It is simple.  It is the process of touching your audience by different methods for the purpose of building a solid and favorable impression.  It is the planning and organizing of the ways and means by which you touch them.  It is the understanding and recognition of their desired methods of touch, by means of studying and learning your pursuant.  It is the method by which you consistently seek relationship, friendship, engagement. 

Just like in all relationships, faithfulness, loyalty and perseverance is valued and savored in real authentic friendship.  Business is the cultivation of friendship for the benefit of commerce.  Apply principals of friendship to business and you will manifest loyalty every time.
Drip Marketing is a requirement for success.  If you are not doing it, you are surviving by luck.  Luck will only take you so far.  Strategic Relationship Cultivation will take you the rest of the way... Trust it...