Business-Building Action From Terry Brock

Social Media is growing fast because it addresses needs people have in real life. Businesses can grow which meet the same requirement. By leveraging the communication and connection abilities of prospects and customers your business can grow — but you have to do it right.

Social Media has its own “Big Four.” If you have a successful presence here, you will do well. Without some kind of presence here you will miss out on opportunities.

Here are the key players in Social Media and some specifics you can use to squeeze the maximum from them for bottom-line business profit

Facebook

This is a network you need to not only be involved with but also know well. For business here are some important pointers:
1. Get a Fan Page. This will give you the ability to connect with an interested community who wants to know about you.
2. Keep it updated. No more “once a month” entries, please! You need to keep it fresh with relevant, compelling content in your area of growth. For instance, a dentist could use Facebook to talk about new research and important dental care ideas. A hardware store could provide helpful tips for remodeling.
3. Treat Facebook like a mini-website—because it is. You can — and should — place relevant pictures, stories, videos and audios here. Link to those that are good on your website.

Linkedin

Think of Linkedin as a prestigious country club where you finally were able to join.

1. Treat it respectfully. This is where you want to help people with serious business concerns. Finding an expert is helpful. Helping others with job searches (both candidates and employers).
2. Don’t spam. Don’t use it as a platform to hawk your stuff. Remember it is like the prestigious country club where you connect with others first on a personal basis. Business flows from that.
3. Keep up to date with what others are doing. A quick “Congratulations on the new position” kind of note is appropriate. Use Linkedin as a tool to stay in touch in a favorable way.

Twitter

This is the tool to send out short (140 character max – 120 character preferred) messages. You can use it in a variety of ways.

1. Monitor what is popular. Watch the trends to see what others are tweeting about. Don’t just blabber about your new products. Get to know what others like and need.
2. Search. This is a WOW! You can find trends by searching key phrases. You can use the “looking for a ___” to find people looking for someone with your expertise.
3. Get advice. A tweet that says, “Does anyone have experience with the Oogaboger 342Q unit?” can help you find out about what others think before you make a purchase.
4. Use HootSuite to monitor Twitter as well as Facebook and Linkedin postings. It is a great time-saver and resource finder.

YouTube

Not everyone thinks of YouTube as part of social media but it is strong. This is a way for you to communicate your message quickly, easily and inexpensively (not a bad combination!). Specifically, remember to:

1. Get your channel. This is where prospects can learn about what you do and follow it.
2. Watch what the competition is doing — literally. Do a search on your competition. Learn and grow from it. Remember, there are no secrets on the Internet.
3. Link prospects to secret postings. With YouTube you can restrict the number of people who can see a video. Make it a private showing and only a few people can see it. Very nice for promotion and connection!

There are a lot more tips you can use but these can get you started and even tweak some of what you’re doing. The Big Four of Social Media can help you generate serious business. Use them wisely.

Copyright (c) 2010, Terry Brock and Achievement Systems, Inc. Terry Brock is an international marketing coach and professional speaker who helps businesses generate profitable results. He can be reached by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com. Join the Twitter adventure with Terry through his Twitter address: TerryBrock. Join Terry’s Facebook Fan Page at: http://www.facebook.com/SpeakerTerryBrock

 Social Media Big 4 [6:15m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (143)

Humor is a great healer. It is a great stress reliever. You’ve known that for a long time. Now, find out some of the medically-based research from Psychiatrist Joel Schwartz. Joel is a friend and colleague who speaks about the benefits of humor in work and in life. Enjoy this video — and yes, you can laugh because the Doctor says it is good for you

Living In The Land Of “Later”

From the notebook of Terry L. Brock

I know, I know. We have to make the sales call. Yeah, we need that marketing plan. And, on yeah, I need to make the call to Client Jones who might be interested in working with us.

We have our “I’ll do it later” items and they never seem to get done. It is more than procrastination. It is laziness. We don’t like to call it that, but always saying “later” stems from laziness. Denis Waitley talks about living on “Someday I’ll.” This is a wonderful place where we say that “Someday I’ll take that trip.” “Someday I’ll get the degree.” But the sad part is that “Someday I’ll” is not a place that really exists. We have to make it concrete to make it happen. “Later” is not a day of the week. Someday is not a day of the week. Only when we make things specific do they get done.

Living in the land of “Later” has its roots in fear; fear of the unknown, fear of what they might think. We often fear that we’ll be rejected.

Oh, you don’t actually say no. You say “later” which is much easier. Yet, we know that “later” is not a day of week. It is like someday.

So, it requires brutal honesty, at least with yourself. What are your priorities and what is most important for you to get done? How can you position your business to address the needs of the customers, not just what you want done.

The most dangerous part is that you’re living in that warm bathtub of water. As I’ve said before, that bathtub is nice once in a while for relaxation. However, if you just stay there you only get wrinkles! You have to force yourself to get up, dry off and head out into the world to get things done.

Another benefit is that once you start doing it, often reality is not as scary as what we imagined it would be like. Once you’re moving you get into the concept that Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi discusses so brilliantly about the magic of flow. Once you get into that flow, you find that things start working right and moving in the right direction, as they should. Once you have momentum moving in your direction you get things done and you feel great.

Alfred Adler, the great Austrian psychiatrist once said, “The chief danger in life is that you may take too many precautions.” We think about something way too much and engage in “paralysis by analysis.” We don’t actually come out and say “No” because even that would be too definitive and make a commitment. Instead of saying no we simply use that terrible word, “later” which means indefinitely and the project, the sales call, the great possibility dies a miserable, slow death.

In business it is vital to manage by the numbers. Numbers are objective. They let us know how we’re really doing, not just how we feel or how we think we’re doing.

I know when I work out on my Schwinn AirDyne exercise cycle that it is sometimes infuriating to have that odometer keeping track of exactly how many miles I’ve cycled and what my level is. There are times when I feel like things are going well and I’m doing just great. However, the numbers are there and tell the truth (as long as my batteries are working fine!).

What numbers are you using to measure your success in business? Think of the critical measures of success that are needed in your business. How many sales calls do you have to make to get a sale? How many mailings do you need to do? How effective is your e-mail marketing? Finally, let’s measure what really matters: sales and profit. The numbers tell the story, even if it is painful.

But we only get those answers when we blast through the barrier of “later” and do things today. Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe said, “Are you in earnest? Seize this very minute -Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Only engage, and then the mind grows heated -Begin it, and then the work will be completed!” Those words, spoken centuries ago, are still valid today. There is a magic that happens when we begin.

Here are some steps you can take to make it happen:

1. List the things you know you should do. This requires brutal honesty. Which sales call out there should you make? How is it best to approach that prospect?

2. Create a burning, white-hot vision of the success you’ll see when it happens. This is needed as the fuel to keep you going when the inevitable obstacles hit.

3. Play with the challenges. Yes, there are going to be challenges. This is Planet Earth. It works that way here. So expect them and figure out how to get around them. Have fun with them. Laugh at them. Make lots of contingency plans. Even if those contingency plans don’t come about, you’ll learn and grow through the process.

4. Take Action! Those two words are the key. You have to take action and do it boldly. Sure you’ll make some mistakes. Welcome them. We all learn that way.

5. Repeat as needed. This is an on-going process. It never stops. That’s the way life is and it keeps us on our toes that way.

You’re busy reading this article now. You’ve got another hundred things to do. Don’t get drowned in the sea of busy-ness and neglect the really important things in life. As the Nike commercial says, “Do it Now!” That’s a great way to stay out of the land of “later” and move to the land of ‘Yes! I did it!”

Terry Brock is an internationally recognized professional speaker, consultant and author in the fields of business productivity, technology and marketing. He is a syndicated
columnist for Biz Journals across America and can be reached at 407-363-0505 , by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com .

By Terry L. Brock

“Yuck makes you stronger.” Michael Scott Karpovich

“The which does not kill me makes me stronger.” Frederick Nietzsche

I was talking with a friend the other day who was going through some tough times. She had moved to a new area. She was not doing well in marketing and was even wondering about the job she had. She also had been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. In a word, things were looking pretty yucky for her.

Yuck is a slang word for all the bad things that are happening. I looked it up on the net at www.dictionary.com (great source!) and found a different meaning. “Yukking” it up is often meant as cajoling, having lots of fun and merriment. However, this word, yuck, is often what children (and those that can have fresh childlike minds) use to describe something that is not pleasant, gross or undesirable.

Like is full of this kind of yuck. It hits us from all over. My friend is going through more than just the yuck. With a life-threatening illness she is wondering about all the basics of living life, making it through and more.

As I was talking with her the other day, I realized that this is a learning experience as well. My buddy Michael Scott Karpovich is certified a professional speaker who helps thousands of teenagers and business people by describing how he was able to grow through the abuse he suffered when in high school. The yuck he went through included the dreaded abuse from high school bullies, simply because he was shorter than them and they perceived him as a bit nerdy. His message is that the “Yuck makes you stronger” as you learn to get over it, deal with it and grow beyond your pain.

Life is full of hard times. We all have varying degrees of yuck. Sometimes it is life threatening, like with my friend I mentioned earlier. Sometimes, it is a traffic jam that will force you to be much later than you had hoped. Often it is from other people that are going through their own yuck and either intentionally or unintentionally try to throw off their own yuck onto us.

There is good news in all the yuck. The way life works, we grow when we conquer certain barriers. We don’t learn when things are going fine, we’re sitting back sipping Pina Coladas, relaxing and taking it easy. That is a nice state to be in, but we can’t live there. We grow by dealing with and overcoming barriers and obstacles.

These obstacles hit us regularly. Don’t be surprised when they come. It is just nature’s way of telling us we need to learn another lesson. We have a lot to grow with and learn from as we progress through this planet.

The quote I used from Nietzsche is appropriate here. If something doesn’t kill you, it is going to make you stronger. I’d also add that it will make you wiser. Next time similar yuck comes at you, you’ll be able to either avoid it or handle it with more aplomb.

So, the next time you have major yuck in your life, ask yourself, “What can I learn from this?” What lesson can you take from this to grow and be more of the person that you want to be? Next time you’re stuck in one of those infuriating traffic jams, use it as a time to listen to quality audio, make important phone calls or just relax. You can’t do anything about the traffic anyway, so why not use it as a time to learn and grow.

If you’re facing much more than traffic congestion, there are deeper lessons to learn. I wish I had a magic cure for people like my friend with the terminal illness. I told her I wish I could offer a pill that would cure. The medical community is making great strides today against lots of diseases. However, we have a long way to go.

In the meantime, we know we can learn from each of these yuck experiences. It is not always easy. And we try to avoid them whenever possible. But when the inevitable happens, your attitude will determine the person that you become.

That learning through the yuck will help to make you a better person. This is what life is all about.

Terry Brock is an internationally recognized professional speaker, consultant and author in the fields of business productivity, technology and marketing. He is a syndicated
columnist for Biz Journals across America and can be reached at 407-363-0505 , by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com

If you’re anywhere near the Phoenix, Arizona area on Saturday 13 March 2010, you’ll want to swing by the National Speakers Association meeting for the Arizona chapter. You can read all about it at their website, www.NSA-Arizona.org and see it on this video.

Learn about cutting edge presentation technologies like Skype for presentations. Discover how you can use your PowerPoint and/or Keynote slides in presentations to connect with your audiences. You’ll see that and more in my presentation. I’ll be in Orlando presenting to Phoenix via Skype. This is one you want to see!

Watch the video and enjoy!

Terry

Business-Building Action From Terry L. Brock

Okay, okay, okay!  Enough already!  Have you had it with all the “You’ve got to be on social media” advocates incessantly reminding you that “Twitter is the new E-Mail” or how much you need to be on Facebook, Linkedin, etc. etc.?

But what about the rest of us who have real jobs we need to do?  What about those of us who don’t want to spend everyday, all day swapping quotes, “retweeting” cute aphorisms, and “linking” with people we don’t even know?  And hey, Facebook users, I remember a time with being a “friend” meant you actually had MET the person!

Some of us are out there, slaving away in the salt mines, working on such “20^th Century” concepts as producing products, meeting with customers and trying to pay the bills.  Geez, how did this country ever get started without George Washington, wintering at Valley Forge, letting his soldiers send “tweets” to each other just to pass the time?

Okay, I’m being a little blunt but I think you see my point.  What are we to do today with all the deluge of social media “must dos” when we still have work that needs to be done (or at least those who still have a job in this economy!)?  What is the proper balance to get the work done, please customers, bring in money —- and still be up on the social media explosion that really is changing the way we connect and communicate.

As with so many things in life, there is a balance.  And now, the balance is shifting.  Here are some suggestions that can help you manage this tidal wave shift in the way we communicate today.

1. Determine Your Goals.  Have a good heart-to-heart discussion with yourself first, and then with your team around you, what your real goals are in your business.  Connecting with people and building strong relationships is undoubtedly a big part of any successful business relationship today.  Yes, social media is a vital, critical part of the mix.  Just make sure you’ve got your goals firmly in mind before embracing any new do-dad or gizmo that purportedly “boosts” productivity.
2. Start With Baby Steps.  Hey, Linkedin wasn’t built in a day.  Begin with a solid profile for Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin that is other-oriented.  Don’t talk about yourself as much as the benefits your business provides others. Gradually learn about the protocol of each medium and get to know people.  Be a human being first.  The sales will follow if you practice Relationship Marketing properly in social media.  Always remember that social media and social networking are really about Relationship Marketing.
3. Get Tools To Facilitate Your Use.  Don’t try social media at home — alone.  Tools like TweetDeck, HootSuite, Social Oomph and many others really make it easier and much better to use Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin.  I’m using these now and they have have saved me huge amounts of time.  Bonus: Ping.fm and Tubemogul.com can boost your bottom line if you use them properly by sending your best material to lots of places fast.
4. Play Well With Others.  The Lone Range was a TV show long ago.  Today we are more interconnected than ever.  None of us is a smart as all of us.  Tie in with tribes that can help you and share common values.  Learn from others as they discover new tools and tricks in social networking that can help.  Even the Lone Range wan’t really alone.  He had Tonto by his side!
5. Relax.  Hey, we’re all making this up as we go.  I’m reminded of the first Indiana Jones movie where Karen Allen’s character asked Jones what he was going to do next in the midst of another white knuckle, teeth-grinding fight.  His response?  “I’d don’t know.  I’m making this up as I go.”  Dealing with Social Media is like that today.  In the midst of all the daily barrage of “new” step back and look at the big picture and focus on those goals you have and the “why” of your use of social media and social networking.

Allocate a specific amount of time to be on the most important social media sites for you.  For professional speakers, YouTube is a key component.  For healthcare professionals, staying up with others through Facebook is important to know about new advances.  For salespeople, learning about the advantages of searching through Twitter can yield real, solid bottom-line results in more sales (a nice concept in the field of selling!).

It is not about to stop.  Plan your strategy and work it.  Then be willing to modify as 1) you see results from your own experience, and 2) technology and the market changes.  I’ll make a prediction here — and I know I’m going to be right on this one.  Things will Change.  Yeah, big deal, Terry, you say.  However, all kidding aside, plan for that and be flexible like never before.  I’m talking “Gumby” kind of flexible.

Yes, it is different today and it can seem overwhelming.  By following these principles you’ll not only survive but your Facebook friends might just become real friends — and customers!

Now, if you’ll excuse me I have a few Tweets I need to send about my new YouTube video and Facebook Fan Page along with the Linkedin Groups I monitor!

Copyright (c) 2010, Terry Brock and Achievement Systems, Inc.  Terry Brock is an international marketing coach and professional speaker who helps businesses generate profitable results.  He can be reached by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com.  Join the Twitter adventure with Terry through his Twitter address: TerryBrock.  Join Terry’s Facebook Fan Page at: http://www.facebook.com/SpeakerTerryBrock

 Time Management for Social Media [7:24m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (112)

Business-Building Action From Terry Brock

You can’t do it alone.  Business is a team sport, even for the solo practitioner.  You need suppliers, mentors, consultants and customers (!) helping you.  With the right technologies you can get more done in less time and you don’t need to employ as many people.

Here are a couple of tools I’ve discovered recently which can help you in two profound areas of your business.  This is all about getting you a competitive advantage and letting you be more profitable in your business without incurring a lot of expensive overhead.

[Important Technical Note on the Video:  YouTube has changed some settings so be sure you have selected "480p" rather than the "360p" setting.  Otherwise, you'll get "An error occurred, please try again later."  Well, "later" never comes I found so just select the 480p setting at the bottom of the video and it looks very nice in High Definition video.  ]

Verifone PAYware Mobile For Your iPhone

If you’re mobile in your work with customers, you’ve probably had times when you wish you could accept credit card payment right on the spot.  You find out immediately if the card is valid, you process it quickly and you can focus more on the customer.  Today, with a new system from Verifone, you can do that on your 3G and 3Gs iPhone.

It consists of a device and some software you’ll download from the iTunes App store (software is free).  Once you have the App software, you slide your iPhone into the “sled.”   You swipe credit cards through this device (very small) and it gives you the ability to process credit cards anywhere you can take your iPhone.

My first concern was for security. This system uses an encrypted end-to-end system as it processes the card.  Because it uses a swipe method it is more stable from the start than entering a CC number.  The system uses the SSC (Security Standards Council) procedures for the latest security.  It is one of the most secure methods of CC transmission available today.

For convenience, this is ideal.  A small business owner can take it on sales calls and process everything needed for the transaction on the spot.  You eliminate the delay and time-wasters that come from taking paper and other materials back to the office for processing.

Be aware, though, that you need to have a steady stream of business to justify it.  You’ll pay a one-time boarding fee of $49.  Then there is the monthly gateway service fee of  $15.  Plus you’ll have a per transaction fee of 17 cents.  In addition to this you’ll be responsible for normal interchange/discount fees levied by processors and card brands.  Bottom line: This is a great tool if you 1) Have a 3G or 3Gs iPhone and 2) (most important!) You have sufficient business flowing on a monthly basis to justify the on-going monthly and per transaction costs.  For those who qualify, this is a god-send.

Crunch the numbers on your business and see if it is worth it for you.  To get more transactions and process them faster, this can be a most profitable venture for your business.

(Verifone PAYware Mobile, http://www.paywaremobile.com, Fees Apply)

Get The Help You Need On Technology 24/7/365

Technology can be frustrating!  I know this from personal experience and you do to.  Building your team around you means you have to have support for your technology investment.  Either you do it or someone else does.  If you do, it is taking precious time from selling and developing your business.  Getting someone else will cost, however, that cost can be managed better and at a much lower fee than with full-time employees.

I recently used a service called PlumChoice for two problems I had.  One was with my iPhone and the other with my MacBook Pro.  In both cases, I was amazed at the results — and I’m one tough cookie to try to amaze!

The first time it was with the Time Zone setting on my iPhone.  I wanted to set an appointment in Eastern Time Zone (where I reside) for meetings in the Pacific Time Zone (where I was visiting and had several appointments).  I couldn’t get my iPhone to display appointments in the local time zone.  I explained the problem to PlumChoice and they arranged for Josh, one of their support people, to call me back.  After a few minutes of explaining it and working with Josh, the problem was fixed.  That saved me a huge amount of time.

Then yesterday I had a problem with my MacBook Pro operating slower than I wanted.  I explained the issue and PlumChoice set up an appointment.  I got a call promptly at our designated time from Ray who walked me through what was needed to take remote control of my computer.  Then he went to work fixing the problem as I watched in amazement (remember, how hard it is for me to be amazed!).  Well, in about an hour Ray had my computer not only running much faster but he politely and very astutely helped me understand how to fix it in the future.  Yes, I was — and still am — amazed!

PlumChoice support is available for $24.95/month for Windows and $17.95/month for Macs.  This is a smart investment for your small business.  Look at PlumChoice as a part of your support team so you can focus on customers and generating more income.

(PlumChoice.com, 1-888-758-6435, Monthly or One-Time Fees Available)

Don’t try to run your business alone. With tools like these and the right kind of support, you can succeed by focusing on what you do best.  This is the smart way to do business.

Copyright (c) 2010, Terry Brock and Achievement Systems, Inc.  Terry Brock is an international marketing coach and professional speaker who helps businesses generate profitable results.  He can be reached by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com.  Join the Twitter adventure with Terry through his Twitter address: TerryBrock