Business-Building Action From Terry Brock

I’ve been writing these columns for quite a while. I remember 10 years ago this month the world was in a frenetic tizzy (technical term!) about the Y2K or Year 2000 problems. Many thought the world was going to (literally) come to an end. Many thought all computers would crash, stoplights would cease operating and pandemonium would reign over the planet.

I remember writing a column where I said, “Don’t worry. If we made it through disco in the 70’s, we’ll make it through this.” Well, we got through disco (and Nixon, Ford and Carter!) in the 70’s and survived. We also made it through the Y2K scare as many of the “chicken littles” shamelessly stole away to hide under the reality of the Earth still here with hardly any noticeable change.

Of course, many said it was because they made the necessary adjustments that we survived. Well, I’m not an IT expert so I can’t speculate with any certainty about what would have happened. What I can say as a marketer is that many people needlessly worried about something that didn’t happen.

The past 10 years have seen tragedies and calamities that we could not have imagined in 1999. From the economic recession in the early 2000’s to today’s Great Recession we have gone through a lot. We still remember the tragic events of September 11, 2001 and are still paying the price for that.

So what is the message to you and me as small business owners today? What lessons can we learn that will help us as we face the 2nd decade of the 21st Century?

Here are a few lessons that come to mind for me. See if you can relate:

Don’t Be Alarmed. Be Prepared. The wise approach to Y2K was to take necessary precautions and reasonable steps to make sure you didn’t have a loss of all data. In addition to that the more-important advice was to remain calm. Those who were extreme alarmists had to hang their head in shame because things really didn’t get that bad. For the future, we are going to face uncertain times. Duh! We always have through history! However, by being prepared for whatever is going to happen — and remaining calm — you are in a much better position to face the future.

Focus On Customers. This is truer today than ever. Help customers and prospects with their pain and you’ll help yourself. Focus on how you can help others relieve their pain and you’ll have a great opportunity to address your own.

Become More Skeptical. Yes, I believe we should question authority and be skeptical of all the “claims of disaster” of the moment. By being skeptical, not cynical, we force our brains to search for better alternatives and answers. It is the American way to question authority and demand straight talking and straight thinking. In times like these we need that more than ever! One of my heroes, H.L. Mencken said it well when he reminded us, “The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.”

Live Your Life To The Fullest. No matter what happens in the big picture, the successful are those who have the best skills, the right kind of knowledge and can apply it in ways that are valuable to others. Constantly upgrade your market-valuable skills. Learn how to serve others and you’ll live your life to the fullest.

Today we have a host of new problems. I guarantee you (yes, I can make this kind of claim) that there will be problems in the future. However, I can also point to history that certain people survived and prospered when they applied the right principles for living.

These principles of character, discipline, genuine care for others, keeping your word, going the extra mile and others will serve you not only for the next 10 years but for the rest of our lives.

Special: Be sure to listen to the accompanying audio file below!  5:33 in length it is a great way to get more information and listen on your MP3 player of choice.  You can listen to it in streaming audio or download as MP3 to listen on your favorite player.

Copyright © 2009, 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

 

 Y2K Remembered - Lessons For Us Today [5:33m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (79)

Business Building Actions From Terry Brock

If you’re facing a problem of way too much business (work with me here) then I’ve got just the solution for you!  I’ve noticed many businesses doing these steps below and it is a sure-fire way to get prospects annoyed and drive them away.

It must be something some companies want because they do it so often.  Maybe you can relate from being on the receiving end of some of these tactics.

Five Ways You Can Annoy The Daylights Out Of Your Prospects:

1. Bother Prospects Incessantly With Notices Selling Your Stuff. Don’t worry about listening to the needs of potential buyers.  Hey, you know it all after all, don’t you?  Just approach someone when you see them initially and start talking all about you, your stuff and how you have what they need (even if you haven’t listened to them).  Besides, you know more about what they need than they do, right?
2. Blare Loud Music When They Visit Your Website.  You should automatically play blaring loud music when people come to your website.  They should think of nothing but your stuff.  Don’t they know that you have really cool audio and want to blare it at them?  Why else would they come to your site?  After all, they probably don’t have any other websites to visit.
3. Drive Them Crazy With Fancy Technology.  You should automatically start a video when they arrive at your page with someone yelling at them about how cool your stuff is.  Don’t worry that they might be in a situation where they don’t want to hear sound from their computer just yet.  Besides, your message is so much more important than anything they are doing, right?  Have someone appear to walk on the screen from thin air and start yakking away.  Oh, and here’s another good thing— do it each time they visit so they get the same annoying message every time!  That will surely drive them crazy!
4. Always Ask For Their Name And Email Just To See Something.  Don’t give away anything for free which could build your reputation and credibility.  Instead, force them to put in a name and email just to get your silly little report (which is a sales report anyway, right?). Besides, your prospects are too dumb to put in a fake name and bogus email address, right?
5. Annoy Them In Person. Be annoying when you meet people in person by always forcing your card on them.  And you should never ask them what they do. After all, they’re more interested in YOU than they are in their own stuff, right?

Yep!  These are sure-fire ways to destroy a good customer experience before it even starts.  You have more business than you can handle today anyway, right?  And besides, YOU know more about what to do and can’t afford to listen to anyone, right?

Of course, if you might need more business, maybe you should do the exact opposite of what I listed above in these five steps!

PDF Converter Professional From Nuance: Great Tool For PDF Files

PDF (Portable Document Format) files are a mainstay of business today.  You could spend a lot for some programs to create one or you could go with one of the best alternatives.  PDF Converter 6 is now available from Nuance.

This software allows you to scan directly to PDF from your scanner. This is something we’ve had before with other tools and it is nice to have it from Nuance.

You can also create a PDF from Excel, Word and PowerPoint files.  Then you can change them back into those formats as needed.

I find that I use it to read PDF files and use the yellow highlighter and built-in pencil to circle important words and concepts.  I also use the Notepad to add notes of my own.

This is a good tool for salespeople and others who need to reference a magazine article or web page with personal annotations.

You can see a video interview I had with Michael Angelo, the product manager of PDF Convertor 6, at http://tinyurl.com/ygq994b.  This is one you’ll enjoy.  It is right here on this Blog so click on the link and you’ll see it.

The product sells for $99.00 and there is an enterprise version which is available for $149.00.  For more information visit www.nuance.com or www.BetterPDF.com

Copyright © 2009, 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

Business-Building Actions From Terry Brock

“Great ability develops and reveals itself increasingly with every new assignment.”  Baltasar Gracian

We live in a world that wants everything now — or yesterday.  We have little patience and seem to be constantly in a hurry.  Just look at “rush” hour traffic and listen to the horns blaring away.

[Bonus!  Listen to the podcast for an expanded version of this article.  Just click on the "Play" button below!]

Nature has a way of achieving greatness over time.  The myth of the “overnight success” is told often with how it often takes 10 years to become that “overnight success.  This is something that successful people know — and the unsuccessful attribute to a mysterious thing they call “luck.”

This applies directly in Relationship Marketing.  To build quality, value-for-value relationships in business requires consistent performance over time.  You build trust in a relationship by seeing performance over time.  A relationship which takes years to build can be damaged or destroyed with one terrible misstep.

The same principle is true in knowledge acquisition.  To master a new skill requires time, money and effort (TME).  Most people give up too easily.  They aren’t willing to pay the price to achieve their goals.  If you ask average people if they want to be rich, you’ll usually get an enthusiastic, positive response.  However, if you detail what is needed to accomplish riches, average people back off and are not willing to pay the price.

Last night I was talking with a friend of mine who is physician working in emergency care rooms.  He told me that to become a medical doctor who is board certified requires not only four years of undergraduate school and four years of medical school but internship and an additional four years of residency.  Oh, and by the way, when you’re in residency, you get paid barely minimum wage.  Not many people would be willing to work for minimum wage for four years after going through medical school.  Yet, this is part of the price emergency room physicians have to pay to achieve their goals.

In business and in your personal life success requires persistence and doing the right thing in the right way over time.  Don’t try to do everything at once.  It takes practice.  It takes a lot of patience.

In Relationship Marketing this means being willing to be “pleasantly persistent” in what you want.  Start in small, meaningful ways to establish and build value-for-value relationships and then proceed forward.  Remember that not all people will embrace value-for-value principles.  Many people only see the short term and try to take all they can.  Ultimately these people hurt themselves.  Behaving in short-term mode causes more and more people to distance themselves from the takers.

Taking the long-term view pays off.  This means we have to keep the goal in mind and constantly aim for it.  Don’t be surprised when setbacks happen. Hey, that’s just the way things work.  When those inevitable disappointments and setbacks happen, you can gain control of the situation with an attitude of, “Oh, so this is a current setback?  What can I learn from this?”  See each setback as an excellent learning experience to become an even better person.

George Leonard wrote a marvelous book years ago called “Mastery.”  In that book he talked about the importance of continuing forward and enjoying the plateaus of life.  Sometimes you’ll try hard and just can’t seem to break through to accomplish what you want.  In those moments, don’t allow the frustrations to overwhelm you.  Instead, step back and see the big picture.  Know your goals and what you ultimately want to accomplish.  Be willing to pay the price in terms of time, money and effort.  Celebrate the small incremental successes as they materialize.

And here’s your challenge for today:  Do something specific today which will help you towards those long-term goals in Relationship Marketing.  It might be to write a note (yes, handwritten!) to that important customer or prospect.  It might be to make a quick “How’s it Going” call that is devoid of any sales talk and just connects with the person.  Do something today to establish, build and maintain quality relationships.  This is what matters in business and in life.

It is in the gradual, step-by-step methodology that we grow and accomplish meaningful success.  Use time as your partner to continue forward — unstoppable in your goals and success.

Copyright © 2009, 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

 

 Gradualism-Leverage Time to Build Relationship Marketing [8:30m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (125)

With all the hype about social networking and social media it is easy to lose track of what is most important. That is connecting with people.

Recently I had the opportunity to be interviewed by Anne Bachrach, The Accountability Coach. Click here to visit her website. In this interview we were able to cover a wide variety of topics about social media, the skills you need to get ahead today and what business and social media are all about.

Listen to the audio podcast and enjoy.  This is not your average “Social Media” presentation.  We go much further dealing with the practical, business nature of how to use it, how to determine the right amount of time and more.  This is one you want to hear!  It goes in-depth on a number of items that will benefit you.  Length is 30:45 so you might want to download this one to your MP3 player of choice to listen to while working out, driving or in other ways.  You can listen to the audio via streaming or via download.  See the icon below to do that.

I look forward to hearing from you. If you’d like to leave a comment on this page, please do so in the comments.  Your opinions can help many others as they learn about you and your ideas.

For more information, contact Terry at www.TerryBrock.com or send an email to Terry@TerryBrock.com.

Enjoy!

 

 Practical Social Media for Business [30:45m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (117)

Advice For Today From Ben Franklin –
Surviving Any Economy

Business-Building Ideas From Terry L. Brock

We’re hearing about the economy, job losses, etc., etc. on a daily basis. One day the stock market is up, the next day we hear the pundits tell us things are dismal. This roller-coaster ride of economic news can be quite depressing and make us distraught — if we let it.

You can’t take the ostrich approach. Funny, I don’t hear people spouting that trite “We’ve heard there is a recession but we’re not going to be part of it” any more today. I’ve never believed that taking the ostrich approach is the way to success. I also firmly believe that being depressed is not the answer.

So what is the solution?

Well, I gained some wisdom and insight from a great book I read again yesterday. You might have read it also. If you haven’t, write this down immediately to buy it today. It is called, “The Way to Wealth,” by that sage philosopher and wise man Benjamin Franklin. Yep! That Founding Father of the US had a lot of wisdom. His words are truer today than ever. I think ole Ben has some profoundly accurate advice in this “Twitter-Facebook-YouTube and all-things-social-media” obsessed world which can help us.

Ben Franklin created a character he called “Father Abraham” who listened to a crowd and then dispensed wisdom.

The crowd asked, “Pray, Father Abraham, what think you of the times? Won’t these heavy taxes quite ruin the country? How shall we be ever able to pay them? What would you advise us to [do]?”

“Father Abraham” agreed that the taxes were high. However, he said we have many others, and much more grievous to some of us. “We are taxed twice as much by our idleness, three times as much by our pride and four times as much by our folly.” In other words, yes the taxes were then, and are today, onerous and should be abated. However, as bad as the taxes — and the economy — we inflict ourselves with even greater pain by our own idleness, pride and folly.

You’ve got to read (or re-read) this very short book by Ben Franklin. He goes on to have “Father Abraham” tell us that most of our problems are our own doing. We have to work hard and not engage in being idle. We have to avoid laziness and embrace leisure (read the book for his definition of the important difference).

When I read that, I was taken aback by the wisdom of this great Founding Father. It was as if he were speaking to me directly — and smiling with that charming, legendary Ben Franklin grin.

Yes, times are tough. Yes, we recognize — and are aware of – what is going on. We don’t take the ostrich approach. However, in the midst of that, we know that our success is largely up to us. Yes, taxes are high and should be lower. Yes, there are specific steps that should be taken in the broad macroeconomic and political picture.

But all of these are insignificant compared to what you and I can do today in our own businesses and our personal lives. Pick up the phone (remember that?) and call that client you haven’t chatted with for a while. Just say hello and don’t try to sell anything. Be there and reconnect with them. This is what Relationship Marketing is all about. Find out the problems they are going through and help them.

I’ve seen smart, well-meaning businesspeople become obsessed with the nightly cable news and politics. If that same amount of time, money and effort had been devoted to reading good books (like Ben Franklin’s!!) perhaps they would have generated more income regardless of the crisis of the moment.

Take charge of your life and your business during tough times. Don’t be obsessed with the news of the moment. Don’t shut it all out either. Focus on what matters — building quality, profitable business relationships. Focus on Relationship Marketing.

Find the pain your prospects and clients are going through and come up with unique, creative ways to help them. This will be the way to get out of any problem. To paraphrase Jim Ziegler, a noted sales trainer in the auto industry whom I recently interviewed, “There is no problem in business you can’t sell your way out of.” Focus on doing what you can, with what you’ve got, right where you are (as Teddy Roosevelt advised us long ago).

This is a best way to take matters into your own hands.

And for starters, bounce over to your favorite online bookstore and purchase The Way of Wealth by Benjamin Franklin. It is a very short read and one that can change your life as it has millions of others through the years.

Sure, times are more challenging. But that will actually help us become better if we handle it right.

Somehow I can see Ben Franklin, beaming with a big toothy grin and giving us a “thumbs-up” signal!

Copyright © 2009, 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

Business-Building Ideas From Terry L. Brock

Building quality, profitable relationships in business is much like farming.  I call it Relationship Farming.  Like the farmer who keeps us all alive (thank you, real world farmers!) you have to study the soil (know what is happening in the world and environment of your customers), plant the seeds (send your message in a positive, respectful way), nurture the plants and they grow (provide continued benefits), allow for ample moisture and fertilizer (keep providing what the customer needs), and be around for harvest (have systems in place to process sales).  Then when all the work is finished it is time to begin for next year!  In business this means, as the legendary Yogi Berra told us long ago, “It ain’t over till it’s over!”  In business, it is never over and that is good news.

But how do you keep those wonderful, delightful people who pay our bills (call them customers, clients, members, guests —- whatever —- they are the people who pay our bills!) happy?

Keep creating experiences that make customers say “WOW!” when they deal with you.

Winston Marsh is a marketing guru from Australia who has shown us for years how to “Make ‘em say WOW!” in his marketing.  He says we have to focus on how to create experiences so that customers are dazzled with what happens to them.

This might seem like a lot of work.  Fortunately it is and it isn’t.  By that I mean that it does require serious thinking and planning.  See the customers’ experiences from their point of view.  What do they have to deal with in your business?  In the market you serve, what are the major problems people encounter?  Why are they buying from you?  What problems are they seeking to solve?

Once you’ve nailed that very important first part, you want to sit down with your people and lay out your plans.  Even if “your people” is “me, myself and I” you need serious planning.  Where can you make experiences pleasant and easy for customers?  What can you do to ease their pain?

Recently I had the chance to experience positive customer service at a conference I attended.  It is called FreedomFest and is put on by Dr. Mark Skousen.  He is a professor of Economics at Columbia University.  You wouldn’t think of “good customer service” normally when you think of a university professor.  Yet, Dr. Skousen and his excellent team of people make this event a very positive experience for his market every July in Las Vegas.

The speakers addressed a wide variety of topics (something important to those attending), they were some of the tops in their respective fields anywhere in the world (knowledge and credibility are vital for those attending FreedomFest), and the price was right (always important).  There were ample breaks and time to network with others.  The exhibit hall provided many vendors who could help customers.  This, by the way, helped both vendors and paying attendees.

Then for the finale, there was a wonderful banquet with really good food (often unusual in hotel settings), a great, fun, live band and a chance to cement relationships that were established during the event.  It really was a WOW! experience for those in attendance.  I heard that from many attendees.

So, what can you do in your business to create that WOW! experience?  Here are a few ideas to get you started, and to use as a check-up on what you’re doing now:

1. See the world through your customers’ eyes.  What is causing them pain?  Where are they hurting?  What can you do to help relieve the pain? Don’t just assume you know, talk with them and listen. Find out from them what is going on and what they want solved.
2. Do the hard work of thinking.  Yes, it is hard work as you struggle with options.  Mark Skousen spent many hours, days and weeks with his team formulating just the right concepts to make FreedomFest outstanding for those attending — a typically difficult market to please.
3. Provide important “extras.”  Find key areas that add that wonderful new dimension that brings a smile.  Not so much huge, expensive additions but little, important-to-the-customer touches that keep bringing them back.
4. Automate as much as possible.  Make the systems around your business fine-tuned and bullet-proof.  Yes, use technology but think in terms of systems and developing better systems all the time.
5. Constantly review and revisit what you’re doing on how to tweak and make it even better.

Be so focused on their problems that they would complain if you weren’t around to help them!  Make it your goal to become indispensable in the minds of your customers.  That is what Relationship Farming requires and that is the benefit for your long-term business.

Bonus Tip: Create multiple WOWs.  Most any business can do at least one WOW.  Find multiple ways to create those WOW moments for customers (at least three) and you’ll find you have won customers over for a long time. This is what Relationship Farming is all about.

Relationship Farming.  Yes, it takes work.  But the benefits are outstanding for your customers — and for you.

Copyright © 2009, 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.

Business-Building Thoughts And Musings From Terry Brock

Yesterday I was presenting to a group in Memphis, Tennessee.  I love that city with its Southern charm and all the benefits it offers. The best part of Memphis is the wonderful people who always impress me as genuine and down-to-earth.

As I was getting ready to present, I spoke to a Vice President of Customer Relationships at a local bank.  I asked her how her bank was doing in the midst of the economy.  Like many small banks, hers was doing well although they are feeling the challenges of the economy today.

What caught my attention more than anything was her comment about how she, working with customers with bank loans, reacted to those who were behind in their payments.  She indicated that many of her bank customers would stay in touch with her and explain their situation even when times were tough.  She told me that when a bank customer calls and explains what is happening and how they are working to make the payments and keep their commitments to the bank (that’s what a loan is all about — commitment), she wanted to help them.

She told me she also had a few customers who were behind in their payments who were trying to hide from her.  She would make repeated calls and they would never return her calls.  Imagine that!  People trying to avoid a collections call!

It was interesting to hear her say — and I saw the fire in her eyes on this one — “… I don’t care if we have to foreclose on their property.  If they won’t even return a call and talk to me, I don’t have any reason to help them.”

WOW!

Relationship Marketing is about a lot more than just reaching and helping customers.  It relates to your entire supply team (as Steve Epner would say).  It is imperative to maintain good relationships not only with customers but also with suppliers, partners and other stakeholders in your business.  This is particularly true in tough economic times.

Relationship Marketing is not just a “smile and a shoeshine” (to borrow from Willie Loman in The Death of a Salesman).  Relationship Marketing is about finding the needs of others and listening to them.  Yes, it is also about returning calls and being decent.  You’ve got to think of the other person and where he or she is coming from.

This banker I spoke with demonstrated that she cared for her customers.  She wanted to help them and she does.  However, when someone refuses to exhibit even the basics of human decency — i.e. returning a phone call — it is only human to feel slighted and approach them at a different level.

Maintaining relationships during difficult times is most important.  Hey, it’s most important all the time and during difficult times it makes the difference between keeping your house and moving to the curb!

Relationship Marketing requires drawing closer to all those in our supply team and finding their areas of need.  By helping them succeed we amazingly help ourselves to get ahead.  Find creative, interesting ways to stay in touch with important people in your supply team.  Yes, stay in touch with customers but also stay close to others who can make or break your business.

During tough times, make it a point to listen to others.  Hear what they have to say and how they feel. This can pay off in any economy.

Today, having the right attitude and care for all in your supply team can even help you keep you house!

Copyright © 2009, 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.

Business-Building Thoughts From Terry L. Brock

Recently I had a talk with a wonderful lady who has been a successful marketer for many years.  She was lamenting all the commotion with Twitter, Facebook, Email, LinkedIn and social networking today.  She commented that she likes to connect by talking with people on the phone — “real communication” is what she called it.

I understand where she’s coming from and have to agree — partly.  Technology can never take the place of true human-to-human communication.  I love sitting with friends over a meal, over drinks and sharing about life, business, fun, ideas, concepts and more.  “Visiting” is what it is called in the South.  “Hanging with your buds” is another way to refer to it.

Relationship Marketing (I like to capitalize those important words!) is the most important activity we can do in business.  Connecting with other people is vital.  One way to do it is with live, face-to-face meetings.  That was the primary way people connected centuries ago.  Somewhere around the end of the 1800’s they came up with a new-fangled communication tool called the telephone.  I’m sure there were people who said, “Well, if I want to talk with someone I’ll walk or take my horse over to see them.  I want a real connection.”  They didn’t trust the new-to-them technology of a telephone.

I saw the same thing with email as it emerged a few years ago.  Today we have so much of it that we crave short messages.  I somehow think Twitter’s 140-character limit is an answer to that.

So, when we see Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and other social networking services emerge, does it mean the demise of real human connections?

Not on your life!

Relationship Marketing is about being close to prospects, customers and important stakeholders in business.  It is about providing value to the other person.   If your Twitter message is nothing more than “I’m getting groceries now,” — shame be upon you!  You deserve to be ignored.  Instead, pass along information that can be helpful to at least some of your followers.  That’s where Twitter really shines.

All of these social networking services are about connecting with people.  My friend who lamented these services and wanted to only connect through telephone is limiting the amount of contact, and hence the amount of business she can generate.  I view communication as a wide range of options.  A quick YouTube video which your perspective clients view connects at a basic level.  A one-to-one luncheon with someone is a much deeper level of connection.  However, you can’t have a 3-hour lunch with everyone, everyday otherwise you’d never get any work done!

And you can’t Tweet all day (that’s the term for those who send messages on Twitter) and expect to get work done.  Yes, you can generate business but even self-appointed Twitter gurus I’ve heard speak have to stop sending their Tweets to speak about it!

By the way, I recently discovered a new tool called TweetCall (www.TweetCall.com) that allows you to leave a Tweet via your phone.  Once you’ve registered (for free) you dial a toll-free number and leave a message up to 140 character (about 20 words).  This can be great to leave quick messages even faster.  I’ve used it for about a week and have been very impressed.  Try it!  To see a video of this check out the video below:

So, what’s the key for a dedicated, serious-minded Relationship Marketer to do?  Well, I am not a “Twitter guru” (I’ll leave that ominous title to others) but I do know a thing or two about Relationship Marketing.  Use these tools in moderation to help others.  Don’t just toot your own horn but find ways to provide value for them.

Examples would be a quick message with a link to a great video that is of interest to your recipients.  Send out a notice with a helpful idea.  Then be sure to “Re-Tweet” a message to others. This is the Twitter way of forwarding a message to others and patting someone on the back (digitally, of course!).

It always goes back to helping others and caring for them in a genuine way.  I was just on the phone with a long-time friend and trusted colleague who told me  about a particular person. She told me how this person simply tried to sell her his services and didn’t really care about helping her.  I found similar reactions as this same guy tried to sell me his stuff.  I don’t care if he is on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or comes over and knocks on my door — my opinion of him is diminished because of his actions towards me and my friend.

Bottom line?  Commit to being a Relationship Marketer with genuine care to solve the other person’s problems.  Next, learn the nuts, bolts and wiggle pins of new technologies that make sense for you.  Don’t get frazzled.  No, these Social Media tools are not the demise of real human connections.

Used properly, they can help us strengthen and grow genuine, real relationships for profit and mutual benefit in business.

Copyright © 2009, 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.

Business-Building Thoughts From Terry L. Brock

[Note: Here's the article I just wrote for my papers around the country. It is for the serious business person who wants to know why they would use Twitter for business.  If you're just getting into Twitter --- or wondering about its applications in business --- this is for you!  Enjoy!]

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you have heard about Twitter.  It is huge.  It is not a fad.  It is here to stay and will be a big part of business.  It already is and is growing more.

In my speeches I give and the coaching I do I find two types of reactions to Twitter.  One group embraces it and is growing their network and their business.  Another has a standard, pat answer they give for why they don’t use it.  If you’re in the later category — get with the program!  The same types of arguments were used a decade ago when people told me why they were not on the Internet.

If you’re not on Twitter, get there.  This is for you bottom-line-oriented, business-focused readers.  This is not something you want to miss.  Dispense with your standard pat answers about why you aren’t there.  Instead, wade into it with a focus on how to generate results.

Here are just a few of the ways serious business-minded people are using Twitter now:
•    Linking with prospects
•    Linking with existing customers
•    Finding resources
•    Finding the right subcontractors for a specific job
•    Getting information on suppliers and their reputation with your trusted peers
•    Announcing upcoming events
•    Finding out about upcoming events
•    Staying current with trends
•    Linking to great websites for information
•    And thousands more uses!

Recently I was meeting with a friend and colleague who is not on Twitter (yet). She is already very successful in her business as an image consultant.  She told me she’s not on Twitter because, “No one cares that I’m at Starbucks right now with Terry Brock.”  Well, I had to agree with her but told her that someone might be interested in a great image consultant to help for an upcoming job interview tomorrow.  If her profile contained valuable information about that, she could get business.

Yes, there are a lot of people using Twitter for non-business purposes and that’s fine.  There are a lot of Blogs, Podcasts, Websites, Videos, Audios and more that aren’t relevant to you.  However, that doesn’t mean all of them are irrelevant.  Your job is to find the relevant, profit-producing sources for you and your business and embrace those.  Don’t worry about those that aren’t helpful to you.

I also told my friend that she might have need of a good business resource.  This can be a quick, “Hey, does anyone know about a good plumber who can.….” This could be just what you need in a bind!   Your network can help you.  And this is the flip side of networking.  As you want people to hire you, when you have a need and contact a range of trusted people, you can find the resources you need quickly.

As you enter Twitter, don’t go in blabbering about your business and trying to sell your stuff. Think of Twitter as a social networking party — which is what it is online.  You wouldn’t think highly of a person you meet at a social networking cocktail party who only wanted to sell you his stuff, hand you his card and blabbered on and on about his ideas.  Instead, think of how you can appeal to the other person and find out what is important to him or her.  Get to know them.  Build a business relationship.  This is where Twitter sparkles!

You build relationships on Twitter much like you do in the offline world.  Be pleasant.  Focus on helping others and have a quality introduction to help people know what you do in business and what you offer.

Start with a strong profile that concisely states how people benefit from working with you.  Don’t tell me you’re an accountant who has been in business for 25 years and you have 15 partners, etc. etc.  I don’t care.  However, tell me how you can help me eliminate the hassle of tax filing so I can do it on time, in full compliance and with minimal aggravation.  Oh, and then, mention how you have your accounting degree and have the credentials to back it up. Then show me your website link for more information.

In addition to that, offer “tweets” —- that’s Twitter speak for the short 140 character max messages you send — which provide value.  One of the best strategies is to offer a terse benefit statement followed by a link to a website.  Use a tool like Tiny URL (www.tinyurl.com) or Snip (www.snipurl.com) to shorten a long URL to something more manageable or descriptive.

Bounce over to www.Twitter.com/TerryBrock and see what I’m doing.  I would love to have you follow me.  I follow a lot of people now and the list is growing.  We create a better network and support system by helping each other.

In the age of digital marketing, important trends come fast.  Those who embrace those trends and think of how to use them in business do well.  Let me know how Twitter is helping you in business.  I look forward to sharing your experiences with other serious, business professionals.

Copyright © 2009, 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.

Business-Building Ideas From Terry L. Brock

Relationship Marketing is much like keeping a water bucket filled.  The bucket has holes in it and it is your job to keep the water at the “full” mark. That requires three kinds of activities: 1) Putting water in the bucket. 2) Keeping the holes patched, and 3) Preventing new holes from appearing.  As a Relationship Farmer, it is your job to tend to these never-ending tasks.

You want to keep your business relationships fresh and current.  Stay in touch with important people.  This also means that you have to prioritize among those who are important and others who deter you from your goals.  Those who are a drain on your time, money and effort (TME) should be avoided.  Those who don’t embrace a value-for-value interchange should be avoided.   Spend your TME on establishing, building and maintaining profitable, mutually beneficial relationships.

One way you can do this is with the right tools around you.  One I recently tested is the new Fujitsu S1500 scanner.  WOW!  Installation was fast.  At my office, we installed it on two older Windows machines and it works very well.  Total time for installation was just a few minutes and the scanner was chomping away at massive amounts of paper in a few minutes.

In one test we ran, I grabbed an older copy of the Harvard Business Review which had 106 pages in that issue.  I had my assistant, Natalya, cut out the pages with an exacto knife so that each page was separate.  Then she took the pages about 50 at a time and in 60 seconds (yes, we timed it) the first 50 were scanned — both sides and in color.  The second batch (we did the remaining pages, even though the Fujitsu manual says it only allows 50 each time) and it worked fairly well. We had a little jam on the second batch only because we didn’t put the pages in just right.  However, once it was corrected, everything went well.  Further tests showed that once we lined up the pages evenly the scans were rapid and accurate.

This is a “WOW!” customer experience.  When you find a product that helps you accomplish critical tasks quickly, easily and at low cost, it is a winner.  The Fujitsu S1500 scanner is such a winner.

Now don’t tell the people at Fujitsu I said this, but their new scanner really isn’t a scanner.  Oh yes, it processes paper of all kinds from business cards to hand-written notes to magazine articles with aplomb.  But it really isn’t a scanner.  It is a Relationship Marketing builder.  You can use this tool when you read a great article, see a picture or some other item that can help one of your clients or important contacts.  You can quickly scan it and then attach it as a PDF to an email for someone else.

Also, you can use this to scan copies of hand-written notes taken during important telephone conversations.  That way you can quickly see a collection of all past conversations with important people on important topics. Just keep those PDF documents related to, say, client Jane Jones, in one folder.  Review that folder’s documents quickly before a call or meeting with Jane Jones and you’ll be far ahead of the competition.

This is another way to keep your relationship “bucket” filled.  You’re plugging holes and you’re adding more “water” to the “bucket.”  Think of the water as the feelings and disposition prospects and clients have towards you.  Think of the bucket as the overall relationship you have with them.  You facilitate Relationship Marketing by leveraging technology.  Stay “front of mind” with that important client or prospect in a favorable way and you have a much better chance to do more and better business.

Here’s another suggestion which can help you keep your Relationship Marketing bucket filled.  Plan to send about 5 post card messages a day to important contacts.  I have some postcards that I had printed with my picture and a brief mention of what I do as a professional speaker and marketing coach.  Usually the cards have messages just saying hello and meant to stay in touch with important people in my life.  No, this doesn’t make the sale come through.  However, it keeps the relationship active in the mind of the client or prospect.  It helps to patch holes and fill the Relationship Marketing bucket with the life-giving water of business growth. Since few people do it today, it helps me stand out in a favorable way. See more examples of Relationship Marketing in video and audio, on my blog at www.TerryBrock.com.  You’ll find a lot of information that can help you and your people to build solid, profitable business relationships

By the way, in an era of way too much email, Twitter messages, Facebook postings, LinkedIn and other digital messages, a nice, analog, hand-written note on a letter or postcard can stand out in a very favorable way.  A personal phone call or better yet, personal visit packs a powerful punch to enhance relationships.

Keep your Relationship Marketing bucket filled.  Use key principles and practical technologies to favorably impress important people.  This will not only keep the “water” in your business but it will taste very sweet on a hot day when you’re thirsty.

(Fujitsu S1500 Scanner, US$495.00, http://tinyurl.com/chpgr9
for Windows and Mac)

Copyright © 2009, 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.

 

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