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November 29, 2010 By 1 Comment

That guy

That guy

Ever notice how many organizations have “that guy” (or gal) who is the go-to person and is the one that people look to for competent help and support? No matter what the proper chain of command is for a company, customers will soon learn who “that guy” is and will always call him directly even if he is not the person who is supposed to handle every issue.

That guy always calls back promptly. He really listens to customer concerns and pays attention to what the issue is. He digs deep into problems. He displays a high level of understanding about what’s going on. He knows how to find the answer. He owns the problem and makes you feel like you’re being taken care of.

Sometimes that guy is a sales person or a VP or the company owner. Sometimes that guy is a technician, customer service rep, or an admin assistant.

Customers don’t care what someone’s job title is or what they are in charge of. They want to reach the most helpful, competent person in the company because they trust that he will solve their problems.

Now, imagine what your company would look like if everyone was “that guy”?

Filed Under: Lifestyle, Productivity Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
October 31, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The secret to effective time management in social media

I give regular presentations and training sessions on social media, online marketing, and technology-related topics. My audiences include business owners, professionals, and non-profit teams. 100% of the time I get this question or some variation of it:

“How much time do you spend on this stuff?”

Variations include:

“How do you find the time for all this?”
“How many hours a week do you spend online?”
“How much time do I need to spend on social media?”

My favorite is:

“When do you actually work?”

If I sense that my audience is truly looking for some practical “runway-level” tips on time management with online marketing, I will talk about automation, batched activity, block scheduling, and so on.

However, sometimes I will give a much simpler answer:

“Love what you do.”

That’s it. If you love what you do, you won’t ever have to ask how to find the time to talk about it. Social media is about communication with other people. If you love what you do, I mean truly love what you do with a passion, then talking about it with others will be effortless and natural. It won’t be forced and pushy; it will be honest and passionate and your business will grow naturally as a result.

You won’t have to “find the time” to be active in social media. It will become a natural extension of what you already do. You will be excited to have a new set of tools to expand your network and participate with a learners mind.

The bad news is, if you don’t love what do this message will be uncomfortable for you. It might prompt you to question why you do what you do. It might make you think about change.

The good news is, what you do with your life is up to you.

So what is the secret to effective time management in social media? You could try block scheduling and other fancy things. Or you could simply love what you do.

Filed Under: Lifestyle, Marketing, Productivity, Technology Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
August 19, 2010 By 2 Comments

Top 10 reasons to attend my session on becoming an email ninja at Blog Indiana

So I found out this week that my session at Blog Indiana is at the same time as Kyle Lacy’s social media presentation. When I found this out I was, of course, a little concerned. Sure, everyone needs help with their email and pretty much all of us want to lower our stress levels, but Kyle is an awesome speaker and even wrote the book on Twitter marketing. How can I compete with that?

I started to sweat a little. What if there are hundreds, even thousands (or millions!) of Blog Indiana attendees out there who are on the fence and not sure which session they want to attend at 4pm on Friday? Such a quandary! Such angst that must cause!

Well, please allow me to offer you some advice. Here is why I would humbly suggest you attend my session on email management.

10. Sure, you could read Getting Things Done and learn all the stuff you need but as good as that book is, it’s honestly really boring. Wouldn’t an hour with me be more fun?

9. Inbox Zero is endorsed by Lorraine Ball. She even requires that all of her employees learn it!

8. Sure, you could go to another awesome social media presentation by Kyle Lacy but honestly, don’t you already know everything about social media by now?

7. Think of how desirable you will be to your significant other with your new email skills. It’s way sexier than bow-hunting skills…

6. How often does someone email you just to say “did you get my email”? Enough said.

5. There will be ninjas in the room.

4. Because 5,732 messages in your inbox is not good for your liver. It’s true… look it up.

3. Think of how much more productive you will be at work with your new email management skills. You might even get that big promotion!

2. C’mon, does Kyle’s ego really need your help?

And the number one reason to attend “Inbox Zero: How to Become an Email Ninja” at Blog Indiana on Friday:

1. Look at your inbox. Now look at mine. Now back to your inbox. Now back to mine…

See you there!

Filed Under: Lifestyle, Productivity, Technology Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,