We have all heard of Agricultural Extensions even if we do not partake of their expertise for our garden or farm. Did you know there is another Extension? It is called “Manufacturing Extension Partnership”, aka MEP. As reps, we all have a garden of manufacturers that need various degrees of tending. MEPs are a fabulous resource.
These extensions are part of the Department of Commerce and they work under NIST. Their mission is to help manufacturers do things BETTER, FASTER, CHEAPER. Wow! Everyone wants that, right? MEPs are 501(c)3 organizations. There is at least one in every state in the USA. All MEPs have the same core set of competencies, and each location offers a unique set of ‘other services’.
Services from MEPs come with a price tag. MEP offices are also aware of grants that are available to offset some of the cost. The ROI associated with MEP efforts are measurable. Unlike other process analysis consultants, MEPs are accountable to the US Taxpayers and report the dollars saved, investments made, and jobs saved or created by the projects they work on. The public/private
Because of the unique nature of MEPs, please tell them that you learned about them from MRERF a 501(c)3 organization that promotes the rep function. CPMR, CSP and MBP offered by MRERF are complementary programs to MEP services.
Introduce your principals to the MEP concept and make the connection with their local office. You will become a hero! (superhero cape may cost extra)
All industries have their jargon. And to outsiders it seems oh-so-foreign. However, once we translate it to terms we can all understand, we find common ground. We see how their knowledge can benefit our organization. The same is true for veterans. Once we understand what their military experience means, we can better appreciate how those skills will work in our environment. Military experience is significantly different from the civilian world. Those experiences are worthy of respect and consideration.
An honorably discharged veteran has likely progressed through the ranks as an active duty officer. This person is highly trainable and responsible. With each promotion in rank, comes an increase in responsibilities. A veteran may be young, and they likely have more experience than an older, non-veteran candidate and can add value to your team.
If they designed and taught curriculum in process analysis and improvement, strategic planning, and statistical process control this translates to intelligence, leadership and teaching ability. This veteran can help streamline your processes, find waste, reduce costs, and increase profits. Do you want these things for your company? This veteran can help develop strategic plans, including goals, objectives and performance measures. Without benchmarks like these, we neither know where we have been, nor where we are going.
Managing dozens of worldwide locations for operational readiness and rotational assignments shows attention to detail and ability to coordinate multiple offices. Add to it the volume of 6,000 air terminal personnel and $300million in equipment and you have someone with “Manager” written all over them. Not only can they work with distributed teams (branch offices), they communicate with staff, organize transportation, and control inventory and budgets. Are these skills you can use?
If a veteran has reduced air transportation costs by $700,000 by coordinating in-country assets for humanitarian relief, they can save your company money, too. Coordination and oversight go a long way. Let a veteran help move your firm forward. Use their logistics skills to your benefit!
Obvious cost savings can be seen if a vet improved cargo and passenger processing times by 50% by re-engineering deployment processes. What would you do with that kind of cost cutting? And if your team was as quick thinking and acting as a veteran that deployed 74 tons of cargo and 92 personnel to the Middle East in less than 24 hours during a crisis, what could you accomplish?
Yes, there will be challenges. And if you open your employment processes to veterans, you will be glad you did. You will reap rewards.
(If you did not find this blog post via twitter, click here for more info)
CPMR 401 will have new and exciting programming for the alumni program.
Two years ago, we introduced Business Ethics with perennial favorite, Marianne Jennings. The session has been so well received in CPMR 101 that graduates will be glad they came to CPMR 401.
Social media is everywhere. It is overwhelming. And it can be powerful… if you know how to harness it. Don Lafferty was a rep in his previous life and he will help reps understand how to use social media to create Relationships in the 21st Century.
In 2011, Nancye Combs made her CPMR debut as a Human Resources consultant. Few rep firms are aware of the liabilities they are exposed to without HR Best Practices. Nancye’s session received high marks!
The last session of CPMR 401 will be Negotiating with Mary Repetto, CSP. Mary is one of our superlative CSP instructors and has expertise in sales, project management and business analysis. Reps negotiate every day, it is time that we up our game!
When you attend CPMR 401 you will also be able to experience our new CPMR venue at IUPUI in Indianapolis, IN. You are welcome to audit CPMR sessions outside of CPMR for $100 per session.
CPMR 401 begins at 1pm on Tuesday, May 22 and ends at 1pm on Thursday May 24, 2012. Cost is $495 for the program. Lodging is $110 per night (parking is $12/night). Whether you take a plane, train or automobile, be sure you get to Indianapolis, IN! Click here to enroll.
CPMR Week 2012 looks to be terrific! Prepare to take notes! And then implement!
Make your reservations early! You will be glad you did!
CPMR graduates are independent manufacturers representatives that are leaders in their industries. They have taken the time and expense to invest in themselves and earn the designation: Certified Professional Manufacturers Representative.
Graduates of the Certified Sales Professional (CSP) program are salespeople who are also leaders. The combined power of the two together are useful and rare.
There are millions of sales people in the United States. There are tens of thousands of manufacturers reps. Of the 1,009 active CPMR graduates, only 50 of them hold both CPMR and CSP designations.
In the 2012 the CPMR 301 class has eight CSP graduates. Upon successful completion of CPMR 301, they will become double designees: CPMR CSP graduates. That is a 16% increase!
Progress is sometimes slow, but this movement is gaining speed. And it is a progression that will earn more money for you, your firm and your manufacturers.
Cold calling is not fun for anyone. Not for the salesperson. Not for the would-be customer who sees an uninvited person come in the front door.
How do we avoid the cold shoulder on cold calls? Warm them up! Use the internet to research your prospect. Make a virtual connection on Linked In. You can either introduce yourself or find a person in your network to introduce you. Having a referral makes it easier to get past the gatekeeper, whether that is voice mail or a receptionist.
Remember that even if you leave a message, having a referral is helpful. Did you know that the average salesperson gives up after three phone calls? Did you know that the average customer is just beginning to think about the product/service by that time?
If you stop following up, you are making the decision not to buy on behalf of your customer. Every time you talk to them, ask them if you can follow up again. If they say yes, great! If they say no, great! Then you can get to calling the next person who will say yes.
In the rep world, we talk about emotional favorites... mostly in terms of principals, but emotional favorites exist on multiple levels.
I must admit that ERA is an emotional favorite. I literally grew up in ERA. In the ‘early days’ there we conferences every other year that were off-shore so I was frequently allowed to tag along. Hawaii, London, Bermuda, Acapulco. Good times were had even when they were local. Disney World, Monterey, and this week, Chicago.
What a terrific group of people! THAT is a fact that remains consistent across rep groups. They are good people. Smart. Fun. Driven.
I am fortunate to have ERA in my DNA and to be inspired by their conferences. Thank you, ERA!
Coworking is sharing an environment, but not a shared employer, finding synergies with strangers, creating opportunities and connections. You can participate in a Coworking Visa and find locations wherever your sales take you! Denver, Seattle, Des Moines, Chicago, Miami, Oklahoma, or a city near you!
Coworking offers connections more than fast wi-fi. Sitting @CreativeDensity in Denver, I made connections with @theVar who has brilliant ideas about online community management. Also met a web host that will help me look at options for our site. Find a coworking site and start making those connections!
This article from Knowledge@Wharton says that less than half (much less) of companies do performance reviews well. Daniel Pink talks about millenial workers that face a "feedback desert" which goes against the ways they live their lives. Millenials have frequent feedback from their social network and families but not from their bosses. Pink goes on to describe reviews as the corporate version of Kabuki Theater. Rypple is a Tornto based company that has a product to help share timely feedback in a social networking style. Even better...positive comments are shared publicly, negative comments are kept private. It even has to-do lists and goals. Interesting!
Other intriguing ideas in the article: -Peer given bonus of $50 to recognize good work immediately -PREviews instead of REviews so there is still time for good results -Employees know about defects but lack of trust with management results in failure to report
Can you use QR codes in an email campaign? Sure! It is great when your prospect can put your information in their pocket. Read this article by reading this QR with your smartphone.
CPMR IS MOVING TO INDIANAPOLIS AND TO THE MONTH OF MAY
Beginning in 2012, the new date for CPMR will be May 20-25, 2012, as for the location, we will be at Indiana University/Purdue University-Indianapolis (IUPUI). Wait there is more! Class will now start on MONDAY and the exam is on FRIDAY. If you missed the earlier announcement, here is the link to all the details. Click here for more details.
OTHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES:
ONLINE SESSION
Time is running out to sign up for the Art of Influencing Buying Decisions Monday, June 13 9am (Mountain) - What are the influences that are affecting your customers today - The changing world of selling – how are you adapting? - 5 Common Human Factors and how we can use these to influence our customers - Compliance tactics – what are they and how can we apply them to our sales processes? - Provide value – remind your customers what you have done for them lately Click here to enroll $35 for 1 hour of continuing ed and many tools to increase your influence skills MANUFACTURER'S BEST PRACTICES
(share this email with your principals, or send us their mailing address and we will mail a postcard) August 8-9, 2011 in Chicago Click here for details Click here to enroll
THE EVER-CHANGING CUSTOMER
How have your customer demographics changed in the last few years? Does your company reflect those changes? Why or why not? Texanna Reeves, VP of Diversityat Sodexho says that it is important to undestand the needs of your clients. She also says that your clients may say something out loud, or they may say something by slipping away. You always want to be relevant and that relevance goes beyond the products and solutions you provide.
What doesthe new work placelook like? Are there more women or people of color at your customers? Are there more women or people of color in your firm? Did you know that some clients have requirement about working with diverse vendors that have ahigh commitment to diversity and inclusion? You can make diversity a differentiator.
You have already invested in yourself with professional development. Make your firm stand out even more by building a diverse sales force! Join CPMR on Linked In - Or log in and search groups for CPMR. Ask your colleagues questions, find out trends without leaving the office, or get out of the office and set up coffee for local CPMRs. Social media is what you make of it!
CSP is worth the time...whether you are taking it for the first time, or coming back for review...24 hours of continuing ed and you get a toolbox full of sharpened skills!!
Ladies and gentlemen! Start your engines and mark your calendars!
CPMR and CSP Headquarters is pleased to announce that CPMR is moving…both on the calendar and on the map.
Beginning in 2012, the new date for CPMR will be May 20-25, 2012, as for the location, we will be at Indiana University/Purdue University-Indianapolis (IUPUI).
CPMR arrival day is Sunday, May 20 with class beginning on Monday, May 21. The exam is on Friday morning, May 25. After your week of study and professional development, stay to play. Fill the weekend with Indianapolis 500 activities (tickets not included in CPMR tuition). If the Indy 500 does not thrill you, get lost at the zoo or museums featuring toys, art, civil war, or Kurt Vonnegut. Indy has something for everyone! Bring the family in!
IUPUI brings many benefits at a time when ASU can no longer accommodate our program. IUPUI has two full-service restaurants onsite, on-campus housing, extensive experience with executive education programs, and great restaurants a short cab ride away (or use the roving shuttle).
To celebrate this change, we will invite CPMR graduates to join us for CPMR 401 (click here to enroll). Combining the newly introduced sessions and the new locale, it will be a “Be there or be square” occasion!
We welcome this development and we look forward to welcoming you at IUPUI in May 2012.
In late January, ASU informed us that their 2012 spring semester will begin January 5, squeezing out CPMR. This situation afforded us the opportunity to improve the program on several levels. An ambitious committee went to work whittling away at the list of 32 possible locations down to seven, then three and finally IUPUI rose to the top.
10. Lunch and in-class power for your laptop are included in tuition! 9. Average temperature in May is 73.5F! 8. All CPMR candidates can walk to class! 7. Road Trip!! Centrally located in Indy, it is time to break out the GPS! Recalculating... 6. Line Profitability Analysis is not learned by osmosis! 5. Hotel rate for 2012 is $110 per night, including Wi-Fi! (parking extra) 4. You have always wanted to do a half marathon (or 5K) in Indianapolis! 3. David Letterman was born in Indy on April 12, 1947! 2. How else can you justify a trip to Indianapolis just in time for the 2012 Indy 500? 1. You want to confirm your place as an industry leader!
Thanks go to Dan McQuiston CSP; Bob Garrett CPMR; John Sandifer CPMR; Carl Mathis CPMR; and Steve Grossman CPMR for putting their time and energies into finding a venue that matches the needs of CPMR and its students.
We appreciate your feedback on CPMR and always strive to improve the program based on comments submitted. Recent comments and suggestions will be addressed with the move to IUPUI:
All participants can to walk to class
Participants staying in same facility allows for more networking
Lunch included in program
Better food available for lunch
Start the program on Monday
Power for laptops in classrooms
Wi-fi availability in classrooms
Lower hotel rates
If you are a returning student to CPMR, we will be sending out confirmation paperwork in June. Please contact our office with other questions.
Here is a cloud. I made it myself. Now if I could just get the knack of lightning!
It is a word cloud. Easy to make as well as an interesting compilation of data. The larger the word, the more time it appears in your data. This word cloud represents the MRERF 2010 Annual Report, so MRERF, CPMR, CSP are dominant. There were obviously a lot of meetings and motions, too. And you can see the names of folks who helped out a lot.
We have all heard about computing in the cloud. With pogo plug technology and a couple of external hard drives, you can have your very own cloud at the office or in your home. This way, we can all be like Eeyore with our cloud overhead. Or do you prefer to be PigPen, with it underfoot?
As I finish my first 25 years of management consulting, my number one resolution this year is to create this advisory to help managers and leaders reach their potential and avoid the pitfalls that derail an otherwise exciting career. There are many management gurus who offer salient advice and deserve respect, including the Holy Father of Management, Peter Drucker. Jim Collins offers good advice and so does Warren Bennis. I once demanded that the high potential charges under my tutelage read the book Bennis wrote with Bert Nanus - Leaders: Strategies for Taking Charge, as a pre-requisite to my class because of my respect for the authors. However, I don’t need to refer you to the work of any of these talented advisors now.
If you are interested in what I have seen that leads to success and failure in business, read this advisory.
1. FOLLOW YOUR PASSION Those who are highly successful do not consider their work to be a job. It is their passion. It is their life. They wake up thinking about their work and they go to sleep thinking about it. They are always looking for success. None is concerned about failure. It is not part of their vocabulary. Mistakes? You bet they make mistakes, but they never fail and they never look for ways to avoid failure. They look for ways to increase the probability of success.
If you are hard at work doing something you don’t like, quit. I remember well how many pharmacists I observed who were unsuccessful while I was still in my corporate life. Without exception they would tell me how much they hated their job. It was not uncommon for me to hear one of them say, “I hate this job; I never wanted to be a pharmacist, but my Dad is a pharmacist and he said it is my duty to carry the family tradition.” Obviously, Dad had no idea he had just set his kid up for failure. If you are doing what you love to do and you are not making the progress you think you deserve, keep the faith. Not many of us have instant success and most of those Ninety-Day Wonders do not last. Sooner or later, your persistence will pay off.
2. GET GOOD BEFORE YOU TRY TO LOOK GOOD Competence breeds confidence and Subject Matter Experts are always in demand. Don’t forget that. I don’t care how good you are. I want you to be great. If you never read Jim Collins books, Good to Great or Built to Last, you may not know that being good is not good enough and stands in the way of being great. Being great will give you the confidence to take risks that pay off. Being great will cause other people to think of you when they need advice from an expert. Mediocre people are everywhere but experts are few. Competency is job security unless you are a real jerk to work with. Competency will make you invaluable to your employer.
If you are the leader, you must have leadership skills. If you are hired to manage, you must have management skills. You cannot rely on your technical training to carry you when you move into a management role. With my client group I have an EVP of Sales. He is the very best sales person I ever met. But, he is also a skilled manager. He is careful when he selects staff and uses every tool available to be sure he hires the best. His retention rate is phenomenal. He spends as much time as he needs to spend to be sure his new Sales Reps are fully oriented. He knows that onboarding training is essential. He communicates regularly and continuously works at teambuilding. And, he does not leave problem-solving to chance. He addresses problems before they get out-of-control. Although he has no MBA, his more than twenty-years of experience is evident in everything he does. He is keenly aware he is not being paid to be a salesperson; he is paid to lead the sales of a huge division.
3. POLISH YOUR OWN DIAMOND Each of us has natural aptitudes for something. Exploit that something. If you are mechanical, exploit that. Don’t worry about your lack of creative skills. Do not work hard on the wrong stuff. There are plenty of creative types around. If you spend your time focused on trying to be excellent at something that is unnatural for you, you will have wasted it. Spend your time getting better and better at what you do well.
4. HIRE YOUR WEAKNESS Surround yourself with people who can and will do those things you don’t do well or you don’t like to do. A talented EVP told me he was the worst time manager in the world and he spent a fortune on time management training just to become adequate. In desperation he hired a detail-oriented Assistant. The end result was a 20% increase in his productivity. She was able to get him organized and keep him focused. He had great insight into his own capabilities and found a way to address his weakness and keep it from interfering with his success.
This same executive willingly seeks advice from experts. He will be quick to tell you that he consults with his advisors before he makes major decisions. He surrounds himself with financial, legal and management advisors because he knows that he cannot do everything well. He is a sales and marketing guy and has the advisors on his speed dial. Smart!
If you feel you know “everything” I can assure you that attitude is fatal. Over the years I have seen executives who expressed a view that other functions within the company are useless. If they are in sales, they discount the value of Finance, Accounting, Production or Human Resources. They may even say something really stupid like, “Anyone with common sense can do their job; it’s no big deal.” Failure to recognize the importance of those who do work that is different from yours will ensure that you will lose their respect and their support. Successful managers and leaders accept they are unlikely to get their way all of the time and other departments are just as important as theirs. They respect the views and needs of colleagues and they recognize that compromise is essential to teamwork. The bottom line is to be certain you always partner with your peers. You need them more than they need you because they will still be there when you are gone! I learned that from employees.
A group of employees once told me they never worry about an arrogant executive. They said that they were on the “B” team. I asked them to explain and understood completely when they said, “We will be here when he will be gone.” I got it.
5. BE SELFLESS Do you think those at the top of their game think they got there by themselves? No chance. Always take time to give credit to others and you will get a wonderful surprise. It will come back to you. Credit is like a boomerang. It is almost impossible to give away. Many of the most successful leaders I work with are respected by their employees who say, “He gives us far more credit than we deserve.” The selfless leader says, “It is not about me; it is about our employees, because without them I cannot make this work.”
6. DITCH “I” AND “MY” The most successful leaders I know say “we” and “our.” It is not contrived. The words “our” and “we” just tumble out of their mouths as a routine part of the conversation. They do not claim to “own” the staff. But, they own the result of the employees work. They see themselves as the leader of a team. They see each employee as player on their team. They help their employees learn they are members of a team and how to be a team player. When you hear a colleague say, “I told my Assistant to tell my Vice President of Sales that I need results to keep my division from being criticized,” take a mental picture of your colleague. He (or she) will be gone soon unless Dad owns the company.
7. DON’T CHASE SUCCESS If you are looking for success, you won’t find it. For more than 40 years I have been interviewing job candidates. I ask this question, “What is your ultimate goal?” To those who tell me their goal is to find success, I always want to know how they plan to do that? Just like happiness, you cannot find success. Success finds you. It finds you when you are doing what you do so well that people want you to do it again and again and they want other people to see you do it, too. Think about it. Speakers, writers, singers, actors and business executives, are successful when they are excellent at what they do. Their work is always in demand. They can’t hide no matter how hard they try. We hunt them down and ask for more.
Success is recognition for what has already happened, not what is going to happen. Most of my clients are key executives. They are results-oriented people. They don’t look at what you are doing; they look at what you have done. They use systems, such as Management by Objectives (MBO) to measure results. Sales, profits, and customer satisfaction are indicators of success in business. They are quick to tell you that you need to make something happen if you want to be seen as successful. That is good advice. In addition, you need to make something happen again and again. Your success last year and the year before will not take you to the top and keep you there. You must consistently produce a desired outcome.
8.UNDER PROMISE AND OVER DELIVER You can be sure the manager/leader, who is overly eager to get what they want, may promise impossible results. They misread the environment or forget their words will be remembered later when the results are not delivered. There will be a day of reckoning as managers/leaders are in roles with accountability. When the company resources have been expended and the results are not there, the outcome will include the ouster of those who created the loss. It is far better to promise only what is reasonable or what can be accomplished with a little stretch than to promise the impossible. If you over deliver, the result will be an added bonus and you will be seen as a winner.
9. HAVE MORAL COURAGE Somewhere within your inner core, is the ethical system that drives you. There are a million clichés that apply here. The person who falls for everything stands for nothing stands out. There is a time to stand firm for what is the right thing to do. If you are not willing to speak up and try to right a wrong you will speak volumes about your character. If you are willing to allow employees to be bullied, disparaged or ridiculed, you make a statement about how you value people. Your staff is watching to see if you have moral courage. When Edward Kennedy eulogized his brother, Presidential candidate, Robert Kennedy, he said, “He was a man who saw a wrong and tried to right it.” Your self-image grows when you have the moral courage to right what is wrong within your workplace. A successful executive is not a racist or a bigot, and always insists on equality for every employee.
10. FUEL YOUR TANK Be good to yourself. Your success depends on the package that is carrying you around. The human body is a fascinating machine and needs good care to run at optimum speed. Don’t smoke too much, drink too much, or do anything else that will steal your energy and good health. Sick people don’t feel good and it takes energy to be in charge. You need physical strength and mental peace. If you are doing nothing to take care of your health, start right now. Make sure you get a check-up to avoid long-term problems. Develop at least one outside interest to distract you from work now and then. Do something that pays back for your success or pays forward to your community that will be grateful for your charity. Commit to getting restful sleep as there is no question that lack of sleep is a key contributor to pre-mature aging. Your employees need you at your personal best. Commit to it.
Success is not an accident nor is it a carefully crafted plan. There is no blueprint or prescription that guarantees the desirable outcome. Some of it is based on faith; some of it is based on self-confidence. Most if it is based on commitment to lifelong learning, to do the right thing and do it right. I admit that I believe that a tiny bit is fate and there is not guarantee because fate is indeed fickle.
I wish you more success than you ever dreamed possible, the time to enjoy it, and someone you love to share it with you.
This management advisory was prepared by Executive Consultant Nancye Combs. It was not created to replace the services of a competent legal advisor and is not specific to the laws of any specific state. Nancye Combs is also the endorsed Human Resources consultant for the 2,700 members of the Specialty Tools and Fasteners Distributors Association – The Petroleum Equipment Institute (PEI) and more than 100 member companies of FISA – Distributors serving the food equipment manufacturing industry. Nancye is a nationally respected authority in human resources and organizational management and is the trusted advisor to CEOs worldwide. She speaks, writes, serves as an expert witness on sex harassment issues, and consults worldwide on management issues. She is a University instructor for human resources professionals seeking to become nationally certified by the Human Resources Certification Institute.
CPMR is a great way to start the year! We had three enthusiastic levels of CPMR, five new instructors and four new topics!
Information from Joel Warady on social media was thought provoking. He introduced us to QR codes (Quick Response codes).
To make a QR code you need a generator (I use Kaywa). QR codes are read by a smartphone with a QR Reader (I use QuickMark). The QR code is read by a smartphone and provides immediate information. Download a QR reader now and try it out.
How can reps use QRs? They are an easy way to lead your customers to a video about how to use a product. You can put them on your literature to lead them to a specific spot on your website.
Did you try it? How easy was that? Do you want it to be THAT EASY for your customers to take action on your products? You can put them on your business card (or literature or postcards) for a VCF (hat tip to Mike Long, CPMR CSP).
I can see attaching it to a product sample and have it go right to your quote page. How else could you use QR codes?
Nancye Combs of HR Enterprise, opened our eyes (wide!) to HR issues we never thought about.
She recommends background checks on employees and insists on formal applications instead of relying on resumes. Nancye says that non-compete agreements must be completed when an employee is on-boarded. Signing it after the fact does not create a contract unless there is some compensation given. There are a lot of important HR issues that go unnoticed in rep firms until there is an issue (which usually ends up being a BIG issue). Outsourcing your HR is one way to cover all the bases from employee handbook to background checks.
Those are just two segments that I observed. Terrific additions to the program!
A dozen manufacturer’s attended the two-day Manufacturer’s Best Practices program. Hope yours was one of them. We had principals who are just beginning to use reps and some that have used reps for 50 years. Everyone came away with new ideas. In fact, they like the program so much, they are clamoring for a midyear session for their colleagues. We will see if we can make that happen.
This year we held our 3rd annual dinner for women in CPMR. Gordon Biertsch was a terrific venue and the networking successes were obvious! We are going to send a contingent to NAED’s Women in Industry event in Newport, RI this June. It will be another powerful event! (eek...just be careful when googling this event...might be NSFW)
If you have been considering CPMR and just have not made the commitment, NOW is the time. You will be glad you did!
Current Best Group: Corporate Social Strategy on Linked In
I found the most useful group on Linked In last week. It is called Corporate Social Strategy. Informative and thought provoking, it is also a little overwhelming. There is a lot to consider, lots of discussions. Lots of new information.
Then again, there is a lot of information out there… not just on the topic of social media, but on every topic both business and personal.
Social media is intimidating because…there is SO MUCH social media. It is everywhere you look. Foursquare lets you check into bars, restaurants, hotels, CPMR(?). We are asked to share articles and videos on Facebook and Twitter. We can stumble upon information and share it, too.
There are also innumerable resources on yoga, sales skills, and cooking. And to learn about any of them, can seem overwhelming, too. The secret is to take it easy. We cannot learn all we want to about one subject in a single day.
Take it one conversation at a time. And if you miss a discussion, it may take you a while longer to learn a particular facet, it will not be the end of the world.
How is social media relevant? If you are not involved in it, it is not relevant to you. But once you dive in and splash about, you will find it has some interesting features. Social media takes you places you might not have gone before. You can find emerging markets and new market segments that were previously hidden to you.
I will admit to dabbling in social media. I signed up for Linked In, Twitter and Facebook a long, long time ago. And the sites languished…occasionally, I would wipe off the cyber dust and make a posting. However, I recently had an epiphany that social media is like exercise, it does not help me one bit if I do not participate in it. So, I have become more active. I comment on Linked In, I share on Facebook, I tweet and retweet on Twitter. You can, too. You are an expert on your business, your industry, your territory.
Social media is word of mouth. You post something you create, or something you find and share it…your friends/followers/customers share the information and you become a resource. Not just a resource to that one friend/follower/customers, but to two of their friends/followers/customers. And two of theirs. And two of theirs.
You do not have to recreate the wheel by creating brilliant content. There is lots of brilliant content out there. All you have to do is share it.
Like chunkin’ rocks into the lake, every social media posting makes ripples. Start chunkin’ your thoughts into cyberspace. You might just make a big splash!
Denver CO 80224 
