What does listening have to do with being heard? Everything! In today’s communication environment where social media channels are teeming with conversations, it’s hard to get a word in edge-wise. It’s hard to get noticed even when you have something important to say.
Contributing valuable content is only part of the answer. Generally, you know what you want to say and who wants to hear it. But according to my favorite 6W’s method, your strategy could be strengthened by also asking how, when, where and why. You can get some very good answers by listening. Here are five tips for listening well: (more…)
The purpose of most marketing efforts these days is to drive traffic to your website. So when I mentioned to someone the other day that I prominently post links to my social sites on my website, I shouldn’t have been surprised by his reaction. He pointed out that by posting those links I was encouraging people to leave my website. And he’s right. But I have my reasons for disregarding this long-time rule and website protocol.
First of all, I’m a communications consultant helping businesses adopt social media tools and emerging methods of communication. Consequently, my philosophy needs to be reflected on my website. I want people to be able see how I use social channels to connect on different levels with different audiences.
But what if you’re not in the social media business? What have you got to prove by sending visitors to your social sites? What can potential customers find on your social sites that they can’t find on your website? (more…)
I have set out to turn “information overload” into “an abundance of options.” Doesn’t that just sound better? Based on what I’m hearing and reading, we’re all feeling the pressure and the frustration, and it IS tempting to join the chorus. But, the alternatives – censoring and regulated filtering – are neither desirable nor practical at this point. With countless contributors who have unlimited access to the Internet, information will continue to be generated at lightening speed, and it could feel like “overload.” But, the problem is not that we have too much information. The problem is finding a way to manage it. That solution will be a little different for everyone.
I’m a strategist by nature and profession, so my approach to this problem looks like this: I start out with my lists of objectives and values, and I let those be my guides. I throw in a bit of discipline and time management and I’ve got the beginnings of a recipe for managing the information overload. I complete it with the not-so-secret ingredients: tools.
I don’t mean to oversimplify the process because it’s really not simple at all. In fact, it takes real effort. For me, the greatest challenge is in those elusive and constantly evolving objectives. Fortunately, the values tend to stay pretty consistent. The discipline is part of my character; and I’ve been developing my time management skills for decades.
Choosing the tools can be difficult because the options are extensive and you might find yourself in a chicken-or-the-egg situation with the overload of information about the tools. But, this is where I did try to simplify the process. I started with tools I was familiar with and then added a couple more that seemed to keep coming up in conversation.
Here’s how it all plays out for me:
Objectives:
To learn how businesses integrate social media into existing strategies and practices
To become familiar with valuable resources and thought leaders in the field
Values:
Continuous learning
Productive use of time
Time management:
Pre-plan a realistic weekly schedule for reading and research
Document every session related to the purpose, the amount of time spent, the outcome, and how new information will be applied to the progress of existing projects.
Discipline:
Ensure productive use of time (see values) by consciously committing to objectives before each work session
Make weekly schedule a strict priority (see time management)
Tools:
Microsoft Outlook® To-Do List, Journal and Reminders
Google Reader (for RSS feeds)
Bookmarking functions found in Google (stars), Delicious and Twitter (favorites)
Amazon.com wish list
iTunes (for subscribing to podcasts)
The process I use is pretty structured and disciplined. But, it has been extremely effective in turning information overload into an abundance of options. I know this because I’m making good progress toward my objectives, and my interest and enthusiasm remain high. What’s more, with an eye on the prize, it takes only a little conscious effort to resist the temptation to wander off my path.
While I have been practicing this strategy for a long time, writing this blog has reinforced my commitment to it. Although everyone’s own strategy will be unique, I would recommend writing yours down and making it work. Don’t allow the perception of information overload keep you from the abundance of options that await you.
Inspired by a blog posted today by @ShelHoltz (Six questions to ask before launching a Facebook Page) and a question that was posed in a webinar presented by Marketo today – The Definitive Guide to B2B Social Media – I’m pondering two points I most frequently hear from non-users of Social Media. They relate to ROI and “Why?”. These reactions to the suggestion that social media be used as a business tool seem somewhere between clueless and incredulous. I’m wondering if people think that because social media is free, it shouldn’t be taken seriously. Maybe that’s why it’s not respected like any other business tactic – and should be viewed as a calculated risk.
Let’s break that down and make it simple. We’ll start with calculated. Definitions for “calculate” provided by dictionary.com: 1. to determine by reasoning, common sense, or practical experience; estimate; evaluate; gauge. 2. to make suitable or fit for a purpose; adapt.
In other words, a certain amount of thought and reasoning needs to be part of any business tactic – whether you’re planning a tradeshow exhibit, customer focus groups, a training program, a sales presentation, or a Facebook Page (as highlighted in the above-mentioned blog). Any one of those maneuvers requires a plan that is aligned with an overall strategy.
And then there’s risk. Dictionary.com gives us: exposure to the chance of . . . loss; a hazard or dangerous chance.
It’s no secret that dumping tens of thousands of dollars into a marketing blitz is no guarantee that you will get hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales . . . or any sales at all. Whether your marketing blitz involves television ads or radio spots, glossy flyers mailed to the ends of the Earth, flying monkeys branded with your logo, or a Twitter stream posting coupons for free stuff, your campaign is still subject to risk. Of course, the more you put into the “calculated” part of the equation (no pun intended), the more likely you are to reduce your risk.
That’s not to say that I don’t give credit to the prudent business person who must ask about ROI and question the reason why. But appearing incredulous or clueless on the subject of social media is not going to be tolerated much longer. If one wants to protect his or her own professional image, one should at least be aware of how the consumer is using social media – and that can best be done by spending less than 30 minutes setting up an account on a few social sites and looking at them for 10 minutes each week. Even in that little amount of time it will be easy to see that businesses ARE using social media successfully and that it IS being taken seriously as a business tool, and as such, is a calculated risk.
I predict that in the very near future, when the topic of social media comes up, resisters will be expected to defend their position for not modifying their use of traditional communication methods. The tables will be turned, and they will be the ones having to respond to questions related to ROI and “Why?”
I recently made a very tough decision, and though it’s been three weeks since I announced my resignation from my administrative position at Rocky Mt. Masters – a ski racing club that I’ve been helping to run for the last eight years – I’m still suffering from withdrawal. At the same time, my head and my heart feel clearer and lighter than they have in a long time.
Although I have thoroughly enjoyed my involvement with the ski team, I realized that I had allowed it to become too important to me. I wasn’t able to limit the time I spent on the details of keeping the organization running. As we all know, there are some projects that are never going to be complete; and, this is one of them. There are always going to be improvements and new things that can be done to make things run smoother and more efficiently. Subconsciously, I was always trying to plan for the unforeseen – to ensure that our events played like a finely-tuned instrument – a lofty goal, considering the varied cast of members, staff, venues and formats, and a relentless 24+ race schedule packed into the weekends of four consecutive months.
This may not sound like much to people who run big organizations or active households. But, it is quite a bit to add to an already full schedule of running a business and keeping up with the family. In fact, it was the imbalance of time and the realization that I was neglecting my business and my important relationships that forced my decision. Now that it’s done, though, I am looking forward with great anticipation.
Re-focused Energy
Anyone who knows me at all has heard me say, “I love to work!” So, put a job in front of me and watch me beam. But there is some danger in that. This isn’t the first time that I’ve kept my nose to the grindstone without looking up for so long that when I finally did, I barely recognized the landscape around me. This past summer (in ski racing terms that’s called the off-season) I did look up, though. My business pipeline had gone empty. My nieces and nephews who are now young teens with social lives, no longer needed babysitting. And, I recognized that my professional field – I’m a communications coach and consultant – was undergoing a revolutionary change. There was a new kid on the block. It’s called Social Media. Well, maybe it’s not THAT new – but it’s certainly gaining unprecedented interest and acceptance by everyone I work with. In fact, by almost everyone I know!
One morning in early May I was overcome with an uncontrollable urge to not be left in the dust. I had just put my skis in the rafters, my ski jacket in mothballs, and the ski rack on my car . . . well, I never did get around to taking that off . . . but let’s just pretend I did. The point is: I made a conscious decision to eliminate all feelings of obligation to the ski team, and answer the passion that was suddenly burning inside me. Then, I took the first step. I created a Facebook account.
I’m tempted to say, “The rest is history.” But that’s so cliché, and this seems anything but cliché to me. Some of the steps I took are documented in my blog and on the notes tab of my Facebook page (search 3D Communications), and can be seen on my website (which came about as a result of this whole adventure). The experience has been exhilarating and enlightening. Over the past seven months I’ve gone from euphoric to exasperated so many times within a span of a few hours, that I’ve gained a whole new respect for the phrase, “Don’t lose hope.” I know it sounds a bit dramatic, but we ARE talking about a passion here.
The whole thing took me by surprise. I went into the situation with great skepticism. Believe me, waves of doubt about the value, means and methods of social media still hit me at regular intervals. But I keep learning more (and “continuous learning” is one of my core values – so that’s helping to feed this frenzy). I’m learning about the how, the why, the when, and the who that has become “the what?” Social media. It’s infiltrated the lives of millions. (I can’t pass up the opportunity to spew a few facts that, these days, roll off my tongue like the saliva of Pavlov’s dogs. There are more than 300 million active users on Facebook. Twitter grew by 1,382% from Feb. ’08 to Feb. ’09. YouTube is the second most popular search engine – behind Google – and gets 300 million visitors a month.)
I know some people who are self-professed addicts. The resisters? A few have admitted to me that they’re feeling the pressure. They’re starting to feel like outsiders. A bit isolated. Left out. Ignored? Possibly. It doesn’t really seem fair, but unfortunately, people who defy this trend to get involved in the conversations and relationships that are developing on social networks may eventually find themselves cast out. Again, I’m sounding dramatic. But, in my defense, I’ve spent considerable time researching this phenomenon and the writing’s on “the wall.” (You Facebook people will get that.)
Loyalties Maintained
It was a tough decision to leave Masters. The truth be known though, I’m not completely leaving. I will still be at the races to cheer my friends on. And, before we get on the hill, I’ll help pass out bibs and point new racers toward the posted start list. But I’ll also be taking pictures and gathering “rich content,” all in the interest of my new passion: my social sites.
I will probably continue contributing to Masters, but it will be in my way, (the above work-in-progress may get posted on RMM’s website when it’s finished) reflecting my personal style and my purpose. It will still be part of my profession, but now in a way that supports me as much as I support it.
When we think of communication we often think of talking or writing or using some medium to send a message out to others. But a good communicator does more than send messages. They master the art of listening. It is their ability to listen well that helps them to know what to talk about, to whom and how.
The benefits of good listening go beyond the obvious learning that can come from paying attention to what someone is saying. By being an engaged listener, one’s own creativity can be ignited. Ideas that might not have otherwise come about are planted and can begin to grow. Listening is also an invaluable way to show how much you care for someone, and can be a very powerful tool when building or nurturing a relationship – personal or professional.
Try out your listening skills the next time you have the chance to have a conversation. Here are five characteristics of a good listener: (more…)
When we think of communication we often think of talking or writing or using some medium to send a message out to others. But a good communicator does more than send messages. They master the art of listening. It is their ability to listen well that helps them to know what to talk about, to whom and how.
