With almost 500,000,000 people on Facebook, if it were a country it would be the third largest country in the world behind China and India and right ahead of the USA. Online communities of this size would have been difficult to imagine even a few years ago. The world is getting smaller. Back when I graduated from high school I had a little black book with my girlfriend’s and some of my drinking buddies phone numbers. No matter how good you are at keeping in touch with people (holiday cards, postcards, phone calls, etc.) eventually you lose touch with a lot of people. Fast forward to the last few years and I think we can all agree that Facebook is the world’s largest high school reunion. I think that about 90% of my high school class has reconnected on FB. It has been a lot of fun catching up with …
Twitter is the World’s Best Real-Time Tool
There was a time not so long ago when we were dependent on the major media outlets for all of our news and information. Those days are over. For good. Twitter is the world’s best real-time tool. Imagine a cocktail party where you could listen in on any conversation on any topic that you wanted. That’s just one of the many uses of Twitter. I call Twitter global text messaging. You can send a tweet (a 140 character maximum message on Twitter) to an individual or you can send it out to the world, kind of. Now, let me say up front that Twitter used effectively is one of the most valuable tools you will ever use and used ineffectively it’s one of the worst spam tools ever invented. Obviously, I’m suggesting that you use it effectively. My MO is that it’s all about relationships. Using Twitter correctly leads to …
Technology Skills AND People Skills in Social Media
Successfully using Social Media to grow your business, identify clients and business partners and many other business outcomes relies less on being a computer geek and more on effective people skills. Is it just me or does it seem that everybody and his brother is a so-called “Social Media Expert”? I find that it’s kind of like being a lady- if you have to tell people that you are, maybe you’re not. I recently heard a very highly respected Social Media authority (based on credibility and not self-professed) say “those who call themselves gurus only do so because they can’t spell charlatan”. I got a chuckle out of that. Just because someone knows all the bells and whistles regarding Social Media, that in no way indicates that they are someone who knows how to build and sustain relationships. The tools of Social Media are sites, applications, and other computer stuff. …
LinkedIn Is a Database Impersonating a Social Media Platform
LinkedIn is the world’s best online business networking platform with over 65,000,000 professionals using it and the average user being 41 years old and earning $109,000 per year. Not a bad demographic for doing business with. As the world is getting smaller, the number of professionals using LinkedIn is getting bigger. Unlike a number of other networking sites, this is not an electronic bathroom wall. Professionals who use LinkedIn most effectively realize that LinkedIn is a Social Media platform but in reality it’s really a database. It is a database in the most literal meaning of the word. You can strategically search through LinkedIn and identify people and organizations that you want to sell to, create alliances with, hire, refer business to, network with, and add value to as a professional. One of the most attractive features of LinkedIn is the merging of the users’ contacts. We’re all familiar with …
It’s All About Relationships, Sweetie!
Here’s the paradox: many people still think that Social Media is about technology. No, it’s all about relationships, sweetie. The “sweetie” comes from the kiss acronym, “keep it simple sweetie”. Way before anyone ever invented a computer, people looked each other in the eye and build relationships. If all the power in the grid went out tomorrow and no one could get online, people would still look each other in the eye and build relationships. As my friend, Bob Burg, says, “All things being equal, people do business with and refer business to people they like, know and trust”. This is no different whether online or offline. One of the great outcomes of the effective use of Social Media is that it increases the “like, know, trust factor” before you even have your first personal interaction with another person. This is a wonderful way to differentiate yourself in the marketplace …
What is Social Media, Really?
Social Media is the fastest growing phenomenon to hit personal relationships and the business world since the rise of the internet. There are many definitions regarding SM, and the one that I prefer is “Social Media is the use of technology combined with social interaction to create or co-create value.” In a way, the definition doesn’t really matter nearly as much as the application and changing role of building and sustaining relationships and marketing in a social media world. Social Media is many things and one of the most effective uses of SM is as a company suggestion box. Good, bad or indifferent, people are talking about companies and more and more companies are using SM tools to tap into the conversations. Failure to listen will only be taken as evidence that the company doesn’t care. Customers now have the ability to respond to messages and to discuss their opinions …
February 2010 From Kevin Knebl
2/14/09 Hello again to my friends, family, colleagues, and clients. Many of you know me personally as coaching clients, networking or through one of my speaking engagements related to online and offline networking, Social Media, LinkedIn training, or personal development; and some of you may know me by LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, email or telephone. Welcome to everyone that’s new to this distribution list. There are a lot of very smart and interesting people that I am fortunate to network with. We share books, movies, music and ideas that stimulate us. I’m always interested to learn what other people that I respect are reading, watching and listening to. This is my monthly newsletter with books I’ve recently read, movies seen, music devoured, ideas and other things that may be of interest to you. I focus on topics related to networking, Social Media and inspiration, but you never know what you’ll find …
August 2009 From Kevin Knebl
8/1/09 Hello again to my friends, family, colleagues, and clients. Many of you know me personally through networking or through one of my speaking engagements related online and offline networking, Social Media, LinkedIn training, or personal development; and some of you may know me by LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, email or telephone. Welcome to everyone that’s new to this distribution list. There are a lot of very smart and interesting people that I am fortunate to network with. We share books, movies, music and ideas that stimulate us. I’m always interested to learn what other people that I respect are reading, watching and listening to. This is my monthly newsletter with books I’ve recently read, movies seen, music devoured, ideas and other things that may be of interest to you. I focus on topics related to networking, Social Media and inspiration, but you never know what you’ll find here. If you …
July 2009 From Kevin Knebl
7/1/09 Hello again to my friends, family, colleagues, and clients. Many of you know me personally through networking or through one of my speaking engagements related online and offline networking, Social Media, LinkedIn training, or personal development; and some of you may know me by LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, email or telephone. Welcome to everyone that’s new to this distribution list. There are a lot of very smart and interesting people that I am fortunate to network with. We share books, movies, music and ideas that stimulate us. I’m always interested to learn what other people that I respect are reading, watching and listening to. This is my monthly newsletter with books I’ve recently read, movies seen, music devoured, ideas and other things that may be of interest to you. I focus on topics related to networking, Social Media and inspiration, but you never know what you’ll find here. If you …
June 2009 From Kevin Knebl
6/1/09 Hello again to my friends, family, colleagues, and clients. Many of you know me personally through networking or through one of my speaking engagements related online and offline networking, Social Media, LinkedIn training, or personal development; and some of you may know me by LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, email or telephone. Welcome to everyone that’s new to this distribution list. There are a lot of very smart and interesting people that I am fortunate to network with. We share books, movies, music and ideas that stimulate us. I’m always interested to learn what other people that I respect are reading, watching and listening to. This is my monthly newsletter with books I’ve recently read, movies seen, music devoured, ideas and other things that may be of interest to you. I focus on topics related to networking, Social Media and inspiration, but you never know what you’ll find here. If you …
April 2009 From Kevin Knebl
4/1/09 Hello again to my friends, family, colleagues, and clients. Many of you know me personally through work, networking or through one of my speaking engagements related online and offline networking, Social Media, LinkedIn® training, or personal development; and some of you may know me by LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, email or telephone. Welcome to everyone that’s new to this distribution list. There are a lot of very smart and interesting people that I am fortunate to network with. We share books, movies, music and ideas that stimulate us. I’m always interested to learn what other people that I respect are reading, watching and listening to. This is my monthly email newsletter with books I’ve recently read, movies seen, music devoured, ideas and other things that may be of interest to you. I tend to focus on topics related to networking, Social Media and inspiration, but you never know what you’ll …
March 2009 From Kevin Knebl
3/1/09 Hello again to my friends, family, colleagues, and clients. Many of you know me personally through work, networking or through one of my speaking engagements related online and offline networking, Social Media and personal development; and some of you may know me by LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, email or telephone. Welcome to everyone that’s new to this distribution list. There are a lot of very smart and interesting people that I am fortunate to network with. We share books, movies, music and ideas that stimulate us. I’m always interested to learn what other people that I respect are reading, watching and listening to. This is my monthly email newsletter with books I’ve recently read, movies seen, music devoured, ideas and other things that may be of interest to you. If you find this interesting and would like to pass it on, please feel free to do so. If you’d like …
2/15/09 Gazette Interview
(There are a few errors in some of my personal information, but overall, The Gazette recorded my comments correctly) Social-media wiz clues in small businesses Comments 0 | Recommend 0 February 13, 2009 – 8:39 PM WAYNE HEILMAN THE GAZETTE Kevin Knebl is more than just another user of Facebook, Linked-In and Plaxo; he teaches business owners and managers how those Internet sites can become important tools to recruit potential customers and turn them into loyal, long-term partners. While he has spent his entire adult life at a keyboard, Knebl started his career tickling the ivories as a professional pianist and singer in New York for 12 years before he married and found that music wouldn't support his family. He moved into sales 10 years ago, mostly selling services to businesses, relocated to Colorado Springs in 2004 and has sold outsourced human resources to small businesses for the past two …
February 2009 From Kevin Knebl
2/1/09 Hello again to my friends, family, colleagues, and clients. Many of you know me personally through work, networking or through one of my speaking engagements related to sales skills, effective online and offline networking, LinkedIn and Social Media training and personal development; and some of you may know me only by email and telephone. Welcome to everyone that’s new to this distribution list. There are a lot of very smart and interesting people that I am fortunate to network with. We share books, movies, music and ideas that stimulate us. I’m always interested to learn what other people that I respect are reading, watching and listening to. This is my monthly email newsletter with books I’ve recently read, movies seen, music devoured, ideas and other things that may be of interest to you. If you find this interesting and would like to pass it on, please feel free to …
January 2009 From Kevin Knebl
1/1/09 Hello again to my friends, family, colleagues, and clients. Many of you know me personally through work, networking or through one of my speaking engagements related to sales skills, effective online and offline networking, LinkedIn and Social Media training and personal development; and some of you may know me only by email and telephone. Welcome to everyone that’s new to this distribution list. There are a lot of very smart and interesting people that I am fortunate to network with. We share books, movies, music and ideas that stimulate us. I’m always interested to learn what other people that I respect are reading, watching and listening to. This is my monthly email newsletter with books I’ve recently read, movies seen, music devoured, ideas and other things that may be of interest to you. If you find this interesting and would like to pass it on, please feel free to …
December 2008 From Kevin Knebl
12/1/08 Hello again to my friends, family, colleagues, and clients. Many of you know me personally through work, networking or through one of my speaking engagements related to sales skills, effective networking and personal development; and some of you may know me only by email and telephone. Welcome to everyone that’s new to this distribution list. There are a lot of very smart and interesting people that I am fortunate to network with. We share books, movies, music and ideas that stimulate us. I'm always interested to learn what other people that I respect are reading, watching and listening to. This is my monthly email newsletter with books I’ve recently read, movies seen, music devoured, ideas and other things that may be of interest to you. If you find this interesting and would like to pass it on, please feel free to do so. If you’d like to be removed …
November 2008 From Kevin Knebl
11/1/08 Hello again to my friends, family, colleagues, and clients. Many of you know me personally through work, networking or through one of my speaking engagements related to sales skills, effective networking and personal development; and some of you may know me only by email and telephone. Welcome to everyone that’s new to this distribution list. There are a lot of very smart and interesting people that I am fortunate to network with. We share books, movies, music and ideas that stimulate us. I'm always interested to learn what other people that I respect are reading, watching and listening to. This is my monthly email newsletter with books I’ve recently read, movies seen, music devoured, ideas and other things that may be of interest to you. If you find this interesting and would like to pass it on, please feel free to do so. If you’d like to be removed …
October 2008 From Kevin Knebl
10/1/08 Hello again to my friends, family, colleagues, and clients. Many of you know me personally through work, networking or through one of my speaking engagements related to sales skills, effective networking and personal development; and some of you may know me only by email and telephone. Welcome to everyone that’s new to this distribution list. There are a lot of very smart and interesting people that I am fortunate to network with. We share books, movies, music and ideas that stimulate us. I'm always interested to learn what other people that I respect are reading, watching and listening to. This is my monthly email newsletter with books I’ve recently read, movies seen, music devoured, ideas and other things that may be of interest to you. If you find this interesting and would like to pass it on, please feel free to do so. If you’d like to be removed …
September 2008 From Kevin Knebl
9/1/08 Hello again to my friends, family, colleagues, and clients. Many of you know me personally through work, networking or through one of my speaking engagements related to sales skills, professional networking and personal development; and some of you may know me only by email and telephone. Welcome to everyone that’s new to this distribution list. There are a lot of very smart and interesting people that I am fortunate to network with. We share books, movies, music and ideas that stimulate us. I'm always interested to learn what other people that I respect are reading, watching and listening to. This is my monthly email newsletter with books I’ve recently read, movies seen, music devoured, ideas and other things that may be of interest to you. If you find this interesting and would like to pass it on, please feel free to do so. If you’d like to be removed …
August 2008 From Kevin Knebl
8/1/08 Hello again to my friends, family, colleagues, and clients. Many of you know me personally through work, networking or through one of my speaking engagements related to sales skills, professional networking and personal development; and some of you may know me only by email and telephone. Welcome to everyone that's new to this distribution list. There are a lot of very smart and interesting people that I am fortunate to network with. We share books, movies, music and ideas that stimulate us. I'm always interested to learn what other people that I respect are reading, watching and listening to. This is my monthly email newsletter with books I've recently read, movies seen, music devoured, ideas and other things that may be of interest to you. If you find this interesting and would like to pass it on, please feel free to do so. If you'd like to be removed …