Was Hemingway A Typewriter Expert?

I’ve been fortunate to have been speaking, training and coaching on how best to use LinkedIn and other Social Media platforms since 2003. Yes, 2003. That makes me Jurassic in the Social Media world. From time to time, I like to reiterate a very important point. Was Hemingway a typewriter expert? Was Picasso a canvas expert? No. These were just some of the tools these artists used to convey their messages. They were artists. And that’s what Social Media is for you. You’re an artist in terms of whatever value and message you’re delivering to the business world whether you realize it or not. LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, whatever, are just some of the tools you use to deliver your value and message. Have a basic understanding of these platforms but don’t think you need to become an expert at them. You don’t need to know how to fix a …

Anti-Social Media

There are many people who think that success in leveraging Social Media comes down to understanding analytics, marketing conversion ratios, data mining, aligning planets, smelling colors and all other forms of modern alchemy. Maybe for some of the people with tape on their glasses it does, but those things have never been important to me or my clients. I own a car, but I have no idea of how the transmission works and I don’t need to know how the transmission works. But I do know how to drive. Whether online or offline, we can’t outrun our character and we can’t outrun our people skills or lack thereof. If someone IRL (“in real life” as the kids say) gives you a compliment, you’d probably thank them. Unless your social skills suck. And many people’s social skills do as it says in the Good Book “sucketh”. If someone retweets you, mentions …

ANTI-SOCIAL MEDIA

There are many people who think that success in leveraging Social Media comes down to understanding analytics, marketing conversion ratios, data mining, aligning planets, smelling colors and all other forms of modern alchemy. Maybe for some of the people with tape on their glasses it does, but those things have never been important to me or my clients. I own a car, but I have no idea of how the transmission works and I don’t need to know how the transmission works. But I do know how to drive. Whether online or offline, we can’t outrun our character and we can’t outrun our people skills or lack thereof. If someone IRL (“in real life” as the kids say) gives you a compliment, you’d probably thank them. Unless your social skills suck. And many people’s social skills do as it says in the Good Book “sucketh”. If someone retweets you, mentions …

While Connecting With Lots, Go Deeper With Few

Social Media is full of paradoxes. Just for clarification, a paradox is a seemingly apparent contradiction. SoMe exposes how interconnected we all are and actually always have been but didn’t know it. And we can become even more connected as more and more of the world gets online. Make sure that as you get more connected you go deeper with the people who matter most to you. It’s up to you to determine who matters most to you. It could be clients, prospects, networking partners, referral relationships, strategic alliances, or all of them. It would almost seem like the goal is to just collect friends, connections and followers, but that’s not really the goal. The goal is while connecting with lots of people, create and enrich specific relationships. Connect with lots. Go deeper with few.

Use Social Media To Build Rapport Faster

I had a woman schedule an appointment with me to discuss the possibility of hiring me to deliver some speaking and training engagements. Prior to getting on our phone conversation this morning, I went through my normal pre-call Social Media SOP (Standard Operating Procedure). I checked LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter quickly to learn about her so that I could add as much value as possible to our conversation and possible relationship. I quickly discovered that she went to the same two colleges that I did and that she has a newborn. I also saw that she recently returned from a trip to Aruba. I brought this information into our conversation in a non-creepy manner and immediately started developing a “Know/Like/Trust” relationship with her. I’d be shocked if we don’t do business together. Lots of business together. How are you using the amazing free Social Media tools available to you to …

Know Like Trust Vs. No Like Trust

A person who has connected with me on multiple Social Media platforms and responds to my polite welcome reply messages with immediate sales pitches for their product recently emailed me, “You’re a very, very hard person to get a phone call or face to face meeting with.” I replied, “Not if I know, like and trust you.” There was an MBA’s worth of a lesson in my reply if he grasped it. I don’t think he did, though.

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The Facebook Witness Relocation Program

Online friendships are a lot like offline friendships. There are those who are friends of yours for life regardless of geography. And there are those who are friends of yours for a season for any number of reasons such as being coworkers, friends of friends, etc. I always find it interesting that some folks on Facebook show up continuously in comments, Likes, postings on your Wall for a period of time and then join the Witness Relocation Program. And then at some point down the road they show up hot and heavy again. And then they disappear for months. Or years. And then they show up again. There’s nothing wrong with that. Just invest your time and attention in those who hang around.

Facebook Is A High School Reunion Whenever You Like

I attended my 30th high school reunion in New Jersey yesterday evening. In the old days, last century, getting together for high school reunions was the time to learn all about what was happening in your friends’ lives because except for reunions, you were pretty much out of touch with most of your high school friends. Now, with Facebook and other Social Media platforms, you can have ongoing conversations and stay in touch with your classmates as much or as little as you like. And getting together every ten years is just the in person time that you get to spend with these folks. I think that’s nice. It’s great to be able to walk up to someone you haven’t seen in ten years or longer, and know what’s happening in their life and the lives of their kids, grandkids, spouse, etc because you take a sincere interest in them. …

Old School Face Time Before Apple FaceTime

After a speaking engagement in Parsippany, NJ yesterday, I went out to lunch with a group of the attendees and we had some great discussions. One of the conversations was about how most people are so focused on electronics that they forget offline ways to build and enhance relationships. As you’re connecting with folks on Social Media platforms, don’t forget that no amount of Facebook posts, LinkedIn status updates or tweets are equal to a face to face coffee or lunch meeting. Make sure you’re scheduling face time into your week. Invest in old school relationships. You’ll completely differentiate yourself from the folks with the Blueteeth in their ears who think that being too busy to meet with someone is some kinda badge of honor. Yeah, it’s a badge all right….

Personalize Everything

It takes so little to be above average. In a more and more interconnected, over-caffeinated, hyper-competitive, Mach 5 with your receding hairline on fire world, it’s easy to forget to make personal connections. And most people just hit the Like button on Facebook, Accept Connection button on LinkedIn and Follow button on Twitter. If someone walked up to you in real life, stuck out their hand and introduced themselves to you would you look at them, ignore their extended hand and just turn around and walk away? If you did, your mother would smack you. Don’t be a Social Media drive-by Liker, Friender or Follower. That’s what the masses do. By the way….watch what 95% of society does and do just the opposite. Always, and I mean always, personalize everything. Send a personal note saying thanks, asking them how they heard of you and how you may be able to …

Social Media Cross-Pollination

Remember the old days in the last century when you had your work life and your personal life and never the two shall meet? How’s that working out for you in a more and more interconnected world? When you connect with someone on one Social Media platform do you also connect with them on other SoMe platforms? I do. I’m not suggesting that you should too, but allow me to tell you why I do. I do because for me SoMe is all about relationships. The more I can get to know someone the easier it is for me to figure out how I can add value to them in some way. Don’t read into my “add value” comment as code for “sell them something.” When I accept someone’s LinkedIn connection request, I see if I can find them on Facebook. If I find them, I send them a friend …

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Earning Versus Getting

As people are trying to gain more visibility through Social Media, a question I often hear is “How do I get more connections on LinkedIn, likes on Facebook and followers on Twitter?” I think the problem lies in their question. The question they should be asking is “How do I earn more connections, likes, and followers?” I can show you how to get a lot of followers very quickly. And you’ll lose them just as quickly. Almost as quickly as you’ll lose your credibility. Success isn’t something you get. It’s something you earn. First: add massive value. Second: add massive value. Third: add massive value. Guess what fourth is. While everyone else is trying to get, invest your time in earning your connections, likes and followers. When you earn them they won’t leave. When you earn them, they want to do business with you. When you earn them, you have …

You’re A Mosquito In A Nudist Colony Of Opportunity

We have almost unlimited ways to connect with each other. When you meet someone either personally or professionally do you look to connect with them on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter? I do. It’s a good habit to start. Then after you connect online, offer to help them in some way. Without an agenda. And not so they can owe you. There are a lot of people who are out of work for long periods of time, tolerating jobs that they hate, dealing with clients they’d love to fire, and a hundred others types of soul-sucking torture. The reason they’re living in this situation has nothing to do with the economy, the Democrats, the Republicans, global warming, the Mayan calendar, or any other excuse. It has to do with the fact that most people don’t understand that all things being equal people do business with and refer business to people they …

Don’t Be A Drive-By Social Media Connector

It’s nice to have a lot of Friends on Facebook, Connections on LinkedIn and Followers on Twitter, but don’t let the numbers fool you. Every connection regardless of the Social Media platform is an opportunity to add value to someone and to create a mutually beneficial, win-win relationship. Many people are “drive-by connecting” with people. They’re just trying to increase their numbers in an egotistical manner. This isn’t everyone by any means, but it’s certainly a lot of people. Just look at the evidence. A drive-by connection is someone who “friends, connects, or follows” and they’re then off to the Social Media Witness Relocation Program. You never hear from them again. Nothing, nada, bupkiss, goose egg. When connecting with someone, send them a personal message acknowledging them and asking if you may help them in some way. You may be surprised at some of the wonderful replies you get. Most people …

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Get Back To The Basics Of Social Media

I’ve been off the road for a little bit and I’ve been getting back to the basics of connecting with people. Even though I speak all over the USA and internationally on a weekly basis on the subjects of Social Media, Networking, Personal Development, and Relationship Building, it’s easy to fall out of the habit of connecting with people like we should. What if every morning you got up a little earlier and checked in on your LinkedIn account to see who’s changed their photo, updated their profile, started a new job, joined a new group, received a recommendation or any of a ton of other updates that LinkedIn can provide you with. And then what if you sent them a brief personal message congratulating them or at least acknowledging that you’re interested in their success? What if you also looked at your Facebook account and congratulated your friends on …

We Become Like The Social Media Peeps We Associate With

There are certain kids that we don’t want our kids hanging out with. That’s because we know that they’ll be a bad influence. So at what age does this change? Remember that adults are just kids with long, hairy legs. We become like the people we associate with. Regardless of our age. Knowing that people are spending huge amounts of time on Facebook and other Social Media sites, it serves us well to remember that we’re associating with people online as well as offline. And we become like the people we associate with. Don’t complain and gripe if you’re hanging around a bunch of complainers and gripers online or offline. Of course you’re complaining and griping if that’s what you’re surrounding yourself with. Surround yourself with people who are inspirational and uplifting. Communicate with people who make you feel better about yourself. Spend time with people who are succeeding and …

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Social Media And Relationships Take A Little Work

Success in Social Media and success in relationships doesn’t just happen. Success requires some work. And Social Media and relationships have a lot in common. That’s probably because they’re the same thing. Having success in Social Media means understanding that it’s not about technology, it’s about relationships. You don’t need to be an expert transmission repair specialist in order to drive a car and you don’t need to be a “Social Media Guru” in order to have success in Social Media. Investing a little time on a daily basis in your Social Media efforts and in your relationships produce massive results over time. Updating your LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter statuses on a regular basis let people know that you’re still there. Kinda like a relationship. If you don’t let the people you care about know that you care about them, they tend to go away. Touch the people you’re connected …

Social Proof Isn’t New, It’s Just Much Easier Now

Ever since the earth was cooling, the best form of credibility has been word of mouth. We do business with and refer business to people we know, like and trust. This is as natural as gravity. Whether it’s 912 AD or 2012 AD, word gets around. When people have good experiences and outcomes after working with you, you develop word of mouth. This is called a reputation. Prior to Social Media, we had limited ways of showing that we are credible, do a good job, take pride in our work, and have people saying good things about us. By creating a robust LinkedIn Profile including Recommendations from people who are in a position to endorse you based on your work experience, it’s never been easier to showcase your credibility. Similar displays of credibility can be created on Facebook, Twitter, and other Social Media platforms. The so-called, and often self-professed ‘Social …

Wipe Your Feet

“Do we live in a barn? Wipe your feet!” Ever hear that when you were a kid? I did, because my brothers and I  tramped in mud, leaves and God knows what else into our home. My Mom did a great job of keeping a clean house and didn’t want us messing it up with our carelessness. Let’s apply that thinking to Social Media. Remember that every human being with a cell phone is effectively a media company. We can transmit Facebook posts, LinkedIn Status Updates, Tweets on Twitter, photos, video and just about anything else around the globe in seconds. You’re leaving tracks one way or another. Is it mud or is it adding value? Wipe your feet. Leave the mud outside….off the internet and Social Media. Post good things. Add value. Most people have enough mud in their own homes and don’t need yours or mine.

Gifts That Are Not In Little Blue Tiffany Boxes

As you’re winding down 2011, I’m sure you’re taking a few minutes to review the year and take stock of how it all panned out. Did you hit your goals? Did you have goals? How did your job or business fare in 2011? Despite the economic tsunami, did you stay afloat or perhaps even thrive? Think about your professional and personal relationships. How are you doing with the people you work with? Look back at December of 2010 and think of how your professional relationships were then and ask yourself if there’s been any change between then and now? Is it for the better or worse? There is no status quo in relationships. How about your personal relationships? How’s it going with your spouse, kids, relatives, and friends? Take a minute and ask yourself if these relationships are getting stronger or are they getting weaker? Remember that kids often spell …