Ever just feel like you’re holding on, things are speeding by, and you’re not always sure where you’re going?

I got in my car yesterday and there was a little green bug on my windshield. I started the car, backed out the drive, and headed to work. Stoplight after stoplight, the bug stayed put. I was sure that when we hit the highway, he’d be blown off by the sheer force.

Unwisely (don’t try this at home), I kept my eye on the bug as I sped down the I-94. It fascinated me, watching him adjust his little body and change his grip on when a gust pulled a leg or two up and he nearly blew off. He must have adjusted five or six times in the 25 minute 60mph highway commute, and yet he hung on.

At first, I wanted him to be blown off – being a bug and all. Then, as my speed increased and time went on, I began admiring his tenacity. I actually wanted him to hang on until it was ‘safe’ for him to fly off.

You can see the analogy coming from a mile away, but here we go. Life takes us quickly ahead, and sometimes, we don’t even know where we’re headed.

Some days, we feel the pressure of the world pushing down against us. Winds of change start blowing, and we don’t know where we’re going to end up. Then, just when we start losing our grip, we adjust our little legs and hold on.

What we tend to forget is that there is always someone ‘behind the windshield’ that we are not aware of, watching our progress, seeing how we react, and admiring our tenacity. People out there are pulling for us, and we may not even be aware of it.

The bug flew off when I stopped on the exit ramp, and headed straight for the median, which was dotted with bright yellow flowers (okay, weeds). His new place was not my yard, not even close to my yard, but it was nice. Pretty even.

When we feel that we are speeding out of control, it does not mean that the outcome will be negative. We simply need to adjust our little feet, hang on for dear life, and when we see a golden opportunity, we must let go of what we know and trust that our tenacity will be worth the ride.

But it's ME!

I am a raving fan of my family doctor. He is thorough, attentive and patient, the staff is knowledgeable and efficient, and even the lab does their work with little to no discomfort. Yet, at the four minute mark on hold listening to how “important” my call is, I begin to feel a wee bit put-off.

I know the wonderful receptionists give the very best service to all of their guests, yet I am experiencing a frustration that many of us have felt when things aren’t as personalized, as timely, or as efficient as we believe we deserve. It’s what I term the “but it’s ME” factor.

The soothing hold music is on its second loop at the six-minute mark. Six minutes and ten seconds after I dialed – a 2010 eternity – my call was answered. Of course, I got great service.

So what happens when your guests call or email you? Your raving fans no doubt have a very strong, “but it’s ME” factor, occasional users are having their suspicions confirmed either positively or negatively about their decision to use your company, and new guests have nearly as strong of a feeling of “but it’s ME” as your raving fans. We all want answers NOW, simply because it’s me.

We have a company-wide standard that all emails are personally acknowledged within 20minutes of receipt, and have a year-end goal to reduce the wait time to six minutes. After two unanswered rings, phone calls roll to another sales consultant and in-house guests are greeted between 10-20 seconds of entering the building.

Standards have been set in order to improve the quality of the customer experience. As with goal setting, if an organization is without a guideline for the speed at which we acknowledge our raving fans or newest customers (both should be the same by the way), we tend to get lost in the moment – a very dangerous place. Being lost in the moment can lead to customers seemingly getting in the way of us doing our jobs.

“Ugh – another phone call. Sheesh, when am I going to get this paperwork done?”
“My emails just won’t stop coming today!”
“It’s one thing after another!”

Sound familiar? Customers can’t get in the way of us doing business – they ARE our business. When we’re the ones providing the product or service, we need to adopt the “of course I can, because it’s YOU” attitude toward each of our customers.

When guests feel that we place the same importance on their questions, needs or concerns that they have - and they know that we understand and we care - we can leave everyone with their, “but factor” feeling really good about us and the way we do business.

By the way, the doc’s office just personally called to let me know that my concern was taken care of, I’m sure they did that just because it’s me.

Feeling adrift in the ocean of Web 2.0?

Social media is kind of like an ocean’s wave: vast beyond comprehension, powerful and deep, yet gentle enough for anyone to dip their toes; it can transport information (and ultimately product) across the globe, and it can destroy those passively taking in the scenery in record time.

The thousands of groups, services, news and information gathering sites, social networking sites, video-sharing sites, etc. are like shells deep enough in the water to swirl around with each passing wave, but not too large to get swept out to sea and lost forever.

Carrying this forth, we are the sand – 1.6 Billion of us online at differing depths into the sea of Web 2.0. Each of us with different levels of interest in participation, each of us safe in our own shells with our own groups, sites, etc.

Just because we may not see the ocean for the sand, trust me - it’s out there. It can be very scary, but just like any other adventure, social media involvement begins with a few small steps:

1. Prepare yourself to let go of the old advertising paradigm. Devising a sale and plopping an ad in the paper isn’t going to cut it anymore, and gimmicks only work when they truly connect with customers. Most of us aren’t up for any unnecessary time-wasters and are looking for valuable information, not a schmaltzy sales pitch.
2. Prepare yourself to really listen to your customers. Gone are the days of being able to ignore customers, because someone new was just ready to walk in the door anyway… They’re not flocking anywhere, and if you get a customer, you’ve got to genuinely work to keep them.
3. Prepare yourself to really hear what your customers are saying. Yeah, see point 2 about that…
4. Dig in and listen to what’s being said about you, your business, your competitors, your industry, your area, etc. Pack up your ego and embrace the concept that you can’t get better until you get honest. Sometimes, that honesty will sting. But, like a flu shot, the sting only protects you from something more insidious. Learn from what’s being said.
5. Look and see who the ‘influencers’ are and see what they are saying and who is listening to them. The Web’s not a popularity contest although some might think that way…), it’s a valuable resource. Learn who gets heard in your market area and initiate conversation.
6. Do not do not do not hop into the Social Media ocean with a hearty hi-ho sales pitch. You will get pushed under. ‘Nuf said. Save the sale for later.
7. Here’s the toughie – begin interacting with influencers and groups – as YOU, not as your business. The old phrase that still is true online is that customers don’t care what you know, until they know that you care; that you’re listening, responding and being a part of something bigger than your business.
8. Have fun! Social media is about letting the world see you first, getting to like you second, and then listening to what you have to say.

Safe sailing!

“Never invite a customer in, only to disappoint them.” – Leonard Rydell

Eighty years ago (or even twenty) inviting customers into a business was primarily advertising-driven; businesses were local and customers knew their shopkeepers. Businesses advertised in local newspapers, fliers, through interesting signage (think the famous Burma-Shave promotions), and in-store posters. Word of mouth played a part, but an individual’s sphere of influence was limited both in size and in geographic scope.

Interaction took place physically at the place of business, and was typically limited to two individuals - buyer and seller. When things went awry and unhappy customers emerged, damage control was done on an individual basis.

The expectation was, that advertised items would be in stock and there would be an adequate number of knowledgeable staff available to help customers. Phones were answered promptly and politely, questions were answered, and when it was time to commit to purchase, the customer would pay the advertised price.

Never invite the customer in, only to disappoint them. It’s pretty simple business.

In the digital age, the rules of interaction have changed. A growing amount of business is conducted without any interpersonal contact, and even major-ticket items may now be purchased online. The internet (and specifically Social Media) is the fastest, least expensive, most immediate, and potentially the most effective means of interacting with customers today.

The potential for great success exists, and with it, the potential for customer-service nightmares exist as well…

Earlier this month, I was enjoying a lunch of a brand-name prepare-in-the-microwave noodle product when I bit into something that made my teeth zing. I felt a tiny chip in the enamel on my front tooth, found the bit of glass that had come pre-packaged in the lunch. No larger than a peppercorn, it certainly is not enough to kill someone, yet not many enjoy the concept of ingesting glass.

I dug the wrappings from the trash and saved them, thinking the subsidiary of a major food company would want to know about the issue and investigate, then emailed the lot numbers to their online customer service email address. Two days later, I sent the same email to their larger parent company. Two more days later, I sent the email to the major brand name parent company. It’s now been a week and a half since I found glass in their product, yet no one from any of their companies has contacted me.

My sphere of influence here in Minnesota may not be huge, but after nearly two weeks of no response, I tweeted my small little group of global followers (a few over 1000) with the name of the product and my experience. I also posted it to my Facebook page, and encouraged my friends and Twitter followers to share my experience. Now, I’m sharing the experience with you.

I will not be contacting a lawyer, nor do I want free noodles rotting in my garage – I simply wanted acknowledgement that my issue had been noticed. Instead, what could have been resolved with a very simple apology and a promise to look into it so that no one else was eating Kung Pao Noodles-n-Glass, has been shared across the internet. A negative customer-service experience extending far beyond just co-workers and family was disseminated with the push of a single button.

The digital age has dramatically changed the way we conduct business. We shop online, buy from chain stores and if we choose to use the self-scan lane, we can avoid all human contact. Yet increasingly, when things are wonderful (or awful), we turn to our global network of friends, fans and followers to share our experiences.

What are customers finding when they visit your online place of business?
Do you have current blogs, specials and ‘news,’ or is it information several months old?
Do your links work and direct people to the correct page?
Is your contact information easily accessible and in multiple spots?
Are your customer service emails being answered within an hour?
Are you monitoring what’s being said about you and your competition on Twitter?

The internet is an open invitation to the 1.6Billion people on Earth with internet access. Set aside time each day to focus your 2010 marketing efforts to ensure that when you’re extending an online invitation, you’re not disappointing your guests.

Top 10 Reasons Small Business Should Venture into Social Media

Twitter has over 50 million visits each month. In January of 2009, in the US alone, over 14.8 billion online videos were watched. (http://www.kenburbary.com) Data from istrategylabs.com indicates that the 35-54 year old demographic on Facebook is the fastest growing group of new users, with a growth rate of over 276% in the last six months. During the same time, the 55+ demographic has seen nearly a 195% increase, and the 25-34 year old demographic is doubling every six months. (http://www.istrategylabs.com/2009-facebook-demographs-and-statistics-report-276-growth-in-35-54-year/old/users)

So, why should you, as a small business owner care about the Twits and Facebookers?

The power of the internet is amazing and is growing exponentially - in the blink of an eye.

*****

1. Now is the time to position yourself as an online resource.

Traditional advertising is becoming passé, and people are looking not to be ‘sold’ as much as have their problems solved. Becoming a well of information for your customers positions your business as an entity there to help, not just sell.

Consider this example: As most product information can be found on the internet, by the time people enter a retailer to make a major purchase, they have typically done at least 3 months of research and already know the bottom-line-price, warranty information, safety statistics, comparable products and service needs.

Companies should position themselves as a resource by not only providing price and product information, but becoming a proactive assistant to their buyers. For example, an auto dealer could perhaps offer an online tutorial of how to change a flat tire, or a checklist of winter safety items to pack for kids heading off to college; an appliance store could have an online stain-removal guide or free downloadable college kids cookbook of simple recipes that require minimal ingredients and short preparation times. Possibilities are endless!

2. Position yourself as a leader in your industry and your community.

Social Media is still a relatively new phenomenon in the Midwest. We have let our friends on each coast set the trend and this one stuck and is only growing. By becoming involved early, your business looks like a trendsetter, and when your demographic starts joining Twitter, or searches you on Facebook, and you’re there and already established, it shows that you are forward-thinking. Imagine the frustration of scouring the phone book for your business number, and not finding it listed! The internet is already the phone book for generations X, Y and next – make sure you’re listed in their ‘phonebook.’

3. Early players have access to the most desirable ‘names,’ so the earlier claim your web space, the better!

If you own Zyskowski-Johnstone Feed-n-Bait, you may be able to wait a while before someone else scoops up your business name. However, if you are in Minnesota, and you market social media (for example) SocialMediaMN or any combination thereof, may be scarce these days. Get in early and claim your space! Even if you aren’t ready to jump into the Social Media pool just yet, that’s okay. Get your name registered until you’re ready to roll – that way it’s there, it’s yours and it’s unique!

4. Social Media is accessible.

How-to articles and books abound both online and at your local bookseller. Most are written in layman’s terms and are free of the scary techie speak that was so prevalent in the early years of the internet. Most of the applications used are on a WYSIWYG format, or (What You See Is What You Get) and as easy to use as a Windows or Apple program.

5. Social Media is :::wait for it::: FREE!

Well, mostly free, as you will need to make a time investment into your Social Media program. However the majority of the platforms that you could choose for your business Social Media are delivered to your customer’s homes, offices, favorite coffee shops, libraries, at no cost to you. Imagine! You can target market your customers – hand pick them by the thousands – for free.

6. Social Media is global.

A specialty business in Des Moines my have just the exact piece needed to round out the perfect collection, but no one in Tulsa carries that model. By becoming involved in Social Media (and the key word here is involved) you are able to reach niche markets previously unattainable, in seconds. One retailer I work with was able to help a customer halfway across the country, by connecting her with someone to answer her specific questions when her local resources were unavailable.

7. Social Media is immediate.

We all know how customers share their experiences with their circles of influence. Customer Service 101 stuff. But in the Twitter era, even standing in line at Starbucks can become newsworthy (or at least tweet-worthy). What does this mean for your business? Everything! A customer with an issue can and will spread the word about your service throughout their social networks, and those people can all respond, comment and add their experiences as well. All, in a matter of seconds. On the flipside, a customer such as the woman mentioned above will share her positive experiences likewise. What we learned about happy vs. unhappy customers no longer holds true – happy, neutral or unhappy, it’s all shared. So capitalize on positives.

8. Capitalize on positives and have your customers spread the word.

What if your business offered a special for every customer that mentioned your name or your specific product on Social Media? That is very possible and often accomplished quite successfully on Twitter. As we speak, customers are “Re-Tweeting” a link to some savvy business’s special offer. Each “RT” spreads from one social network to another like wildfire. If the right offer is made, the results will be extraordinary.

9. You will know if your efforts are successful or not, where, when, and to whom.
Unlike hit-or-miss mass mailers of the past with the traditional 1-10% response rate, coupons, messages, etc. can be targeted to specific demographic groups with the ease of a button click. One client has a Facebook ad targeted to both males and females, single and married, with a high school education or more, aged 25+ and that are not already connected to the business on Facebook. Micro-target your business to the people that are already listening and already interested. Then make great use of the multitudes of analytics (also FREE) that are already out there to determine the best approach for your business.

10. Know what’s being said about your business – and your competition’s!
Tools are available for you to log on – even with out an account – and see who is saying what about whom. On Twitter, on can literally, in a matter of seconds, target every single person that used a key word unique to your business. For example, one could read tweets from people within a 5 mile radius of Zip Code 55104 that used the word “quilting” from August 15, 2009 to October 27, 2009. You get the picture. It’s huge, it’s powerful, and it’s out there.

There is only one downside to becoming involved in web-based marketing. Outdated websites, dusty blogs and unanswered tweets just sitting out there in cyberspace for the world to see make your business look, well, not so good… So whether you choose to start out small or go whole hog, once you begin, make sure you continue your program.

The web is not getting any smaller and ignoring it won’t make it go away. It’s never to late to get involved in Social Media, but the sooner you choose to become a part of this amazing, powerful and free marketing resource, the sooner you’ll be ahead of the curve, and likely ahead of your competition as well. Happy Selling!

If you need assistance getting started, or just want some personal attention to decide the best Social Media forums for your business, the good news is that help is available! With the global (Reason #6) nature of the internet, help is just a click away, regardless of your geographic location. HarkHerold.com offers an array of Social Media services, including set up, maintenance and promotion of online accounts. ©HarkHerold.com, 2009

Great free sites that social media beginners may not know about!

So as a part of this blog, I promised to take you along on my journey into the digital age. Let's start with some basic tools that I find invaluable.

By the way, all of these are COMPLETELY FREE. Nada. Zip. Zilch cost to get started or maintain. ALL are essentially Windows or Mac-based, so they are EASY to use and require no additional web or computer skills.

LinkedIn - For business and making connections, research, networking and general happy business-y thoughts. http://www.linkedin.com/in/erinherold

Facebook - Great reconnection tool for people that you want to stay in touch with - but don't have the time to make connections with each person, every day. (Friend me at HarkHerold)

HotMail, Yahoo, Gmail, Rocketmail - Each and every one of them are free webmail sites. Set up one or multiple for yourself, your family, your kids, your business - the possibilities are endless. Additionally, once you set up these accounts, you can often import your contacts from Outlook or other programs directly into the site. THEN, you can take those contacts and upload them directly into LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter (see next) and many other programs to see if your connections are already on the site. harkherold@hotmail.com

Twitter - Yeah. I didn't get it either, until I started dinging around on the web a bit more. It's fantastic. If you wanted to find someone within a 5 mile radius of any zipcode, that tweeted a question about quilting between January of 2008 and today, you can do that. It's an outstanding business tool as well, as you can connect very quickly with other professionals that share similar interests - even beyond quilting! For the first week or so, just get on and lurk - see what others are saying, who you'd like to connect with, and what's being discussed (see next for Tweetdeck). I'm addicted. Love it. In fact, I'm taking a course in online social media and am now connected to three people across the globe that have taken the same class. Great resources I'd never otherwise have found!
@harkherold

Tweetdeck - ...so you're not ready to fully commit to Tweeting, but you're curious about what's being said out there. Or what someone is saying about your company or competitor. Tweetdeck is your tool! You can pull in your Facebook pages to see live updates, and link your Twitter account (or not) for up to the minute updates on your followers. BUT the real beauty of Tweetdeck is that you can choose keywords to monitor throughout the site. For example, last week, a young woman with a Saturn VUE in California had a flat tire. I know this because I made a column that would pop up all Tweets that contained "Saturn" and "problem" - I arranged to have her speak with the Parts Department here in MN. While she chose to go a different route - everyone with "Saturn" keyworded, or her followers, or "problem" keyworded, could watch the drama unfold in live-time. Talk about making an impression! IN.VAL.U.ABLE. Period.

Then the last site I'll pump today is the one I found today - Weebly. Weebly allows anyone to create and host their own webpages - ENTIRELY FREE. Again, as simple as creating a Word document, you can make a website - I did! That's all for now! Stay tuned! http://erinherold.weebly.com