Argh!
I went through my Twitter "follow" list this morning and did a little pruning.
Like many people, I have a Twitter account that's strictly business (www.twitter/com/craig_rich) where I only tweet business-y stuff and a personal account (www.twitter.com/oldpirate) where I try to post fun stuff such as where I'm having dinner, what cigar I am smoking, how great that last Guinness was, etc.
I am conscious to NOT tweet more than a few times a day. If my life was that interesting, I would write a book. Frankly, people whose lives ARE that interesting don't even bother to write books.
My twitter page is usually full of "stuff" -- mostly nonsensical musing by friends, fellow cigar aficionados and others who have stumbled upon my e-path.
So, who did I "unfollow" or worse, "block"? Well, here what it takes to lose me:
10. If I look at your profile and you follow 9,427 people and no one follows you.
9. If you have only made 1 tweet, yet you follow hundreds of people.
8. If you are a hot babe with a link to your sexy pictures and are looking for relationships...
7. If you do nothing but sell, promote and link to your paid clients.
6. If you do nothing but sell, promote and link to your own business or other self-serving links.
5. If you use excessive foul language. Dropping the f-bomb every other tweet does not impress me.
4. If you incessantly tweet your location for no apparent reason. Yes, there are some cool GPS based apps, but really, we don't care.
3. If you a r e "s i t t i n g o n t h e p a t i o" and think we need to know about it. Yes, it was funny the first 20 times you did it. Just like the commercial. ha ha...
2. If you and another Tweep -- or two or three -- start to treat Twitter like a personal chat room, especially with inside jokes and personal messages. Ever heard of messaging or texting?
1. If you tweet a running commentary of the football game you are watching on Sunday afternoon -- every play, every score, every penalty -- with your reaction, of course (see #5 above) adding up to hundreds of tweets in a 3 hour period...
I'm no expert. Heck, I have probably committed most of these offenses myself at one time or another (well, maybe not the "hot babe" one).
As Twitter settles into the mainstream and the novelty wears off, maybe some of the more irritating users will fall aside or begin to temper their usage. Until then, the "unfollow" and "block" buttons are right over there.
ps: I wrote this while s i t t i n g o n t h e p a t i o.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Fine! How are you?
In this season of contract renewals and new business pitches, the question I hear most often is, "How are you guys doing in this economy?".
And, yes, we are doing fine. Thank you for asking.
I am more and more convinced that specialty and niche publications -- especially those which are not completely giving themselves away online --will survive and even thrive, despite the competition from the plethora of media options available.
The key is not to embrace new tachnology with so much gusto that you end up without a core product any longer. And it's not to pretend those options don't exist.
The key, it seems to me, is to to embrace new technology as an enhancement to your core print product without losing focus. It's the Wall Street Journal model vs. the New York Times model. Those people who need the information you provide to thrive in their business will pay for it. But if you give it away in one medium, while continuing to ask for payment in another... Well, human nature is human nature.
At the Grand Rapids Business Journal, the weekly print product remains the core of our business. Print subscribers also receive free online access to www.grbj.com where every story and column is reproduced, along with daily breaking news and "web exclusive" stories. it's a complete package that works together. One does not compete with the other.
Even our local daily paper continues to throw everything online for free, while losing subscribers every day. This forces them to raise subscription rates, which encourages more pople to cancel their subscriptions. This is the very definition of "unsustainable".
And, yes, we have a Facebook presence. We Tweet on Twitter. We send email blasts. And we'll embrace the next wave of new technology as we have the current options. But the core product -- the newspaper -- continues to be well read, valued, trusted and relied upon.
We can't ask for much more than that.
And, yes, we are doing fine. Thank you for asking.
I am more and more convinced that specialty and niche publications -- especially those which are not completely giving themselves away online --will survive and even thrive, despite the competition from the plethora of media options available.
The key is not to embrace new tachnology with so much gusto that you end up without a core product any longer. And it's not to pretend those options don't exist.
The key, it seems to me, is to to embrace new technology as an enhancement to your core print product without losing focus. It's the Wall Street Journal model vs. the New York Times model. Those people who need the information you provide to thrive in their business will pay for it. But if you give it away in one medium, while continuing to ask for payment in another... Well, human nature is human nature.
At the Grand Rapids Business Journal, the weekly print product remains the core of our business. Print subscribers also receive free online access to www.grbj.com where every story and column is reproduced, along with daily breaking news and "web exclusive" stories. it's a complete package that works together. One does not compete with the other.
Even our local daily paper continues to throw everything online for free, while losing subscribers every day. This forces them to raise subscription rates, which encourages more pople to cancel their subscriptions. This is the very definition of "unsustainable".
And, yes, we have a Facebook presence. We Tweet on Twitter. We send email blasts. And we'll embrace the next wave of new technology as we have the current options. But the core product -- the newspaper -- continues to be well read, valued, trusted and relied upon.
We can't ask for much more than that.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Working from home
One of the benefits --one of the very FEW benefits -- of the recent downturn and spike in gas prices was the loosening of "work at home" policies, at least where I work. In August 2008, when gas was $4.50 per gallon the word went out that anyone who wanted to work from home one day a week would be allowed to do so. Technology makes this possible.
In fact, technology has made vacations the ultimate in telecommuting. With an iPhone or Blackberry no one really needs to know you are on vacation these days. Taking ten minutes a day even on a vacation day is no bother to me.
I was not one of the early adopters of working from home. Old habits die hard. But when October came along, I gave it a try and it worked out pretty well. In the dead of a mid-Michigan winter, it was a blessing. And now that summer has come, and even with gas prices back to $2.50 per gallon, it's still going well for me.
There really aren't any fewer distractions, just different distractions. Rather than having to overhear a dozen conversations coming over the cubicles, I am now distracted by the Adirondack chairs out there in the sun...by the roses that difinitely need a little deadheading...and by the humidor full of cigars.
On a good day I haul the laptop out to the picnic table, grab the iPhone and work from there -- making calls and writing emails. This allows me to enjoy a cigar while working. THAT would never happen at 549 Ottawa NW in Grand Rapids.
On the cooler or more cloudy days, I stay inside.
Here are my self-imposed "rules":
1. Sleep in a little, but don't over-do it.
2. Never turn the TV on.
3. A little background music is great. Perhaps some talk-radio...
4. Save the errands and chores for lunchtime.
5. Stay focused on work-related efforts. But it's OK to update Facebook and Tweet a little. ;-)
Let me know how working from home works for you!
In fact, technology has made vacations the ultimate in telecommuting. With an iPhone or Blackberry no one really needs to know you are on vacation these days. Taking ten minutes a day even on a vacation day is no bother to me.
I was not one of the early adopters of working from home. Old habits die hard. But when October came along, I gave it a try and it worked out pretty well. In the dead of a mid-Michigan winter, it was a blessing. And now that summer has come, and even with gas prices back to $2.50 per gallon, it's still going well for me.
There really aren't any fewer distractions, just different distractions. Rather than having to overhear a dozen conversations coming over the cubicles, I am now distracted by the Adirondack chairs out there in the sun...by the roses that difinitely need a little deadheading...and by the humidor full of cigars.
On a good day I haul the laptop out to the picnic table, grab the iPhone and work from there -- making calls and writing emails. This allows me to enjoy a cigar while working. THAT would never happen at 549 Ottawa NW in Grand Rapids.
On the cooler or more cloudy days, I stay inside.
Here are my self-imposed "rules":
1. Sleep in a little, but don't over-do it.
2. Never turn the TV on.
3. A little background music is great. Perhaps some talk-radio...
4. Save the errands and chores for lunchtime.
5. Stay focused on work-related efforts. But it's OK to update Facebook and Tweet a little. ;-)
Let me know how working from home works for you!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Follow up and follow through
This past week has been enjoyable. Even potential customers who said "no" took the time to do so. They didn't leave me hanging. They either emailed or called -- or took my call -- and explained that it just wasn't right for them... right now. Cool. That, I can handle.
And several said "yes" when I took the time to make that one last call. Old lessons relearned keep this job interesting. Don't assume anything. If they don't call you back, maybe they forgot. Maybe they lost your contact info. Maybe they're just trying to stay afloat.
As a salesperson, you need to take the initiative, do the follow up and stop blaming clients who never got back to you for your lack of follow up.
Am I talking to myself? Yep.
And several said "yes" when I took the time to make that one last call. Old lessons relearned keep this job interesting. Don't assume anything. If they don't call you back, maybe they forgot. Maybe they lost your contact info. Maybe they're just trying to stay afloat.
As a salesperson, you need to take the initiative, do the follow up and stop blaming clients who never got back to you for your lack of follow up.
Am I talking to myself? Yep.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Tweets and Twitters
It's amazing how much things have changed in the personal communications side of sales. Six months ago I did not Tweet and didn't even have a Facebook page. Now, it's just one more way of staying in touch with friends and potential customers.
In business, your communications solutions really need to include "all of the above". You need to advertise in traditional ways to create a company image and set forth your brand. You then need to monitor your brand, since, more than ever before, it can be damaged while you're out for lunch. When challenged, you need to respond quickly and positively.
The viral benefits of social media can turn against you and your company literally in minutes. Vigilance is required. You can't simply "not participate". Even if you don't Tweet and your company doesn't have a Facebook page, people will talk about you in both positive and negative ways. Will you know what's going on -- before it's too late?
In business, your communications solutions really need to include "all of the above". You need to advertise in traditional ways to create a company image and set forth your brand. You then need to monitor your brand, since, more than ever before, it can be damaged while you're out for lunch. When challenged, you need to respond quickly and positively.
The viral benefits of social media can turn against you and your company literally in minutes. Vigilance is required. You can't simply "not participate". Even if you don't Tweet and your company doesn't have a Facebook page, people will talk about you in both positive and negative ways. Will you know what's going on -- before it's too late?
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