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Chuck Hester, Communications Director for iContact, has been utilizing social media (particularly LinkedIn) for over 3 years. In my interview with him, we focused on some of his social media activity, his company’s social media activity and whether he thinks that companies should embrace this trend or not.

Here are some highlights:

Hughey: For listeners out there that aren’t quite as fluent in interactive or online marketing, how would you define social media marketing for them?

Hester: Social Media is…similar to what it would be as far as business networking in person, but it’s online. So it’s being involved with communities, it’s being involved with interest groups that fall within your businesses and your range. A chance to actually meet folks from around the country and around the world because of the internet and its reach. Just like you would do at a local chamber mixer, you can do internationally.

Hughey: You seem very heavily involved in LinkedIn. What ignited the spark in you to get involved there?

Hester: I’m kind of a LinkedIn poster child, I guess. I got my job here at iContact through LinkedIn.

Hughey: Really?

Hester: It became my first social network that I was actively involved in. My wife and I, Stephanie, relocated from southern California about…almost 4 years ago now. And we used LinkedIn to look at Marketing/Public Relations jobs in the Raleigh area. I was looking for a job at the time and Ryan Allis, our CEO at iContact, was looking for a PR Director and we connected on LinkedIn. And as I like to say, the rest is history. But that’s almost 3 years ago now.

Hughey: I would like to discuss how much or if iContact has embraced Social Media marketing as much as you have or if it has at all. And if so, to what extent?

Hester: Actually, Ryan Allis is the one who taught me Social Media Marketing, so yes, that’s our CEO, so yes, we definitely embrace it. We have a Communications Department of four people, including myself and two of them are actively involved in what is known as “Reputation Management” through Social Media where we monitor what folks are saying on everything from LinkedIn to FaceBook to Twitter. We promote our events on LinkedIn and through Twitter as well. We’ve got a road tour coming up. We’re doing seminars in ten different cities throughout the country. This is a good example of how we use social media. But we went out and promoted those events and as a result within two days, we had an increase of 100 people signing up for seminars throughout the country. So we use it on a regular basis to promote our products and we also actively work with our customers and get a chance to have conversations with them in the community that we build out there. One more thing too, we also have an iContact users group on LinkedIn as well, where folks can join if they’re users or if they are employees and we can have dialogue back and forth through that particular way of speaking.

Hughey: Can you share some high level tips for companies that are possibly in a discovery mode when it comes to deciding what type of social platforms or applications they should be using for themselves?

Hester: One of the best tips that I can possibly give is you really need to choose the social media platform that you want to be involved in. There are approximately 4, what are known as winners out there already, and that is LinkedIn, FaceBook, YouTube and MySpace. Those are really the active, and Twitter’s becoming one of the, probably the fifth one that is out there now. But you really, social media can take a lot of time. You can go down a different maze every single time you get involved with it. So it’s a lot, it’s very easy to get lost. So the best thing you need to do is stick a line in the sand and say, “This is where I’m going to be.” The other aspect of it is you need to be part of the community. ‘Cause that’s really what social media is all about – it’s a community. And that means you need to be part of conversations, you need to answer questions. If folks are talking about your company, you need to respond back. The third thing that is very important is you need to be transparent. And that means that if there’s a problem, you need to talk about that problem and be able to address that problem as opposed to trying to do what is known as “corporate speak”, where it’s being spun and oh, “we’re not going to worry about this”, or “we’re going to ignore this” or “we’re going to try and put a better face on it.” Folks really out in the Social Media world really appreciate straightforward honestly, transparency. That really does make a difference.

Hughey: The number one opposition to Social Media or opposition that I come across when I talk to people about Social Media is that it’s a waste of time. What would you tell somebody that thinks it might be a waste of time for their company?

Hester: Specifically for iContact, I would point to the national media coverage that we’ve gotten as a result of our work in Social Media. We’ve been involved with FastCompany.com, Inc.com, The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, all have covered through our efforts in Social Media and being actively involved in it. I don’t think Social Media is going be one of those things that it comes in, it’s a fad and it goes away. It’s here to stay. It’s the way folks are communicating these days. So whether or not you believe it’s a waste of time because you don’t feel like you have time to put into being involved with this tool. It is a communications tool and it’s not going anywhere.

Hughey: Are there any other sites, blogs, books, events, in particular that you rely on for information?

Hester: Yeah, I read a lot of different blogs. Paul Gillin for instance, is one of the best Social Media experts in the area [social media area]. He’s one of the re-inventers, if you will, he’s about my age. A gentleman named Brian Solis writes PR 2.0 and that’s a really cool blog to pay attention to. And there’s a third gentleman named Scott Allen, he writes a really good site on LinkedIn in particular. I’m actively involved in the Social Media Club and I’m actively involved in the Society for New Communications Research and through those particular organizations, I get a lot of good information as well.

Hughey: What are some of the opportunities in Social Media that you see that salespeople and businesses are not taking advantage of?

Hester: Being part of the community. I mean, I can’t say that enough. LinkedIn, in particular, that’s my expertise, but LinkedIn in particular has 6 different ways that you could be actively involved and get more sales. One of the ways is their section called “Answers” which is where you ask a question and you get answers back. If you ask the question, in a good way as opposed to an advertising way, you can get some really good prospects out of there and you can vet some prospects. The other side of it, they have a section called the “Search” section, where you can search out prospects and folks that you’re looking for. And then finally, on LinkedIn, there’s a thing called groups and FaceBook has it as well, but I think LinkedIn does it a business better than anybody else. And you can be connected to folks within a group, you can start your own corporation’s group, we have an iContact users group. This works out very well for us in connecting to customers. But, you need to be part of the conversation, that’s what it really comes down to. Treat your connections like they’re standing right in front of you and be part of the community and give back and it works out very well. It will come back to you.

1.2.3.Synopsis:
1. Social media is here to stay and has value on a corporate level.
2. Salespeople and companies need to pay attention to the online community and find a way to get involved.
3. Have a strategy and plan to ensure that you have a direction and don’t waste time.

Were there any surprises to you in this interview?
Have you found any successes online?
Please share your thoughts by clicking on COMMENTS.

~Deidre

Deidre Hughey, partner at Dancing Elephants Achievement Group of the Carolinas, is a speaker, writer and sales trainer. Her mission is to teach business owners and salespeople how to be successful without compromising their ethical standards. For more information, please visit www.saleselephant.com or send an email to deidre@deagsales.com.

I’ve begun a new project.  I’m interviewing local “social media gurus” and asking them some questions about social media and the impact on sales.  Is there one?  What do you tell a person who says that they don’t have time for social media?

I have finished my interview with Chuck Hester, Communications Director for iContact.  I chose Chuck because of his highly successful Live! events in Raleigh born out of social media.  In addition, Chuck has had incredible success getting the attention of places like: FastCompany.com, Inc.com, The Wall Street Journal and the New York Times from his efforts through social media.

I will have a synopsis of his interview soon as well as an audio snippet!

~ Deidre

Deidre Hughey, partner at Dancing Elephants Achievement Group of the Carolinas, is a speaker, writer and sales trainer.  Her mission is to teach business owners and salespeople how to be successful without compromising their ethical standards.  For more information, please visit www.saleselephant.com or send an email to deidre@deagsales.com.

Okay, I know.  It’s obvious and maybe even a little trite.  But I’m really stoked about this and couldn’t think of anything else to write!

I was interviewed by Kerry Hall of NBC (Raleigh, NC) as the consultant for small businesses in a story that NBC-17 did about the economy and what small businesses could do to ride out the storm.

So, if you get a chance, check out the link to my TV “debut”.

Yeehaw!!

~ Deidre

Deidre Hughey, partner at Dancing Elephants Achievement Group of the Carolinas, is a speaker, writer and sales trainer.  Her mission is to teach business owners and salespeople how to be successful without compromising their ethical standards.  For more information, please visit www.saleselephant.com or send an email to deidre@deagsales.com.

Actually, I’m not a big fan of feet in general.  Not that I have anything against feet, but there are many other body parts that I prefer to view…

I was reminded of my distaste for feet today.  After teaching a seminar to a group about Social Media Marketing, I was elated from the ensuing discussions when my phone rang.  I answered and a very terse voice called out on the other end of the line.  Immediately, without any preconceived notions, my adrenaline kicked in and my defenses went up.  Looking back, I wish I had been able to notice the signs of adrenaline before tasting the insertion of my foot into my mouth.

You see…I made a horrendous blunder. 

I should probably backtrack to about a month ago.  Someone that I had met through Social Media (specifically, inside919.com) was asked if I would come to a day long seminar and spend a few minutes talking to the women in attendance about WBON-Cary.  Any of you that know me, know that I jumped at the opportunity. 

Me: Of course, but I’m driving and probably will not remember the date. 

Her: No problem!  I’ll send an email, but you know it’s also listed on inside919. 

Me: Cool.

You can probably see where this is going.

That afternoon, I had not received an email, but got sidetracked and didn’t follow-up…ultimately, the entire conversation disappeared from my memory.

So, back to the phone call.

The lady on the other end of the phone states her name and I don’t respond (I recognized the name, but couldn’t place where I knew the name from).  Yeah, this was not a good start.  The voice gets more and more agitated as she informs me as to why I should know her.

Oh no!  The memory of our conversation slammed back into my brain just long enough for me to think…”wasn’t she going to send me an email?”  Yeah, there’s the foot.

Fortunately, my foot was so deeply lodged into my mouth that I had nothing more to say as a litany of accusations and hurt was expressed.  She’s right.  I screwed up.  I was wrong and should have followed up with her as soon as I realized that I didn’t have the email.  She had taken me at my word that I would come and in her eyes, I had broken my word and a trust that had barely taken hold on a Social Media site.

I took the foot out of my mouth and told her that I would feel the same way and sincerely apologized.  I’m not sure it came across that way because I don’t believe that my apology has been accepted.

So where’s the sales lesson?  There’s ALWAYS a sales lesson.

Follow-up! 

For goodness sake, if you have problems remembering things when you’re driving, don’t answer the phone or at the very least carry around a paper and pen to take notes.  Lack of follow-up will damage your reputation and this day and age, a reputation can be destroyed on a grand scale more quickly than any other time in history.

“The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions.”  [1855 H. G. Bohn Hand-Book of Proverbs 514]

~ Deidre

Deidre Hughey, partner at Dancing Elephants Achievement Group of the Carolinas, is a speaker, writer and sales trainer.  Her mission is to teach business owners and salespeople how to be successful without compromising their ethical standards.  For more information, please visit www.saleselephant.com or send an email to deidre@deagsales.com.

I am on a number of mailing lists.  I’m on the mailing lists because sometimes there is an absolute gem that makes me take pause.  I want to share one with you.  I’ve left the entire message in tact in order to ensure that the writer gets all the credit…enjoy!

~~~

Deidre, It’s Beryl from OperateItRight.comTM with another business tactic…

If your business isn’t growing. There are a number of reasons why it has happened.

Maybe it’s because you’ve lost your passion.
Maybe you’re overwhelmed.
Maybe you just don’t have enough time.
Maybe you’re disorganized.
Maybe your staff is inefficient (or maybe you are)
Maybe you don’t know how to grow your business to the next level (or maybe you don’t want to do what it takes)

Regardless of the reason why your business isn’t growing, it’s time to stop making excuses and do something about it. You worked REALLY hard to get to this point. You spent time, money, and a lot of energy to build your business. Certainly you’re not going to let it fritter away.

Here’s how to stop making excuses for why your business isn’t growing:

Step 1. Figure out why it isn’t growing. Perhaps your product line is stagnant. Perhaps you’re only reaching 10% of your eligible prospects. Perhaps your sales page isn’t converting or your advertising campaign isn’t reaching the right people.

The first step to figuring out how to stop making excuses is to honestly examine why your business isn’t growing. The reason may reside completely in you – perhaps your business got too big too fast and you don’t have time to catch up, let alone build your business. This leads us to the next step.

Step 2. Decide if you want your business to grow, and if so, by how much? In short, if you do want your business to grow, then set goals. If you’re making $50,000 in sales then maybe you want to set a goal of $75,000 in sales. If you have a customer base of 100 regular customers, maybe you want to double it. Set reasonable and attainable goals.

Step 3. Analyze what is working to help you attain your goals and what isn’t working. For example, if you want to attain $75,000 in sales but you’re spending 50% of your time on administrative duties, then your time isn’t being well-spent.

Step 4. Make a plan to eliminate what isn’t working. Using the example in Step 3 if you’re spending 50% of your time on administrative tasks, then outsourcing some or all of those tasks will free up a significant amount of time. Time you could spend on selling and reaching your new goal.

Step 5. This is the best part. Create a reward for attaining your goals. Part of the motivation to attain a goal, beyond self-fulfillment and feeling very proud, is to give yourself a little pat on the back. Some may pat themselves on the back with a two week vacation to Hawaii; others prefer a new pair of shoes or a week off to go camping with their children. Whatever the reward, including it in your plan may be the extra motivation you need to get beyond excuses and into action.

Entrepreneurs are goal-oriented, action-oriented people. However, sometimes life gets a bit out of control and instead of action, excuses fill the void. Regain your entrepreneur spirit, eliminate the roadblocks and hurdles, and set new goals. It’s the best way to stop making excuses about why your business isn’t growing and remember why you got into business in the first place.

Here’s to your success, and until next time,

Beryl Powell
Small Business Adviser

***********************
An audit may be just the Breakthrough Your Business needs to soar. Schedule your 2 hour OperateItRight Audit and Breakthrough Session today at http://www.OperateItRightBreakthrough.com
***********************

Beryl Powell’s OperateItRight Small Business System :: San Antonio, TX 78239 :: (281) 764-1784 :: Support at OperateItRight.com

~ Deidre

Deidre Hughey, partner at Dancing Elephants Achievement Group of the Carolinas, is a speaker, writer and sales trainer.  Her mission is to teach business owners and salespeople how to be successful without compromising their ethical standards.  For more information, please visit www.saleselephant.com or send an email to deidre@deagsales.com.

There are countless descriptions of the difference between goals and dreams.  I’m sure that I’ve spewed a few of them myself in our training classes. 

(Spew isn’t the most positive term I could of used, but we’re going with it.)

I belong to a Toastmaster group in Chapel Hill which meets every Saturday morning at 8am (yeah, that’s not a typo, we meet while most of you are still in bed).  I heard a speech by Glenda Clare about dreams and I love how she described the power of dreams and how to bring a dream to reality.

DREAM

D – Decide!  Decide what it is that you want…too many of us don’t dream anymore.  We’re robbing ourselves of the joys of fulfilling our dreams.

R – Research!  Research topics surrounding your dream.  Ask people questions about your dream.  Find people that have achieved the dream that you are seeking.

E – Evaluate!  Evaluate your findings in order to focus on what is truly important for you to do in order to achieve your dream.

A – Act!  Act on your findings.  No one will do this for you, you have to put a plan in place and do it.

M – Maintain!  Maintain the course of action that you have put in place, then and only then, will you be able to say at some point, “I am living my dream!”

I hope you start dreaming today!

~ Deidre

Deidre Hughey, partner at Dancing Elephants Achievement Group of the Carolinas, is a speaker, writer and sales trainer.  Her mission is to teach business owners and salespeople how to be successful without compromising their ethical standards.  For more information, please visit www.saleselephant.com or send an email to deidre@deagsales.com.

So, you’ve checked out LinkedIn and you think, “I need to be on this”.

The first thing you need to do is complete your profile.  This is a professional profile with a comprehensive background on yourself.  The information includes: where you work now; your work history; your education history; awards; etc.  The nice thing is that LinkedIn helps you to understand how much more you need to enter in order to be compete by displaying a percentage of completeness.

There is also a section where you can put in references to websites.

Here’s a tip: the website section has preset labels (My Website, My Company, My Blog, My RSS Feed, My Portfolio, Other).  If you choose the option: Other – then you can name the link.  For example, if you look at my profile, http://www.linkedin.com/in/deidrehughey, I’ve chosen Other and names my website link, Ethical Sales Training NC and I’ve named my blog link, Sell Ethically – The Blog.  Very nice.

You are also offered a Public Profile link.  You are able to edit this…do this!  It makes more sense to whomever you are giving the information to AND it will make more sense to you.  My modified Public Profile Link is … nicer than the public profile name that they give you automatically!http://www.linkedin.com/in/deidrehughey

After this is done, you have two more things to do to complete setting up your site on LinkedIn:

1. Spend some time using their tools to add people that you already know to join you in your network on LinkedIn.
2. Once you are linked, view their connections and link to people that you know that you aren’t already linked to.

How do you know whether you’re already linked?  Each person that you view has a number or level beside them (1st, 2nd or 3rd).  1st means that you are connected to them, they are a 1st level connection.  2nd means that someone that you know is already connected to the person.  3rd means that you know someone that knows someone that knows the person you are viewing.

Once your profile and initial linking is complete, you are now set up to begin using LinkedIn as a networking sales tool.  Look up a company or person that you are interested in getting to know and work your way to them through your network!!  Ahhh, the power!

Remember, as always, us this tool ethically and you will be successful!

~ Deidre

Deidre Hughey, partner at Dancing Elephants Achievement Group of the Carolinas, is a speaker, writer and sales trainer.  Her mission is to teach business owners and salespeople how to be successful without compromising their ethical standards.  For more information, please visit www.saleselephant.com or send an email to deidre@deagsales.com.

• Do you own a business?
• Is the growth of your company of interest to you?
• Is it important for other companies to know about you and your company?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you should be LinkedIn.  LinkedIn is a professional online connector for businesses.  Think of LinkedIn as a resting place between connecting to other professionals in person and trying to connecting to professionals via social media networks…

With LinkedIn, you have complete control of what is put on the internet about who you are (professionally) and what your company does – think of it as your introduction to the business world.  Then, it allows you to connect to other professionals that you know.  Chances are, the people you know are already on the site, but even if they aren’t, it is incredibly easy to invite people to join you on LinkedIn.

If you haven’t seen a LinkedIn page before, you can view my LinkedIn profile.  As of today’s post, I have 165 connections and 12 recommendations. 

Oh yeah, did I mention that? 

Once you’re on LinkedIn, other professionals have the opportunity to make a recommendation about you and/or your services.  Therein lies just a piece of the amazing power of LinkedIn and why it’s a favorite of professionals that find themselves in the position of trying to find a new job.  The power?  In a word, built-in, stand alone, credibility.

In Part 2, we’ll take a look at how you set up your profile…

~ Deidre

Deidre Hughey, partner at Dancing Elephants Achievement Group of the Carolinas, is a speaker, writer and sales trainer.  Her mission is to teach business owners and salespeople how to be successful without compromising their ethical standards.  For more information, please visit www.saleselephant.com or send an email to deidre@deagsales.com.

The following is actually taken from a newsletter that I receive from a brilliant marketer by the name of Kim Walker. She owns a marketing firm called In Your Corner Marketing (See!  Even the name of her company is brilliant!!)

I hope you enjoy…

• Does it maintain your brand (colors, logo, etc)?
• Does it express your personality?
• Are you using all of your space?  Consider adding any of the following (or use your own idea) to the back of your card – referral card, mission statement, appointment time, list of services, map, testimonial, etc
• Does your card speak to the quality of your brand? (If you’re trying to reach out to high-end clientel is your card light and flimsy or does it use a high-quality card with high-quality printing?)
• Does it include a tagline to better explain your company’s services or catch attention?

Before you print the next 1,000 or 2,000 business cards spend some time truly evaluating your business card.