I had the opportunity to get caught up in some reading over the holidays and one of the topics that I have been pondering is the question I asked in the poll above. Derek Halpern of Social Triggers wrote a post about this recently and he concluded that “people prefer text emails”. He conducted his polling in an email vs. a poll, so curious what your vote will say.

I have asked many of my contacts over the holidays and the response was leaning more toward the graphically rich HTML type emails.  What did come across loud and clear is that if you are going to send out an HTML newsletter make sure that you have a pleasing design!

With there being so many affordable email service providers to choose from including Constant Contact, MailChimp  and AWeber, all  providing pre-designed layouts, we sometimes think that we can just click on one and presto! We have all received an email, especially over the holidays, that demonstrated the wrong way to use an HTML formatted communication. If you are going to use HTML, make sure that you have someone design it that has some design and HTML experience.

I wrote last week about a new newsletter provider on the scene called TinyLetter that provides a simple “text only” message capability while still providing the required opt-in/registration capability as well as an easy unsubscribe button. I have been testing this option for a few weeks now and it appears to be an effective communications vehicle that has received many positive reactions to date.

I still receive a dozen or two email newsletters each month and I will be watching a bit more carefully to see if my preferences are leaning one way or another.  It sounds to me that if we are smart, we will be giving the option to our readers to indicate which style they prefer. Please share your vote in the poll above and let us know your feeling or additional recommendations and input below in the comments.

If you want to see how I do our newsletters I encourage you to subscribe to Fill the Funnel’s Web Tools Update and select your preference right on the form. I would appreciate your Tweeting this and sharing on Facebook to get the broadest response possible.

Thanks.

©2012 Fill the Funnel. All Rights Reserved.

Just in time for the new year, the answer to who is available to meet for lunch is just an App away.

Back in 2005, Keith Ferrazi (@keithferrazzi) introduced Never Eat Alone which quickly became a sales classic with it’s premise that every lunch meeting has the opportunity to move your career, your performance and your friendships ahead. Now there is an App based on the core principles of Keith’s book called LunchMeet.

NOTE: iPhone Version only at this time but they say Android version on the way.

LunchMeet leverages the information from your LinkedIn account and several search API’s to find others who are interested in meeting for lunch in your location. Here is how it works:

1. You set up day and time slots that you have open on your calendar for lunch.
2. LunchMeet then uses it’s search capabilities and identifies several restaurants to consider for lunch, based on your current location, or just indicate the general area you want to meet.
3. Decide if you want to repeat in the future and select the days and frequency.
4. Allow the App to post your interest on LinkedIn (turned off by default).
5. Click Save & Search for available Connections.
6. See who pops up, if anyone.

As an example, I set my opening for Lunch every Monday for the month of January in the greater Bellevue, WA area. After saving my date/time it searched and told me that there where no matches. To be expected, as this is still an early beta web tool. You are also given the option to invite one of your LinkedIn connections, but I chose to decline, wanting to see when I might have a new option.

Here are the screenshots to set your expectations:

To learn more about LunchMeet, visit them online at http://lunchmeetapp.com or follow them on Twitter at @lunchmeetapp

Photo image courtesy of © Deklofenak – Fotolia.com

©2012 Fill the Funnel. All Rights Reserved.

I have set up hundreds of accounts with Email Service Providers (ESP’s) including services like Constant Contact, AWeber and MailChimp for clients and individuals. Each has it’s own strengths and ideal customer. I am a big believer in the power of email communication when done right. An advantage that each of these services brings is the requirement that your customer or prospect  ”opt-in”, to request to have you send them email. It used to be that a new employee came into the company with an empty customer list. Things have changed and now even those newly hired employees might have 500 or more Twitter followers or Fans on Facebook. A simple desire to send out an email to all of their followers and connections about their new role with your company was near impossible and unwieldy at a minimum. Social networks are changing the fabric of relationships. You need to be able to plug into their connections as soon as possible.

The challenge up until now has been that these services are designed to serve the needs of large companies with tens and hundreds of thousands of email addresses in their database, with features that the big guys need. Marketing departments with Email specialists are common. Individual reps and entrepreneurs could use them but they were cumbersome to set up and too complicated for many to use consistently.  MailChimp acquired an email company with a different vision this past August by the name of TinyLetter that brings a different solution.

TinyLetter was created from the ground up for the conversations with those you have connected with on social platforms. You can’t use Gmail for this, as they have a limit of a few hundred recipients per day (for security). If you want to send quick notes to your customers, prospects or followers, TinyLetter is your answer. Some have called it “MailChimp Lite” but it is more accurately viewed as “Gmail on steroids”.

What makes TinyLetter so different?

1. It was built from the ground up by someone who is NOT from the email marketing world,
2. It’s utterly simple (because of #1),
3. Being utterly simple will make mobile app development for TinyLetter really easy,
4. TinyLetter lets you read replies, so you can continue the conversation with your contacts.
5. The signup process is very simple and personal. It’s less like a formal survey (where you’d enter your title, select interest groups, etc), and more like an about.me, or flavors.me page.
6. There are no templates. It’s all about your content letter.

Notice #4 in the list above. You can actually read replies. Try that with your full-powered Email Service Provider.

If you make a living by selling something, you know the importance of quality communication. TinyLetter gives the ability to have people ask you to communicate with them (via a sign-up form), and then easily provide valued, timely information efficiently and with no hassle.

Here is the link to register for TinyLetter. Give it a try. Then send me your Registration link in the comment area below so we can help you grow your list.

If you want to stay up to date on all the new Web Tools that are coming out in 2012, and learn how they might be of help to you grow your business, sign up for Fill the Funnel’s Web Tool Update by clicking here.

Full disclosure, I have grown past TinyLetter with over 8,000 of you already subscribed to the newsletter, so my newsletter and customer lists are Powered by MailChimp.

©2012 Fill the Funnel. All Rights Reserved.

Please accept my very best wishes to you and your family this Christmas season. Take some time off, unplug and recharge.

I know many who have had a tough go of it over the past year. Don’t lose faith, keep your vision and goals at the very top of mind, and keep moving forward. With that effort, 2012 cannot be anything but an improvement over the past year.

©2012 Fill the Funnel. All Rights Reserved.

LinkedIn has provided a free, easy to install web tool that connects your LinkedIn connections with Microsoft Outlook. Think of the convenience this adds by being able to:

• Build your network from frequent contacts
• Manage your LinkedIn contacts in Outlook
• Stay connected to your network

In order to use this new web tool, you must have Outlook 2010, 2007, or 2003 installed.

To download this free tool directly from LinkedIn, click the button below.

Get more info about your important contacts, see what they’re doing, and stay in touch.

If you are like me, you have Outlook open all day and the majority of your communications and scheduling is being done within Outlook. By installing the LinkedIn for Outlook plugin, you will be able to:

Access Your Connections In Your Inbox
See the latest LinkedIn activity and profile photo from any connection that sends you an e-mail.

E-mail Your Connections Directly
Just start typing a name and let the LinkedIn Outlook Connector fill in the rest.

Keep Building Your Network
Instantly send an invitation to connect from any Outlook e-mail.

It is helping me stay connected more easily, gives me fresh information about the people I am connected with, and eliminates some of the hassle out of inviting my contacts to connect with me on LinkedIn.

It’s easy to install, simple to use and it’s free. What are you waiting for? Let me know how you use it in the comments below.

 UPDATE: The following video shows you what to expect after you have downloaded the web tool and installed on your desktop.

Click here to view the embedded video.

©2012 Fill the Funnel. All Rights Reserved.

© MASP - Fotolia.com

My list of top sales books to read in 2012 consists of books that were published during 2011 and contain innovative, fresh ideas about selling, customer expectations, and how to improve your ability to win new business customers. While the title says “Sales Books” I encourage marketing pros, business executives and entrepreneurs that need to win the support and dollars from others to read these books as well.

I must admit that I read quite a bit, so I have read most of the classics in the sales profession such as Neil Rackham’s Spin Selling and Selling to Big Companies by Jill Konrath amongst others. This list does not include any of those classics but rather, what I believe will become some of the new additions to the sales classics list.  They are not all “sales” books per se, but provide terrific insight into skills that a salesperson will need to acquire like presenting to a virtual audience over the web. What they will also do is guide you in your strategic and tactical planning by exposing new and emerging trends within your customers and their preferences in the buying process. Most of these authors are new voices, with fresh ideas and perspectives that will expand your thinking about how you approach your professional life.

The dynamic between sales person and buyer has changed in many ways over the last few years. The books below will challenge much of the traditional guidance for sales success, and take into account the many new web tools and social platforms that were simply not available just a few short years ago.  They are listed in no particular order, each with it’s own unique gifts of insight and wisdom to share.  If you are not in sales yourself, but looking for a gift this holiday season, give one of these and you will receive thank you’s all year.

1. The Challenger Sale – Taking Charge of the Customer Conversation

Attempts to answer the age-old question: What’s the secret to sales success? If you’re like most sales leaders you will answer by saying that it is fundamentally about relationships. The authors claim you are wrong – they say the best salespeople don’t just build relationships with customers, they challenge them.

The need to understand what top-performing reps are doing that their average performing colleagues are not drove the authors to investigate the skills, behaviors, knowledge, and attitudes that matter most for high performance.  What they discovered may be the biggest shock to conventional sales wisdom in some time. If you want to know what the sales teams at industry titans like Hewlett-Packard are being trained in, this is the book to read.  Kindle Edition- Click here

2. Pitch Anything – An Innovative Method for Presenting, Persuading and Winning the Deal

This book was recommended to me by Dan Waldschmidt, known for his “edgy” approach to sales, and it didn’t disappoint. It introduces a concepts of “frames” and the importance of doing your homework, positioning, and the impact of knowing what you have to offer. Whether you’re selling ideas to investors, pitching a client for new business, or even negotiating for a higher salary, Pitch Anything will transform the way you position your ideas. I found it an easy, entertaining book to read by introducing a concept and then telling a story of a real-life application of that concept in practice. I have had my kids and wife even read this book and have it in both hardcover and Kindle version so that I always have it with me.  Kindle Edition-Click here

3. The Social Media Sales Revolution

The authors make the bold claim: “Cold-calling is history-your future is in Social Media!” The growth of LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook have revolutionized how business is done. Professionals of every type-including your prospective buyers-are migrating in droves to social media to find solutions. If you want their business, you have to be there, too.

Traditional sales methods like cold calling are no longer effective. Social media platforms are now your best tools. The Social Media Sales Revolution reveals the enormous opportunities now available for developing relationships and gaining new customers by leveraging the power of social media marketing. This is one of the books that I have read twice, and is full of highlights. Ignore this book at your own risk. Kindle Edition-Click here

4. Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard

“Change is hard.” “People hate change.” These are some of the common quotes heard early on in the research done by authors Chip and Dan Heath into change. What occured to them as their work continued is that if people hate change, they have a funny way of showing it. Every iPhone sold serves as counter-evidence. So does every text message sent, every corporate merger finalized, every aluminum can recycled.

They found answers in the research of some brilliant psychologists who’d discovered that people have two separate “systems” in their brains—a rational system and an emotional system. The rational system is a thoughtful, logical planner. The emotional system is, well, emotional—and impulsive and instinctual. This is one of those books that is not listed under sales, but an innovative sales person or leader will immediately see the connection that can be made to the sales process. I highly recommend this book for anyone who cares about increasing your customers. Kindle Edition-Click here

5. Rainmaking Conversations: Influence, Persuade, and Sell in Any Situation

Conversations make or break everything in sales. Every conversation you have is an opportunity to find new prospects, win new customers, and increase sales. Rainmaking Conversations provides a proven system for leading masterful conversations that fill the pipeline, secure new deals, and maximize the potential of your account.

Rainmaking Conversations offers a research-based, field-tested, and practical selling approach that will help you master the art of the sales conversation. This proven system revolves around the acronym RAIN, which stands for Rapport, Aspirations and Afflictions, Impact, and New Reality. You’ll learn how to ask your prospects and clients the right questions, and help them set the agenda for success.

Armed with the knowledge of the markets you serve, the common needs of prospects, and how your products and services can help, you can become a trusted advisor to your clients during and after the sale. Sounds interesting doesn’t it?  You will also learn about additional resources including a power-packed blog, webinars, newsletters and Twitter tidbits. This one should be high on your reading schedule. Kindle Edition-Click here

6. Yes!: 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive

Small changes can make a big difference in your powers of persuasion. This book is made up of 50 short mini-chapters that share nuggets and research on how to tackle almost any sales situation. With a credible base in psychology, the author tells you what you need to know, clearly and without a lot of pointless throat clearing. Get the goods on social proof (people do what the majority do even if it is bad).

Some examples explain how to learn to take a negative and make it a positive(yes our products cost more than xyz firm, but they last longer; couple the negative with a positive that relates to or negates the negative. If you like to read in short bursts, this book and the format will be perfect for you.

7. Selling Change

I met the author Brett Clay while attending the Sales 2.0 Conference in March of 2011 in San Francisco, and realized that he is from Seattle as am I.  I have had the privilege to work along side Brett in events and activites since then and have been telling every sales leader and executive I meet about Brett’s book, Selling Change. It has won a ton of awards worldwide over the last year for good reason. Change is in every aspect of our society, and understanding how to not only be aware of it but to sell the benefits of change can be career-changing.

If you are leading a company, a sales team or even simply your personal sales territory you need to read this book from cover to cover.  I now have it on my Kindle and in hardcover and use it as a reference frequently. If sales success is important to you or someone you know, get this book.  Kindle Edition-Click here

8. What Got You Here Won’t Get You There in Sales!

I received this book in the mail from the publisher a short time ago and put it on the stack of books that I want to read. One day on a slightly boring webinar (yes it happens) I picked it up for something to do, and I didn’t put it down until late that night. I found this book to be one of those that was easy to read, packs plenty of insight into each page.  I especially enjoyed reading all the examples of real sales people facing real challenges and how they were able to achieve success in challenging situations.

The authors, each accomplished in their own right, have collaborated to deliver a book that I have given as a gift to several of my clients. They made the promise that they would help the reader “Discover the 16 habits your customers want you to give up” and they did that and much more. You will thank me after you have read this book!  Kindle Edition-Click here

9. The Virtual Presenter’s Handbook

Web-based presentations are live presentations tha bring the power and influence of dialogue to presenters and attendees who can be anywhere in the world.  In this book, virtual presentation expert Robert Courville reveals his secrets for planning and delivering online presentations that stand out from the norm.

If  you haven’t yet started doing web presentations, I recommend you get with the program. If you are conducting online sessions already, you will immediately appreciate Roger’s tips and recommendations for everything from preparation and planning your presentations, holding the attention of your attendees, and how to avoid the common mistakes that most presenters make when presenting virtually.  He answers questions like “Should I use VOIP or Telephone” and “what are the most important activities to do prior to and immediately after your event”. He shares best practices in recording your web presentions, which equipment do you really need to ensure a successful event, and much more.  My copy is dog-eared from travelling with me across North America and serving as a reference for the common challenges and for some of those that I had not anticipated.

10. The Now Revolution: 7 Shifts to Make Your Business Faster, Smarter and More Social

Whether you know it or not, everyone in sales is now in the media business! The social web has changed the way we do business forever. The future of your company is not in measured, considered responses and carefully planned initiatives. Business today is about near-instantaneous response. About doing the best you can with extremely limited information. About every customer being a reporter, and every reporter being a customer. About winning and losing customers in real-time, every second of every day. About a monumental increase in the findable commentary about our companies.

Each of the book titles listed is a link to the book on Amazon.com.  At the end of each overview is a link to the Kindle Edition if available. These links are affiliate links in which I will receive a small commission from Amazon. How else can I afford to feed my Starbucks habit?

There are many other excellent books, so I encourage you to share them in the comments area below for others to read.

©2012 Fill the Funnel. All Rights Reserved.

© Marima - Fotolia.com

There are over one billion Estimated Unique Monthly Visitors on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn alone each month. Social media has fundamentally changed the way our society communicates, the way we make purchasing decisions, where we work and even who are friends might be.

Even with the overwhelming statistics above, many of us are still struggling to integrate these platforms into our daily lives. The two most common objections I hear are 1) ”I don’t have the time.”, or 2) “I do not know where to start.”

I consider LinkedIn the primary social platform for a business professional. If you can only pick one of the big four platforms to engage with as you begin, LinkedIn should be your choice. The following twelve activities can be completed weekly, within approximately 30 minutes. These can be accomplished in one sitting, or accomplish two per day and take one day off. Try one strategy and stick to it until it is proven to be working for you:

1. Review and Accept/Ignore Connection requests

No reason to to do this more than once a week. You can review all of your invitations in one list and accept the invitations that you desire by selecting the checkbox for each one, then selecting ‘Accept’. You will need to decide your own strategy for who you will accept invitations from.

2. Review Weekly Group Updates

Within the Groups that you have joined, set the notification schedule to “once a week”, allowing you to stay current on the discussions and activities without getting distracted throughout your week.

3. Invite new connections from previous week

Many of us still hand out and receive business cards from those we meet with in person. Use a tool like CardMunch to scan the cards once per week, and then click the option to invite them on LinkedIn. This can help build your network, and save time over doing it manually.

4. Write one recommendation for someone that impressed you this past week

You will generate some very positive responses by incorporating this into your weekly LinkedIn activity. Who do you know that you would recommend to a friend or colleague? Take the time to write a recommendation, just 2-3 sentences is appropriate.

5. Add a Status Update to your profile

Add a sentence or two on a specific focus or activity for the upcoming week. Working on a big proposal, travelling to the opposite coast on business, just pick something and you will give your connections an update and possibly stimulate some communication. Or perhaps, share a link to a particularly intriguing blog post that made an impact on you.

6. Answer a Question in the Questions area

Review the questions in LinkedIn that others have asked. Share an answer or two that are in your area of expertise. Be succinct and to the point. Provide links to reference material and/or additional experts that might be of help to the person asking the question.

7. Ask a Question that you really would like an answer to

What would you really like to know? Puzzled on next steps? How to handle a specific situation? You will not only hopefully receive some answers to your question, but also be introduced to some potential new connections with expertise that may prove helpful to you in the future.

8. Add a company to those that you follow

Think about a company that is important to you and your professional success or growth and follow them in the Company area. Set the notifications as appropriate for your needs, most likely no more than once per week and for the frequency that you are logged into LinkedIn..

9. Add a comment or post in one of the Groups that you are a member of

Whether to a Group discussion, or to an Update from one of your connections, take a few minutes to add a meaningful comment and Like button click. We all love to generate comments and input from our connections and readers and it can generate some good will along the way. Leave your footprints in the sand of your LinkedIn travels.

10. Review your Company Profile and modify or add to it as appropriate

Review your company profile each week. See who is following the company, review new hires, changes, and other activity across the social media platforms. Company profiles are relatively new to LinkedIn and capabilities and functions are being added frequently. Stay on top of this area to maximize your company presence.

11. Follow a competitor’s company

If you want to keep an eye on your competition, this is an easy and productive way to do so once per week. Once you are following, monitor the updates and changes during your weekly LinkedIn review time. Focused, current and timely information all in one place.

12. Send a note to three connections that you haven’t connected with in past three to six months

Review your LinkedIn connections and pick three or more and send them a brief note to check in. Whether they are a customer, employee, vendor or personal friend, you will be surprised at the reaction you will receive from those you send notes to. Reaching out to a few people each week that you haven’t connected with for some time is a rewarding personal and business activity.

©2012 Fill the Funnel. All Rights Reserved.

© Karen Roach - Fotolia.com

What a great time of year to reflect on the people and events that I have had the privilege to connect with since this holiday a year ago and prior. The web tool creators are continuing to dazzle and amaze me. The readers of this blog grew again last year in the biggest increase since I started this over four years ago. My clients have opened their minds and businesses to innovative new tools and strategies to reach new customers.  My students continually amaze me in their enthusiasm and willingness to build the foundations of their new business presence demanded from society to succeed. The authors that wrote the books that I have read, sometimes more than once, continue to challenge my thinking, my assumptions and my day to day activities in ways that I could never have thought of and I am grateful.

A special thank you to my family for putting up with my seeming never ending need for another Starbucks run and a stop by the technology stores to check out the latest gizmo’s and gadgets.

Happy Thanksgiving to each of you and those important to you. Let’s all hope we are able to do it again a year from now.

©2012 Fill the Funnel. All Rights Reserved.

Some of you might not even know what they are. Back in the 50′s and 60′s, station wagons were the transportation of choice for families with kids and busy lifestyles. Typically configured to carry five to eight people if necessary, this is how many families travelled across the country on their summer vacations. Every manufacturer had one or more station wagon models and they sold very well. Sales people were happy.

Then in 1984, Plymouth rolled out it’s new Voyager Minivan and that began the rapid decline of the station wagon. Minivans provide the same basic function, moving five to eight people  from spot to spot, becoming very popular almost immediately. Sales of these minivan’s boomed for over a decade, with most manufacturer’s offering several lines to choose from. Sales people were very happy.

Minivan’s became the vehicle of choice for busy families and some say the term “soccer mom” was coined when the parking lots at soccer practice were filled with mom’s dropping off the neighborhood kids to practice.

Eventually, this popular choice went out of style as well, becoming the antithesis of “cool”. It was to be replaced by what became known as the SUV, or sports utility vehicle.  Generally serving the same basic functions of moving between five to eight people from point A to point B. Some of these had 4-wheel drive but other than that, offered pretty much the same capabilities and utility. Sales of minivan’s dropped like a rock, and everyone clamored to get themselves a SUV. Sales people were very happy selling lots and lots of SUV’s.

Then gas prices started climbing, and the environment became much more of a focus for mainstream American vehicle buyers. Big, gas-guzzling, off-roading monster trucks were now ridiculously expensive to operate, and were even becoming the target for graffiti and environmental protesters.

In response to these market realities, SUV sales dropped way off, and several manufacturers stopped production entirely. In it’s place now sits the Crossover.  Not as tall or big in outward size as an SUV, yet still designed to move between five and eight people from destination to destination. Manufacturers are adding new models at a record pace, and many models are available only by adding your name to a lengthy waiting list. Sales people are very happy selling these crossovers. Take a look at the Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser at the top of the post and then each of the vehicles that replaced it in succession. Each served almost the exact same function, became very popular in it’s time and looks fairly similar. Yet a station wagon is not a station wagon in the customers’ eyes

It’s all in the name!

Are you still selling station wagons? Have your products kept up with the changing preferences and terminology favored by the public? Your solution might still be capable of delivering five to eight people from point A to point B, but that is not enough on it’s own. Words matter in the real world.  Which ones we use to convey our offerings can make the difference between falling sales and a waiting list. Are you paying attention to the names of your products and services?

One of the free tools to help you gain an understanding of what is “hot” or not with your prospective customers is Google’s Adwords Keyword Tool. This two-minute video shows how to use this tool to find out how your product name (station wagon) compares to other names that the public is searching for on Google. (View full screen for best results)

Click here to view the embedded video.

I hope I have stimulated your thoughts a bit and hope I was able to get you thinking about what you call your products and services and if a name change might be able to give your sales effort a fresh boost.  It is sure helping those selling Crossovers.

Just for the fun of it, guess what is one of the hottest sellers in the new model year? Cadillac’s new CTS Sports Wagon – yes, a Station Wagon is once again hot.

©2012 Fill the Funnel. All Rights Reserved.

My daughter sent me an innocent looking link via a text message this weekend, saying that she thought I would relate to it. I did the dad thing and clicked on the link provided in the text message. For the next fourteen minutes and fifty-two seconds I sat silent, watching the story of four amazing people, “Wild Ducks” as they are called in the video.  It inspired me, and I hope it will inspire you as well.

I hope you are as inspired as I was.  Share with your friends, associates and family using the sharing buttons below.

By the way, thank you Lindsey for being such a great daughter.  And yes, I did relate.

©2012 Fill the Funnel. All Rights Reserved.