Marketing Affairs

Product review: Riviera for Skype

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 22:42:00 +0000

Photo cred: Zsolt Vajda

There's a lot of buzz in the blogosphere around the "blogger outreach campaigns" done these days by companies. Lots of them go totally wrong, generating nothing but bad PR for brands.

This is a blog post I decided to write mainly because I recently got a software product review offer on the email. Don't know exactly how they picked me, but it just happens that the product they're promoting might prove to be useful for me after all.

I was happy to see that they're offering me this product for free (on their website it costs 9,99 $), but not very happy after installing it, when I noticed I only have a 14 day trial period to test it. In fact if I was to go to their website and download it, I'd get the same thing.

The product I'm talking about is Riviera for Skype which is a Skype Call Recorder. It automatically records Skype calls and conversations to MP3 files. Very convenient for recording interviews, tech talks, conferences, audio casts, pod casts for learning later, etc.

This product features:

Automatic and manual Skype call recording
Records Skype calls of any type: Skype-to-Skype calls, SkypeIn / SkypeOut, Conference calls, calls to cells, etc.
Records Skype calls of any length
Recordings are stored in separate MP3 file
No functional limitations in free trial version. Only 14-day trial period
Built-in MP3 player for playing recordings
Very easy to use – starts working immediately after launching, no configuration required
Free support and advice
Free lifetime updates and upgrades
Ideal for recording interviews, conferences, podcasts
System requirements: Windows XP/2000/2003/Vista/Windows 7

You may get more food for thought from Riviera for Skype home page: http://www.jiteco.com/skype_call_recorder.html

If you're wondering why did I wrote the lines above using italic, is because this is the text I needed to enter in the blog post in order to get the activation code that will enable me to use the software long term.

I must say that a tool such as this one could be useful especially if you're a heavy Skype user like myself. It could easily save you the hustle of taking notes as you speak and help you focus on actually getting the job done.

I'm sure some of you noticed on the web other blog posts that contained the lines above and probably wondered what is it all about. It just so happens I'm a bit involved in this blogger outreach business and must confess, I'm a bit curious about how this campaign will eventually end up. I've kindly asked for more info regarding this company, but they didn't offered any so far.

I've got 2 questions for you:

1. What do you think about a product like Riviera ?
2. In your opinion, is this the right approach when doing blogger outreach ?

Update 1: I've received the registration key for the product. I can now test their product and see how it performs in the long run.

Update 2: If you're interested in getting the software for yourself all you need to do is to share on Twitter, Facebook or write on your blog about it. Get back to me with the link you shared and I'll put you in contact with them.

What motivates you !?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 18:44:00 +0000

Photo cred: Jinx!

Hello world ! Yes, I've taken a short vacation from writing on this blog and this is mainly because my schedule looked like hell for the last months...of course this doesn't mean that the torment is over, or is it ?!

I came across an interesting video about what motivates us at home and in the workplace. To be honest with you, I'm surprised how much I can relate to what Dan Pink is saying about this.

As usual, let me know what your thoughts are after watching this video. What motivates you in your day to day life ?

20 Ways To Become The Best In Your Field

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 10:57:00 +0000

Photo cred: Leo Reynolds

Becoming the best in a certain field has always been the ultimate challenge. This requires determination beyond anything. It means not settling for "second best", not going halfway in your journey to success and fulfillment, surpassing yourself and all the others while you evolve and grow.

I received a list from Adrian Soare called "101+ Ways For Becoming The Best In Your Field". We will attach it to the blog post so you can download it and check it from time to time to remind yourself what can bring you results in your field of interest.

I consider the following 20 point to be the most important ones:

1. Offer 20% more than your average client expects. By doing this you will surprise your clients in the best way possible and most of them will want to repay you for this with a service, more money or with a recommendation.

2. Offer to help 3 clients that can’t afford the price you ask for your services. Sometimes doing something for free can actually get you more than the value in money. "There's no greater purpose than to service others." Let's not forget the reason we are here.

3. Focus at least 25% of your work on what you can do best. This means focusing on your strengths, not your weaknesses. The right focus will bring you the right result.

4. Get known as a person who uses constructive critique. Speak your mind in order to improve, not to attack others.

5. Take free time for yourself. Sometimes you need to regroup, rest, take some time to actually enjoy something that is not necessarily productive.

6. Take a junior under your wing and teach him. By teaching someone else you learn more. You're never done learning and having a fresh mind in your organization or business can show very helpful. This helps breaking the patterns in your day to day thinking. A bright junior will fill in your gaps.

7. Communicate 3 main messages that you sustain. We always communicate something. It's important to pay attention to what we communicate through words and actions to our clients, coworkers, but also to our friends and family.

8. Set high standards for quality and stick to them. Do everything in the best way that you can do it. Your best won't always be the same. It depends on your state of mind or your health, but strive to do and to be the best now because there is no better moment for it.

9. Invest 10% of your earnings in trainings, coaching and books. Seek out new ideas, ways of thinking, don't stop reading. Investing in yourself is a continuous process. As humans, we tend to become lazy if we don't keep up a certain pace to learning and improving.

10. Act like a professional. This means keeping your word business wise, being on time for meetings, reaching deadlines, being trust worthy.

11. See what are your addictions and plan to free yourself from them. Addictions hold you down. They show how much control you have over yourself. Practice control over your thought and actions and you will never be helpless.

12. Work to become a center of influence. Get to the point were you can get things done socially speaking. Make friends and influence people. Become a change agent, the kind of person that brings out the best in others, not only in himself.

13. Don’t allow yourself to have dead moments. Work for free if it’s necessary instead of not doing anything. Keep your momentum. Never stop moving towards your goals which should never be just money.

14. Talk when you have something important to say. You are lucky to have a voice. Use it, make your ideas be known. Some will laugh, judge and dis-consider, but that doesn't concern you because you're on a mission, you have your own path, aspirations and goals.

15. Publicly recognize other peoples’ value, don’t give them cheap compliments. Always be honest with your compliments and generally with words. Integrity is rare and very appreciated. Learn to appreciate others for their true value.

16. Learn from those that are better than you. Until you will become the best in your field there will be someone better than you. It's good to make that person your friend if possible, follow his steps and see what you can do to get where he is.

17. Accept rejection with a smile on your face. Holding a grudge for a contract you didn't close or getting angry for a deal you didn't make won't change anything. By smiling you are relaxed and open to new opportunities. They will show up if you have the eyes to see them.

18. Think big, act accordingly. There is no point in thinking small. Dreaming is all we have. All that we see today in our world was at one moment in the past someone's dream. By thinking big you turn the impossible into possible. It takes courage to do this. What do you fear?

19. Believe in the work you do. If you don't believe in yourself and your work then no one will. Only you know your true potential, if you allow it to manifest.

20. Save 10% of what you earn and put it aside. Put some money aside. It's not easy, but again it shows control. You will need that money someday for something you haven't thought about yet.

The Difference Between a Boss and a Leader

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 05:44:00 +0000

Photo cred: nestor galina

Is a boss different than a leader ? I'd like to think so and I'm sure you'd agree. Keeping it clear and simple I'd like to point out the major differences between them:

A boss inspires fear. A leader inspires enthusiasm.

A boss uses words like "I", "Go". A leader uses words like "We", "Let's go".

A boss knows how it is done. A leader shows how it is done.

A boss's focus is on fixing the blame for the problem. A leader's focus is on fixing the problem.

A boss drives people. A leader coaches them.

A boss makes work a drudgery. A leader makes work...fun, like a game.

A boss depends on authority. A leader on good will.

A boss has people working for him. A leader has people working with him.

A boss will make you see your flaws. A leader will help you discover your potential.

There are a lot of things that make a boss be way different than a leader, but this is what I believe to be the most relevant.

Keeping it short and to the point, I'd like to end this post with a video that I find inspiring. Enjoy !

How to attract attention to your products or services

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Mon, 30 May 2011 14:45:00 +0000

photo cred: captcreate

Recent marketing campaigns are spread worldwide and all potential customers are literally bombarded with adds for all kinds of products. People have gotten to the point where it is all background noise. We let that which does not matter slide because we fear that our head will explode if we have to remember everything.

It's about time for smarter and more interesting marketing that captures the target customers' attention and interest. Here is a video that shows a few examples on how to get people out of their heads and fully interested in knowing more about a product they probably don't yet want or need. This requires creativity, but can show great results if applied correctly:

People are curious by nature. We all love to be understood, amazed and we love to feel special. Any company that can use that in a smart and positive way (offering a win-win situation) will profit and build a long term relationship with a great number of customers.

Any idea that shows people something they haven't thought about or weren't expecting to see then and there will immediately attract attention and sales.

How would you react to this kind of commercial?

Guys Listen Up

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Tue, 24 May 2011 06:23:00 +0000

When you say skincare you naturally think about women as being the right consumer. But isn't that just half of the equation. Why not focus also on the guys ? According to Garnier, a lot of Singapore's men think of skincare as being sissy.

See how Garnier Men got them to talk about their complexes by using a video of a couple breaking up over oily skin. Using their interactive site, girls could customize the campaign's video and send it to any guy they think needs to listen up.

Of course this went viral and ended up with a 600 % increase in brand interaction and over 630 % increase in sales in the first week alone.

Let me know what you think of this campaign.

5 Hints on How to Overcome Resistance and Get Things Done

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Thu, 19 May 2011 14:47:00 +0000

Photo cred: edwardfilms

All people have encountered resistance and do so every single day. It shows up out of nowhere and it's always more powerful than expected. It can come from inside you or from a different person, but one thing matters in the end: how much and in what way do you let it affect you or even change your mind about an important goal.

In his book, "Do the work", Steven Pressfield says: "On the field of the Self stand a knight and a dragon. You are the knight. Resistance is the dragon." In order to win this fight you have to have a few important things in mind:

1. Start doing what comes naturally to reaching your goals without doing too much prior research. Start putting ideas on paper without criticizing your ideas. The ancient Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu said "A journey of a thousand miles starts with one step." We tend to get lost in preparing ourselves for the action. This can become addictive and ineffective because we feel like we're getting somewhere when we're actually just gathering knowledge.

2. Persevere - Perseverance beats resistance. When it's about overcoming another person's resistance to your proposal, idea or plan sometimes you have to wage war with him (in a professional and diplomatic way of-course). Don't give up when things get hard. Every successful artist, businessman and athlete have at least one thing in common: giving up is not an option.

3. Don't let other people tell you what you can and can't do. History has proven that as time passes things that used to be impossible become possible to those who believe in and fight for their goals.

4. See the opportunities even if they're disguised as failures. Be flexible and ask yourself "How can I use this to my advantage?"

5. Never act and reflect at the same time. When you do something concentrate on that moment only and give it your best. Afterwards you can see what went wrong and what was the way you wanted it, but criticism and improvement is best done after the process of creation is over.

There are many ways to fight resistance. It's important to know that it will always try to stop us from doing anything that really matters.
I'm interested in knowing how you are dealing with it so please share any thoughts on this subject.

Drive-in Theater by Coca-Cola

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Mon, 16 May 2011 05:38:00 +0000

How can traffic jams can create good will among your consumers. Well, to do this right you need to have the right ingredients.

Let me see:

1. A traffic jam - something that will hold people long enough for you to take action.

2. Something that will make them feel good while being stuck in traffic (I know, that's just pure evil).

3. The right incentive to make them use your product.

Well that's exactly what Coca-Cola and Ogilvy Columbia did in Bogota, Columbia. How long has it been since you watched a movie from your car? Or, did you ever watched a movie from your car? I believe some of you, just like me, never did it.

Before watching the video, allow me to explain what they did.

The problem: a daily 4 hours traffic jam in Bogota. How can Coca-Cola turn headaches into smiling faces?

The solution: build a giant video screen for those stuck in traffic and invite them to tune their car radio to the local FM station so they could hear the audio.

Incentives: what could make this even better, but people walking up and down the rows of cars offering 250ml bottles of Coca-Cola, popcorn, nachos and other goodies.

This campaign made by Ogilvy Columbia is part of Coca-Cola's 125th anniversary. I must admit that I'd like to see this happening also here in Romania. As usual, what are your thoughts about this type of campaigns? If you like it - share it !

via Adverblog

As a bonus, here is what Coca-Cola did to its headquarters in Atlanta. This is the largest building illumination in the world, covering the 26 story building with the projection of nearly 1 million lumens of light. The fun part was that anyone who uploaded their Coca-Cola photos to the Facebook fan page could have their pictures included in the show projection.

via PSFK

3 Timeless Principles on How to Communicate Efficiently

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Mon, 09 May 2011 07:14:00 +0000

Photo cred: Josh Fassbind

Even though we now have all these communication tools to our disposal it seems we've never been less effective at connecting with other people and passing on to them the right message. Sometimes we aren't even able to capture other people's attention.

Seth Godin wrote in his book, "What matters now", what he considers 3 timeless principles for efficient communication and they are as follows:

1. Heart - This is something often shown in public speaking - When you're able to engage people around you with passion and make them invest emotionally in a cause, that is the moment when you really get to them. This is the fastest way to connect even to a stranger (always good not only at a personal level but also business wise).

We all know the saying "It's not personal, it's business." but the truth is that when you are involved in any kind of work with a sense of strong personal meaning results will not fail to appear faster than before.
The most important idea here is that facts will be forgotten, but feelings will always pass the test of time. You might forget how many people were with you in the room at the last conference you participated, but you will remember the way you felt during the fire-walking session that took place then.

2. Simplicity - Albert Einstein once said "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler." This makes very much sense because there is no need to complicate a message just to feel more important or knowledgeable to others. The reason we speak is to get our message through to other people. It is in our own best interest to be well understood. There is also the "KISS method" which stands for "keep it short and simple".

3. Story - We love to hear stories since childhood. This is because we love to be entertained and to live an entire life or a simple adventure in a few minutes at least in our heads. This is also why some movies are so successful: they give us the story we want to hear.
A story has a plot and most importantly an intrigue. Communication has a lot to do with keeping the attention of other people and there is nothing better at doing that than intrigue.

Communication is sometimes difficult, but we don't have to make it harder than it is. Realizing that it's not an obligation or a chore, but a fun thing to do with all the people we interact with can change the way we see it for the future.

I hope these ideas will help you communicate better with your family, friends and business partners. Please share any thought you might have on this subject.

6 Tips on Building Your Social Network Faster

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Wed, 04 May 2011 06:30:00 +0000

Photo cred: Nazly Ahmed

The one thing we all want when using social media is to have interactions. Whether it's your friends, co-workers or clients, the fastest way of reaching out to those you're interested in, is thru channels such as LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace or Twitter. Starting to use one or more social networks comes with an "issue" for a lot of users: How do I build up my network of connections faster ?

Regardless if you're a business or just a private user, your presence on the web is a must. Further more, your account(s) and the way you manage them become your social media visiting card. It's nice to know that your message reaches more than just your close friends, thus increasing your online visibility or that someone quoted your idea, thus building up your social reputation.

Here are some great tips on how to grow your network of connections:

1. Join the right networks

This might seem silly, but if you're looking to connect with professionals in your area of expertise, then LinkedIn is definitely a better choice than Facebook for example.

2. Join groups relevant to you

I know, this is at least as silly as the first one, but think about it for a second. What's the point of using social media if you're not interacting. The best way of doing it is joining groups and getting involved in discussions that interest you.

3. Be interesting

Believe it or not, but posting relevant and credible information is a HUGE incentive for someone to follow your tweets or add you to their professional network connections. You don't know when a new opportunity arises through one of your social connections. In using social media frequently you do become a brand which can be a personal or a company brand. In both cases people will "label" you as being someone worth spending their time following or just someone that doesn't have much to say.

4. Make/add one new connection every day

The first thing you need to be aware of is that you don't want to be a spammer. All social networks have harsh rules regarding spammers. Also, don't get used to sending the default invitation request message. On LinkedIn for example, this is "I'd like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn".

I believe it would look better and really become a personal invitation, if you would use something like this: "Hi Chris, I've seen you're also a member of XYZ group and I'd love to add you to my personal network of professionals. Or, I see that John is a common connection for us. I've met with him 3 years ago and I think he's a great guy to work with."

5. Socialize

Leave comments on other people blogs/websites, retweet tweets or just post an interesting article from your connections on the Facebook wall. These are the milk and honey of social media. Wishing them Happy Birthday is another simple and frequently skipped practice of interaction.

Think about it for a second, everyone appreciates people who remember their important milestones. Whether you post it on their Facebook wall, email a birthday card or just give them a call, this will help you to get noticed.

6. Build up your online visibility by going offline

A great way of engaging and growing you network of connections is attending to different events or conferences in your area of interest. There are the so called blogmeets or tweetmeets that are frequently organized.

I'm sure there are a lot more useful tips that could be added to the list. What is it that you believe could be used in building and growing your social network ?

Heat MWC from Google at the Mobile World Congress 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 09:00:00 +0000

Photo cred: JD Hancock

In February 2011 the Mobile World Congress took place in Barcelona. This event is a great opportunity to create new business connections, present new products and services and why not, make new friends.

The app created specially for this event was the Heat MWC from Google . The entire idea of the app is to make socializing easier for the users. It helps bring down boundaries making interaction more fun. Because of its settings you can search in real time for people with common interest and then go personally meet them exchanging contact info in the easiest way possible.

Having a heat map at the tip of your fingers is a great tool and concept with numerous uses for future events that can be business related or just for entertainment purposes.

A 24 hours "tour" of the event represented in 48 seconds would look like this. The constant movement of people throughout the city of Barcelona seen in fast forward looks like microorganisms under the microscope lens.

What are your thoughts on this app and new way of social dynamics?

MINI Getaway Stockholm - a Social Media Success

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 05:26:00 +0000

Photo cred: Erik Mörner

I'm sure you will appreciate this post since it's going to be a bit different than the others. I've thought about starting to share with you some live examples on how social media works and what you can achieve using it.

I came across the advertising agency Jung von Matt from Stockholm. As Emma Hutchings wrote in this blog post, the creative agency won numerous awards for this creative and innovative modern-day brand building idea. I'm talking about the Getaway Stockholm campaign for MINI.

The prize - a brand new MINI Countryman.

The rules

To get in the race for winning the real car you needed to download an app into your iPhone. App users could then view the location of a virtual MINI on a map of Stockholm, and once within 50 metres of it, could claim the MINI for themselves and then run away from the other participants who could try to steal it. At the end of the 7 days campaign the person with the virtual MINI in his possession won the real car.

The results

The game was followed in 90 countries, 11.413 people took part in the game and the MINI "traveled" almost 1.500 km. I'll let you discover the rest of the story from this video:

What are your thoughts about this social media campaign ?

New Marketing and Transparency

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 18:55:00 +0000

Photo cred: Trey Ratcliff

Marketing campaigns have a very well established plan on what, when and how to present a brand or a product to the potential customers. Every company wants to fully control the process that determines how the people will see them in the future. Do YOU think this is the natural way of doing things?

What we see and what is

A very strong businessman once told me that "Facts speak louder than words". This makes very much sense because anyone can talk, but only the results really matter in the end.

It doesn't matter if your company is a multimillion dollar producer or a small neighborhood shop. The most important things is to realize what is the message you are really sending your customers through your marketing campaign.

A lesson on transparency

Morgan Spurlock, known by many for the documentary "Super size me", had a very interesting idea which he presented during a TED TALK. He wanted to create a movie in which he should present a company and its services or products. He went with this idea to more than a dozen of the biggest companies in the U.S. None of them wanted anything to do with the movie or with the idea. What bothered the company managers the most was that they had no direct control over the information presented in this movie.

The truth is:

1. Companies don't want to be seen by the customers through their own eyes. They want to educate this perception through the media channels (and they start very early, since childhood if possible, when people are very easy to influence).

2. They want to be the best in their field through a repeated claim or catchy motto, not through the utility and contribution brought to the customer.

A new approach

Clients are becoming more educated and pretentious. It's about time marketing implements new ideas and concepts. A good example of this is Toms Shoes. They have a different approach on what marketing should look like. The company actually wants to give something back to those in need. If a person buys a pair of their shoes then Toms Shoes will give a pair for free to a person that can't afford it (mostly children from poor families). This simple idea reduced the marketing costs drastically and created a touching story that unites people.

What would make you become a devoted customer of a certain company? Would it be the aggressive marketing campaign that the company has? Does small proof that they might actually care about the well being of people help on your perception about them?

Let me know what are your thoughts on this.

Why should you use social media for business

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 06:11:00 +0000

Photo cred: Damien do Toit

How can social media benefit my business? I'm sure that you asked yourself this question at least once since you've first heard of social media.

Before going into details, I'd like to make it clear that a business who should use social media is not necessary a large or well established company. Everyone can benefit from using it. Even we, here at Marketing Affairs are going to use social media channels to reach out to you. There are a couple of points that I'd like to cover up in this post regarding the subject.

Why use social media in the first place?

Well, that's pretty easy to guess, since you are already have at least 1 account on the social networks. But, for a business this might be a good incentive:

the costs are smaller comparing them to the traditional advertising methods;
due to sharing specific words, pictures, videos or audio files your company gets a lot more VISIBILITY;
you're not the only one that talks about your brand - social media is about INTERACTIONS between people, not to mention the speed to which these interactions take place.
you can benefit from the snowball effect that can be created around your company. Remember that every user has Facebook friends or Twitter followers which can multiply your targeted audience.

Adding the online channels to your company's marketing strategy as a way to create awareness around your brands/products, has become mandatory. Overlook using social media marketing at your own peril, or better yet, treat this exactly like the # 1 rule in any business: If we don't take care of our customers, somebody else will.

Depending on your audience you may try a combination of different channels in order to get the most out of your online marketing efforts.

Going into figures I can say that social media is growing to be faster, stronger and more dependable than ever. Facebook alone has over 500 million active users worldwide with 50 % of them login on in any given day. An average user has 130 friends, so by having one satisfied customer talking about your product, you get to multiply your awareness 130 times. (source: Facebook )

A recent study showed that 92 % of Facebook fans say that since becoming a fan of a given brand, they are most likely to recommend it to their friends. Also, 36 % of them say that since becoming a fan of a given brand their desire to buy it has increased.

Still not convinced ?

Then you can use Twitter. They have over 100 million active users worldwide. Statistics showed that in 2010 there were 750 tweets sent each second, out of which over 20 % were related to brands or products. This year the number has increased to about 1.650 tweets per second. Is that telling you something ?

There are also other social media channels you can use for your business such as LinkedIn which recently surpassed 100 million users according to Mashable.

I've recently attended a webinar about how marketers should be using social media to succeed. The speakers were Mike Volpe - VP of Marketing for HubSpot and Victoria Ransom - Founder & CEO of Wildfire. Among a lot of interesting things they shared, one got stuck into my head - "Content makes you interesting".

That's right, this is what social media is all about. People generating and sharing valuable content with other people.

Of course this can be and most definitely will be a 2 way trip for you. Not all the things written about your brand will be praises, you'll also have your share critics. Don't get me wrong, this is a good thing for at least two reasons:

1. it shows you the things that need improvement;

2. you can use the opportunity to convert the critics into fans of your brand.

We are in a world were a brand is whatever people say it is. This leads to another idea that I encountered in that webinar: Grow your brand by cultivation, not control ! People are more likely to be receptive to other user's suggestions. As funny as this sounds, they indeed trust their Facebook friend's opinion long before they trust your word as a company.

As I said in a previous post you need to create, share and interact with you audience. Engage them in the comments they give, offer feedback, answer to questions, in other words give them a reason to come back or share your story with others.

How you should be using social media for your business will be the subject of a later post. I do hope you find this info useful and you'll see it as a good incentive to check out the opportunities that are out there for your company. Use it wisely and it will grow your sales, don't use it and you may be leaving the door open for others to steal your clients.

As always, I'd like to hear your thoughts on this. Leave us a comment, rate us or just like us and subscribe to our feed.

Effective Management

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 17:56:00 +0000

Photo cred: lumaxart

A lot of focus has been put in the last few years on management styles or techniques. Management exists for the same reason a business exists: to better serve the clients and in the process to create revenue for the company. It isn't there to waste time and energy or to stress employees with authority manifesting methods.

A little freedom never hurt anybody

A very good type of management is one that enables freedom and empowers the employees. Only when a person becomes responsible for something does he really give it his best. It becomes his creation and responsibility. He knows the result will represent him.

No power trips please

An employee always answers to the upper management. He can be questioned about his actions and that is only normal. He has a target to reach, he has to sell, to service clients, to represent the company in a professional way. It's not productive for him to hate or fear his manager. As we all know, fear is destructive. It only creates mediocrity, it closes doors for thoughts and actions. Managers out there, do NOT be the "big bad wolf"! Having what we can call a power trip, showing others that you are superior through your position only to feel better about yourself will only do you and the company wrong.

The idea is to sustain them, be a real supervisor and correct them when they go wrong, but do it in a constructive way. A bit of understand and compassion can prove to be useful and productive as well. We've all seen bad management and we know where it leads: demotivating people, making them hate their job and wanting to change it. It also affects their performance for that time that they will stay there. Even if they know they have to stay in the company for a little bit more time, they will do it like it's prison time, just waiting to get it over with. Is that how you want things to be done in your company: fast and flawed?

Here is the best example I found on how to treat your people, help them live a good life and also add value to the company. Google's "Jolly Good Fellow," Chade-Meng Tan, talks about how the company practices compassion in its everyday business - and its bold side projects.

Was any of the information presented here useful for you? Let me know what are your thoughts on this.

Your Customer's Birthday - The Perfect Time For Marketing

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 08:45:00 +0000

What happens once a year and it has something to do with you personally. That's right, your birthday. We all know that birthdays are fun, we are the center of attention and above all we get presents.

It was my birthday this week and of course that I've received a lot of messages. Among the senders there were also these messages from the top 3 recruiting sites in Romania: eJobs.ro, MyJob.ro and Bestjobs.ro . Now, I don't know how much do you know about these 3 companies but a study made 2 years ago showed that eJobs had back then a market share of 46 %, BestJobs 25 % and MyJob 10 %, the rest being other recruiting sites.

Since they all sent me email messages wishing me all the best, I thought to share them with you as well. You'll see why being the number 1 in the business isn't always something good. I'd like to start in the same order as I mentioned them since it reflects perfectly the podium (backwards).

Number 3:

This is a print screen of the birthday message eJobs.ro sent.

The good part: - they remembered my birthday

The bad part(s):

Well, for a company that claims to be the ~~No. 1~~ recruiting website in Romania this is a message that should never be sent. It's way to short and above all doesn't make me feel special in any way.

I mean it's my birthday, if you really want me to appreciate you sending a message don't be lazy, get creative, give me a reason to recommend your service to others.

In any language you may translate this you'll find out that it says something like this: "Good morning Christian, We know it's your birthday so we would like to wish you Happy Birthday, lots of health and happiness and......good luck in your career !" If I had a talking dog, I believe he would do a better job than this.

2. The title is "Happy Birthday" which is way to general. This is something that need to improve if they want to become No. 1. I repeat it's a MUST to change that title and you'll soon see why.

3. I've received this message in my inbox twice. Big no no ! If there was a third message like that I would start thinking that they might want to spam me.

Number 2:

This came from BestJobs.ro. I cannot show you in this picture, but the title of the message was "Azi e ziua in care ne faci cinste, nu? Pai... La Multi Ani :)".

This would be translated in something like this: "Today is the day you buy us drinks, right ? In that case...Happy Birthday :)"

It may not seem much, but when I opened my email this was one of the first messages I saw and read.

The good part(s):

1. The message is a lot more personal and it has humor in it. Wish no. 1: "Get a raise ! Go into your bosses office, slam the door, smash your fist into his desk and ask for a raise. Or learn how to do it in a more elegant way here (link to their website)"

Wish no. 2: "May you be praised by your colleagues ! Buy them drinks today, they'll love you all. After that ask them to write you a recommendation. They couldn't refuse you now"

Wish no. 3: "May you have a great day, every day all year round! You always told yourself you need to make a change in your life, right ? Take a look at our latest job offers. One of them may be yours, as a present from us !"

2. The way the message was created it's both original and personalized.

The bad part(s): - I didn't see one, of course there is always room for improvement.

Number 1:

Now my favorite one ! The message for Myjob.ro

The good part(s):

1. The title: "La multi ani, Cristian: ti-am pregatit un cadou!". That's right, I bet you can translate it yourselves "Happy Birthday Christian: we got you a present!" . Really? A present ...for me? Now this should be interesting.

2. The message format. That virtual gift bow wrapped around my message - if that's not original I don't know what is !

3. Of course they have more or less the same message as the previous one I showed you, but here starts the cool part. After that they have a text that says something like this: "I order for you to do the first steps into fulfilling your wishes, we made you a present: Especially for you (link to their ebook)". It was an ebook guide about tips to get hired faster.

I wasn't looking for a new job and most of the information in the ebook was something I already used, but reading that last sentence triggered in my mind this: "Wow, a free ebook...just for me, I better get it fast and see what's in it !". It wasn't about the information, it was about the fact that I get stuff for free on my birthday.

After seeing this 3 ways of reaching out to me (their customer) I guess you can tell what service I will recommend to others from now on and also what to avoid. Customers want attention, they want to receive value for their spent time or money using a service.

The point:

This live example can be used in any industry out there when it comes to reach out to your customers. Although eJobs may be the no. 1 by the market share they hold, they are losing big in the battle with BestJobs and MyJob, because they don't pay attention to details that make the difference for every individual.

Using customer's birthdays as a good moment to reach out and build up loyalty towards your brand/company could make the difference between winning and losing. At this moment in time I believe that companies, regardless of their size, should realize that every customer counts and focus their efforts. If you do a job, at least do it right !

What do you think about all of these?

What does doing business really mean?

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 09:41:00 +0000

Photo cred: Trey Ratcliff

This is a question that I've asked myself for some time now. The business world, the big corporate field seems very appealing nowadays for the young businessman or professional to be. It gives you a steady environment in which you can learn, grow and bring your personal contribution not only to the organization but to the business partners as well. I understand that any company wants to have better and more customers in order to raise capital and profit. The question I have is "Why are people and corporations acting like there is no limit to natural resources?" Without falling into the Greenpeace environmentalist spirit I simply ask you, the reader: "Is the way things have been going for the last fifty years sustainable?"

Leaving the Earth's resources issues aside it's important to speak about the other item on the list, which seems absolutely necessary for conducting business and obtaining profit: humans. On numerous occasions creating a life-time connection with clients has proven beneficial to companies. Sometimes all they had to do was care a little bit more, not going directly for the person's money, but looking to enrich his personal life and experience, finding a solution to his concerns.

What matters now

In one of his many books, Seth Godin asks this even without the question mark, maybe showing us that indeed questions are answers. He reminds us one of the basic things in the business world. The fact that in order to get what you want you first have to help a lot of people to get what they need and want for themselves. Offering value to others will make them want to return the favor in the future. Honestly caring for them as if their problem would be yours could really bring the best solutions for customers.

Also ask yourself "What gives me personal satisfaction?"

In any business activity it's important to work with integrity and honesty to create a solid career. As Zig Zigglar said it himself: "The most powerful weapon of persuasion is your own integrity." Building any solid relationship with a person or a company is done without bending notions like honesty or dignity.

"You are only as rich as the enrichment you bring to the world around you." (Seth Godin)

Common mistakes marketers do when using social media

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 07:00:00 +0000

Photo cred: rutlo

More and more businesses are using it to get more visibility for their brands or products. But as easy to use as they seem to be, as likely you are to make mistakes that can cost you big money. What differentiates a small business from a big business? Or, better yet, what are the common mistakes your company doesn't want to do when using social media as a marketing tool?

Here are some useful tips for you to take into consideration:

1. Master the basics

There are a lot of companies that are in their infancy using social media channels to promote their business. Just because you have a personal Facebook account with 1.000+ friends or there are 200+ followers on your Twitter account doesn't make you a social media guru. Set up a your companies goals, create a clear marketing strategy and establish the role of social media in it. These are the bricks that stay at the foundation of every successful marketing campaign.

Keep yourself informed, observe what's happening around you and learn from other marketing campaigns that went wrong.

2. Don't just talk, put it into practice !

A lot of marketers talk about how you should use social media to promote your business, what you need to do, where and when to do it. How many of them put it into practice? Change the "I should do" with the "I must do".

3. Don't experiment on your company's money

Now I'm sure that you're wondering what's this all about. Well, I'm not referring to testing out which channel would be the best to use. Be committed to what you're doing even when it seems boring. The longer it takes for you to learn how to proper use the social media tools in your company's interest, the bigger the costs. Take your job seriously every time you interact with your audience and remember TIME equals MONEY.

4. Create, Share, Interact

Being able to automatically post on different channels at the same time doesn't mean that you get to your audience. It's pretty much like offering a pair of 3D glasses to a blind man. Just because it's there, doesn't mean it's useful. People will not press the like button on Facebook just because you have it, they won't follow you on Twitter just because you have a growing list of followers or add you to their professional network on LinkedIn just because you are the Social Media Manager for the X company.

You need to create value for them.

Ask yourself a question before going socially crazy: Why would I become a fan of whatever I'm reading ? That's right, because it brings you a plus of knowledge in one way or another. Would you have read this article until the end if you didn't find something valuable to learn from it ?

Having a great content might be the first step, but it's definitely not the only one. You'll also need to interact with you audience, engage with them as you do with people you meet every day in your real life. Give feedback, answer to questions, create THE BUZZ you're looking to have around your brands.

There isn't a good or a bad answer for what should you do in your social media campaign. There are only tips of what works and what doesn't work. There are still many things to cover on this subject and I promise to get back to it in a future post.

What's the worst/biggest mistake you saw in a social media campaign ?