Technology For Business Sake

Letting Your Small Business Go Blogwild!

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 10:00:00 -0500

Andy Wibbels is one of the most respected bloggers in the world. He's been at it since 2000. His book - Blogwild - is a must read for anyone trying to get the most out of their blogging efforts. Andy shares his wealth of knowledge on how to make the most of your business blogging experiences, how to develop your own personal style, and how you can turn blog posts into business opportunities.

Naked Conversations with Shel Israel

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 10:00:00 -0500

Even if you wanted to ignore it, and many small business are trying pretty hard to, you cannot overlook the impact social media is having on many aspects of our lives - including our professional lives. And we really have not even scratched the surface, as more social tools, sites and communities come online every single day. We welcome Shel Israel to the show. Shel is a pioneer in social media having co-authored, along with Robert Scoble, Naked Conversations. Shel talks about why he and Robert wrote the seminal book, how social media has changed since writing the book in 2005, and the importance of understanding the impact it can have on your small business. Shell also looks into his crystal ball to give us a glimpse at what we should be on the lookout for in the not too distant future with respect social media and its evolving role in our culture.

The New Rules of Marketing and PR with David Meerman Scott

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 10:00:00 -0500

As small businesses grow more comfortable with social media tools its important to utilize them in a strategic fashion in order to maximize their impact. David Meerman Scott, author of The New Rules in PR and Marketing, joins us to discuss how these tools can be used to build your brand, connect with your target audience, and positively affect the bottom line. David also shares how giving away his "new rules" ebook was worth a million dollars and created new exciting opportunities for him. He also discusses why it's important for you to speak directly to your target, and using the right tools and delivery channels is key to creating lasting relationships. And David shares why he uses his middle name in all of his content.

Microsoft Small Business Summit - What's In It For Your Small Business

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 10:00:00 -0500

After taking the first break in almost a year and a half, TFBS is back in action. And we are glad to have Frederic De Wulf of Microsoft on to talk about the 3rd annual Microsoft Small Business Summittaking place online March 24th-27th. Frederic tells us what is in store this year and how it differs from the previous two. He also fills us in how the role small businesses will play in the event, how they can participate from the comfort of your office, and what kind of takeaways you can come away with after the event is over.

Will CRM Finally Be Fully Embraced By Small Business in 2008?

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 10:00:00 -0500

In an article written for Inc.com, Brent put forth a few reasons why he feels 2008 will be the year small businesses turn en masse to customer relationship management (CRM) services to find, catch and keep good customers. With more choices available, affordable solutions, and easy to use services it all seems there for the choosing. One of the companies focused on small business crm is Infusion Software. Our guest this week Dave Lee talks about why his company is changing how they approach serving the small business CRM market by focusing more heavily on e-marketing. He also shares with us how posting a spoof of NBC hit show The Office on YouTube brought in over 450 leads in a few weeks.

Why Citizen Journalism May Be A Role Model For Your Small Business

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 10:00:00 -0500

As people continue to learn more about social media and its growing impact on our personal lives, small business people are struggling with how it affects the way they do business today. Leonard Witt, Fowler Distinguished Chair at Kennesaw State University in metro Atlanta, joins us to talk about how social media is propelling the citizen journalism movement. He also fills us in on how he and a small team of people put together the very successful SoCon '08 conference held a few weeks ago. Billed as the Southeast's first "unconference", SoCon brought hundreds of people together for a 2 day social media event, mostly from word-of-mouth marketing efforts

USA Today Columnist Steven Strauss Talks Small Business Trends for 2008

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 10:00:00 -0500

At the beginning of the year, USA Today columnist Steven Strauss laid out in a two part series his top ten trends in 2008 for small business. And with Steve being the author of the Small Business Bible, he has some very interesting insights on the subject. Steve fills us in on why it's time for entrepreneurs of the world to unite, why green is the new black, and why Networking 2.0 tops his list of trends. Plus Steve tells us how Martin Luther King, Mohandes Gandhi and Buckminster Fuller influenced is outlook on business, and life. Also Brent and Michael give their impressions of the SoCon 08 "uncoference" recently held in metro Atlanta. And Brent shares his experience participating in the Small Business Summit that took place in New York last week. Also check out Bren'ts latest article for Inc.com on why he feels 2008 is THE year small businesses finally embrace CRM.

John Jantsch on Social Media and Small Business Marketing

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 10:00:00 -0500

Marketing is the life blood of successful small businesses, even if many of them don't treat it as such. And its importance has grown exponentially as the web makes it easier and more affordable to reach your target audience, and to make it easier for that audience to reach you when they need help. And John Jantsch is the guy many small business people turn to get their marketing efforts successfully off the ground. John shares with us how small businesses can begin using web 2.0 strategies to begin passing The Google Test, the importance of blogging to small businesses, the best ways to learn about RSS and its potential impact, and many other great tips.

Toolkits and Marketing Tips for Your Small Business

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 10:00:00 -0500

Marily Johnson of IBM visits us again to share information about their newly launched SME Toolkit. IBM and the International Finance Corporation, a private sector of the World Bank, partnered to launch the US version of the toolkit. We are also joined by a good friend of the show (FOTS) Anita Cambpell to talk about a very interesting post she wrote for her site SmallBizTrends.com. Anita invited a great group of A-list marketers to share one of their best kept marketing secrets. The likes of Seth Godin, Guy Kawasaki, Tim Berry and a host of other great marketers, including Anita, shared some really great tips that can be put into play right away.

Why SaaS Will Take Off in 2008, But Should You Jump Into Web 2.0?

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 10:00:00 -0500

Phil Wainewright of ZDNet returns to talk about SaaS and why he feels 2008 is the year software as a service will hit the mainstream. Based on his recent entry, he fills us in on some of the driving factors for this, the role of virtualization, how SaaS is recession-proof, and the expected impact Microsoft Live CRM will have on the industry. Phil also talks about the companies shaping the future of SaaS and how it will affect how we'll do business. Plus fill shares with us his ideas on how companies can make money with Web 2.0 tools and strategies, like the new DevPay service from Amazon.com.

Building an Effective Web Presence in 2008 for Your Small Business

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 10:00:00 -0500

Even now in 2008, many studies still show only half of all small businesses have a website. Those small businesses without a real presence on the web still perceive it to be to difficult and costly to create and maintain a website. Our featured guest, Microsoft Office Live Marketing Director Michael Schultz, gives any small business thinking along these lines many reasons to reconsider. Michael explains why it's more important than ever before for small businesses to get on the web. He fills us in on how much easier it is to get started than many small business owners may think it is, some best practices for getting started, and how a great web presence can improve the image of any small business. And if you think only targeting local prospects means you do not need a website, Michael points out why you are probably wrong with that assessment. Plus check out the free 64-page ebook from Microsoft and Startup Nation on how to create a successful website.

OpenSocial, Facebook Beacon, Social Network Portability and Small Business

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 10:00:00 -0500

Welcome to the first show of 2008. And we start the year off trying to figure out when we will be able to utilize online social networks more efficiently and effectively, to improve both our personal and professional lives. David Recordon of Six Apart shares with us his unique perspective on the social networking landscape, working closely with both Google and Facebook on the subject of social network portability. David fills us in on the impact of social network fatigue, the potential impact of OpenSocial, the importance of Facebook Beacon and the controversy surrounding it, and how services like OpenID may make our lives online easier to manage. David also shares how Six Apart tools like TypePad, Vox and MovableType will utilize these platforms to make it easier to build and cultivate successful online communities. And check out how this Generation Y leader uses Web 2.0 tools to keep in touch with his parents.

Building Successful Small Business Online Communites with Intuit Group Manager Scott K Wilder

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 10:00:00 -0500

We are saying good-bye to 2007 on a high note! Many large companies are trying to build online communities to get closer to small business people they wish to serve, but few have been successful. In fact a good number of companies end up very disappointed with the reaction (or lack there of) coming from the small business community. We finish up our first full year on the air (and web) with a great conversation talking about building online communities with Intuit's Scott K. Wilder. Scott was at the forefront of building Intuit's popular QuickBooks virtual user community. He talks about why they decided to build an online community long before they became popular, the challenges Intuit faced both internally and externally, and how the community has aided Intuit relate to their customers. Scott also fills us in on the book he recently co-authored, Millennial Leaders.

A Conversation with Jim Blasingame, The Small Business Advocate

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 10:00:00 -0500

Jim Blasingame is a voice very familiar voice to small businesses. He's been speaking to them for over ten years on The Small Business Advocate radio program, where he does over a thousand interviews a year with experts in his small business brain trust. We thought we'd turn the tables on him and fire off as many questions in his direction as we possibly can in short amount of time. Jim gives us his take on the state of small business today, the current climate for small businesses and how effectlively he feels small businesses are using web 2.0 tools and services to compete in the marketplace. Jim also shares with us why he thinks small business is like a bunch of bananas, and how you can attain small business success three minutes at a time.

Technology Gifts for the Small Business Owner

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 10:00:00 -0500

It's that time of the year again. And with only a few days left before the big day, have you already picked up that special gadget for that small business person on your shopping list? Don't sweat it if you haven't yet. To me it's still a week or so out from crunch time. And if you're looking for some gift ideas for the geek-at-heart, Dan Evans from PC Magazine a few ideas. He fills us in, on what's going on with high definition television (HDTV), digital cameras and video recorders, laptops, and mobile devices. He also gives us his take on Microsoft Windows Home Server, and what's new with wireless networking for the home and office. And check out what Dan said would be his pick for a Christmas gift out of all the stuff that he gets to play with. So listen up and a get a few last minute ideas!

Social CRM, SaaS and Uncovering Words That Get You Noticed on the Web

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sun, 9 Dec 2007 10:00:00 -0500

The December issue of CRM magazine's cover story is on what's coming up in 2008 with respect to CRM, social networking and SaaS. The magazine's senior editor, Marshall Lager, wrote the feature and talks to a number of industry leaders who share the opinions on what 2008 has in store. And the go-to guy for this piece is our buddy Paul Greenberg, author of CRM at the Speed of Light. Paul gives us his take on what to look out for, the growing importance of social networking on crm, how software-as-a-service is growing stronger, and what vendors to look out for in the coming year. He also talks about the huge mistake Facebook made with Beacon, and talks about the new social networking site for crm professionals, MyCRMCareer.com. Plus we hear about a new podcast series Paul's putting together, and what role Brent plays in it.

Tim Berry on Business Plans, Blogging and Your Small Business

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sun, 2 Dec 2007 10:00:00 -0500

Tim Berry has a passion for helping people understand the importance of business planning to the continuing success of their organizations. He founded Palo Alto Software and created Business Plan Pro, one of the leading business applications on the market. Tim talks with us about why business planning is critical for the businesses of all sizes, how business planning should be a continual business activity, and some best practices for getting started with it. Tim also shares with us how his blogging fits in with the strategy of the company, and his own personal crusade to share his knowledge and experience with as many people as possible. And since Tim may not be perceived as the stereotypical blogger, we ask him if he thinks the more experienced entrepreneurs should dive in to Web 2.0 more than they have.

ACT! Creator Pat Sullivan on Small Business CRM and Using Web 2.0

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 10:00:00 -0500

If Pat Sullivan hadn't come along and created ACT!, the leading contact management application, over 20 years ago to begin us all down the path of contact management and eventually customer relationship management, I might have ended up being an accountant. And probably wouldn't have co-founded a company called CRM Essentials. But he did and he's our guest on this week's show. Pat shares with us why he created ACT! and how the name came to be, gives us his thoughts on why he feels CRM vendors may be overwhelming the user community. He also tells us what it takes to provide small businesses with the kind of CRM tools to allow them to be successful. Plus Pat fills us in on his new venture Jigsaw Health, compares building businesses before and during the Internet era, and how he's using social media to get the word out on chronic illness.

Office 2.0, Online Video Ads and Their Impact On Your Small Business

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 10:00:00 -0500

Our first guest is the organizer of the annual Office 2.0 conference, Ismael Ghalimi. Ismael fills us in on what Office 2.0 is and how it relates to Web 2.0, how companies are using SaaS to replace traditional software, who are some of the players in the Office 2.0 SaaS market, and why all attendees to the last Office 2.0 conference each received an iPhone. We also talk with Ken Lipscomb, ceo and founder of FourSpots.com, a video advertising marketplace using commercial templates to make the medium more accessible for small and medium-sized businesses. Ken talks about the growing acceptance of viewing video content online, the acceptance of video ads by web surfers, and the opportunity small businesses have to incorporate video ads into their marketing strategy to attract more eyeballs to their sites.

D&B's New Twist on Email Marketing and Laurie McCabe's Take on Google's OpenSocial

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 10:00:00 -0500

No matter how much we complain about the amount of email we receive, we are all hooked on it. A recent Harris Interactive study found that email is the most used tool for collaborating with others, used even more than the phone and face-to-face conversation. And due to its relative cheapness and the ease in which you can reach thousands of people with a push of a button, it has also become a key marketing tool with which to distribute the ever popular e-newsletter. But most email marketers are looking for new prospects to send their messages to. Dun and Bradstreet new service, Rapid Reach, takes email marketing a step further by allowing companies to send their html messages to targeted members of its opt-in database of 3 million plus email addresses. Manny Conti of Dun and Bradstreet fills us in on what Rapid Reach is, how it differs from services like Constant Contact, and how you can quickly get your message in front of kind of people you want to do business with.

Knowledge Worker Study and Why SMBs Aren't Big on Web 2.0

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 10:00:00 -0500

A recent Harris Interactive research study examined how people are working today, including how they communicate to get things done. The Knowledge Worker study, commissioned by Adobe, surveyed workers in various industries to understand collaboration and document exchange processes. Marion Melani of Adobe shares with us some of the more surprising discoveries coming out of the study. She also clues us in on how Adobe Acrobat can assist knowledge workers to be more productive and efficient as they collaborate and exchange documents with their partners and colleagues in order to complete critical tasks. And don't miss the conversation with Stuart Feil of Bredin Business Information (BBI). BBI just published a study that found SMBs have not fully embraced Web 2.0.

Wordtracker on Keyword Research and HP on Small Business

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 10:00:00 -0500

We talk with HP's John Dayan to get their take on the challenges small businesses are facing with respect to technology, and learn how HP is utilizing Web 2.0 tools to more effectively communicate with small businesses. We also have a very informative conversation with Wordtracker's chief marketing officer Ken McGaffin on the importance of performing keyword research in order to drive traffic to your website.

Small Biz Tech and Intuit Gives Entrepreneurs 50k Reasons to Just Start

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 10:00:00 -0500

This week we get to pick the brain of small business technology expert Ramon Ray, who has been tracking small business technology trends for years with his popular site SmallBizTechnology.com. Brent just throws question after question at Ramon on a whole bunch of subjects. Check out what Ramon has to say about whether you should make the move to Windows Vista and Office 2007, which big companies really get small business and their needs, and which technologies your small business should be checking out right now! Plus he points out a few companies you may not have heard of that are providing some cool services to small businesses. Plus JumpUp.com leader Kira Wampler fills us in on the Just Start contest from Intuit aimed at helping a lucky person fulfill their entrepreneurial dreams with $50,000 of products and services to Just Start their business.

Human Search, Google and Web 3.0 with Maholo.com founder Jason Calacanis

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 10:00:00 -0500

Robert Scoble of Scobleizer fame did a series of video blogs a while back that really drummed up a lot of attention on how SEO-resistant sites like Mahalo, TechMeme and Facebook were going to "kick Google's butt" in four years. To find out why human powered search results will give Google and the other search engines a run for their money we went right to the source. Mahalo.com founder and ceo Jason Calacanis fills us in on how Mahalo is using humans to deliver higher quality search results and discusses why search engine optimization professionals aren't too happy with him. Jason also talks about why his definition of Web 3.0 has stirred up controversy, and also shares his thoughts on why the economy may be on the downturn.

How You and Your Small Business Can Become a New Influencer

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 16:00:00 -0500

This week we have the pleasure of talking with Paul Gillin, author of The New Influencers: A Marketer's Guide to the New Social Media. Paul discusses how he utilized his blog to enlist hundreds of collaborators to help him write his book, what it takes to be a new influencer and a few examples of how small businesses are using social media to positively influence their bottom lines. If you are still on the fence about blogging, podcasting and other forms of new media, with respect to your business, than you have to listen to what Paul has to say.

Doing Ecommerce from Your Small Business Site with PayPal

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 16:00:00 -0500

Even in 2007 only slightly more than half of all small business have websites. And out of those, only a quarter of those are accepting payments directly from their website. But more and more customers are expecting to easily transact business directly from your company's website. But how do you go about setting up? Cliff Hopkins of PayPal Merchant Services fills us in on how to get started, the costs involved, and how accepting payments can increase shopping cart conversion rates more than other forms of payment. So if you've been thinking about whether you accept payments from your site, this show is definitely one to check out. Also check out Brent and Michael's discussion of the Three Most Asked CRM Questions by Small Business Owners.

Inc 500, 500 and IncBizNet.com with Jim Melloan of Inc Magazine

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 16:00:00 -0500

This week we talk with Inc magazine's project manager for the Inc 500/5000 project Jim Melloan. Jim clues us in on what it takes to make the list, how long it takes for them to determine which companies make it, and why they decided to expand the list from 500 to 5000. Plus Jim gives us some insight into their upcoming social networking site -IncBizNet.com. He covers why they felt now was the time to create a social network aimed at companies, what the benefits will be to companies who participate, and how your company can become a member of the site once it goes live next month. So if you want to get a leg up on making next year's list, Jim would be a good person to listen to.

Microsoft on Small Business and Microsoft CRM Live

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 16:00:00 -0500

Microsoft CRM Live is close to hitting the streets and will no doubt be of interest to businesses of all sizes looking to implement a customer relationship management solution. But what will it mean to small businesses ready to take the crm leap? And how will it work with other popular Microsoft products like Office and Outlook? Our guests this week are Cindy Bates, Microsoft's general manager of the US Small Business Group, and Microsoft Dynamics CRM general manager Brad Wilson. Cindy and Brad fill us in on the biggest challenges facing their small business customers and how Microsoft is addressing them. They also discuss how Microsoft CRM Live will benefit small businesses, and how services like Office Live are being used to help small businesses utilize the web more effectively. Plus find out how Microsoft Startup Center is helping entrepreneurs get their business ideas off the ground

Should You Use a Blogging Platform as Your Corporate Website?

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 16:00:00 -0500

As blogging continues its march into the business mainstream many traditional small businesses are trying to figure out the best way to incorporate it into web strategy. Should it be a part of your corporate website or should it stand alone? Another option that is increasingly being explored is whether to use a blog platform as your corporate website. This week's guest Chris Alden of Six Apart, the maker of leading blog tools Movable Type and TypePad. Chris discusses why companies may want to use a blogging platform as their corporate website and gives a few examples for how to incorporate desired functionality into a website built on top of a blogging platform. And Chris talks about where Movable Type fits and its position with respect to open source.

Print 2.0 - What is it and What Does It Mean For Small Business?

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 16:00:00 -0500

You've heard of Web 2.0, Enterprise 2.0, Community 2.0 and even Office 2.0, but not too many people know what Print 2.0 is. Print 2.0 is a term Hewlett Packard is using to describe their strategy for making it easier for dynamic website to create printer-friendly content easier and less expensively. HP's director of US Laserjet Printing Anneliese Olson fills us in on Print 2.0, and how partnering with Yahoo!, Flickr, Six Apart and other popular Web 2.0 companies will make it easier to print from the web. Olson also talks about the impact that Print 2.0 will have on SMBs in-house marketing capabilities and their marketing budgets. She also discusses how print communities like HP's SMB Expression Center will help you learn more about Print 2.0.

Truemors, Business and the Art of the Start with Guy Kawasaki

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 16:00:00 -0500

Been there....done that...and still doing it. That pretty much sums up all you need to know about Guy Kawasaki. From his days as one of Apple's original evangelists, to serial entrepreneurship, to venture capitalist and author of best selling books, Guy has been apart of high tech industry since the 80's. And his most recent project, Truemors, was one of the most anticipated new sites in recent memory. Check out Bren'ts one-on-one conversation with Guy as he talks about why he started Truemors at this point in time, the importance of Facebook to business and why most entrepreneurs should turn to bootstrapping and not venture capital to build their business.

Give Your Small Business' Online Marketing Efforts a Jolt

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 16:00:00 -0500

Even though there are many options, small businesses face more than a few challenges in creating and implementing successful online marketing strategies. And that is precisely why the folks at Entrepreneur Magazine and interactive promotions firm ePrize came up with the ePrize Marketing Jolt contest. Our guests this week are Entrepreneur magazine senior vice president and editorial director Rieva Lesonsky, and ePrize CEO Josh Linkner. ePrize is the creator of Caffeine, a service that allows small businesses to run online sweepstakes and coupons. Rieva and Josh will fill you in on the contest, why it came about and maybe even offer up a few hints that could help you win $20,000 worth of products and services to help you solve your biggest online marketing challenge. Additionally the contest winner will be featured in the December 2007 issue of Entrepreneur magazine.

Building a Presence on the Web with Anita Campbell of Small Business Trends

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 16:00:00 -0500

Our guest this week is Anita Campbell of Small Business Trends. Anita knows all about what it takes to create a compelling web presence, compelling enough to attract 57,000 people to subscribe to her site's RSS feed as well as 5,000 newsletter subscribers. Anita talks about how she was able to pull off this, what expectations you should have for building an effective web presence, what she would do differently now, and what steps new comers should take to get off to a good start. You're in for a treat with this one!

The State of SaaS - Software as a Service - with Phil Wainewright

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sat, 4 Aug 2007 16:00:00 -0500

Our guest this week is SaaS expert analyst Phil Wainewright. Phil is one of the leading analysts following the SaaS industry and is the author of ZDNet's software as a service blog. Among other things, Phil updates us on the state of SaaS, what the impact of Microsoft CRM Live will have on the industry and gives us his take on what Cisco's acquisition of Webex will mean in the long run. Plus Michael and I discuss our trip to Las Vegas for the Customer Feedback Week conference and how Facebook is giving LinkedIn a run for its money. And find out how you can win $20,000 worth of products and services by winning the ePrize-Entrepreneur magazine Marketing Jolt contest.

CRM - Where is it heading and where will it take your small business

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 16:00:00 -0500

Small businesses are turning to customer relationship management (CRM) in growing numbers to help bolster customer acquisition and retention. And today these services are easier to use, offer tons of functionality and can provide competitive advantages if you use them effectively. Our guests include 1to1 magazine editor Ginger Conlon, Rob Bois of AMR Research and CRM magazine editor Marshall Lager. They cover topics like what impact the iPhone will have on CRM, are we in the midst of CRM 2.0 and what does Microsoft CRM Live mean to the industry and to small businesses. If that's not enough for you, we also talk with research affiliate Steve King, one of the authors of the Intuit Future of Small Business report series. He fills us in on the finding of the second installment focused on technology trends that will impact small business over the next decade.

Using Avatars to Convert Website Visitors into Customers

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 16:00:00 -0500

Small businesses are still struggling to provide interesting, informative content on their websites to attract new site visitors, and to keep others coming back. This is important as it usually takes more than one site visit to convert a web visitor into a web lead. Many still feel it's too difficult and time consuming to crank out good content, but there are a growing number of options making it easy and affordable to do so. One way that's catching on rapidly is adding talking animated characters, also know as avatars, to your site to provide information and navigational assistance to site vistors.

Web Collaboration and Community Building with Diane Davidson of Webex

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 16:00:00 -0500

Finding and keeping good customers is the name of the game. It always has been....always will be. As more and more look to the web to help make this more effective and efficient, what are the right tools and approaches to cultivating good, collaborative relationships with those you wish to do business with. As many businesses are looking to build virtual communities to engage customers and prospects, what does it take to get started? And what really goes into creating the kind of community that keeps people coming back?

Using SlideShare.net to Beef Up Your Google Quotient

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sat, 7 Jul 2007 16:00:00 -0500

Small businesses are constantly trying to figure out how to leverage the web to find new customers. But the bigger concern should be how to use the web to make it easier for prospects to find you as well as to improve your relationships with current customers. Most small business people don't feel they have time to participate in or master blogging, podcasting and other Web 2.0 activities, but one thing they do know how to do is put together Powerpoint presentations. Frequently referred to as the YouTube of slide presentations, SlideShare.net allows you to easily upload your slide presentations and make them accessible to anyone searching for the kind of content you've created. This week's guest, co-founder and ceo of SlideShare.net Rashmi Sinha, will help us figure out how you can begin using SlideShare.net to drive traffic and improve your presence on the web.

The 50 Most Influential People in the Tech Biz with Business 2.0 Editor-at-Large Erick Schonfeld

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 16:00:00 -0500

Is Steve Job the most influential person in business technology? Where do the Google Guys rank? Does Bill Gates matter anymore? How about eBay ceo Meg Whitman? And is Arianna Huffington really more important than Salesforce.com CEO Marc Benioff? Join us as we go over the 50 Most Influential People in business technology with Erick Schonfeld, Business 2.0 magazine editor-at-large. Plus we get the lowdown on JumpUp.com from its marketing leader Kira Wampler.

Talking Tech with Stephen Wildstrom

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sat, 23 Jun 2007 16:00:00 -0500

From the iPhone, to Microsoft Surface to Web 2.0, and all things Google there are so many things going on in technology. Lucky for us that Steve Windstrom from BusinessWeek allowed us to fire a whole bunch of questions at him to help us figure some of this out. And if one guru weren't enough, our guest co-host this week is Paul Greenberg, author of the best selling book CRM at the Speed of Light and popular blog PGreenblog. Paul fills in for Michael who's been dispatched on a secret assignment. Brent and Paul talk about Web 2.0 and CRM being perfect partners, and how the CRM vendors haven't seemed to recognize that yet.

Enterprise 2.0 with Ross Mayfield

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 16:00:00 -0500

The term Enterprise 2.0 is being thrown around more and more these days. But what is it really and is it something you need to be aware of? Our guest Ross Mayfield will fill us in on what Enterprise 2.0 is and how it may impact the way you will communicate with customers, partners and others on your team.

Salesforce.com and Google, Plus SMB Trends with John Warrillow

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sat, 9 Jun 2007 16:00:00 -0500

Today we talk with John Warrillow, ceo and founder of Warrillow and Company. The company created The Warrillow Subscriber Network -- an advisory service for 55 enterprise companies targeting the Small and Medium Business (SMB) segment which provides market research insight on the SMB market. We also get an expert take from AMI Partners' Laurie McCabe on what to make out of the "big" announcement on Salesforce.com and Google's new partnership, and what it means to small businesses. Filling in for Michael this week is Lynn Do, president of Renovo Data.

CRM, SaaS and the SMB with NetSuite CEO Zach Nelson

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sat, 2 Jun 2007 16:00:00 -0500

SMBs have finally embraced software as a service (SaaS) and customer relationship management has been the leading application service they're turning to. In fact you could probably say CRM might helped prove the value of SaaS. This week we welcome Zach Nelson, ceo of SaaS pioneer NetSuite. Zach talks about the dark days of SaaS, the turning point in bringing it back from the brink, and why small businesses should be jumping in with both feet to grow their businesses.

What it Takes to be an Internet Entrepreneur with StartUpping.com's Mark Fletcher

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sat, 26 May 2007 16:00:00 -0500

With the barriers of entrepreneurship being driven down by the web and other technologies, now is a great time to explore business opportunities. Many of these opportunities can be fully realized over the web, paving he way for a growing number of Internet entrepreneurs. But what does it take to be a successful Internet entrepreneur, separating yourself from the masses? Serial Internet entrepreneur Mark Fletcher, founder of BlogLines, ONE List and StartUpping.com, gives us a an understanding of what it takes to be a successful Internet entrepreneur.

Finding the Right New Media Mix to Engage New Customers with Cisco's Jeanette Gibson

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sat, 19 May 2007 16:00:00 -0500

You know about blogging, podcasting, social networking, etc. That etc could mean YouTube or Flickr...or Digg....or even Second Life. With all these different ways to use the web to engage potential customers, which ones should you use? How do you choose? Cisco has added many of these tools to their tool belt for engaging customers, prospects and partners. Jeanette Gibson, Cisco's director of new media operations, talks about how Cisco looks at new media, and its growing importance to the company. And tells how small businesses can use some of the same tools and practices to grab new customers and improve relationships with current ones.

Email Deliverability: Getting Your Message Through the Filter with Return Path CEO Matt Blumberg

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sat, 12 May 2007 16:00:00 -0500

The majority of emails you get are either junk, unsolicited or unsolicited junk. With most of us feeling under siege by email overload, how confident are you that emails you send to customers and prospects are getting past the filter and into the inbox? Matt Blumberg, ceo of email deliverability firm Return Path, helps us understand the challenges of making it through the filter and how you can increase the odds of hitting your target.

Small Business on the Go: Mobility as a Competitive Advantage

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sat, 05 May 2007 16:00:00 -0500

We all have cell phones, pdas and other mobile devices. Most of the time we use them to make calls and view email. But are we really using them as much as we can from a strategic perspective? Today's services and devices are capable of much more than what we typically use them for. Amadeo Tarzia, Sage Software's SVP of Mobile and Wireless Solutions, talks about how companies are now beginning to view mobility as an important part of business strategy, way beyond checking email and making calls. Plus check out Michael's answer to how he would handle tough love from the marketing side of the house if he were on the sales team. And there's still time to help us make the show better and earn a chance to win a BlackBerry 8800!

The Business Impact of Living Your Life Online

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 16:00:00 -0500

Small businesses continue to grapple with how to use the web to expand their reach and improve the quality of their interactions with customers and prospects. This week we talk with Sherry Heyl, a social media expert who has been using collaborative tools and services to share her personal and professional experiences for over a decade. She discusses how Web 2.0 tools and services have impacted her personally, professionally and her approach to helping her clients incorporate social media into their business strategies. Also get the scoop on the 2007 Techno Tourism conference being held at the University of Georgia from event co-planner Dr. Scott Shamp, director of UGA's New Media Institiute.

Gaining Traction on the Web with Fast Pitch! CEO Bill Jula

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 11:00:00 -0500

Making a name for your small business on the web is one of the biggest challenges facing you. But if you can use the web to effectively build a good rep for your company it can lead to more business than you can handle. Bill Jula, CEO of business networking company Fast Pitch!, shares his considerable knowledge to help you get started in building a solid presence on the web. Plus check out Brent's spot interviews from the HP/SCORE Business Matchmaking event where over 800 small businesses got face time with buyers from Fortune 1000 companies and governement organizations.

Understanding Wikinomics with Don Tapscott

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 11:00:00 -0500

Wikipedia is one of the most popular sites on the web and a great model for how mass collaboration is creating major opportunities for those who understand its powerful benefits. To understand the promise of mass collaboration, you need to about Wikinomics. Join us as Don Tapscott, author of the best selling book Wikinomics, discusses why you need to not only understand mass collaboration, but embrace it in order to remain competitive. Plus learn how you can win a brand "spanking" new BlackBerry 8800 just by helping Brent and Michael improve the show!

Building an Effective Web Presence with Jeff Stibel

bleary@crm-essentials.com (Brent Leary) — Sun, 08 Apr 2007 11:00:00 -0500

Many small businesses still don't have a website, and those that do are not utilizing them as effectively as they should. Jeff Stibel shares his considerable knowledge and experience as a serial entrepreneur and current ceo of web host provider Web.com on how small businesses should be leveraging the web. Also check out Michael's CRM tip focusing on email effectiveness and our web tip of the week for creating landing pages that match keyword campaigns. Plus learn how you can win a brand "spanking" new BlackBerry 8800 just by helping Brent and Michael improve the show!