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You want your visitors to get everything they need from the first page of your website, but how do you choose words that work? My experience has shown that the average content for a successful page is no less than 100 words and no more than 200. If you client has to do a lot of scrolling, chances are they will simply move on to your competitor.
Here’s my list of what works:
1. Short, sweet and to the point with content, no rambling allowed!
2. Understand your clients’ needs and say so in your content!
3. Stay away from technical jargon unless it is otherwise impossible to say what you have to!
4. Never make visitors guess what you do and how to contact you!
5. If you put pricing on the site make it plain and simple!
Your visitors are not interested in reading reams of print. It might be tempting to talk at length about your company’s history and show testimonials from hundreds of satisfied clients. Please try to curb that instinct. Your visitors only want to know what your company does. They want to know if you can solve an immediate problem and if so, how do they contact you. This all has to happen on the first page. Remember though, it doesn’t have to be all about words. Properly used links are just as efficient.
Avoid jargon like it has cooties. Words that only make sense to a small portion of your readers will turn away potential clients. That said, sometimes using jargon is unavoidable. In those cases it may be necessary to offer an explanation of the term as a drop down or mouse-over. Done this way, it doesn’t detract from the flow of information.
People should never have to guess what your company does. A straight explanation works best. People have learned to stay away from sites that aren’t clear. You don’t want to be one of those. Your contact information should be displayed prominently in several areas on each page. Never make visitors have to look for phone numbers or email addresses.
Whether or not to put prices on the site is a personal choice. Some visitors will welcome it and some might decide you are too high. Times are hard; people are making decisions based on cost more than ever. If you do post your prices, make sure they are easy to understand and contain all necessary details. (Like per hour or per job, fee’s for special work or for things not covered by the specific job)
That’s pretty much all there is to it. Treat your visitors like more than just page clicks and you will build relationships that pay off handsomely in the long run.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Monday, August 31, 2009
Determination
A few months ago I talked about maintaining the focus of why you are in business. Despite every other reward for doing your own thing, you are in business for your customers. The more you do to help them get where they are going, the quicker your business will grow.
This month, I’m going to talk about determination. One of the definitions of determination is - the quality of being resolute; firmness of purpose. But I would like to take it one step further. Your resolve can wax or wane depending on the distance from your goal. I think that no matter how firm your resolve you also have to temper it with reality.
There are times when your plan or marketing strategy just doesn’t seem to be working. No matter what you do, you can’t make that phone ring by sheer willpower. There comes a time when you have to re-evaluate the plan and either throw it out in favor or something new, or reconfigure to a mode that might work better.
Determination at this point becomes the simple act of being able to let go. In the writing world there is a phrase – Kill your darlings. It refers to the fact that writers sometimes have to remove that cherished character or scene or bit of dialog from a piece of fiction to make the rest of it work. Now for a writer there is no worse thing than being told that they have to throw away text that they spent hours creating. It’s akin to killing one of your children. But in the business world, as in the writing world, if your plan has borne no fruit and you’ve given it a reasonable try, it might be time to Kill Your Darling. Never be so caught up in one way of thinking that you forget to consider other options. There is always more than one way to succeed in business.
Now, what I mean by reasonable time is more than a week or two. Depending on your industry, your marketing plan might not pay off for six months. But on that seventh month of not having any calls or new leads, its time to take the determined step of moving on to the next plan.
I know it sounds easy, but its probably one of the harder things you will ever have to do as a business owner. You want all of your plans to succeed. That’s why you got into business in the first place, remember? But as the market around you changes, you must also change. This is one of the reasons that large corporations are in the trouble they are now. They cannot change quickly with the times. If you’ve been locked into a single mode of doing business for 30 years, you aren’t going to change in 6 months.
Your determination to succeed drives the changes that will power your business. It also makes you flexible. Remember, being firmly resolute is wonderful, but it does you no good if you can’t adapt.
Be willing to change up. Never neglect your core values. But you never want to be stuck wondering why the phones aren’t ringing and your revenues are slipping.
This month, I’m going to talk about determination. One of the definitions of determination is - the quality of being resolute; firmness of purpose. But I would like to take it one step further. Your resolve can wax or wane depending on the distance from your goal. I think that no matter how firm your resolve you also have to temper it with reality.
There are times when your plan or marketing strategy just doesn’t seem to be working. No matter what you do, you can’t make that phone ring by sheer willpower. There comes a time when you have to re-evaluate the plan and either throw it out in favor or something new, or reconfigure to a mode that might work better.
Determination at this point becomes the simple act of being able to let go. In the writing world there is a phrase – Kill your darlings. It refers to the fact that writers sometimes have to remove that cherished character or scene or bit of dialog from a piece of fiction to make the rest of it work. Now for a writer there is no worse thing than being told that they have to throw away text that they spent hours creating. It’s akin to killing one of your children. But in the business world, as in the writing world, if your plan has borne no fruit and you’ve given it a reasonable try, it might be time to Kill Your Darling. Never be so caught up in one way of thinking that you forget to consider other options. There is always more than one way to succeed in business.
Now, what I mean by reasonable time is more than a week or two. Depending on your industry, your marketing plan might not pay off for six months. But on that seventh month of not having any calls or new leads, its time to take the determined step of moving on to the next plan.
I know it sounds easy, but its probably one of the harder things you will ever have to do as a business owner. You want all of your plans to succeed. That’s why you got into business in the first place, remember? But as the market around you changes, you must also change. This is one of the reasons that large corporations are in the trouble they are now. They cannot change quickly with the times. If you’ve been locked into a single mode of doing business for 30 years, you aren’t going to change in 6 months.
Your determination to succeed drives the changes that will power your business. It also makes you flexible. Remember, being firmly resolute is wonderful, but it does you no good if you can’t adapt.
Be willing to change up. Never neglect your core values. But you never want to be stuck wondering why the phones aren’t ringing and your revenues are slipping.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Finding a way to do business despite the fear
I’m almost embarrassed to admit this, but one of the things slowing down my ultimate success is fear. Why don’t I want to admit that? Well, because while fear is a normal part of doing business on my own, my fear is based on issues a bit less ordinary.
There is a natural inclination towards being intimidated by people you don’t know. Call it an outgrowth of the survival instinct. Or an extension of living in the projects and treating everyone you meet with a healthy level of suspicion. You just never knew who was safe and who could be dangerous. The best route was to assume everyone was hazardous. There was nothing worse than trusting someone only to have them stab you in the back – several times. Literally – with a knife. Getting jittery was natural.
We tend to move away from situations that could possibly cause pain and contacting a complete stranger to ask them for work (or a date for that matter) is an open invitation to rejection. Rejection is something that humans handle in different ways. You can become used to it and convince yourself that you don’t feel anything. Or you will rebel against that rejection and fight it on every level. There really isn’t a middle ground with this one. Because of how we’re wired, you either fight it or you run away from it.
Some people are better at masking their feelings. They appear as if nothing or no one ever bothers them. They are the supermen or superwomen of the world who bulldoze through any obstacle or opponent that dares challenge them.
More power to those people. I, however, am not in their ranks.
I take a bit slower approach since my personality doesn’t include any bulldozer attachments. I began my company just after leaving a part time job at SunTrust. Everything I did was aimed at letting people know I was out there in a semi-passive way.
I created brochures and business cards. I built my own website. I let people know that I was out there during networking meetings and chamber of commerce events. I sent out sales letters to non-profit organizations offering pro-bono services for a short time (to build my portfolio). I made friends with a few other independent business owners and tried to learn some of the ins and outs from people who’ve been on their own for a while.
But – I did not get on the phone and start willy-nilly calling people. I didn’t walk up to business owners I didn’t know and start my spiel. I never found myself trapped in an elevator with the CEO of XYZ Company. I am not open to that sort of rejection.
Through word of mouth I did get my first assignment. Cool, right? It was a total disaster. Partly because I didn’t define who I was and what I did, and partly because the business owner wanted the world, but didn’t want to pay for it.
That failure and the lack of other initial leads intensified the fear and I found myself wondering if leaving my job had been such a hot idea. I got out the book of lists and tried again with the sales letters. Still kind of passive I know, but at least I was trying something.
Why not just get on the phone and call a lot of people? Let me explain my issue with the phone.
I have spent the last 19 years in jobs that feature heavy phone contact with the public or internal employees. I have been screamed at. Called out my name. Treated as though I weren’t human. Now, granted, having people scream at me probably shouldn’t have gotten to me. I should have just let it roll off my back like it didn’t matter. I should have let some of the acid comments, condemnations and pure hatred just run in one ear and out the other, right? That might have worked if I wasn’t the person I am. I love helping people. That’s all I’ve ever really done. Help others. I wouldn’t take customer service jobs if I didn’t like helping. So to have that thrown back in my face hurt. It’s never fun to be trying to solve a problem and have a person spit on you.
Customer service is a fascinating world full of ‘interesting’ people. Some are there to help and some are there for the paycheck. No matter the reason for taking the job I fully understand why folks on the other end of the line sometimes act like they don’t care when you call to get something taken care of or fixed. Humans aren’t very fond of being treated like dirt, and it only takes a little while to turn a caring, trusting person into a raging asshole. Clark Howard likes to complain about customer service people, I’d like to see him do the job for 18 years just to see if he’d get it…
When I left AT&T I swore to myself that before I ever got another customer service job, I would shoot myself in the face. My hatred of the telephone extends into my private life. The phone can ring in the house and I will only look at it.
I could be three inches away, but if I don’t recognize the number as a friend, family or client, I will let it go to voice mail. I always call right back, especially if it is a client. But the odds of
getting me on the first ring are slim. I do a gut check every time the phone rings. It’s become an involuntary muscle response.
That’s why something like cold calling won’t work for me. Hell, I’m not even fond of being on the phone with people I know.
My methods are going to have to remain what bulldozer people would call ‘passive’ for now. Networking meetings, sales pitches via letter or email, chamber of commerce business events, word of mouth, my web site and the HC newsletter. That sort of thing. Until I develop those muscles that allow me to do it the other way, it’s all I have to work with.
There is a natural inclination towards being intimidated by people you don’t know. Call it an outgrowth of the survival instinct. Or an extension of living in the projects and treating everyone you meet with a healthy level of suspicion. You just never knew who was safe and who could be dangerous. The best route was to assume everyone was hazardous. There was nothing worse than trusting someone only to have them stab you in the back – several times. Literally – with a knife. Getting jittery was natural.
We tend to move away from situations that could possibly cause pain and contacting a complete stranger to ask them for work (or a date for that matter) is an open invitation to rejection. Rejection is something that humans handle in different ways. You can become used to it and convince yourself that you don’t feel anything. Or you will rebel against that rejection and fight it on every level. There really isn’t a middle ground with this one. Because of how we’re wired, you either fight it or you run away from it.
Some people are better at masking their feelings. They appear as if nothing or no one ever bothers them. They are the supermen or superwomen of the world who bulldoze through any obstacle or opponent that dares challenge them.
More power to those people. I, however, am not in their ranks.
I take a bit slower approach since my personality doesn’t include any bulldozer attachments. I began my company just after leaving a part time job at SunTrust. Everything I did was aimed at letting people know I was out there in a semi-passive way.
I created brochures and business cards. I built my own website. I let people know that I was out there during networking meetings and chamber of commerce events. I sent out sales letters to non-profit organizations offering pro-bono services for a short time (to build my portfolio). I made friends with a few other independent business owners and tried to learn some of the ins and outs from people who’ve been on their own for a while.
But – I did not get on the phone and start willy-nilly calling people. I didn’t walk up to business owners I didn’t know and start my spiel. I never found myself trapped in an elevator with the CEO of XYZ Company. I am not open to that sort of rejection.
Through word of mouth I did get my first assignment. Cool, right? It was a total disaster. Partly because I didn’t define who I was and what I did, and partly because the business owner wanted the world, but didn’t want to pay for it.
That failure and the lack of other initial leads intensified the fear and I found myself wondering if leaving my job had been such a hot idea. I got out the book of lists and tried again with the sales letters. Still kind of passive I know, but at least I was trying something.
Why not just get on the phone and call a lot of people? Let me explain my issue with the phone.
I have spent the last 19 years in jobs that feature heavy phone contact with the public or internal employees. I have been screamed at. Called out my name. Treated as though I weren’t human. Now, granted, having people scream at me probably shouldn’t have gotten to me. I should have just let it roll off my back like it didn’t matter. I should have let some of the acid comments, condemnations and pure hatred just run in one ear and out the other, right? That might have worked if I wasn’t the person I am. I love helping people. That’s all I’ve ever really done. Help others. I wouldn’t take customer service jobs if I didn’t like helping. So to have that thrown back in my face hurt. It’s never fun to be trying to solve a problem and have a person spit on you.
Customer service is a fascinating world full of ‘interesting’ people. Some are there to help and some are there for the paycheck. No matter the reason for taking the job I fully understand why folks on the other end of the line sometimes act like they don’t care when you call to get something taken care of or fixed. Humans aren’t very fond of being treated like dirt, and it only takes a little while to turn a caring, trusting person into a raging asshole. Clark Howard likes to complain about customer service people, I’d like to see him do the job for 18 years just to see if he’d get it…
When I left AT&T I swore to myself that before I ever got another customer service job, I would shoot myself in the face. My hatred of the telephone extends into my private life. The phone can ring in the house and I will only look at it.
I could be three inches away, but if I don’t recognize the number as a friend, family or client, I will let it go to voice mail. I always call right back, especially if it is a client. But the odds of
getting me on the first ring are slim. I do a gut check every time the phone rings. It’s become an involuntary muscle response.
That’s why something like cold calling won’t work for me. Hell, I’m not even fond of being on the phone with people I know.
My methods are going to have to remain what bulldozer people would call ‘passive’ for now. Networking meetings, sales pitches via letter or email, chamber of commerce business events, word of mouth, my web site and the HC newsletter. That sort of thing. Until I develop those muscles that allow me to do it the other way, it’s all I have to work with.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Finding your perfect client?
Quick.
Close your eyes and imagine yourself in a business seminar. If you’ve been stuck in as many meetings and dead end classes as I have there will be one of two images in your head. The sleepy eyed participants staring at the clock as the presenter drones on and on and o…zzzzz Oh, sorry.
Or you will have the image of a presenter being totally ignored by the participants as they chat back and forth; answer their blackberries planning the trip to the pub after the class. Oh, were we in a class? Shoot…
Finding your perfect client, by Hank Leeds of H.L. Leeds Inc is one of those rare events that fit neither bill. His method of teaching is the essence of “Outside the Box.” Here’s what I mean.
Before we even got started he asked us to rearrange the seating. Originally it was set up pretty standard. 10 rows of 20 chairs set in two columns. About 100 people in all, sitting and staring up at him at the podium.
So in a move that harkened back to kindergarten (remember how much fun that was?) we moved the chairs to form a circle and Hank sat at the top, inside the ring. A perfect place for everyone to hear him, see him and be the center of the action. The move also brought out a sense of community that might not have existed otherwise. It was immediately apparent that this was going to be different from other classes or lectures. Hanks method is to ask questions. He gets everyone involved in the proceedings by making the group focus on what’s important.
You might ask, what’s important? How about –
· What do you do to stay focused?
· Do you ignore the doom and gloom news and move forward anyway?
· How do you keep from allowing outside influences to sabotage your momentum?
· What kind of support system have you built for yourself?
· What’s your greatest challenge for earning business right now?
· How will you overcome it?
· What do you do during your down time to enhance current skills or learn new ones?
· Are you a niche marketer or a generalist?
· What are your core values and how do they affect how you do business?
· How do you keep track of your progress? How do you keep track of your success?
· How do you define marketing?
· How do you differentiate a good potential client (even if they don’t have any work right now) from an ineffective use of your time?
The questions formed the basis for the class. Each answer by a member of the Forum led to more questions which in turn led to even more clarity.
The Freelance Forum exists to give creative business owners a common ground for learning. It’s also about building fellowship. The questions that Hank posed to us during the class helped the entire group focus on that fellowship. The answers to questions came from among us. Discussion about building business was a shared experience and it didn’t matter if the person talking had been in the trenches for 20 years or 20 days, everyone benefited.
Ultimately, the question came down to the method Hank uses to find good clients. These steps have served him well for the last 40 years. Hank qualifies clients in this way:
· What kind of vibe does he get from the phone conference? What kind of vibe does he get from face to face meetings? It sounds trite, but a bad vibe is usually your instinct trying to warn you of a potential problem. Hank has learned to trust this voice.
· Have they done business with him before? Or, have they done business with his type of company before – this can be important since if he has to spend too long educating the potential client what he does and why, it might not be worth his time.
· If nothing is happening right now, he will ask if they might have a project coming up in which he might be of service.
· And he isn’t afraid to ask for referrals. Referrals are the lifeblood of any business. Its how most businesses manage to grow even with limited budgets and almost no advertising.
Sound too simple to work?
Sometimes the simple things are the ones that get ignored. It isn’t always by conscious choice. In our difficult, fast paced world the simple answer is somehow suspect. Often ignored or downplayed by virtue of being easily overlooked. But make no mistake; things in the economy have been bad before. Like everything else in life, it’s cyclic. Breaking the cycle takes people of like mind coming together and building for the future. Nothing simpler than that…
Your perfect client is out there. Discovering them is like anything else. You prepare yourself with education, a solid team and focus - and the ‘opportunity’ will present itself.
Close your eyes and imagine yourself in a business seminar. If you’ve been stuck in as many meetings and dead end classes as I have there will be one of two images in your head. The sleepy eyed participants staring at the clock as the presenter drones on and on and o…zzzzz Oh, sorry.
Or you will have the image of a presenter being totally ignored by the participants as they chat back and forth; answer their blackberries planning the trip to the pub after the class. Oh, were we in a class? Shoot…
Finding your perfect client, by Hank Leeds of H.L. Leeds Inc is one of those rare events that fit neither bill. His method of teaching is the essence of “Outside the Box.” Here’s what I mean.
Before we even got started he asked us to rearrange the seating. Originally it was set up pretty standard. 10 rows of 20 chairs set in two columns. About 100 people in all, sitting and staring up at him at the podium.
So in a move that harkened back to kindergarten (remember how much fun that was?) we moved the chairs to form a circle and Hank sat at the top, inside the ring. A perfect place for everyone to hear him, see him and be the center of the action. The move also brought out a sense of community that might not have existed otherwise. It was immediately apparent that this was going to be different from other classes or lectures. Hanks method is to ask questions. He gets everyone involved in the proceedings by making the group focus on what’s important.
You might ask, what’s important? How about –
· What do you do to stay focused?
· Do you ignore the doom and gloom news and move forward anyway?
· How do you keep from allowing outside influences to sabotage your momentum?
· What kind of support system have you built for yourself?
· What’s your greatest challenge for earning business right now?
· How will you overcome it?
· What do you do during your down time to enhance current skills or learn new ones?
· Are you a niche marketer or a generalist?
· What are your core values and how do they affect how you do business?
· How do you keep track of your progress? How do you keep track of your success?
· How do you define marketing?
· How do you differentiate a good potential client (even if they don’t have any work right now) from an ineffective use of your time?
The questions formed the basis for the class. Each answer by a member of the Forum led to more questions which in turn led to even more clarity.
The Freelance Forum exists to give creative business owners a common ground for learning. It’s also about building fellowship. The questions that Hank posed to us during the class helped the entire group focus on that fellowship. The answers to questions came from among us. Discussion about building business was a shared experience and it didn’t matter if the person talking had been in the trenches for 20 years or 20 days, everyone benefited.
Ultimately, the question came down to the method Hank uses to find good clients. These steps have served him well for the last 40 years. Hank qualifies clients in this way:
· What kind of vibe does he get from the phone conference? What kind of vibe does he get from face to face meetings? It sounds trite, but a bad vibe is usually your instinct trying to warn you of a potential problem. Hank has learned to trust this voice.
· Have they done business with him before? Or, have they done business with his type of company before – this can be important since if he has to spend too long educating the potential client what he does and why, it might not be worth his time.
· If nothing is happening right now, he will ask if they might have a project coming up in which he might be of service.
· And he isn’t afraid to ask for referrals. Referrals are the lifeblood of any business. Its how most businesses manage to grow even with limited budgets and almost no advertising.
Sound too simple to work?
Sometimes the simple things are the ones that get ignored. It isn’t always by conscious choice. In our difficult, fast paced world the simple answer is somehow suspect. Often ignored or downplayed by virtue of being easily overlooked. But make no mistake; things in the economy have been bad before. Like everything else in life, it’s cyclic. Breaking the cycle takes people of like mind coming together and building for the future. Nothing simpler than that…
Your perfect client is out there. Discovering them is like anything else. You prepare yourself with education, a solid team and focus - and the ‘opportunity’ will present itself.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Commitment
My reasons for pursuing a career as a freelance writer were questioned a few days ago. And though I can understand the questioners’ intent, he is a business owner and someone I would think understands the benefit of using professional consultation services.
I am strong in my commitment to success, but his questions did manage to shake me a bit. Part of the problem is the way the economy is being portrayed on an hourly basis by the news media. It’s why I made up my mind not to watch the news anymore. (Heck, not a lot of TV worth watching anyway…) The other part of why his words reached me is because of how hard it is to earn a clients trust and gain a project.
I originally created this company in June of 2005. At the time I had one major client. A technology firm in mid-town Atlanta. Through a comedy of errors that came from being new in business and not sure of myself, I managed to give away $3000 worth of work and not get paid for any of it. The experience weakened my trust in black owned businesses, but more than that, it made me wonder why I was bothering. My automatic assumption was that every business was going to do me the same way.
Thankfully, that turned out not to be true. I have had some good business relationships with people over the intervening years. Although I did not focus on the business like I should, which was why I ended up having to get a full time job again in 2006.
My experience over the last few years has been positive. I understand what business is designed to do – help people solve their problems. I am beginning to get a handle on my place in the business world.
So, the questioning of my current effort came at a bad time. But it also came at the best time. I am in a transition. Trying to find out which way is better for me, the traditional job or the consulting/business owner world.
No matter which way I slice it, or try to explain away the reality – my mental attitude is, traditional jobs fit some people, but not me. I’ve only had two jobs that made me feel like was accomplishing something and making a difference – Fayette Wrecker and the Army.
Far from traditional jobs.
I’ve been a police dispatcher, a receiving clerk, a records clerk, a warehouse worker, a heating and cooling dispatcher, a security officer, a computer desktop support technician, a web consultant and a host of other little jobs that make up that infamous – And other tasks as assigned – clause on every job description. Basically a customer service rat for more than 18 years.
I don’t have many complaints or regrets about the past. It’s over and done with so I don’t get any benefit from worrying about it. It surely doesn’t put any money in my pocket. One advantage of getting older is the wisdom that sometimes enters your thinking. You realize that repeating the past’s mistakes get you nowhere. This touch of wisdom is what drives my desire.
One strong belief I have is about the need for growth. Owning a business forces you to grow in ways that outpace anything that a traditional job has to offer. The only thing that comes close in intensity is being married or having children.
So, the words and their attendant questions rattled me for a while. I actually took them to heart for a while. But after carefully thinking it through I recognized that my decision to pursue something that matters trumps other considerations. When I succeed, my children and my wife will benefit from it. The community that I serve will benefit. My creditors will benefit. And more important, I will benefit from the stretching of my personality and newfound ability to serve even more people.
That’s what business is all about - taking care of specific needs. The rewards are pretty plain.
I am strong in my commitment to success, but his questions did manage to shake me a bit. Part of the problem is the way the economy is being portrayed on an hourly basis by the news media. It’s why I made up my mind not to watch the news anymore. (Heck, not a lot of TV worth watching anyway…) The other part of why his words reached me is because of how hard it is to earn a clients trust and gain a project.
I originally created this company in June of 2005. At the time I had one major client. A technology firm in mid-town Atlanta. Through a comedy of errors that came from being new in business and not sure of myself, I managed to give away $3000 worth of work and not get paid for any of it. The experience weakened my trust in black owned businesses, but more than that, it made me wonder why I was bothering. My automatic assumption was that every business was going to do me the same way.
Thankfully, that turned out not to be true. I have had some good business relationships with people over the intervening years. Although I did not focus on the business like I should, which was why I ended up having to get a full time job again in 2006.
My experience over the last few years has been positive. I understand what business is designed to do – help people solve their problems. I am beginning to get a handle on my place in the business world.
So, the questioning of my current effort came at a bad time. But it also came at the best time. I am in a transition. Trying to find out which way is better for me, the traditional job or the consulting/business owner world.
No matter which way I slice it, or try to explain away the reality – my mental attitude is, traditional jobs fit some people, but not me. I’ve only had two jobs that made me feel like was accomplishing something and making a difference – Fayette Wrecker and the Army.
Far from traditional jobs.
I’ve been a police dispatcher, a receiving clerk, a records clerk, a warehouse worker, a heating and cooling dispatcher, a security officer, a computer desktop support technician, a web consultant and a host of other little jobs that make up that infamous – And other tasks as assigned – clause on every job description. Basically a customer service rat for more than 18 years.
I don’t have many complaints or regrets about the past. It’s over and done with so I don’t get any benefit from worrying about it. It surely doesn’t put any money in my pocket. One advantage of getting older is the wisdom that sometimes enters your thinking. You realize that repeating the past’s mistakes get you nowhere. This touch of wisdom is what drives my desire.
One strong belief I have is about the need for growth. Owning a business forces you to grow in ways that outpace anything that a traditional job has to offer. The only thing that comes close in intensity is being married or having children.
So, the words and their attendant questions rattled me for a while. I actually took them to heart for a while. But after carefully thinking it through I recognized that my decision to pursue something that matters trumps other considerations. When I succeed, my children and my wife will benefit from it. The community that I serve will benefit. My creditors will benefit. And more important, I will benefit from the stretching of my personality and newfound ability to serve even more people.
That’s what business is all about - taking care of specific needs. The rewards are pretty plain.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Jim Browning and the LinkedIn phenomenon
Just finished a class on leveraging LinkedIn given by a gentleman named Jim Browning.
Jim is local to Altanta and has a history with Coca Cola that goes back 30+ years. He has become something of a guru in the business networking world. His current count of first level contacts through LinkedIn tops 13,000.
It's an amazing number. Not necessarily something I aspire to, but I can see the benefit. As a person who runs a commercial copywriting company, that many contacts would probably lead to at least a few gigs.
In the class, Jim spoke about the mechanics of creating a profile that actually gets seen on organic searches. The class also covered ways to build and mine your network. It also covered some of the powerful applications available in LinkedIn. Things like the Outlook Toolbar that allows you to manage your LinkedIn contacts through your Outlook contact list. That's just one of many.
We covered ways to use your network to help others, which is really what it’s all about anyway. Every time you offer to help you are paying it forward and building that kind of good karma can only benefit you in the end.
Overall, the class was stellar. Several dozen questions were asked and Jim demonstrated a thorough knowledge of his subject. He also offers webinars at a very reasonable cost.
I’ve had the LinkedIn account for about 6 months and although I’ve learned quite a few things about it, Jim taught me more in 2 hours than I’d ever realized was possible. The depth of reach that this tool encompasses is kind of amazing.
Consider – there are 32 million people currently registered with LinkedIn. That is a significant portion of the working and business community that has some tie to the site. I can guarantee that SOMEONE you know is in the network or is thinking about it.
If you are interested in finding out more, Jim can be contacted through LinkedIn at – jim.networking@gmail.com. His company is called Browning Business Solutions, LLC and it is based out of Acworth, GA.
The LinkedIn group that he manages is called Atlanta Linking - http://tinyurl.com/NetworkWithJim .
Jim is local to Altanta and has a history with Coca Cola that goes back 30+ years. He has become something of a guru in the business networking world. His current count of first level contacts through LinkedIn tops 13,000.
It's an amazing number. Not necessarily something I aspire to, but I can see the benefit. As a person who runs a commercial copywriting company, that many contacts would probably lead to at least a few gigs.
In the class, Jim spoke about the mechanics of creating a profile that actually gets seen on organic searches. The class also covered ways to build and mine your network. It also covered some of the powerful applications available in LinkedIn. Things like the Outlook Toolbar that allows you to manage your LinkedIn contacts through your Outlook contact list. That's just one of many.
We covered ways to use your network to help others, which is really what it’s all about anyway. Every time you offer to help you are paying it forward and building that kind of good karma can only benefit you in the end.
Overall, the class was stellar. Several dozen questions were asked and Jim demonstrated a thorough knowledge of his subject. He also offers webinars at a very reasonable cost.
I’ve had the LinkedIn account for about 6 months and although I’ve learned quite a few things about it, Jim taught me more in 2 hours than I’d ever realized was possible. The depth of reach that this tool encompasses is kind of amazing.
Consider – there are 32 million people currently registered with LinkedIn. That is a significant portion of the working and business community that has some tie to the site. I can guarantee that SOMEONE you know is in the network or is thinking about it.
If you are interested in finding out more, Jim can be contacted through LinkedIn at – jim.networking@gmail.com. His company is called Browning Business Solutions, LLC and it is based out of Acworth, GA.
The LinkedIn group that he manages is called Atlanta Linking - http://tinyurl.com/NetworkWithJim .
Thursday, January 29, 2009
LinkedIn as a business tool
I joined the LinkedIn revolution a few months back as a way to help create a network of like minded people to trade ideas and information with.
Since I worked for AT&T as a web consultant, I'd made lots of contacts with other writers, web designers, and other pro's in the field. I didn't think that throwing all of that info away would be a good idea.
The problem is, as a tool for generating income, LinkedIn is somewhat limited to the contacts that you make and their main focus. If your contacts are others who own or are building businesses, they can be invaluable, even if they are not in your field. If most of your contacts are friend or former co-workers, it might not be as effective. Though they can sometimes pass along job leads or prospect leads.
Right now everyone I know is doing what they have to in order to keep their current job. Layoffs are occurring left, right, and center. Entire companies are shutting down with alarming frequency and the news paints a doom and gloom picture of it all. Kinda makes a person want to dig a hole, climb in, and pull a sheet of metal over the works until the sun starts to shine again. It also makes people hold on to jobs, no matter how bad they may be. Any income is good income at this point.
My effort - Hanley Communications, is a writing company. First and foremost I am about communicating ideas using the written word. I've been in the game for a while now, so I recognize panic journalism when I read it.
On the flip side, I believe that this doom and gloom news will eventually help build the strength and usefulness of LinkedIn. As more people learn of what it can do, more will join. That influx of new users will bring with them a host of possible leads and contacts.
At some point the news will reach critical mass and people will begin to get tired of it. At that point I predict a wonderful thing will happen. All of the old ways will again become the new ways.
Before we all started working in factories and for large companies, lots of us were independent contractors. The shoemaker down the street. The butcher who cut his own meat and knew the difference between a porterhouse and a crab leg. The country doctor who really liked the idea of practicing medicine designed to help people instead of an HMO's bottom line.
I think that when this point of critical mass is reached, more people will realize that networking in places like LinkedIn, Myspace, Facebook and others have a viable place in their arsenal of business building tools.
Here's my hope -
1. More people will gravitate to the idea of owning thier own business, either part time or full time. This will make the landscape even more vibrant that it is now.
2. The dependence on one job to provide the lion’s share of individual income will decrease to the point where the fear and stress of job loss will be less destructive.
3. The efforts of smaller companies and individuals to generate business will foster competition and innovation in the marketplace.
4. Larger companies will be forced to improve customer service skills due to the competition from agencies that can make customer focused decisions quickly.
5. Overall, the improvements to the market will be beneficial. It’s been proven that even minor positive changes have a ripple effect across the board.
I truly believe that business networking sites like LinkedIn will lead the way by being a source of information about the market as it happens. Business owners won’t have to wait to hear about trends on the news. With the myriad groups available, timely information will be the norm.
The usual caveats apply. Let the buyer beware, not everything that you read or hear is going to be actionable. Some will be outright lies. This is where the others in your network come in handy. Anything you might not know, it’s a sure bet that someone does.
So, here’s to networking and building something from scratch that grows more every year.
Here’s to the future.
Since I worked for AT&T as a web consultant, I'd made lots of contacts with other writers, web designers, and other pro's in the field. I didn't think that throwing all of that info away would be a good idea.
The problem is, as a tool for generating income, LinkedIn is somewhat limited to the contacts that you make and their main focus. If your contacts are others who own or are building businesses, they can be invaluable, even if they are not in your field. If most of your contacts are friend or former co-workers, it might not be as effective. Though they can sometimes pass along job leads or prospect leads.
Right now everyone I know is doing what they have to in order to keep their current job. Layoffs are occurring left, right, and center. Entire companies are shutting down with alarming frequency and the news paints a doom and gloom picture of it all. Kinda makes a person want to dig a hole, climb in, and pull a sheet of metal over the works until the sun starts to shine again. It also makes people hold on to jobs, no matter how bad they may be. Any income is good income at this point.
My effort - Hanley Communications, is a writing company. First and foremost I am about communicating ideas using the written word. I've been in the game for a while now, so I recognize panic journalism when I read it.
On the flip side, I believe that this doom and gloom news will eventually help build the strength and usefulness of LinkedIn. As more people learn of what it can do, more will join. That influx of new users will bring with them a host of possible leads and contacts.
At some point the news will reach critical mass and people will begin to get tired of it. At that point I predict a wonderful thing will happen. All of the old ways will again become the new ways.
Before we all started working in factories and for large companies, lots of us were independent contractors. The shoemaker down the street. The butcher who cut his own meat and knew the difference between a porterhouse and a crab leg. The country doctor who really liked the idea of practicing medicine designed to help people instead of an HMO's bottom line.
I think that when this point of critical mass is reached, more people will realize that networking in places like LinkedIn, Myspace, Facebook and others have a viable place in their arsenal of business building tools.
Here's my hope -
1. More people will gravitate to the idea of owning thier own business, either part time or full time. This will make the landscape even more vibrant that it is now.
2. The dependence on one job to provide the lion’s share of individual income will decrease to the point where the fear and stress of job loss will be less destructive.
3. The efforts of smaller companies and individuals to generate business will foster competition and innovation in the marketplace.
4. Larger companies will be forced to improve customer service skills due to the competition from agencies that can make customer focused decisions quickly.
5. Overall, the improvements to the market will be beneficial. It’s been proven that even minor positive changes have a ripple effect across the board.
I truly believe that business networking sites like LinkedIn will lead the way by being a source of information about the market as it happens. Business owners won’t have to wait to hear about trends on the news. With the myriad groups available, timely information will be the norm.
The usual caveats apply. Let the buyer beware, not everything that you read or hear is going to be actionable. Some will be outright lies. This is where the others in your network come in handy. Anything you might not know, it’s a sure bet that someone does.
So, here’s to networking and building something from scratch that grows more every year.
Here’s to the future.
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