Category — Blog

This blog will illustrate how you can use story telling in your marketing materials, blog posts and talks to help other people understand what your product or service does.  

If you are in the business of promoting your products or services (who isn’t), you must have heard the phrase ‘Facts Tell – Stories Sell’.

Unfortunately, many people in business shy away from using stories to convey their message – because they assume that telling stories is a bit err childish, amateurish or unprofessional. 

I agree that hearing the word story probably conjures up the wrong image.  Initialy you might say  ”Telling a story has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with my Business Metrics Measuring Tool”.

That’s a really short-sighted attitude.  Because if you are struggling to get customers to understand what your product or service does – the best way to get them to understand is by telling a story.

What’s this got to do with a hairdryer…?

I was only 21 and one of 5 daughters.  And if you’ve got daughters or sisters you will know that at that age girls spend an awful lot of time washing their hair, and doing their nails and putting on make-up.  A lot of time.  My problem was that I was the only one who had a decent hairdryer.  But at that particular time I was the only one with a functioning hairdryer. Not fun when all of us were getting ready for a party, or fighting for the hairdryer before going to work. 

So I entered a competition to win a hairdryer.   I told a story from the hairdryer’s perspective.  Now I must admit, that this was a long time ago and my writing style was a bit immature, but whatever it was I did, it worked! 

So why are stories so powerful?

OK look at this another way.  How desperate are you for people to understand you, or try your stuff?  These days it’s not enough to bang on about how great you are or focus on features.  When you focus on features alone there are two reasons why that might fail:-

1. You might assume that everyone is as familiar with your business as you are.   And there’s no point in getting a bit huffy when people ask for more information.
2. A feature only focuses on the product itself, and not what it can do for other people to make a meaningful impact on their lives. 

This wil leave a yawning chasm between you. 

How does telling a story work in action?

OK let’s consider Google…

How many times have you searched for a solution to a problem using Google, only to land on a  page that’s crammed with boring facts, and industry specific key words and jargon?  How long did you hang around to find out more?  3 seconds perhaps?   

I despair at the sheer volume of tedious, boring and un-user friendly sites out there.  You want a simple answer but nobody bothers to deliver it in a straightforward way!   If that isn’t your experience – then please comment below. 

So, to conclude.  If you want to get some traction on your website and to help people (whilst at the same time promoting yourself in a relaxed and friendly way) – package the information into a neat little story to illustrate how it works in a very simple way. 

Compare what you do to something common place for instance, or relate a personal experience or kids story.  Talk about the plot of a film,  or ancient legend to illustrates your point.

We all remember fairy stories don’t we.  So your challenge is to look at your content.  If some of it goes way over the heads of the majority of your potential clients, think about simplifying it by telling a story.

I am now into my 3rd year running my own business and I feel quite lucky that the internet and social media revolution has come about in time for my business to take advantage. If a sure if I was in my early twenties or thirties I’d be even more pleased. These 5 videos give a great broad flavour of what Social Media is and the impact it is having on our lives…

Is Social Media a Fad?

This video has over 1.5 million visits, and tells it how it is. It is already happening and it is impossible for anybody NOT to be effected by this movement. When watching this video, with the music, it gives you inspiration to find out more and not be left behind. WATCH IT NOW!

Social Media Experts

If you take Malcolm Gladwell’s definition of an expert (Outliers: The Story of Success) it is someone who has had 10,000 hours on the area they claim to be an expert in. He sites that Bill Gates had been programming nonstop for over 7 years BEFORE he started he own software company, Microsoft. For us mere mortals if you were to work 8 hours a day 5 days a week every week on something it would take you 4 years and 10 months to become an expert, and this is the bottom figure. Social Media, in the form most of us know it, has only been around for 3/4 years. Twitter is only 4 years old. So how many social media experts are there out these? This video by Chris Pirillo gives a fun and thought provoking look at Social Media.

Seth Godin on Social Media

Seth Godwin’s idea on all things marketing and permission marketing is legendary. Here he gives his take on email marketing and social media. In a very simple way he explains complex marketing techniques in everyday language that we all can understand.

Social Media and ROI

So social media is here to stay. SO WHAT!!! Will it make me any money? Is it about just feeding each other’s egos or hoping somebody is listening when we tell them what we are having for breakfast? This video by Socialnomics gives some great examples of companies who have invested in social media and showing some serious money. My take on social media as I mentioned in this blog is that it is a vehicle for communication, conversation and social interaction. What you say is up to you.

Barack OBAMA on Social Media

If you still need convincing the power of social media, then if this endorsement doesn’t do it, nothing will. Here Barack Obama talks about the role social media had to play, on him winning the Presidential election in the USA.

There are many more I could have chosen, however I hope these five give you a flavour of what social media is, and can give your business.

Social Media is an incredibly hot topic at the moment …

and many small businesses are keen to jump on the Social Media bandwagon.  But it’s relatively new.  So there is a danger that many small business owners could be adopting this strategy without really knowing what they are doing.  They could think that it’s the ‘magic bullet’ that could miraculously rescue their ailing marketing campaigns, or think that it requires very little effort in order to succeed at it.  This is a mistake…

So before you leap in feet first here are my 10 Top Tips:

1. Before you do anything with Social Media, recognise that unless you have the resources available to outsource the whole thing, it will require effort, commitment and consistency on your part.  It doesn’t happen on its own.  However, if you are organised, have a plan and are prepared to schedule your time sensibly, there is no reason why it cannot replace at least one networking event per week in terms of time spent. 
2. Write compelling, well optimised blog posts that get people talking. Invite discussion and be relevant.  This will help drive people to your website to find out more about you and your service.   
3. There’s nothing more powerful than an endorsement of your work in the form of a Video testimonial from happy clients or customers, who are happy to share their experiences of working with you.  The videos only need to be a couple of minutes long.  These can be quickly uploaded onto You Tube and embedded into your website. 
4. Join Groups on Linked In and start showing up, connecting, sharing or posting useful advice.  Word of caution – you need to be in the right ‘fish tank’ of course – so go where your customers/clients are more likely to be swimming!
5. Optimise your articles and blogs with your keywords, so these are searchable on Google.  Then ensure they are ‘pinged’, i.e. circulated onto social bookmarking sites like Digg, and Technorati, and other profiles where you have a presence, i.e. Facebook and Twitter and Linked In.
6. Encourage people you meet at networking/trainings/seminars to link up with you online as well.  Build the relationship.  Remember – don’t spam them with your stuff when you’ve only just met – that’s the kiss of death! So give it time.
7. Remember, these days people would rather connect to a real person and not a Faceless Corporate Entity.  So being personable, genuine and transparent helps to gain other people’s trust, and is the essential ingredient to building your credibility and likeability.  One way to do this is to reveal something about you that others might find interesting.  For instance, do you Skydive in your spare time, or are keen on Ball Room Dancing or hate Marmite?  Why not let people know about it?
8. Demonstrate your expertise by making it easy for potential clients to gain access to some of your useful resources and material. It might sound counter-intuitive, but the more you share – the more your name gets out there! – this blog post has recently been published in the NABO Newsletter for instance!
9. Go for quality rather than quantity – i.e. you don’t need to be hooked up to the whole world and be on a mission to get thousands of followers on Twitter. Develop relevant connections and find friendly advocates who can talk about you to other people – then build from there.
10. Utilise Social Plugins/Widgets/Buttons (e.g. the Facebook Like Button) and place these on your blog or Website.  This leverages Social Proof (e.g. people look around to see what everyone else is doing before they make their choice).  Rather than listening to marketing messages alone, consumers rely on that old favourite – the opinions of other people before making a choice. 

When you think of the word legend or leader (particularly in a business context) you might conjure up a picture of a bold and perhaps slightly aggressive looking individual in a sharp suit, or perhaps a perfectly groomed women who’s never seen a bad hair day in her life.  But what about the aspiring leader who doesn’t fit the stereotype?  You could feel intimidated – leading you to shy away from the limelight, assuming that you probably aren’t legend material.  But let’s consider this…

Some of the wealthiest and most successful businesses are run and founded by geeks; unlikely heroes who have emerged from the Bloggersphere.  There they were just doing their thang on the Internet, building some fantastic invention in their spare bedroom, or starting out as wannabe  Internet marketers.  However, with an uncanny knack of knowing their way around the technology, and an ability to persuade and network, they got known fairly quickly.  And all without appearing to do a lot, except just show up, and talk eloquently and enthusiastically about their special field of interest.

Some of them are so laid back that they aren’t even bothered about what they look like either.  Because to become an influencer on the Internet requires a different approach than that which is accepted in the corporate world.   Many legends inspire huge followings, enhanced with entertaining videos.  Some are completely unconcerned that they recorded it in their kitchen standing next to that box of Kellogg’s cornflakes, whilst the cat sits nearby eating their cereal.   In fact, the more unassuming they are, the more appeal they seem to have.   But has the Internet really opened up the field so that anyone can achieve legend status? 

What is their secret and could we all borrow a few ideas to become a legend?

Being a legend is all about leading and teaching

Look, lets just forget about you for a minute and concentrate on those people who need you.  If all you are concerned about is you, you are missing the point. You could be sitting in front of a video camera wearing an outrageous cardigan with seriously naff hair, and still become a legend.  Why?  Because if you’re delivering seriously useful stuff to people, they will come back in droves and be your biggest fans.  You only have to think of the legendary Patrick Moore and his effervescent childlike enthusiasm for Astronomy – and you’ll know just what I mean.  He didn’t have the best dress sense, definitely needed a haircut – but memorable just the same.

Pick your subject and become an expert at it

Following on from the item above, sharing all your best stuff may sound counter-intuitive, but offering people valuable material in a non-threatening way actually helps to attract people to you like bees to honey! 

Share your enthusiasm

Enthusiasm is infectious. Because when you’re blazing a trail and talking with total conviction about your subject matter (even wearing said naff jumper mentioned above) – people will be helplessly drawn towards you in droves. Let’s consider Dan Bradbury for instance.  Sometimes he talks with so much enthusiasm I honestly think he will spontaneously combust!  Now granted he’s probably not quite that effusive over a cup of tea and a cream cake, and wouldn’t consider himself a nerd or a geek but he does know how to win the crowd! 

Show up

You have to be there.  It won’t happen without some kind of input from you.   However that means showing up in front of the right audience.  Let’s face it  – you may be a legend in one arena but a total unknown somewhere else, but you need to put in the hours and be prepared to show your face and walk the talk, over and over and over.

Engage and be helpful

The best leaders on the Internet are also really good at engaging with people, networking and building their own tribe.  This might actually go against the perceived view of most geeks – e.g. that they have absolutely zero people skills and aren’t really that interested in meeting and engaging with anyone except perhaps their cat or the cleaning lady.  But you’d be wrong.  Look – you don’t necessarily have to be a laugh a minute – Darren Rouse actually considers himself an introvert and is happier propping up the fridge at parties. 

Be unique and original

And the thing about this is – it sometimes takes courage and masses of self belief to dare to do something that might be seen as a little out of the ordinary.  Forget about conformity.  For example, ‘The Fear Master’ or ‘The Juice master’ are really strong brands with a unique and compelling message.

Take risks and be prepared to be criticised

They say that the minute you start getting people sending stroppy messages or complaining – this is actually the very sign  which indicates you are actually making an impact and on the right lines.  So don’t be put off or feel that nobody loves you any more if you’ve been attacked – it means you’re actually getting noticed, and becoming a leader.  You have to be able to take the flack, deal with it and not break your stride.  One leadership coach I know has a brilliant way of handling people who chose to offer feedback on his presentations - he just says that his job is to turn up on time, give his talk, get paid and go home.  Nothing more.  

Always be learning and growing

Even those at the top of the tree are continually learning and growing and actually invest large sums of money in their own personal and business development.  When you’re striving for excellence and learning from those who may be just a couple of steps ahead of you – this can only benefit those people who admire and learn from you. 

Be a human being who others can relate to

In fact, the more completely down to earth you are and unconcerned with conformity, or ‘fitting in’  the more compelling and charismatic you become. Be a three dimensional person.  For instance if you just happen to play the accordian in your local pub every Thursday, doesn’t that make you slightly intriguing and somebody worth knowing? Somebody who has a life?

Tell stories to illustrate and entertain

I’ve come across some seriously good story tellers out there in the bloggersphere.  They can weave very clever little metaphors into their material which helps bridge the gap and build rapport with their audience.  When you tell stories you bypass other people’s natural skepticism.  I used to feel incredibly self conscious about talking about ‘me’ and some of my life experiences until I heard a memory expert talk about his harrowing childhood.  You could feel the audience warming to him as he spoke. 

So, do you consider yourself on the way to becoming a legend?  Perhaps you’re a geek who wants to become a legend. Or perhaps you have a different definition of your own…  Leave your comments here and let me know.

You may (or may not) have come across the term “Social Proof” recently.  If you run a business you may already be into Social Media, and have done some study to learn a bit more. You will therefore be very familiar with the incredible power of Social Proof.  Because it can help to persuade more people to show interest in your products. 

Here’s a very simple way to describe what Social Proof is.

You’re sitting in a cafe about to order your lunch.  You can’t make up your mind what to have… ”shall I have the omelette, or shall I have the pasta??”.  You’re thinking of asking the person you are having lunch with, what they’re having.   Now, the process leading up to making the final choice can sometimes go on for ages.  This is because people don’t like to make a mistake. So we sometimes wait for others to make a choice before we make our own.  Or we might ask questions like “have you had the pasta here before?” – this serves to reassure ourselves that we’ve made the right decision.  

Anyway, you’re busy sitting there fretting over what to order when all of a sudden…

Now, what are your views on Social Proof ?  Share them here, it would be great to know! Thank You.
 

Want To Know More About The Social Media Surgery ?

Lesley Morrissey (Expert in Readability from www.lesleywriter.com) was our guest speaker at last week’s Social Media Surgery .  A very enthusiastic audience were treated to a content rich talk on how to make a website stick – e.g. which is interesting and engaging enough for visitors to stick around and find out more.  A few volunteers submitted their websites for Lesley to evaluate in detail, which produced a lively discussion and lots of ideas.

Here Is A Short Summary

• Make it easy for visitors to navigate around your website.  Whether you use a horizontal or vertical navigation bar -  group your pages under familiar titles, rather than making them wade through a huge list
• Before you write any copy, put yourself in your customers shoes – and find out what their pains, challenges and desires are
• Go for good copy – rather than a huge picture on your home page.  Google likes copy which will make your page more easily searchable.
• Don’t try and be too clever with your copy – i.e. with long sentences full of jargon, technical stuff or long words.  Don’t make visitors think to hard or your will lose them in seconds
• Don’t give your page titles weird names – use familiar terms that people routinely understand (i.e. Home, Contact Us, About Us, Events)
• Frequent use of CAPITAL LETTERS throughout your copy isn’t generally a good idea, as this makes it hard going for people reading it
• Good websites should be viewable in different browsers, smaller screens and even iphones
• Be careful with using the word ‘we’.  As Lesley put’s it “Don’t ‘we’ all over your copy” make liberal use of the word ‘you’ instead.
• If your web designer loves using Flash and has an urge to over design your site - this could turn people off
• For examples of websites that don’t work visit www.webpagesthatsuck.com
• Videos should be in the control of the person watching them and shouldn’t automatically load.  For instance, if you’re viewing a video at work and it automatically loads – it could cause embarrassment and attract unwanted attention.  This won’t make you flavour of the month
• Reassure visitors who provide personal information,  that you take their privacy seriously and aren’t about to randomly spam them at every opportunity.  Include a strong statement to this effect…e.g. “We hate spam as much as you do…”

More information can be found by downloading Lesley’s Comprehensive Report “Website Usability and Readability” Visit her website here www.lesleywriter.com

If you’ve not been to The Social Media Surgery – you are welcome to come along and see for yourself what we get up to!  Its an informal networking event where you get to meet other business owners AND learn something new each month about Social Media and the Technology that goes with it.

And…it’s free! (And we’ve got chocolate biscuits…!). 

Register here

Warmest regards

Wendy

How can you turn yourself from a virtual unknown into a great and powerful presence online? 

In this blog I am going to show you how you can borrow a strategy from horrible history, which will help you if you aspire to lead your own tribe, or followers in your particular industry.

A lot of people are fascinated by the darker side of history.  But although much of it is as far removed from modern life as it’s possible to get, it occurred to me the other day that Ancient Rome can teach us one key ingredient to becoming successful in any arena – particularly running a business, big or small.   

And this one crucial element  is so powerful that, once ignited, almost nothing will stand in its way. We’re talking about…

The power of Influence

When the famous Gladiator Maximus Decimus Meridius, stepped into the arena for the very last time – he had one thing on his side.  On his quest for revenge, ‘The Spaniard’ was very clear on his vision,  and despite having the odds stacked against him he used his contacts and ultimately his influence to achieve iconic status.

Massive crowds would be drawn to the Colosseum to watch the Gladiators clash in a fight to the death.  It was public entertainment on a bloody and visceral scale, and an accepted part of Roman culture.

There was a collective gruesome voyeurism about it (much like public executions in Britain) which temporarily welded people together, in such a way that normal folk forgot their own problems.  Because basically someone else was ‘for the chop’. 

Now, the point to all this is that men are no longer thrown to the lions, however human behaviour is basically pretty much exactly the same as it was back then.  So if you can influence the crowd you have a huge advantage – particularly in the Social Media arena.  

Our Gladiator was given probably the best piece of advice he would ever receive from his mentor…”Win the crowd – and you win your freedom”.  Yes I know it was just a film – but the story holds true…for all of us who yearn for success and the freedom to be their own person, on their own terms.  But few have the courage or the wits to achieve it.

Win the crowd and you win your freedom

Because once the crowd gets to  know you, they started to like you and then  follow you.  Then they will begin talking about you.  If you can create what Seth Godin calls a ‘Tribe’  = when what you say touches and connects with people – you have influence.

There’s nothing more compelling than a crowd of people seeing, hearing and experiencing something powerful together.  Which is the secret ingredient in being successful in most things, including Social Media.   And it’s how you build The Triangle of Trust, which, once formed, is very hard to break. 

So how can you bring a little bit ancient Rome into play here, and influence more people?

How can  you generate the same crowd surge to get people interested in your business for instance? 

• People love to gossip.  People love a spectacle.  This could be for several reasons, e.g. possibly to reassure themselves that it’s not them suffering any pain, or to relieve the tedium of their lives, or to look for inspiration and leadership in others.
• Human Beings are tribal.  Because people like to feel that they belong,they look to each other to see what their peers are doing and what choices they are making before they make their own choices.  With Social Media (with the use of the Facebook Like Button for instance) – it’s easy to see what choices others are making and what decisions they’ve made. 
• The majority of people want to be led and to look up to, and admire, their leaders.  So if you aspire to lead and be known by leveraging Social Media for instance,  start talking with conviction - stand up for what you believe in and bravely share your vision with the world. 
• You don’t have to be the CEO of General Motors to be a great role model.  So even if you come from Devon and make Ice Cream in your kitchen or knit cardigans  – everyone has a unique and compelling story to tell
• Today’s iconic leaders are unique, transparent and talk from a place of authenticity
• Share your story,your opinions and your unique take on the world on Twitter, Facebook and Linked In
• Find the hungry crowd online who wants what you’re promoting – put yourself in the right arena 
• Create a spectacle, an event, a ‘something’ that either makes individuals feel that they are in on something special or part of something innovative and unique.

For example the recent launch of the new iPad and iPhone is a really good example. 

So my question to you is – do you know who your hungry crowd is, where to find them and how you can begin to engage with them?  Tell us what you’re doing by leaving a comment below.

If you’re looking for a new job, have been out of work for a while or have been on dozens of interviews – all to no avail, then here are a few reasons why you might not have been hired.  Granted we are in a recession and there are more candidates applying for the same vacancies, and employers can be a lot more choosey.  However, applying a few ground rules will hopefully stack the odds in your favour next time.  So don’t make these mistakes…

Wearing the wrong outfit

This includes (if you’re a woman), wearing a low cut top, or wearing a skirt that waaaay to short.  Wear clothes that are appropriate for the industry – but don’t go over the top.  Too much perfume can also be off putting.  The interviewer doesn’t want to be distracted by an overpowering aroma, or clothes that are a distraction.

Shabby Shoes

Always ensure that you are wearing shoes that have been cleaned and polished, and don’t need re-heeling.  Obviously wearing flip flops or motorcycle boots aren’t a good idea either, unless you’re going after a job as a life guard or motorcycle despatch rider…

Loud Jewellery

Of course you need to pay attention to what we call grooming, i.e. having accessories that compliment your outfit.  But large chunky rings, big earrings, nose  and lip piercings and cluncky bracelets are a distracting annoyance.  PLUS they could indicate that you aren’t really that serious about actually getting a job.  So tone it down a bit.

Not doing your research

Meaning, have you checked out the company that will be interviewing you?  It should only take a few minutes to find them on the internet and look into what they do and where they are located.  If you’ve demonstrated that you have done a bit of homework, it will impress the interviewer and show that you are interested in them. 

Being late

I remember being 20 minutes late for an interview which was being held in Oxford Street.  I ran into the interview, completely out of breath, and feeling really bad that I’d not timed my journey properly.  I then couldn’t find the offices where I was being interviewed.  Fortunately for me I must have done something right because they hired me on the spot!  However, being late is a really bad sign.  So always time your journey and if you experience any problems do phone the agency who recommended you, or the company where you are being interviewed, to let them know you will be late.

Nobody likes a wet fish! 

If you take nothing else away from this article – go and practice shaking hands.  A firm, genuine grip works best.  AND if you are a man shaking hands with a woman – take it from me – women do not like men who just briefly squeeze our fingers in a kind of half-hearted pathetic attempt at a handshake.  Women do know how to shake hands a well, just don’t be a wimp about it.

The CV From Hell

A badly written, scruffy CV which goes on for ages will never be read, and will never get you an interview.  There are a few simple rules here.  Print it on prestine clean paper, keep it short and to the point.  Add all the relevant information so that an employer knows how to get in touch with you.  Type it on white paper, with a regular font (i.e. Ariel, Verdana or Times New Roman).  Include bullet points to save space.  Include key areas where you have demonstrated expertise or a success.  Try and keep it to under 3 pages. Always  be able to demonstrate your areas of expertise when asked – e.g. some successes, where you’ve excelled and how you achived that. 

A Bad Attitude

I remember years ago I was helping out with some interviews for my then boss.  I offered one candidate a cup of tea and when my boss asked me to bring her into his office for the interviewed she then announced “when I’ve finished my tea”.  Remember to be polite and courteous at all times.  Say hello, smile and take the lead from the interviewer.  If you have to wait, smile and be patient.  When asked about your past experiences or why you left your previous job – don’t go on and on about how bad your last boss was or how badly you were treated.  Nobody likes to hire someone who has a massive chip on their shoulder.  A great attitude will nearly always make up for any shortcomings you may have – just show willing and be an approachable, reasonable person.

Use your common sense

I recall one boss I worked for used to joke about never hiring anyone who didn’t bring a biro with them.  One of my colleagues would ask his candidates to reassemble a set of occasional tables as a way of working their IQ (he did this just for a laugh).   Which means that at least give the impression that you are fairly clued in, so carry a pen, some form of ID and be up for the challenge!

Is that your phone ringing?

I think your worst nightmare is your phone ringing during an interview, worse than that is having a ring tone that sounds like Lady Gaga, but the fatal mistake would be actually answering it, OR carrying on a lengthy conversation.  You might think you’re important, you might think it looks clever, but take it from me.  It doesn’t.  Turn it off.  The only reason you should have your phone with you – is if there’s an emergency and you need to make a call, or you get lost and need directions, or if your car breaks down. 

Check your Social Media Profile

More and more employers these days are checking out potential clients on Social Media – i.e. Facebook and Linked In.  Make sure that all your relevant work experience is on Linked In – if you’re serious about getting THAT job – you MUST have a profile on Linked in and start to network online.  If you’ve got any dodgy photos on Facebook – lose them.  Nothing will destroy your reputation faster is some photo of you in a compromising position at the hen night, stag do or Christmas party.  Be sensible – or don’t share your photos with everyone. 

Looking like your cat just died

One team of executives I worked for used to ask me which candidate they hired after they’d done all the interviews.  9 times out of 10 I always picked the same person they interviewed.  I’m not sure if that says anything about my observation skills, but if you arrive at the interview with a face like thunder or that you’re really not happy then why should anyone give you a job?  Sure, yeah shit happens and we all have to do things under extreme pressure, but get over it and get on with it.  I heard one story about a guy who was homeless and was sleeping on the streets.  He had to change in the public toilets and hide his suitcase in reception when he went for interviews – but because he had the right attitude and was super keen – he got hired! 

Don’t be a smart arse

I remember one of my bosses was interviewing internally for a Project Manager.  One of my colleagues applied for the job – but he was ridiculously over confident.  His body language was so completely over the top it was hilarious.  He spent the whole interview sitting with his hands behind his head, leaning back in the chair as if to say “yeah, I could do this job standing on my head”.  His approach completely back-fired and what should have been a formality turned into a disaster.  Of course you need to look keen, but don’t over do it.  Sit leaning forward, make eye contact, smile, be yourself and look interested. 

Taking rejection really badly

Yes, not getting the job can be a body blow, but hounding your interviewer or demanding to know why you weren’t hired can be counter-productive.  Yes it helps to receive a letter to explain why you haven’t been hired, (or even just to let you know) but sometimes not all organisations are organised enough (or have the time) to tell every single person that they weren’t successful.  Take it on the chin, get over it and move onto the next job application.  It happens to everyone – don’t spend to long agonising over what you did or didn’t do, because the time spent on lamenting your loss is time you should be planning your next move.  Besides the job may have been offered internally, the chemistry was possibly wrong, you didn’t fit the criteria, or they didn’t like your shoes….

Listen Up!  Twitter’s Moved On But if you’ve not locked in your Twitter Strategy and are finding the whole thing perplexing, annoying or frustrating then you must register your place at this forthcoming Teleseminar with the UK’s Leading Twitter Expert

Title: “Why Twitter Isn’t Just About Cheese Sandwiches
Location: Small Business Teleclass – with Mark Shaw
Link out: Click here
Description: Mark Shaw is an award winning ex sales guy that advises and trains businesses, and individuals on how utilise Twitter to gain more business & to be effective with their time. Mark has been ranked as high as Number 3 in the UK &, Number 49 in the World for Twitter Elite & has approx 12,500 followers. He has been on radio, published in the media and given talks all throughout the UK in his capacity as an expert on Twitter.

On the call you will learn:
What is Twitter?

• Why should you bother with Twitter?
• What can you do with Twitter?
• How do you gather Information?
• What are the 4 R’S
• What are the 4 things you need to do to be successful with Twitter?
• What are the 3 things that you need to Tweet about?
• What results can be generated via Twitter?
• How can you increase website traffic with Twitter?
• Where should you spend most of your time on Twitter?

Start Time: 20.00
Date:   29th July 2010
End Time: 21.00

Big changes are on the way for regional development agencies, including Business Link, as detailed in this article.  Whilst I’m not about to devote this entire blog to negative comments about Business Link per se (especially as I value the mentoring and support I’ve received from my own adviser), I have come to the conclusion – along with 57% of people in a recent poll, that the general consensus is that scrapping the regional development agencies, will be, on the whole, beneficial to SME’s. 

Many SME’s have struggled to compete for contracts or have been edged out because they’ve come up against the same response from agencies funded by the government, when trying to promote their services to the public sector….”oh, the Government do a funded version of what you’re doing” or “we’ve got that covered” or “we’re already doing that in our XYZ SuperBloodyCleverBuzzWord Scheme”.

Personally, I spent 8 months collaborating with another small business on a programme, which was either stonewalled, ignored or when we did finally get in front of who we thought was the right person they ‘pointed’ us to yet another vague quango, purporting to provide what we were.  It transpired that their offering was vastly inferior to ours and had little or zero impact.  Of course there is the argument that with the funding being wiped out, it will have a negative impact on small businesses – but for a truly hungry entrepreneur I think it will only serve to make them raise their game.

You could even argue that we’ve been so bogged down by the bureaucratic sludge, that small businesses have forgotten how great they are and are settling for second best.  They could just turn around and say “hey let’s just talk and support EACH OTHER” instead.  For example, I had a very interesting conversation with an Inventor who’d received far more valuable support from his peers than any of the funded support he’d received anyway!

With this layer of funding disappearing, from my point of view this will give the private sector more opportunities, because it will level the playing field.  It could be a real shot in the arm for anyone who can spot an opportunity to introduce themselves and really make a name for themselves.  Unlike before when they couldn’t get their foot in the door.  With the shift away from the state control of more or less everything, we can breath.

My belief is that the business men and women of this country, whilst being in need of good advice and support – must know that there are plenty of extremely competent people available in the private sector with much to offer.  And the reason being is that they are ‘out there’ day in day out, striving for excellence at the cutting edge; not going to endless meetings, or sitting on panels and completely out of touch. 

Entrepreneurs and specialists should be demanding more; they should challenge more and make a lot more noise about what’s good advice and what isn’t.  If you demand excellence and are on a quest for constant improvement then you should demand this in those advising you surely!?  If you expect excellence in yourself and your business then this should be the norm in the support and resources you call on to achieve that.  Otherwise, there’s no point in it is there? 

What do you think?  Will these changes help you?   Will these changes actually make business men and women all over the land scan their own businesses, take stock and instead of settling for mediocrity – wake up tomorrow with an entirely new attitude with …

• The freedom to ask the best of themselves
• Listen to what’s actually going on in the real business world
• Get to grips with technology
• Work with someone who’s actually experienced the challenges that are being thrown you on a daily basis (New Media for starters!). 

My view (and please disagree if you feel like it) – is that to give cutting edge advice you have to BE at the cutting edge.  Thankfully these latest changes indicate that we’re beginning to catch up, but it’s long overdue. 

We need to demand more, challenge and ask questions of the agencies giving us advice – because the danger is that because we’re already out there solving these problems (because we HAVE to, to survive) – that we will in the end become more knowledgeable than government funded agencies put together to help us.  Are they already being left behind…? 

Now you don’t want out-moded, pointless advice that’s not relevant to your business do you?