Tim Bursch

If you are like me you have joined a handful of social networks. Think about how much time you really spend on each of them. Yeah, probably not much except for a few favorites?

In my experience, I get an invite to a new network, usually from a friend. I might join, set up a profile, add some friends, follow some people, make a few connections, and then bookmark for later. The challenge is the later part. I’m finding that I don’t go back very often if at all.

It’s not the topics or the user experience. Those are all pretty good. I think it’s the activity.

I end up going where the action is and where I’m connecting most with people. We tend to invest time in relationships (and networks) where we are noticed.

What do you think?

Tags: networks, time.

1. Get your voice out there. If you are not using your voice you will not be heard, or maybe even ignored.
2. Connections. You will find people that want to connect with your story.
3. Thinking. Blogging challenges your thinking and in the end that can help you think more clear.
4. On the record. What do you want to leave behind? A blog can be a place to record your thoughts and stories.
5. Looking for business? A blog is a place to stand out and be remarkable, to start a conversation with customers.
6. Action. When you blog and write you are taking an action. You are no longer just watching. Get in the game.

What would you add?

Image credit: *clairity*

Tags: thinking, voice, writing.

If you really want to get in touch with someone today, you can. Have you tried?
With the network and the tools of the social web we have very little friction in connecting.

Degrees and levels have been removed. If you want to connect with an author you can email them or have a conversation on their Facebook Page. If you want to voice a complaint to the CEO of your favorite brand you most likely can. If you are in a job transition you can do your own headhunting with creative search and networking.

The network for the most part is open and level. Take Tim’s advice and be generous. You will have all the connections you need.

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I was invited to coffee today with Jared Roy. We’d met online and had some conversation, but not face-to-face. Jared invites me and mentions a few other people will be there.

I have to admit my first response was okay, why do we need other people there? Then I thought more and realized this is genius. He just expanded all of our connections. I met 3 new people in one meeting, learned about their work, and started valuable new relationships. Jared added to THE network.

There is no question, we all need connections. Want more? Bring more people to the table. Literally.

Thank you Jared for your generosity and for challenging me.

What could you do for your next meeting?

Want to connect, just contact me. (I’ll be bringing more people.)

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I was meeting someone for coffee recently. Decent coffee. Good space for conversation.

You know what I remember the most? The comment I got. There was something the barista said that stuck with me. “Let me know if I can get you anything else.”

It wasn’t an add-on sale statement. It was an “I want to make you feel important” statement. It was really ordinary.

The barista noticed me, the customer, and took time to connect. I’m not sure you can script that. It takes a real person to care about it. Connecting and noticing. Do you notice people?

Tags: coffee, marketing.

A friend was recently telling me about a restaurant chain that has over 1 million customers in their email database. Granted they are a decent-sized chain, but that’s a lot of permission.

Here’s how they get permission: At the end of the meal the server intentionally asks the guests if they would like to join their newsletter. You get a free appetizer next time, something on your birthday, and…you get the point. Who says no? I have not been to this chain in a awhile, but I bet the servers are trained to frame a positive response question.

Big deal, they have people’s email address and are giving away free stuff. Actually that list is like gold. Why? People gave permission for that restaurant to market to them. Email is still the most shared medium. Targeted marketing. You can send a coupon to men a week before Valentine’s Day.

I think there a few ideas to borrow from this restaurant:

1. Just ask. Ask every person that walks into your store, visits your site, or becomes a fan on your Facebook page.
2. Get the whole store involved. Create an easy question and process that everyone can jump on board with.
3. Give to get. Offer some value for joining your list/e-club/newsletter. What do I get for joining?

Do you have a list? Do you have a process in your business for asking people to join your tribe? What’s working?

Image by: drcornelius

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When someone asks you for help, do you automatically say yes? I’m a recovering people-pleaser, so my tendency is to say yeah sure I can help.

Well after awhile you can end up trying to help a lot of people, but not very well. And not very helpful.

Here is what I now try to do before saying yes to a request:

- Take some time to respond.

- Filter it through my main goals and values.

- Ask myself: Can I really help this person well? If not, who do I know that can? Connect them.

I want to be generous with my knowledge and my connections. I also want to say yes to the best things and mean it. More on saying yes and no soon.

How do you handle requests for help? What is your filter or process?

Image by: D3 San Francisco

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If you need to find a business, do you call or look online? I look online.

I recently filled out two web forms. I waited a few days because it was the weekend and I wanted to at least give them the benefit of a doubt. Still waiting. No response.

So, why would you have a door to you company that no one answers? It is like having a phone with your voicemail not set-up. Please don’t put something out there unless you are going to cover it. Same could apply to Twitter or an email newsletter. Do you have a sign-up form, but only deliver content sporadically?

I know I don’t always call or email people back immediately. That’s not the point. The point is coverage. If you offer a customer a connection point, cover it.
Here are some ideas for consistent coverage:
-One person owns the online entrances
-Rotate the weekend coverage (we don’t want to wait two days or we’re going somewhere else)
-If you have an autoresponse, set realistic expectations and follow though

What would you add? How do you cover your connection points?

Image by: madmolecule

Tags: contacts, online, web.

I had the privilege to be part of KaneCo’s first monthly business book club. The book: Linchpin by Seth Godin. The group: all rockstars.

We had a lively discussion about work, being remarkable, and bucking the system. The book was good, but I think what Jen is building is even more interesting. She wanted to read more, connect with business leaders, and learn. I think she’s building community. Taking things deeper. Bringing others into learning together.

Okay, why not just have coffee with your friends and talk about a book you read last month? That works. You could just read great books in isolation too. You might miss a piece that someone different caught.

I don’t know about you, but when I’m in a good book I want to talk about it. I share pieces with friends and my patient wife. And it’s more than just being about a book. It is being open and transformed and learning. I think we all want more community. We are wired for connection as Seth says.

So, here’s my question for you: What is something you are practicing (reading, writing, blogging) that you could invite others into?

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Do we own our networks? I’ve been thinking about this for a long time. Now Shannon’s post has me thinking some more.

The old strategy has been and still is for some to collect contacts and keep them to yourself and for your own goals. If you get a new connection for your network it’s a hash mark on your networking scoreboard. The more people in your address book/Rolodex/Blackberry the more successful you should be. The aggressive card collector wins. Swim with the barracudas right?

What about generosity? About 7 years ago I stumbled upon Love is The Killer App by Tim Sanders. It’s the simple concept of sharing your knowledge, your network, and your compassion and it fits with the growing online networks. Simple result: The person who shares the most actually wins.

Here’s the deal, did we ever own our contacts? I hope not. They are real people with their own voice and their own choice. What if we looked at this whole interconnected web of relationships as THE network instead of MY network? Would you hoard? Take? Or how about contribute, invest and then share.

What do you think? Is the network yours or ours?

Image by: cloudzilla

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