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Trust Agents and a Last Laugh of Visible Joy!

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Go Get Yours Now!

Early this year I wrote Cool Kids, Granny Dresses, and Back Channel Intercoms: How Do You Trust People You Can’t See? It was the humiliating tale of something that happened at the awful age of 13. It was the problem of trusting people / kids who weren’t worth trusting.

I’ve grown up some since then.

I found people I trust can and we’ve formed a virbrant efficient community.

Community grows from what we see, what we are, what we imagine together. We learn from and teach each other. That the more we see, the more we find in each other and the more we help each other, we all become more.

Trust is speeds action and lowers cost and fear.

Chris Brogan and Julien Smith talked about that at SOBCon They’re the authors of Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust

But Chris and Julien weren’t there to hawk books. Chris and Julien helped Terry and I built the SOBCon community by speaking, and attending, and sharing with the folks long before the Trust Agents was written.

Who are the trust agents? We all are, especially when we start or inspire new communities. Learn what it means to grow and work with a community of trust agents. This book is head and heart and purpose true to them and true to us so that we and others can use the web more efficiently in business.

Get the book at your favorite supplier: 800 CEO READ (also recommended for bulk orders)
Amazon.com, Amazon.ca (Canada), Barnes & Noble,
Book Depository (UK), Books-A-Million, Borders, Chapters (Canada)
IndieBound

    * Yes, there will be a Kindle version.
    * Yes, there will be an audio version.

Trust them and me … we’re all serious.

Congratulations, Chris and Julien! A visible last laugh of joy to think how far I’ve come since those granny dresses to a real trust community … to be here with you watching your day!

… and I trust Julien and Chris will never, ever wear a granny dress. except maybe for Karoake…. K?

Buy your copy of Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust
… this minute!

I trust these connections.
–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your web presence!!

Be There Before the Sale

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The theme of SOBCon09 is the ROI of Relationships. To underscore the importance of relationships in business and to have a chance to make and celebrate a few while we’re doing that, I’ve opened up this series by successful and outstanding bloggers like you.

Be There Before the Sale
by Chris Brogan

Greg Cangialosi is one of the very best salesmen I know. He hasn’t sold the biggest dollar product ever (I think that would be David Bullock). He doesn’t sell thousands of accounts a day. Instead, he gets the title from me because he taught me a powerful sales technique, so powerful that Julien Smith and I wrote about him in our upcoming book, Trust Agents. He taught us to be there before the sale.

Greg was one of the very first confirmed sponsors of PodCamp, long before anyone knew that we’d have an international success story on our hands. When we called Greg, we had never run an event, didn’t really know what sponsors wanted, and had no idea how to communicate professionally about the give-and-take that is event sponsorship. Greg was kind, friendly, and supported our event. He didn’t ask for anything unreasonable in return.

Since that point, I’ve run into Greg at several events. He uses another trust agent move, be one of us, quite often as well, by hanging out at our events, by creating content and contributing to our space. He’s not some company owner; he’s a guy who spends time with us, has drinks with us, and who we know and care about.

The ROI of Relationships

Greg also gets the sales. I am personally a customer. I bought another account for my company. PodCamp co-founder Christopher S. Penn is a customer, and has sold the service to his company as well. Both of us refer Blue Sky Factory to anyone asking about email marketing. We love the service, and it’s cost-effective and all that, but most important to us, we have a relationship with Greg, and his service is the product of record for us with regards to email marketing.

Given Chris’s audience, my audience, the people who will buy Trust Agents, and all the time between now and the end of his business, Greg gets free, passionate advertising all the time from a growing legion of fans. For the price of a few beers here and there, Greg has an army.

If that’s not a return on investment, I don’t know what is.

Chris Brogan blogs at [chrisbrogan.com]. He is president of New Marketing Labs.
His twitter name is: @chrisbrogan

Register for SOBCon09 NOW!!

Hear Chris Brogan speak in person!

Forget Brogan, Forget Me While You’re at It! Meet GLENDA at BlogWorld Expo!

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Go for the Gold

I’m writing in response to Brogan’s blog post. He’s only telling his part of the story.

Last year at BlogWorld Expo, the first person I met in the hall was Chris Brogan. I already knew him.

Yet everywhere I went there he was again. In the hallway, Chris Brogan. In the breakroom, Chris Brogan. In the lunchroom, Chris Brogan. I love Chris Brogan. I think he’s awesome, but I was beginning to think there were 55 of him.

Finally, I ducked into the b5 Chris Brogan-less educational session. What a joy! Who should I spy there in the front row, but my dear friend, Glenda Watson Hyatt and her husband! Of course, we had no chance to talk, because speakers were speaking. (Speakers seemed to be doing that in every session.)

Do you know Glenda Watson Hyatt? She’s the one you really want to go to BlogWorld Expo to meet. She’s a published author, an accomplished blogger, and an adovocate of accessibilty rights like no other. She’s also an SOB like most folks around here.

Of course, when I got my opportunity to talk to Glenda, who should be there already romancing her . . . yep, the infamous Mr. Chris.

Glenda_Watson_Hyatt_and_Liz_Strauss_BlogWorldExpo07

We got Brogan to take this picture — the three of us got some quality time talking together.

She’s the gold.

Forget about meeting me. Forget about meeting him. Glenda is the one.

Of course, then, you could meet all of us at BlogWorld Expo. It’s Sept 20-21 in Las Vegas, NV.

I hear the BawldGuy is going to be there too.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

Three Dads, Three Social Networks, and Quality Time

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Three Dads I Admire

Dad

When I talk about my dad, people often assume that we must have been inseparable. Actually, we only got short bursts of time together. My dad had two families — one at home and the folks who came to his saloon.

When Jason Falls. talks about his barely two-month old daughter, I think, “Yeah, she’s going to look up to him like I look up to my dad.” Then my brain immediately connects to a photo of a young Brogan girl. I’m fairly certain she’s sure that the sun rises over her dad. I’m lucky to know two more guys who, like my dad, seem to have two families — one at home and one related to the computer screen.

Three dads, three daughters, three families at home, and three huge social / professional networks to tend.

Bet it’s not just their daughters who have felt the value of quality time.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

Image: lizstrauss

Five Tools Chris Brogan Uses for Listening and 8 Ways We Get the Most From Listening Tools

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Getting to the Heart of the Data

Can You Hear the Internet?

In a beautiful post tonight, Chris Brogan highlighted the value of listening. He pointed out how it’s too easy to

rush right into the “speaking” side of the toolbox without giving much thought to the “listening” part.

and he offered his favorite tools for a company who wants to be “listening to their audience, their customers, their partners, and their detractors.”

I’m so with him. You can find the five tools Chris uses most for listening here.

What to Listen for and How to Get the Most from Listening Tools

Just as when we write we have to know what we want to say. We have to know what we’re listening for . . . we’re listening for what people aren’t saying, but want to.

  1. Listen for quantity of response. Lots of folks saying the same thing is worth taking note of. Are they a crowd or a mob following each other? Are they a trend of individuals who have discovered something worth pointing out?

  2. Listen for the odd response that is way out of line. Someone on the edges of the responses could be offering am Einstein-like response.

  3. Listen for the spaces between the words. Ask some question about what’s not being said and listen again and again.

  4. Listen for the source of the speaker and the bias the speaker might have. Listen for who’s trying to get attention, who wants favor with the listeners.

  5. Listen for the things that you don’t want to hear. They’re the most important information you’ll gather on any listening trek.

  6. Listen to find the people who have more to offer than opinions, but innovative ideas and product plans. If you can, find a way to make a relationship with them.

  7. Listen to find the evangelists who love your company, who defend you when you’re attacked. Let them know they’re appreciated.

  8. Listen for ways that you might bring back what folks said to show the people who work hard on your products that people are paying attention to them..

Listening isn’t all data, all quantity and remarks. Listening is not a science, but an art that brings in human thought. Listening is the most important part of a conversation. Conversations are how communities begin.

Don’t let the tools draw lines around the way you hear.

I don’t. Brogan doesn’t either. Listen every way you know how.

What other ways do you use tools to listen to what people aren’t saying.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!
Check out Models and Masterminds too

Every Blogger Knows . . . Thank You Is Living on the Web

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It’s the Living!

relationships button

Every blogger knows we have to repeat what we say, because sometimes folks are absent. . . . or they’re busy thinking their own thoughts . . . or we didn’t say it quite as well as we might. So when a friend says something brilliant we keep it close and use it again and again.

It starts with the words of Tony D. Clark. Thank you, friend.

The whole thing changes when the world becomes your community.

Every blogger knows having a friend who will help out is why the Internet is thriving.

Two weeks ago, I asked a favor of Mitch Matthews. Would you guest host Open Comments Night? He made it sound like I was giving him a gift. Thank you, Mitch, for jumping in with all of the energy, fun, and wonderful things you are.

Every blogger knows, when someone comes to town, it’s important to say “hello,” even if you’ve never met. As it turned out a hello became the start of a conversation with Jeff Pulver and his cousin. Eric, and ended in Jeff’s Summer Party at the House of Blues. Thank you, Jeff, for your charming curiosity, your incredible generosity, and the amazing people you gathered in one room.

Every blogger knows some folks are connected before they meet. How do you do to Chris Brogan, who greeted me with kind words from a friend, Becky McCray. Thank you, Becky. I feel like you introduced us. Thank you, Chris, for unexpectedly showing up, and showing up more than I would have expected.

Every blogger knows that coming home is the best! Thank you everyone who was here at Open Comments Last Night to make Mitch feel welcome as a guest.

Thank you, Wendy and Ari, for being part of the event last night. Fun isn’t as much fun without people who are close.

Yeah it’s right. Sometimes we have to repeat what we say, because folks are absent. . . . or they’re busy thinking their own thoughts . . . or we didn’t say it quite as well as we might. So I’ll say it again.

I’m one lucky blogger so many times over. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

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