personal-branding Archives - Page 23 of 41

Technorati Has a Birthday and We Get the Present!

July 24, 2006 by Liz

Customer-Centered Technorati!

In honor of their third anniversary as a company, Technorati has rolled out a major upgrade. The billboard that Technorati has changed their view to customer-centered is that when you sign in, you’ll find the home page is about you, your blogs, and what you might find interesting — not about Technorati.

I’m already liking these changes.

The Home Page brings what I need together. Everything I use daily is there. I love that the ping is right on top. I can click directly to my indexed posts.
The link counts are a lot more accurate. Thank you.
Favorites makes sense and is easier. I’m MUCH more likely to use Favorites Now.
Technorati Browser Buttons are one reason I’m more likely to use Favorites now.
The Search function is faster and has more filters. I very much like that I can filter by language.
The Search results have extended excerpts. (Show details.) I can take a closer look without having to click through.
The support text is written clearly. That’s a BIG deal to me. Thanks Technorati for getting a great writer to write these bits and pieces. No confusion or ambiguity whatsoever in anything I’ve read so far.
I also love the quieter new layout.

Check out this tool for business blogging, blog promotion, and branding. You can read about it and see a video of the features at Sifry’s Alerts by clicking on this title.

Happy Birthday, Technorati! Thank you, David and Technorati, for the present!

–ME “Liz” Strauss

American Airlines: When 2+2= -8 Just to Get Back to 0

July 24, 2006 by Liz

Stuck in the Airport

I have traveled 1,481,924 miles with American Airlines. I’m a loyal customer. It means something to me. It should mean something to them. Apparently it does 50% of the time.

Saturday I flew out of Philadelphia. It’s not American hub, but I flew American anyway. My flight was delayed, an unfortunate circumstance that occurs too often in Philadelphia. The delay was 4 hours. I did what I do — got a drink and something to eat. Then I looked for a story. I think of the story I found as When 2+2= -8 Just to Get Back to 0 [Read more…]

Bloggy Question 16 — Customer Feedback

July 23, 2006 by Liz

What Do They Think?

For those who come looking for a short, thoughtful read, a blogging life discussion, or a way to gradually ease back into the week, I offer this Blogging Question.

A friend comes to you and says she wants to know what folks really think about her blog and her business. What advice would you give her to help her find out?

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Bad Boys: You’re Losing Your Memory

July 21, 2006 by Liz

What Was I Going to Say?

I’m ready to write something and as I sit at the keys, it’s gone. It was a spectacular idea. I know it was. Damn. It’s the second time this week, or is it the third? Suddenly I’m forgetting things — things that I’ve never forgotten before.

I used to be known for this memory of mine. Some folks even steered clear of it, feared it. They knew it could track details for decades and offer them back at lightning speed. Now what? A brain of mush has moved in where the razor sharp memory was. . . .

-Stop-

That’s the voice of a Bad Boy of Business. Bad Boys are negative messages, bad tape recordings, in our heads. Bad boys are ideas that we tell ourselves that undercut our success and productivity.

The bad boy here is “You’re losing you’re memory.”

What’s happening? [Read more…]

Service with a Smile

July 20, 2006 by Liz

It Was Fun to Buy There

I stopped the bookstore at O’Hare. I figured some business books were in order. I thought they might help spur some ideas for the project I was traveling to work for. I picked out a few and went to the counter. There I was greeted by a smiling young man.

He noticed I was eyeing the books on the counter.

“Still looking?” he said still smiling.

“Nah, I have to save some books to buy on way back,” I smiled too.

“Because you bought more than 3 books, I get to give you this fabulous and useful tote bag. Would you like me to put these fabulous books inside this fabulous and useful totebag?”

“No, I think I’ll put the books in my carryon.” I partially opened my bag and stuffed the books in as best I could, but one book and the tote wouldn’t cooperate. The man behind the counter enjoyed watching my book packing adventure.

“Looks like you’ll be putting the totebag inside your other totebag.” he said.

“Yep, I’ll be totally toting, the totebags. There! That works. See you on the way back.”

“I hope so.”

What Customers Want

That young man made my morning. He turned a chain bookstore into a conversation with a friend. It wasn’t about how much I was spending. I about the experience. The brand was the young man’s great disposition. He’s a guy who likes his customers.

He does things I value.

He talked to me as an intelligent person worth knowing.
He made the experience pleasant — fun.
He left me with a story to tell.

You can bet that I’ll be back in that book store. I need to tell him how great the books are.

Have you had a great customer experience lately?

–ME “Liz” Strauss

What to Do Before They Ask What Do You Do?

July 18, 2006 by Liz

What’s Your Name

When is a rose not a rose? When it is Compassion. When a car not a car? When its a Model J DUESENBERG. Why did I quit teaching? Because I couldn’t find another word.

It’s true that’s the reason.

I left college being called a master teacher, with student teachers following me into the classroom. It had something to do with my philosophy that if I couldn’t sit in a desk all day, I’d be damned if I would ask a 6-year-old to try to do so. I loved the kids and the teaching, but when new friends asked What do you do? I heard myself saying, I’m a teacher, but not like any you ever knew. That wasn’t good. That’s when I realized that I needed a new word or I wouldn’t be teaching.

You’ve probably not left a career over a word, and probably suspect there was more to it. There was, and there wasn’t. The way folks viewed me was the problem. I wasn’t what they imagined. I didn’t like being put in their box.

But we rely on words figure out our world view.

There is no getting away from that.The next best thing is picking our words.

What Are You? a Blogger? a Writer? a Publisher? a Sales Rep? a Marketer? a Citizen Journalist? a Critic? a Martyr?

What do you do? they say. What do I answer? [Read more…]