Successful Blog

Thanks to Week 258 SOBs

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Successful and Outstanding Bloggers

Let me introduce the bloggers
who have earned this official badge of achievement,

and the right to call themselves
Successful Blog SOBs.

I invite them to take a badge home to display on their blogs.

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They take the conversation to their readers,
contribute great ideas, challenge us, make us better, and make our businesses stronger.

I thank all of our SOBs for thinking what we say is worth passing on.
Good conversation shared can only improve the blogging community.

Should anyone question this SOB button’s validity, send him or her to me. Thie award carries a “Liz said so” guarantee, is endorsed by Kings of the Hemispheres, Martin and Michael, and is backed by my brothers, Angelo and Pasquale.

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Want to become an SOB?

If you’re an SO-Wanna-B, you can see the whole list of SOBs and learn how to be one by visiting the SOB Hall of Fame– A-Z Directory . Click the link or visit the What IS an SOB?! page in the sidebar.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

How I Take the Focus Off Money

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A Guest Post by Scott P. Dailey

photo credit: RambergMediaImages

My portfolio is comprised largely of passionate, cash-hungry small shops, boutiques, niches and nonprofits. I do work with big companies now and again too, but they’re the exception to the rule and thus, I won’t be spending time talking about them in this post. No, this post is for the small consultancy that’s servicing the small, proud brick and mortar.

OK, so here it is: I guarantee my work. If I’m designing your Web site layout for instance, I take a 50% deposit that sits in escrow until you approve the layout and the balance you cough up once you’re 100% satisfied with the finished result. With Web design, my contracts call for me to create at least two unique layouts, put them both under your nose and get your approval of one of the two. I even offer you several complimentary rounds of change before requesting your approval. If you don’t approve, you get your money back. If you want to abandon the project before providing approval, you get your money back. I guarantee you’re going to love your new layout and if you don’t, I give back your money. If I’m writing copy for you, I refund your deposit if you don’t like my copy. And if your unhappy with the content of your first monthly SEO/social media report or feel I have fallen short on a promise, I refund your money – period.

My customers are very careful how they spend money on their business. Not so oddly, those deep in the black are even thriftier than those sucking wind. In the red or the black, my customers get sticker shock easily. I know this. So, where I may not always be willing to remove the stunned disbelief from their faces with a crazy discount, I do try to allay their spending remorse by making simple guarantees that protect their investment in me.

I don’t want your money that badly.

If you don’t think I’ve earned it, then I refund it. The relationship is the ultimate prize, not you paying this month’s electric bill.

How do you shift the client’s focus from money to forging a bond with you? How do you prove your customers won’t regret hiring you?

—–
This is the first in a two-part series.

Scott P. Dailey is a Web designer, copywriter and network administrator. Recently Scott launched ( http://scottpdailey.com ), his social media blog that makes connections between social networking etiquette and the prevailing human social habits that drive on and offline business engagement patterns. You can connect with Scott via Twitter at @scottpdailey.

Creative Commons License photo credit: RambergMediaImages

Thanks, Scott!

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

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Cool Tool Review: Weave the People

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Todd Hoskins chooses and uses tools, products, and practices that could belong in an entrepreneurial business toolkit. He’ll be checking out how useful they are to folks in a business environment.

Cool Tool Review: Weave the People
A Review by Todd Hoskins

A few years ago I attended an intimate, oceanside conference outside of San Diego. The 70 of us in attendance spent the weekend participating in roundtable discussions, eating, and sipping cocktails. Sunday afternoon, while checking out of the resort, I met the people I wish I would have connected with on Friday. We exchanged contact info, but the opportunity was largely lost, as we live on opposite ends of the country.

This is a common frustration with meetings and conferences. How can people with matching interests, needs, and talents find one another?

Despite the growth of social technology, there is no replacement for the value and possibilities that can emerge from meeting face-to-face. Gladwell is right – there are limitations inherent in the “loose ties” of online connections. There is a reason that tweetups are popular and location based technologies have taken off. People want to meet, and any “friend” or “connection” is peripheral until you shake hands, share a meal or drink, and can establish trust looking at each other directly. Albert Mehrabian has proposed that words constitute only 7% of communication – the rest is tone and body language.

So, the Internet is an incredibly powerful medium for exploring, finding, and learning about people. Then, at some point, the relationship has amplified possibilities when we move from cyberspace to sharing physical space. This is exactly why Weave the People is such a valuable tool, by accelerating the discovery process, allowing organizations and people to connect with their wants and needs in group settings.

It works like this: If you are hosting a conference, meeting, or event, contact Weave the People, and they will work with you to develop a series of questions. These questions are designed to help you meet your goals for the event, whether you want to increase the connectivity of your employees, match vendors and buyers, or just help people have fun.

Weave will help you poll your prospective attendees, then “weave” together profiles in a simple, visually appealing layout. Send the link in advance of the event, and the people who are attending have a chance to navigate through the profiles and make decisions based on their motivations for being in attendance. For the less-socially-gifted, this is a gift in itself. You automatically have conversation starters that are pre-approved.

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I love the fact that Weave has a high-minded mission and philosophy, getting to an “authentic we,” utilizing technology to increase our humanness rather than our isolation. But it just works as well, making meetings more enjoyable and a better return on investment.

You can watch some demos here.

Summing Up – Is it worth it?

Enterprise Value: 4/5 – Very reasonable in cost. Mobile app (in planning) will make this even better.

Entrepreneur Value: 5/5 – Finding employees, partners, investors, and advocates at events just got easier.

Personal Value: 5/5 – Not all questions need to be business-related. Bringing the personal and professional profile elements together creates deeper, more sustainable connections.

Let me know what you think!

Todd Hoskins helps small and medium sized businesses plan for the future, and execute in the present. With a background in sales, marketing, and technology, he works with executives to help create thriving organizations through developing and clarifying values, strategies, and tactics. You can learn more at VisualCV, or contact him on Twitter.

Be Visible but not Annoying

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by Patty Azzarello

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Invisible doesn’t work

Good work does not stand on its own.

But if you are annoying in the way you pursue visibility, you are also not doing your career any favors.

Visibility is not selfish

Visibility is not just about you. Your visibility is good for your team and your business. People with visibility get more done. Get over thinking you are on the high ground by refusing to pander to politics, because you believe good work should speak for itself. Maybe it should, but it doesn’t.

If you remain uncomfortable with visibility, you remain invisible. So even though you keep delivering great work consistently, you will be disappointed by the lack of recognition, appreciation and rewards you receive.

Get more done

And you’ll also have a harder time getting resources and support for what you are trying to do. No one is comfortable giving great projects and big budgets to people they don’t know.

Visibility = progress for your business and your career.

1. Visibility for Real Results

Annoying: Go for publicity without results to back it up.

I am never advocating visibility INSTEAD of results. It’s always about great work and results FIRST.

You never want to be seen as managing your career more than you are doing work. (We all know and wish bad things for those people.) You don’t ever want to be viewed political with no substance.

Valuable: Be seen as doing and delivering high impact work.

The being seen part is as important as the high impact work. As long as you base the visibility on actual work that delivers value, there is nothing hollow or shallow about it.

2. Visibility with Executives

Annoying: Stalking Executives

Don’t talk to an executive when he has to go to the bathroom. I have seen people keep executives outside the door to the bathroom, and refuse to let them in. How much are they really going to listen to you at that point?

Don’t corner them at parties to pitch your agenda or complain about your issues. They are at a party. Don’t drag them down, they get enough of that when they are not at a party.

Don’t Blame them for things, with no proposals for improvement – Don’t bleed all over an executive about how everything is screwed up in their business, and think your analysis will make you look smart. If you have a complaint, have a proposal. Otherwise you are just annoying.

Valuable: Have a good reason to connect with an executive.

Pay attention to what they care about. Give them positive feedback or valuable inputs to solve issues or expose opportunities. Share a personal point of interest. Don’t start with an ask.

Have them know you as a person, not just a climber. Update them briefly when your work matters to THEM. And be careful that your work actually matters to them before you go on about it.

3. Visibility at Important Meetings

Annoying: Don’t go to meetings just to be seen.

The important people at the meeting notice if you have no function or reason for being there, and subtract points from you career. It backfires.

Valuable: Do high value work. Tune your job to deliver more value over time. Be the reason for an important meeting to happen around your work. Find ways to make that work visible in other ways.

4. Visibility based on truth.


Annoying: Never take credit for work you didn’t do.

You may get a blip of visibility, but it will backfire because it is not real. You get no real benefit from promoting yourself on any false foundation. Ultimately people will see right through it.

Valuable: Make other people famous.

Give credit to other people for good work that they did. The great thing about this is that you still get the visibility for doing the communicating. When you give the credit where it is due, based on the truth of who did the high value work, you get recognized for cultivating stars.

How have you seen people get this really right or wrong?

Let’s hear your best stories — the good, the bad, and the ugly in the comment box below!

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Patty Azzarello works with executives where leadership and business challenges meet. She has held leadership roles in General Management, Marketing, Software Product Development and Sales, and has been successful in running large and small businesses. She writes at Patty Azzarello’s Business Leadership Blog. You’ll find her on Twitter as @PattyAzzarello

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Social Media Book List: Scrappy Women in Business and The Social Media Bible

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A Weekly Series by Teresa Morrow

I’m Teresa Morrow, Founder of Key Business Partners, LLC and I work with authors to help manage their online book promotion. As part of my job I read a lot of books (I love to read anyway!).

This week I will be highlighting I book that I am working with Kimberly Weifling, the author of ‘Scrappy Women in Business’ (along with her co-authors, Julie Abrams, Carole Amos, Eldette Davie, Mai-Huong Le, Hannah Kain, Sue Lebeck, Terrie Mui, Pat Obuchowski, Yuko Shibata, Nathalie Udo, and Betty Jo Waxman) and the other book I have had on my reading list, ‘The Social Media Bible’ by Lon Safko.

The books I discuss in the Social Media Book List Series will cover a range of topics such as social media, marketing, blogging, business, organization, career building, finance, networking, writing, self development and inspiration.

‘Scrappy Women in Business: Living Proof that Bending the Rules isn’t Breaking the Law’

by Kimberly Weifling

Scrappy Women in Business book, inspiration for women in business

Excerpt from ‘Scrappy Women in Business’:

Each chapter of this book is one women’s fascinating perspective on what it means to be a Scrappy Woman in Business, and all of them are teeming with personal insights and practical tips to encourage you on your journey toward your own goals and dreams. Each of these women has traveled a very different road, but they all ended up in the “Scrappy Women in Business Hall of Fame” because they are ordinary people who created extraordinary results through sheer determination, willpower, and scrappiness. They could have easily thrown in the towel at any point and led easier (albeit far more boring!) lives. But they didn’t. They kept going! By doing so, they demonstrated in eleven beautiful ways what’s possible when you refuse to be “realistic.”

Three Magic Wishes by Kimberly Weifling
1. It is my sincere hope that this book will ignite a flame inside of you that leaves you restless to discover what you’re capable of.
2. I further hope that, after reading, you think to yourself, “Hey, if they can do it, so can I!”
3. Finally, and most importantly, I hope that you will take action with the intention of making a positive difference not only in your life, but for this planet.

Story of Scrappy Woman and co-author Hannah Kein:

I was actually gainfully employed until 1997. Some of my jobs were like a Dilbert cartoon, and I figured: “Why not change my role in the cartoon?” Refusing to change my hairdo, I became the
non-pointy-haired boss when I founded ALOM in 1997. My team and I have grown this company to become a leading global supply chain company headquartered in Fremont, California.

Prior to founding ALOM in 1997, I held various management and executive positions, with a wide range of experience in the packaging industry dating back to 1990. I earned three university degrees (B.S. in political science, M.S. in communications, and M.B.A. in marketing), and I’m a frequent lecturer and speaker, and a published author of a popular textbook on market analysis, now in its fourth edition. It is by now outdated, and it is in Danish, so don’t rush to buy it, but it was fun to write a textbook that was mandatory. And, no, I did not include any convoluted formulas to make future generations suffer like I did. My unwavering focus is on customer delight and quality.

This focus led to a successful ISO certification for ALOM within a year of starting the business and has fostered long-term business relationships. I have extensive international management experience including many plane trips and bad airline meals, and am involved in numerous governmental and educational agencies and business groups (read: constantly in meetings). I’m a board member of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and Women’s Initiative Silicon Valley, a nonprofit organization. I believe in giving back to the community. I have been so blessed by supportive men and women surrounding me and encouraging me with awards, such as 2009 Enterprising Woman of the Year. Thank you, all!

You can read more about Hannah and her dad and her gut instinct through the pages of ‘Scrappy Women in Business’.

A bit about Scrappy woman and co-author Pat Obuchowski:

I believe that when you own your own company you can give yourself any title you want. I am the CEO (Chief Empowerment Officer) of inVisionaria and a Scrappy Businesswoman whose passion is to coach other Scrappy women (or Scrappy wannabes) to be Scrappy leaders in our world. We need them. I have a long bio because I’ve lived a full life, but it’s not written on this page. You can read it all in my story. My life escape is DUI—Dancing Under the Influence (of loud music)—while driving my convertible with the top down and my trusted dog, Maggie, at my side.

You can read more about Pat and her desire to be a nun at a young age and then a teacher and then a journalist and then a…. through the pages of ‘Scrappy Women in Business’

And then there is Scrappy Women and co-author Eldette Davie:

After graduating with a diploma in marketing, I joined a computer company and found what I liked doing most—being around computers. My sins include time in blue chip companies, “Big 5” consulting houses, and work in presales and business consulting in Europe and Africa. I thrive on learning new things, and I’m intrigued by metaphysics and the concept of world connectedness.

I am passionate about all things outdoorsy—photography, sport (the more extreme the better), my family (especially my four-footed children), and music you can listen to without going deaf. I dislike more than words could express: injustice, dishonesty, thoughtlessness, and prejudice. At the moment, I’m a program manager for the largest technology-only consulting house in South Africa, working on a project that is making me go grey. (As a result, I dye my hair!) I can’t tell you how valuable Scrappiness has been in my life, never more than in my current challenges.

You can read more about Eldette and her journey in the army and and how she discovered her passion for computers through the pages of ‘Scrappy Women in Business’.

And there are the amazing and inspirational stories of the other truly scrappy women, Julie Abrams, Carole Amos, Mai-Huong Le, Sue Lebeck, Terrie Mui, Yuko Shibata, Nathalie Udo, and Betty Jo Waxman.

About the Book:
Although some people make it look easy, the reality is that the path to success is often convoluted and messy. It’s tempting to believe that the professionals surrounding us somehow have their act completely together while we lurch fitfully onward, but the real story is often much more complicated and chaotic. This refreshingly honest book provides welcome reassurance for every businesswoman who’s ever wondered, “Is it me, or has the whole rest of the company gone nuts?!” Each chapter is a fascinating description of one woman’s unlikely journey, and every story is teeming with personal insights and practical tips to encourage you along the way toward your own goals and dreams.

The human side of each achiever comes alive as she shares her challenges, choices and achievements in a “just between us” tone that educates as it entertains.

You can purchase a copy of ‘Scrappy Women in Business’ online at ThinkAha Books or on Amazon.

*I have received a complimentary copy of ‘Scrappy Women in Business’ by the author as this book mention is part of a virtual book tour I am conducting.

A book on my reading list that I have had the pleasure to read is ‘The Social Media Bible’ .

The Social Media Bible

“Social media and customer care are rapidly coming together. This Second Edition is a must-read for any professional who wants to stay on top of this rapidly changing topic. From the basics to long-term social media strategy, this is the only resource book to have on your desk.”
—Scott Ross, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, NCO Group, INC.

“Lon Safko is a serial technologist who really understands social media and is also blessed with the gift of being a great com-municator. His book deftly takes you from ‘Social Media 101’ all the way to PhD status in a format that is easy to browse, informative, and powerful.”
—Tom Asher, Director, Consumer Relations, North America, Levi Strauss & Co.

About the Book:
The Social Media Bible, Second Edition (www.TSMB2.com) is the most comprehensive resource that transforms the way corporate, small business, and non-profit companies use social media to reach their desired audiences with power messages and efficiency. In this Second Edition, each of the three parts – Tactics, Tools, and Strategies – have been updated to reflect the most current social media trends.

* Covers all major new software applications, including features and benefits, in detail
* Lists more than 120 companies integral to the social media industry with updated data, products, services, and links
* Includes advanced topics like measuring social media return on investment (ROI) and how to develop and implement the Five Steps to Social Media Success strategy plan
* Includes dozens of social media ROI case studies
* Author is a widely acknowledged social media authority with numerous media appearances and speaking engagements

The Social Media Bible, Second Edition gives you a fully up-to-date toolbox to revamp your marketing strategy and create new opportunities for growth.

About the Author:
Lon Safko is a remarkably creative person. He is the creator of the “First Computer To Save A Human Life”. That computer, along with 18 other inventions and more than 30,000 of Lon’s papers, are in the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. He has created numerous hardware and software solutions for the physically challenged, developed the first CAD software for civil engineers, designed the archetypes for the Apple Newton & Microsoft’s Bob Operating Systems, and is also responsible for those handy little Tool-Tips help-balloon pop-ups!

Lon is the founder of eleven successful companies, including Paper Models, Inc., which developed Three-Dimensional Internet Advertising for business, promotions, and education, for which Lon holds two patents and a third pending.

Lon been recognized for his creativity with such prestigious awards as; The Westinghouse Entrepreneur of the Year, Arizona Innovation Network’s Innovator of the Year, The Arizona Software Association’s Entrepreneur of the Year, twice nominated for the Ernst & Young / Inc. Magazine Entrepreneur of the Year, The Public Relations Society of America’s, Edward Bernays, Mark of Excellence Award, and nominated as a Fellow of the nation’s Computer History Museum. Lon has also been featured in Entrepreneur Magazine, PC Novice, Inc. Magazine, and Popular Science Magazines just to name a few. Lon was recently selected by the Smithsonian institution to represent “The American Inventor” at their annual conference.

Lon is an author of remarkable breadth, writing six innovative books, which have shown corporations how to train managers to think creatively, detailed the secrets of launching a successful on-line business, offered advice to new homeowners on reducing building costs, and related amazing stories about the serendipity of life. His latest book with John Wiley & Sons “The Social Media Bible,” unlocks the mysteries of the hottest new Internet wave, Social Media, such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube for business. This book is transforming corporate, government, and non-profit marketing strategies and how they use these new media to reach their desired audiences with powerful messages and efficiency.

Lon is a professional speaker, wowing audiences in a hundred cities nationwide with his insights into innovation, creativity, and how to be a successful entrepreneur / intrapreneur in this global digital age. Said one executive of First American Title Insurance, “This is the best presentation I’ve been to in 25 years.” Teledyne said Lon’s presentations are “Informative and entertaining, packed with useful information.” And the U.S. Postal Service called Lon “Inspiring and Motivational.”

Lon also privately coaches Fortune 1,000 companies on harnessing Innovative Thinking and social media strategies to create higher productivity and profits. Lon’s presentations are personalized to help corporate, government, and non-profit executives improve their operations and performance by capturing the innovative potential now wasted or overlooked. As Lon says, “When you see your world in a different perspective, you see new ways to do everything!” Lon Safko sees the world in a new way every day.
*this information was provided by Amazon

You can purchase a copy of ‘The Social Media Bible’ on Amazon.

I truly hope you will check out these books and please comment and let me know your thoughts on them.

Quality Or Quantity – Which Ranks Higher On Your Blog?

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By Terez Howard

You’re probably staring at your computer, thinking what is this girl talking about?  Of course, quality is more important than quantity.

I agree that a high quality post, one that is well-written, well-researched, extraordinarily helpful with a dash of entertainment, is more important than pumping out one garbage, cut and paste post after another.  Every blogger strives to share tidbits of knowledge with her readers, so people make it to the last period of the last sentence in a post.

That said, I think there’s something to be said about quantity.  How often have you come across a superb blog post and you’re dying to read the latest and greatest post only to find the author’s most recent work is from April?  Sigh.

If you really like a blogger’s work, you go to the About page and business website to find some reason why this excellent blog became defunct.  That’s what I do, hoping there is some hidden link to another, updated blog.

Did you ever think the blogger does not consider her blog to be dead?  Maybe she’s thinking that she will return to it when she finds the time.  Maybe she’s procrastinating over her writing skills.  Maybe she plans on hiring out, but hasn’t found the best person for the job.  Maybe she hasn’t realized how much time has elapsed since her latest and greatest.

Quality posts versus quantity

Let’s take a look at these two points and see which one tips the scale.  Please feel free to add to my small list.

If you focus on a high quality blog, you

  • Stand out as an authority in your niche.
  • Feel more focused as a writer, rather than meandering from pillar to post.
  • Are likely to gain a dedicated following because readers expect valuable information.

When you stress quantity, you

  • Will have a wealth of information on your blog quickly.
  • Are likely to gain a dedicated following because readers can tune in often.
  • Get some Google love.

Both have their strong points.  But what do you want more?

Which ranks higher, quality or quantity?

My answer is that both should walk hand in hand.  One cannot and should not function without the other.  When I write, I bring quality to the table by being as resourceful as I can be.  I don’t do as much as others.  My posts aren’t flooded links, tables and video.  (I’m not saying these things are bad; they just aren’t what I do… yet).  My point is: I do my best.

As far as quantity goes, I have a set writing schedule that I can keep up with as a busy stay-at-home mom.  I’m not writing every single day.  That’s impossible for my life.  Once again, I do my best.

Quality and quantity have their places in a blog.  You have to strike a balance that keeps you regularly writing high quality posts.

How do you strike that balance?

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Terez Howard operates TheWriteBloggers, a professional blogging service which builds clients’ authority status and net visibility.  She has written informative pieces for newspapers, online magazines and blogs, both big and small.  She regularly blogs at Freelance Writing Mamas . You’ll find her on Twitter @thewriteblogger

Thanks, Terez!

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!