Monthly Archive for April, 2011

Social Networking vs Traditional Networking

Published on April 27, 2011 in Advice for MSP's and Advice for Small Business owners. 2 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Statue of Shaking Hands

Yesterday I had the opportunity to sit down with Clare Tucker of Birmingham based The Vocational Marketing Academy (VMA). Clare is a highly qualified and experienced Corporate Marketing professional, and after picking her brains on all things Marketing, our conversation turned to Social Networking vs Traditional Networking. Clare expressed frustration that so many people in business are missing a trick because they don’t understand the benefits of Social Networking, or that they think it’s a replacement for Traditional Networking. Clare understood that the two work hand-in-hand.

For the past couple of years or more, I too have spent a good deal of time talking with business owners about Social Networking. I’ve found that those I speak to typically fall into one of three categories:-

  • “I know I should be doing it, but I don’t have the time”
  • “I’m not sure I understand why I should be doing it”
  • “I’m not doing it. It’s a waste of time.”

Those who say they “don’t have time” often regret saying it to me, as I start breathlessly rambling on about tools and techniques for using Social Networking. I typically stop when I see the glazed look in their eyes.

Those who say “It’s a waste of time” – I change the subject. Engaging this individual in a conversation about Social Networking and I may as well talk about either Politics or Religion, all three topics are going to be equally as fun to discuss.

But the majority of the people fall into the second category, “I’m not sure I understand why I should be doing it”. What’s more, people in this category often cite the fact that they already spend a lot of time doing “traditional” networking – attending groups like BNI, the Chamber of Commerce and other local face-to-face business networking groups.

Spending time doing traditional networking is fantastic. People do business with people they like, and face-to-face networking builds up trust and respect. But when I ask traditional networkers what their “system” for building relationships with new people they’ve met, and maintain existing relationships between face-to-face networking events is… they often confess that they’ve got a lot of business cards on their desk gathering dust that they must get round to doing something with.

For me, this is where Social Networking comes in. I have written before about the process I use for collecting Business Cards, and it heavily involves linking up with people I’ve met in the “real world” via Social Networking to aid in continuing the conversation. We connect on LinkedIn, I start a conversation with them on Twitter, or in some cases, we friend on Facebook.

I consider myself a person to whom relationships are very important, so I spend a lot of time meeting with people and keeping in touch with others via the telephone – but I know I’m not alone when I regularly think of somebody, or a persons name comes up in conversation and I say “I’ve been meaning to catch-up with them”.

Social Networking is a great way for passively keeping in touch with people. If somebody is an active user of Social Networking then you can let people know what you’re up to, add value to conversations, share information of mutual interest, and much more. If they aren’t an active Social Networking user, you can still keep in touch with them quickly and easily via e-mail – sending a link via e-mail with a note saying “I thought you might be interested in this article I wrote/found/had passed on to me” is not time consuming, but maintains the relationship between ‘phone calls or meetings.

It works in reverse too. If you spend all of your time doing Social Networking, just like spending all of your time doing traditional networking – you’ll get some results, but you’re missing an opportunity to take things further.

There are many a relationship that I’ve built solely through Social Networking – where I’ve found people via their blog, Twitter, or visa-versa, and which I then take to the next level by organising a meet up at a face-to-face business networking event.

It all comes down the individual you’re dealing with. Some prefer regular face-to-face or telephone calls, some prefer social networking – but whatever their preference – having the right tools to stay in touch with them is paramount.

In conclusion, for me the argument of Social Networking vs Traditional Networking is a non-starter – it’s all just …networking!

Two quick plugs – if you’re interested in hearing more about my thoughts on networking or want some tips on techniques for either traditional networking or social networking then register for my webinar “Finding customers by Networking”, hosted in conjunction with GFI Max, which takes place on Thursday 28th April 2011 at 4pm GMT (12pm EDT). Recordings are available.

Secondly – Clare at The VMA has made available to download a free  Marketing training Module entitled “Traditional vs New Marketing”. Go grab it!

Webinar – Finding customers by Networking – Thur 28th April, 2011

Published on April 21, 2011 in Events. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Max with Building BlocksA heads-up that I’ll be running a Webinar in conjunction with Big Chris Martin and the folks at GFI Max entitled “Finding Customers by Networking”. It takes place on Thursday, April 28th at 4pm GMT (that’s 12pm EDT).

When I’m asked about how I grew my own IT business, the first thing I talk about is networking – that includes face-to-face business networking meetings, Social Networking on-line, and all the steps in between.

The free webinar is aimed at smaller IT companies who are looking to grow and over one hour, Chris and I will share with you some of the ideas, tips and techniques you can use for enabling business networking to deliver profitable clients.

We’ll cover:-

  • Why business networking works
  • Finding networking meetings (in both the UK and USA)
  • Tips for attending business networking meetings – including preparing for meetings, tips for “working the room” and how to effectively follow-up afterwards
  • Using Social Networking
  • General Tips
  • We’ll also be having a question and answer session

Registration is quick and free – just visit the “Finding Customers by Networking” page and sign-up!

Spaces for hecklers are strictly limited, so you’ll need to register fast! Smile

UPDATE:- If you join us at the webinar, then you can also expect a free copy of Chris Martin’s latest White paper “How to do Break/Fix well” as an attendee. Make sure to get yourself registered!

IT Distributors – Box Shifters, or Value Additions?

Published on April 15, 2011 in Advice for MSP's. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , .

Cardboard BoxThis week I was given the opportunity to speak at the GFI Max Distributor Conference in Dundee, Scotland – presenting to a large group of IT Distributors from across Europe. My presentation was given from the perspective of IT Companies and MSP’s, with the goal of helping Distributors understand the challenges these companies face and the opportunities Distibutors (or Disti’s, as we typically refer to them as) have to build relationships with them.

I’ve made no secret of the fact that my experiences with Disti’s in the UK has been far from a positive one. As the former owner of a small Managed Service Provider, Distributors typically weren’t interested in building a strong win/win relationship with my company – the volume of sales we put their way simply wasn’t high enough, and they offered scant support to help us grow our business. To us they were simply Middle-Men who added nothing in value to our business.

There were, of course, exceptions – we had superb Account Managers at a couple of UK Distributors who we subsequently did lots of business with and recommended to others – but we always remained envious of our peers in the United States who seemed to enjoy strong relationships with the larger Disti’s – working much closer together to add value to the relationship for mutual gain. Overall, I’d often publically refer to the larger UK Distributors are nothing more than “Box Shifters”.

Well, I certainly had my eyes opened to what is possible from the Distributor/IT Company relationship this week in Dundee! It was fascinating to speak to Disti after Disti who talked less about product sales, and more about how they added value – working to help smaller IT companies to grow their business. Of course, volume of sales will always be important, but it’s logical that by Disti’s helping IT companies grow their businesses, it will naturally result in more sales volume. It’s a Win/Win situation.

I had the opportunity to meet Chris Walsh and Phil Barrow of UK based Exclusive Networks. Phil spoke about the steps Exclusive took to help smaller IT companies (especially in the 1-15 employee space) grow their businesses. I learned how Exclusive added value by offering Technical Support, marketing advice and even Consulting resources. Exclusive were not alone in taking this view towards helping their customers, IT Companies.

One man who took me to task on my attitude of Disti’s as “Box Shifters” was Rick Hebly of Dutch based Portland Europe. Portland pride themselves on offering extensive support to smaller IT providers who want to make the move from Break/Fix to Managed Services, and his enthusiasm was clear to see. I took the opportunity to ask Rick about his opinions on camera.


Rick Hebly, Business Development Manager, Portland Europe.

The Conference was an eye-opener to me and I acknowledge the fact that there are clearly a lot of great Disti’s who are committed to helping their customers, smaller IT Support companies, grow their business and not just shift product.

If you’re an IT company dis-satisfied with your Disti relationship, I’d urge you to reach out to your Disti Account Manager to talk about the challenges you are facing and see how they might help you. You may be pleasantly surprised at what they can offer, and if not… I’d be happy to share with you details of a number of alternative Disti’s who’d be happy to step up and help you instead!

 

Microsoft UK Partner Business Briefings – May 2011

Published on April 13, 2011 in Events. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

Microsoft Partner Network LogoThe popular Microsoft Partner Business Briefings are back, with Microsoft going on the road for 4 dates across the UK in Manchester, Birmingham, London and Aberdeen.

I’d strongly recommend registering as soon as possible, as these events tend to book up very quickly.

I’ll be attending the Birmingham event on 17th May, so if you’re in attendance – say hello!

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Event Overview

The Partner Business Briefings in May provide the opportunity for you to get the latest business updates from Microsoft Executives; hear from current Cloud Partners about their successful Cloud business models and see how, as a Microsoft partner, you can collaborate with other partners to establish and extend your cloud offerings.
Agenda

09.30 – 13.00

Welcome & Executive Keynote.

Update from our business managers and Microsoft Exec. Update on Microsoft vision and strategy and the evolution of our cloud offering.

 

Technology Showcase

Cloud showcase for small and medium businesses, including demonstrations on our latest technologies, hosted and on-premise.

 

Transitioning to the Cloud “Practicalities”

Guidance on evolving your business model to make a successful transition to becoming a Cloud partner, with examples collated from Microsoft Cloud partners across EMEA. Delivered by independent consultants.

 

Partner Cloud Programme: Showcase

Insight from partner on their cloud programmes, showcasing the opportunity to establish your cloud offering through partnering with others.

13.00 – 14.00

Lunch and networking.

Take advantage of this time, and utilize the P2P connector (you may want to check this terminology and include a hyperlink here) to connect with other partners attending the event and start extending your partner network.

 


14.00 – 16.15

2 x Breakout Tracks

OEM Track: Increase business with your SMB customers

Access targeted resources and support to increase your OEM SMB business. Brought to you by Microsoft and Intel, this session will give you specialised sales training and provide details on the new SMB Accelerate Programme! The session will also touch upon the new OEM Express Deployment Tool, which simplifies pre-installation processes and dramatically reduces deployment time.

MPN Track: Create and maintain effective partnerships

ResourceiT present real world examples of a variety of partnerships that exist within the channel. This session will equip you to make the best decisions in relation to developing a more profitable collaborative business whether you are focused on cloud, on-premise or both.

You can register for the Microsoft Partner Business Briefings here, using one of the Invite Codes below.

Manchester (The Lowry Hotel)
Wednesday 11th May, 2011
Invite Code 4DEA77
Birmingham (The Radisson Blu Hotel)
Tuesday 17th May, 2011
Invite Code F60994
London (Cardinal Place)
Thursday 19th May, 2011
Invite Code 5537BF
Aberdeen (Ardoe House Hotel)
Tuesday 24th May, 2011
Invite Code 92457E

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Error. Please Removes Spaces – Are you kidding me?

Published on April 11, 2011 in Advice for MSP's and Advice for Small Business owners. 6 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .

Frustrated GirlHave you ever attempted to complete a short on-line form, something that should be quick and simple, and ended up ready to throw your computer out of the window in frustration?

I know I have. Just this week, I wanted to view some information on a web-site but frustratingly was required to sign-up as a member to the site before I was given access to the information I wanted. <grumble> The on-line membership sign-up form I was presented with then asked me for a relatively large amount of information, including my address and telephone number. <grr> By the time I’d filled all this in, I was tempted to simply seek out the information I wanted from another web-site altogether! But I pressed “Submit” and to my irritation was given the following error back.

“Please remove Spaces”.

The error referred to my telephone number, which I’d input on to the form with a space between dialling code and main number.

How ridiculous! How simple is it for the form itself to remove the spaces, and let me get on with the job at hand?

All of us regularly come across examples of these roadblocks in our day-to-day lives, and whilst they are often simply irritations to many of us, in the age of convenience these irritations can also mean the difference between a user completing a transaction with us or throwing their hands into the air and giving up.

  • You ask your clients to give you feedback on your product or service. They happily agree, then you e-mail them with a dozen “Rate on a Scale of 1 to 10” items. At best, they get bored and click randomly. At worst, they get bored and leave the survey unfinished. How about picking just the one or two most important questions you need answering for your survey, and focusing on them instead?
  • Residents are encouraged to report pot-holes in their local roads to their Council, for repair. They are offered a telephone number to do so, but the number is only manned between 9am and 5pm on Weekdays. How about offering residents an e-mail address or SMS facility that allows them to report issues 24/7?
  • A reader visits your blog and enjoys an article. She wants to share it with her friends via Facebook or Twitter but that involves visiting Facebook directly and cutting and pasting the link. How about making it really simple for them to share the article by providing buttons that allow direct posting to Facebook or Twitter, with the article link automatically populated?

Review your external touch-points regularly, and put yourself in your customers shoes. Is it simple and obvious for them to achieve their desired goal? Take steps to simplify and streamline these touch points. This is especially important when you solicit feedback as part of a Community.

We are in the Information Age where, whether we like it or not, people move quickly and attention spans are limited. If you don’t make it as simple and convenient as possible for people to interact with you, they’ll simply go elsewhere – and now, more than ever, there are plenty of alternatives for them to try.