Better Workplace Communication

Posted on 09. Aug, 2010 by David in Takeaway

We all receive too many emails. Period!

Here’s an interesting article that explains how to use different tools for  different types of communication.

Money Quote:

Depending on the velocity of communication we have a number of choices:

Fast-moving discussions are handled in an instant messaging application. This is a replacement for quick get-togethers when people are in different offices or the topic does not merit interrupting what a colleague is doing. Technically, the transcripts can be copied and stored somewhere else for posterity but most of the time it is the result of the interaction that is important and not the conversation itself.

Fleeting thoughts and questions find their way to our microblogging tool. Statements act as useful signals about what is going on and may attract comments from colleagues. Questions are asked and replied to, often with links to our knowledge platform or external sites.

Slow-moving, larger pieces of analysis are developed on our knowledge platform (which happens to be a wiki). Groups can work together to co-draft presentations or strategy papers, and pages can be tagged and linked together. Each project has its own area on the platform and we use it to store notes and prepare project deliverables. Working in this way has the useful side effect that work product is automatically shared (unless we need to react to information barriers) obviating the need for a specific “knowledge management” step in the work process.

Read the whole thing here.

Learn How To Improve Local Search Rankings

Posted on 22. Jul, 2010 by David in Strategy

When you’re trying to attract local traffic it can be hard to know where to start.

If you’re doing embroidery in Fairlawn NJ your site isn’t in the top ten when someone Googles: Embroidery, Fairlawn NJ….then you’re missing out on sales.

So let’s see what you can do to get yourself a decent search ranking…check out the Econsultancy for some hints on how to improve your local rank.

Clean Up Your Wall

Posted on 15. Jul, 2010 by David in Takeaway

Your Facebook wall is an important piece of real estate for you and or your business.

In this video Sean Malarkey will demonstrate why you should clean it up and make it a space that works for you to drive business and add value – by removing a lot of the crap that is cluttering up your wall and making people click away.

Best Marketing Advice I’ve Read In A While

Posted on 12. Jul, 2010 by David in Strategy

From http://econsultancy.com/


I’ve summarized the 7 below…read the full thing here.


1. Keep your eye on the ball – Draw up a chart of each step a customer needs to take to create a sale and ask yourself if the small tasks you’re working on facilitate this. If they don’t, then they aren’t relevant.


2. Market to your customers, not to yourself – There’s no need for the hard sell.


3. Stop learning about it – Limit your research to specifics and realise that you can’t fit the entire internet in your head. Make sure you know everything about your own product first.


4. Diversify – Build yourself an online safety net.


5. Build relationships – Don’t just say hello and then never speak to someone again.


6. Find a niche – Find niches and exploit them.


7. Don’t be a tease – Space promotions across no more than two weeks.

A Reminder…Speak With Conviction

Posted on 10. Jul, 2010 by David in Fun Stuff

9 Essential Social Media Tips for Beginners

Posted on 08. Jul, 2010 by David in Takeaway

Here are a few of the best Do’s and Don’ts that can save you time and help grow your social media authority more quickly.

Read more here.

Please Watch This Video!

Posted on 07. May, 2010 by David in Announcement

So this talk really got me thinking.  WOW – I’VE BEEN SO WRONG!

I spend all day trying to convince people that Buttonwood has better features than our competition.  I think that’s what I’m supposed to do for a living!

This guy is telling me I’m wasting my time! …and I think I agree with him!

(read this after you watch the video)

I’ve always thought that suppliers and distributors deserved better!  Most of the technology products available to the industry are kind of crappy and ugly. I genuinely believe that we can do better and I’ve always thought that by explaining why product configuration and supplier integration are important  that people would “get it”; do the obviously smart thing and become our customer.  Boy was I wrong!! ..and this video does a great job of showing me EXACTLY how I was wrong!

Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! …for being so boring all these years and trying to explain something very technical without having a very compelling reason for why Buttonwood matters!

Why should buying a promotional product be any different from buying a plane ticket or buying a computer?  All three are fairly complicated purchases with lots of options and expensive non refundable consequences for making a mistake.

Promotional Products suppliers and distributors deserve to have the same good technology tools as everyone else.

Why do we accept that we can’t figure this out and that Dell and Delta can?  Are we less intelligent….I don’t think so!! (Have you ever talked to a airline or computer customer service rep and felt like you found a genius?)

I believe that we can give our end user buyers the same experience that they get from their other business vendors.  We can be just like Delta and Dell!

I believe relationships matter and the sales experience is a big part of the relationship. We need to give a buyer a compelling, interesting and engaging experience. If we frustrate our buyer by offering them crappy online service then they will go somewhere else…it’s just common sense!

With a few notable exceptions most suppliers and distributor websites scream “I’m a little business that has no clue what I’m doing online.” If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard a supplier or distributor apologize for their website I’d be a very rich man! We’ll let’s stop saying sorry and start being proud of ourselves!

I believe that the best way to stand out from the crowd and be different is to be better than the other guy.  Look a little better, dress a little better, smile a little more, be faster to answer a question, make it easier to buy from you and always be offering suggestions and solution to you customers problems.

I want Buttonwood to make our customers better than the competition. I want a buyer to go online and feel that they just had the same kind of online experience that they got at Dell or Delta.  I know we can do it!!

Well…that’s a start…and sorry for all that talk about product configuration and supplier  integration…without some meaning it’s all just noise!!

Finding New Ways To Get The Job Done

Posted on 23. Apr, 2010 by David in Fun Stuff

Lifehacking

Posted on 23. Mar, 2010 by David in Fun Stuff

…is finding useful shortcuts with the simplest things.

Simple - Obvious - Easy - Sustainable - Elegant - Lifehack

Promotional Products as ART

Posted on 11. Mar, 2010 by David in Fun Stuff

I was at the The Armory Show (huge international modern art fair) last Sunday and I was struck by how often modern art and promotional products overlapped.

The best example of this is from Reid Seifer and his Project Optimism.  Reid was standing in his booth offering to Edit Your Consciousness for $25 using a little hand sanitizer bottle.

What a great idea! Transform everyday objects into items of higher value by adding a logo…that sounds familiar!

Next time your looking to help your client with a project think of Reid and how he makes people happy with promotional products.  Maybe ever show then the Project Optimism website – it might spark some good ideas?

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