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.

Does Professional Mean Pretending We’re Not Human?

Posted on 02. Aug, 2010 by David in Takeaway

When did it become “professional” to pretend we’re a giant faceless corporation?

Why is acting like we have 20,000 employees who can only follow procedures considered the “right” thing to do .

Most of us are small business people who are concerned with maintaining a personal relationship with our customers.    Shouldn’t that mean acting human and treating people like we expect to be treated when it comes to the internet.

Here’s a good article that explains more:

Money quote:

Like any valuable relationship, the ones we have in business hinge on trust. And trust depends on openness, respect and humanity. Yet we often resist taking that approach in our professional lives, even though we know it would be absurd to do anything else in our personal lives.

Read The Directions

Posted on 21. Jul, 2010 by David in Fun Stuff

I know it’s fun to just dive right in and start playing around when it comes to all this search engine and social marketing stuff.  However..it’s best to start slow and learn along the way.  Baby steps everyone…

…or you might end up like the Swedish Chef!  Happy Wednesday!!

Now This Would Be Cool In The Backyard!

Posted on 16. Jul, 2010 by David in Fun Stuff

Nathan Myhvold talks about his recent inventions for fighting malaria including the laser bug zapper.

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.

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.

Use Facebook To Login on Buttonwood Sites

Posted on 15. Jun, 2010 by David in Announcement

We’ve added an awesome new feature to make it easier for customers to login to your Buttonwood websites.

Now your clients can use their:

  • Facebook Account,
  • Google Account,
  • Windows Live Account,
  • Yahoo Account,
  • Myspace Account,
  • AOL Account.

…to log in to your Buttonwood Website.    Did you know that 41% of buyers say the reason they don’t complete an online purchase is because of the registration process.  Now..there is NO MORE painful registering!  Just a click and you’re in!

Here’s a quick video that explains how it works.

Keep It Simple

Posted on 02. Jun, 2010 by David in Takeaway

Google doing an awesome job of keeping the message simple and fun.  What a great lesson in the importance of understanding what the market thinks before trying to sell something. 

Social Marketing with your eStore

Posted on 28. May, 2010 by David in Announcement

We’ve added all sorts of Social Marketing features to Buttonwood. Here’s a short video explaining why social marketing is important for distributors and how Buttonwood is helping distributors sell using Facebook.

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