Is The Purpose of Social Media for Gaining Clients, Recommendations, and More Money?

Social media is a great resource for many things, but is it a replacement for meeting face-to-face with clients? I believe it can be over time, but only if done correctly. Today on LinkedIn, I read one of the best articles on something I believe, which is, there is no substitution for personal, word-of-mouth referrals. We have so many ways to use social media in our promotional mix. Yet, it’s just one part, not the whole part.

What is the benefit of building a following of 10’s of 1000’s, or as I like to say, a group of networking professionals to connect with others, to learn from one another, and the added benefit of building your name and brand recognition in the business world? Is it to make connections, help inspire, encourage others and grow by mutually engaging with people of like minds? It’s apparently good for those who offer webinars and teleseminars, and those people may get sales on Amazon books, e-books or coaching. Coaching is the word for what people like myself have done for 30+ years – “counselling”.

Depending on the coach you see or talk with, they may literally “coach” and cheer you on with whatever you need to do in your professional or personal career. Others may make recommendations, design plans and strategies that make sense, and help you to execute those plans. My coach, Tee Crane, of TCCS in Vancouver, has helped me from a professional perspective to a personal/health perspective actually providing me with the tools to get through a life threatening illness this past year. His job doesn’t end at the end of the contract as he has a follow-up period with each of his clients. So, each Coach offers different skill-sets.

What I do in my practice is work with people in building a strong foundation making recommendations, designing plans and strategies that make sense, and helping my clients execute those plans while never making the client look bad to anyone. That’s how personal referrals are made. From client to client. From recommendations that can be followed up on and verified.

Not on LI endorsements. What people have the opportunity to do, which is what I enjoy, is sharing information and learning from others. While money is great to have, it is not why I connect with people. I look for a mutual connection where it may be a beneficial relationship for both parties as a business connection. With Skype, I can start my day talking with clients or contacts in the UK and wind up in Australia, having talked with clients or contacts in South Africa, Canada, the US, and elsewhere throughout the day and evening. What a great resource social media is making our business communities more global. Some geographic areas may not be ready for a “global” community coming into their backyard. Too bad, because I learn so much from others all around the world. However, social media is no substitution for fine work product and client recommendations.

My rules for social media:

• Set aside a specific amount of time to check your social media each day. If you have someone else doing it they should be following up for you with a summary.

• Make sure your social media posts are pertinent to your interests, business and trends of the day.

• Are you following people you want to have in your list of “friends” or followers.?

• The same holds true for who you follow.

• Do you respond and engage with people who are engaging with you?

• If you are participating in a discussion on LinkedIn, make sure that your thoughts make sense. If you have to cut an paste first. it’s worth it. Spell-check.

• Make sure your information is current.

• Don’t let social media replace meeting people, calling, or writing those you’ve known for years.

• DON’T let it overtake your day that you have little billable hours left.

OMG! It’s almost 5 PM & I haven’t looked at Facebook!

Most people live in areas where they can
easily connect with local people and become a part of a community. That’s a great way to get started. If not reach out to those where ever you have lived in past years. Make your web wider and brighter. The bigger it gets, the more talent and information (not to mention potential clients) you bring into your world).

 

 

Brands and Twitter: The limits of following

Twitter has one of the strangest ways of limiting people to follow others. Thanks to Wade for sharing this information.

Birmingham Blogging Academy

Photo: Michael Dolan (CC)

Twitter is a pain. Sometimes, I think this channel does everything it can to be as unpopular as possible.

For instance, Twitter has a spambot problem, as automated accounts clog chats, hijack hashtags and blanket timelines with sales pitches and viruses.

But the solution is as bad as the problem.

I had no idea Twitter was limiting how many people I could follow. In theory, this keeps spambots from following everyone and inflating numbers and luring followbacks. But it punishes legitimate accounts, too.

My tactic for @YallConnect was to follow as many real people in the Southeast as possible. After following 2,001 users, I saw the warning message (shown above) that stopped me cold.

The linked policy from Twitter outlines all the following limits:

Once you’ve followed 2,000 users, there are limits to the number of additional users you can follow. This number is different for…

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Make Sure Your Business is built on a Strong Foundation

Is a business plan important for your business?

… Is a concrete slab or crawlspace foundation important before constructing a home?

 

Make Sure Your Business is built on a Strong Foundation

You have a great business idea. It only takes a table chair, a basic computer and a telephone to start. No sweat! Off you go, right? … You’ve had a home-based business for a year as a coach. That requires very little to start off. However, you start accepting invitations to speak to groups and you’re getting paid. You’ve also written a book or two relating to your coaching and orders are coming in. YOU NEED HELP!  Suddenly, you’re doing more administrative duties than you’re spending time coaching; yet, more clients are calling due to referrals.

Do you have what it takes to accommodate the demands of your growing business? Ask yourself some important questions:

• Is your business planted on a solid foundation?

• Are you prepared for a growth spurt when orders start coming in faster than you can keep up?

• What about when the economy has a downturn and your business experiences a slowdown in sales to the point of you having to begin laying off staff?

• Do you have the proper legal structure for your business… what about an attorney and CPA who works with you?

• What if you want to grow into a larger office space, or just get out of your home office?

• Do you have the funds or paperwork to back up getting a loan?

• If you can’t answer the above questions with conviction and clarity and that all of the above are in order, then we need to talk!

Business planning sometimes gets overlooked or confused as a part of the promotional mix and considered a part of the marketing piece of the big picture. The business plan is not the marketing plan and if you have a marketing plan, a media calendar, or any other kind of plan relative to your business, but doesn’t involve projections, financials, market competition analysis, or an executive summary, you haven’t done a business plan.

When you don’t have your bases covered before going into business for yourself; how will it affect your family? What will happen if you need to spend money to hire help or rent space to store the items you now sell? Do you have 6 to 9 months’ worth of savings? Do you have an emergency fund put aside for things needed as your business grows? What about if you or your spouse become disabled to the point you can’t work for 6 months? Finally, what may seem an unimportant issue may in fact be one of the most important questions: How does your family feel about you going into your own business – quitting the corporate world?

Too many people start their businesses without thinking about any of these issues. If they have a computer, a dining table, and phone, business is ready to open. Erase that thought.

First, do your research.

• Talk to your family. How will it affect everyone?
• If your partner doesn’t work outside the home, do you need for him or her to get a job to supplement your new business income? It will be slow coming the first few months as people pay their bills in different ways; some the day the bill comes in, some 3 months later. If you have small children, how will it affect your children and your ability to work if they are small and need a lot of attention?
• Discuss your plans with a business attorney; what kind of structure will your business be set up?
• Retain a CPA specializing in small businesses and tax law. A great thing to have is a Neat® receipt scanner.
• Look at other similar businesses – how do they market themselves?
• Have you made a list of all expenses? Do you know what they might be?
• What about professional trade associations you might need to join?
• Is there a certification or special state license you need to have?
• If you are a coach, don’t assume you shouldn’t have a business license in the city where you live.
• Are you a motivated, self-starter, with resilience and tenacity, organized enough to keep work flow in order and the stomach to handle months when times are lean?
• Can you make a contract with yourself that you will not stay in your sweats or PJ’s all day, day in and day out, even if you don’t have to meet clients? (It’s a comfortable way to work, but can be addictive at times. You don’t want to stop going out to meet and greet people each day; after all, it is your business, not a hobby!

These are all important questions that need answers. I understand that some people who start their business from home may not agree with many of the things I’ve written here. But, believe me, if you take the extra time before you begin a business by doing the above, or as many things that apply to you, you will have a greater chance of having a successful and less stressful business start.

“There are some people who live in a dream world, and there are some who face reality; and then there are those who turn one into the other.”

                                                                                           Douglas H. Everett

 

 

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Top 5 Reasons to Hire a Virtual Assistant to Answer Your Calls

Virtual Assistants is the old Answering Services of years ago coming back with new and improved equipment, technology, skill-sets, and geographic boundaries. In the 80’s when I had several businesses running at one time, I needed the services of a classic Answering Service and mail receiving location as all of the businesses were taking orders, answering constant phone calls, receiving supplies, and these people took orders for us by phone, also taking orders and charging them using my merchant account. Over the 10 years that I used their services before moving one of the businesses into a retail location, I loved it! I am delighted to see they are BACK although under a new name, etc. It just takes time finding the perfect fit where timing, etc. come together without incident.

This gives us many answers to questions about conducting business in various parts of the world! The people I have talked with and/or hired, have been absolutely excellent! I am so glad the services are BACK, and hopefully, here to stay!

@CamLemmon, #Camrynoliverconsultinggroup
Oliver Consulting Group
Homewood, AL 35209
(205) 914-6845

Make your events winners through consistency

Wade Kwon is someone I enjoy reading about and his blogs on various subjects and look forward to him coming to our May event.

Birmingham Blogging Academy

Photo: Official GDC (CC)

I preach consistency. I consistently preach consistency.

It is the one method you can use to make your blog, your newsletter, your social media and even your events better than those of your competitors.

Your company might use events for building awareness, or generating leads, or researching the market. Events can be great for reinforcing the brand and maintaining good ties with clients.

I’ve seen organizations execute events sharply, delivering on the promise of education, networking or plain old fun. I’ve served as event planner for years with different groups, in addition to taking in my fair share of seminars, conferences, receptions and happy hours.

Events are challenging. They require intense focus on the guests and management of a thousand details.

The way to outmaneuver the many competing events is through consistency.

That can include, but is not limited to …

• Reminders: Busy people forget events…

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Upcoming Book Release, Success TRAPS: Awaken your Realized Potential for Lasting Fulfillment

SUCCESSFIRMATIONS

My excitement is overwhelming as the time has come for me to release my upcoming self-help and business leadership novel, Success TRAPS: Awaken your Realized Potential for Lasting Fulfillment.

What happens when you mix leadership development, transformational thinking, organizational behavior and military stratagem into one single text? The answer; you get a whole lot of happiness and direction for overcoming Success TRAPS in life! These are some of the ingredients of a happy lifestyle and are being offered on the heels of a tough global economy and year for most Americans. Moving into the field of Positive Psychology, I felt an obligation to use my literary voice to add value to the topic by explaining my views on the traps most people find themselves in during a lifetime. Not since Stephen Covey’s The 8^TH Habit has anyone really touched on the topic of finding your voice, and nowhere are the topics…

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Discover your Passion

SUCCESSFIRMATIONS

It doesn’t matter if you feel like you haven’t discovered your true passion in life. What does matter is that you never stop searching until you identify what it might look like.

Discovering your passion helps you to realize the incredible contributions you can make in the world. Your passion leads to your purpose. Your purpose leads to your vision. Your vision leads to your direction. Your direction influences your approach. Your approach stimulates your behavior. And your behavior discovers your outcomes.

Passion is resolute when it is fulfilled, but before it arrives at a desired destination, it cuts like a two-edged sword. Each cut leaves a valuable lesson to guide your steps into the future. They’ll help you remember where you’ve been to make sure that you have the right tools along the way to get you where you are headed.

Passion requires you to think using ‘above the…

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HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Are you Awake, Alive, and Excited?

Here we go! 2014 has started and we have a clean slate! Already, I’ve received a ton of New Year’s offers, tips, webinar invites, etc. on how-to, and pros and cons on, whether or not New Year resolutions will be met. One writer surprised me by an article stating new years’ resolutions were a waste of time and doomed to fail! I don’t believe that, but some people do. Perception is a personal thing that no one can change but that person.

Did I just hear someone reading this, ask, “Have you made your resolutions, Cam?”  No, I haven’t.  I’ve made New Year INTENTIONS. I’ve made KICK-BUTT GOALS. I create (don’t laugh) dream boards. But, the difference from other people who make resolutions such as: ‘I’m going to go to the gym every day,” ‘I’m going to triple my income in 3 months…,’ or, ‘I’m going to be on time for all meetings and get to work on time,’ and more resolutions similar to those, is this – I make intentions. And, as we all probably do, we write them down. I go a step further. 

When you make an intention, you are promising yourself, giving your word, and that makes it more personal and powerful. As many people do in business, I also enjoy mind-mapping. This started for me back in the 1980’s when a day planner came on the market called the Personal Resource System (“PRS”). Mind-mapping was one of the things taught with using the day planner and I found it to be invaluable in all areas of my life, while I knew the idea had been around for a number of years prior. Soon came Stephen Covey’s extraordinary book entitled, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.”

The other action I take is to set each intention up as if it were a project for a client. If its health related, it’s planned out as a project, with objectives to be reached and deadlines set. Each day or week, depending on the intention, there is an action to be taken. Since I treat these like I would any other activity for a client, I’m more committed with ‘intent’ on completing the task.

Setting goals is a little different than making a resolution. Resolutions are something that many of us take seriously and set yearly. We resolve to change something, usually a habit. But, for many, they know the realization that resolutions are made in fun, half-heartedly, and people who make them don’t seriously expect them to last. When you don’t expect something to be fulfilled, you are basically setting yourself up for failure. Believe me, I’m one who knows.

For years I was my own self-saboteur. Next were members of my family. If my husband or anyone doubted I could accomplish a goal, I soaked in their opinions. Thoughts became my thoughs. Then, ka-boom! Whatever the goal, it didn’t succeed only because I didn’t believe in myself any more. That was when I was in my 20s and early 30s. Today, what anyone says that is negative – their thoughts just bounces off me like a boomerang! Unless it comes in the form of a friend or peer, and is respectfully given as constructive criticism or suggestion, I will not take it seriously. But, only I can make my goals succeed or fail.

Those years ago when I didn’t have a lot of confidence, unlike today, it would always amaze me when I had success at a major goal that I set. Soon, I learned that success does come to those who work hard, make a plan, and work their plan. Once people see that you do good work, your word holds true, then you see more success. Never let other people hold you back or make you doubt yourself.

So the Cam Lemmon of today is not shy or lacking confidence. This Cam – me — of today is confident, wise, and I know that my present and past work and many clients’ letters of recommendation speak for themselves. I’m confident in reaching my goals and aspirations. Scratch that!  I’m confident I will see every intention I set come to fruition. 

Have a wonderful year, reach your goals, resolutions, or INTENTIONS, and shoot for the moon! If you don’t reach it, you may find a star! Allow yourself some room to adjust should surrounding circumstances change for which you have no control. Have a great year, and call me the “2014 Cam” – watching for the greatest achievements we all can make this New Year! Let me know how you do with your new year’s plans.

In fact, I’d like for each person to respond who wants to register their “resolutions” on this site, and at the end of the year, let’s have an award for the person or business who reaches many, if not all, goals. The one who reaches the most will be honored at an event I will be hosting at the end of the year at a sunny Florida location!

©All Rights Reserved. January 2, 2014.

 

Social Media: Is it a good source for recommendations?

Social media is a great resource for many things, but is it a replacement for make clients? I believe it can be over time, but only if done correctly.  Today on LinkedIn, I read one of the best articles on something I believe, which is, there is no substitution  for personal, word-of-mouth referrals.  We have so many ways to use social media in our promotional mix. Yet, it’s just one part, not the whole part.

What is the benefit to building a following, or as I like to say, a group of networking professionals to connect with others, to learn from one another, and the added benefit  to build your name in the business world, to make connections, and help inspire, encourage and grow by mutually engaging with people of like minds. It’s apparently good for those who offer webinars and teleseminars, and those people may get sales on coaching. Coaching is the new word for what people like myself have done for 30+ years – counsel, make recommendations, design plans and strategies that make sense, execute those plans, and never make the client look bad to anyone.

That’s how personal referrals are made. From client to client. From recommendations that can be followed up on and verified. Not on LI endorsements, what people have the opportunity to do, which is what I enjoy, is sharing information and learning from others. While money is great to have, it is not why I connect with people. I look for a mutual connection where it may be a beneficial relationship for both parties.

With Skype, I can start my day talking with clients or contacts in the UK and wind up in Australia, having talked with clients or contacts in South Africa, Canada, the US, and elsewhere. What a great resource social is to become more global. But, it is no substitution for fine work product and recommendations.

In A State of Change and Transition

We strive to reach goals but if our goals are no longer changing, we will eventually hit a brick wall.

Several years ago, I did a blog on how life can give you a new room to go into on your path, one filled with a future you had no idea would be in the plan of your life. It certainly wasn’t in my business plan or my personal goals, but prepared me for the years to come. The most valuable assets we have are real-life skill-sets and experiences, the challenges and the way we approach each new life event, brings new person growth, knowledge, and experiences. How you learn to deal with it, can tell everything about a person. “That which doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.”

In 1998, I was called on to take care of my dad who had not been diagnosed earlier when a spot appeared on his right lung. The doctor’s office staff had his file out 2 years before with the intention of calling him to come back in. Someone put the file away before ever calling him. By the time dad returned to his next checkup, the doctor told him that his lung cancer had spread.

At first, I would visit him at his home and help him with his meds, do his shopping for groceries, and cleaning his house. Then, the cancer became too advanced to take care of himself living on his own. I moved him into my home with my daughter, and a nurse would come every other day or more often when needed. Dad died in my home on Valentine’s Day in 1999. A Hospice nurse was with me and I had stayed with a friend while my ex-husband was at my house visiting our daughter. John called me and said that daddy’s mouth was open, as were his eyes, and his breathing was shallow.

I got back as quickly as I could and I held my dad’s hands and he said “Thank you, and [in only my dad’s way] said “I love you…” and he stopped breathing.

The point is, since that time, I’ve dealt with my illness (Lupus SLE), finding new work in the town where I grew up. Since then, I’ve been to 12 funerals of friends and chosen family, met my birth mother and family, married the love of my life, and divorced, moved into my 2nd husband’s home only after learning of our daughter’s pregnancy, and helping her to raise 3 children, seeing six of my grandchildren be born which defied the prognosis of my illness!

While I’ve worked the entire time, my full-time “job” has become more of a caretaker. I’m living in a state I never dreamed I’d end up in, I’m with my second husband who has always been my best friend, and now that the kids are in school, the last of the grandchildren, my beautiful little Twinkle (“Alice”), I find myself realizing I have another 20+ good years left and I can do anything I choose to do. Uh, that’s not true!

Learning how to love people unconditionally has been a gift to me that allows me the ability to approach the next challenge into an opportunity. This week we are having tests on one of our closest family members (if you guessed, you probably guessed right!) for how severe or mild is his Alzheimer’s.

In the spring I was looking forward to going back to San Francisco, my original destination when I stopped through Birmingham to say my goodbyes. That was when our daughter made her big announcement and I wasn’t going to leave her.

Since then, John has had a major surgery with less than greatest success and recovery. While I’m sure I may be taking many trips here in the US and abroad, I won’t be uprooting myself from Alabama any time soon. But, here’s the thought I want to share with anyone who finds they’re on a path they had no true wish to be on, you need to honor your commitments you’ve made to others. But, you also must make time to honor yourself.

It’s important to hold true to your commitments, to follow-up, and to do things you say you’ll do. This is important for everyone in every circumstance – business and personal lives.

The first thing always to remember is this: Love yourself and treat yourself with kindness and care.

Second, find the schedule that works for you. If you are not rested and healthy and loving yourself, you will be no good to anyone else.

Be prepared for even more changes as that’s part of life so be open to new opportunities and work them into your own daily schedule. Root out the negativity and drama in your life, and only surround yourself with wonderful friends (yes, even on-line friends) who are POSITIVE, OPTIMISTIC, POWERFUL, and SUCCESSFUL! These people, while they don’t need to know your daily drama, they are people who can help YOU stay up and filled with the “POPS.”

Trust your instincts. Make decisions carefully. Make your surroundings a paradise so that regardless of what other parts of your home may look like, you can have a retreat to go to when you have those spare moments or just need a ‘time-out.’

Set goals and when you reach them, reward yourself!

Get yourself in shape as you will need your body strength. I was a part of taking care of my mother before she passed. One day my partner and I went by to say “hello.” Mother was calling out for help when we rang the doorbell. She gave the code to the garage door and I was able to go in. I found her on the floor in her panties and bra. I cradled my mother with every ounce of strength I had to lay her back in her hospital bed that had been moved to the den downstairs. As people get older and bones become more fragile, it’s easier for them to fall.

From a health standpoint, you will benefit from having a more fit body anyway! If there is a rehabilitation facility you can join designed for older people, sign up! It not only will help you, it will the person you are taking care of in their daily habits.

The point? For me, anyway, I’m still full speed ahead with my work, but, while I am open and easy to please, I don’t have time for inconsiderate and rude people. I also don’t have room in my life for negativity. I get enough of that right here.

I set my goals HIGH! I make time for me, even if it’s an hour to read a book, play on the computer, engage with social media friends, or do a special project around the house.

In years to come, I’ll be traveling and letting my daughter take over. She almost does that now even when she isn’t asked… but, I will take time to get away. I will continue to work on my health as it hasn’t been the best of late.

But, have faith, find it if you don’t, call ME if you need a pep talk but not to just rehash your mind trash. Pray and meditate daily! Make friends if you have none who are close by.

Be positive and persistent. That doesn’t mean being pushy with your friends. But, with faith and a positive outlook, taking time to love yourself, you will be a better person, friend, companion, and caregiver. If you experience periods of being depressed or down, get out of where you are and go somewhere that makes you feel good (for me, it’s a library, bookstore, or music shop!)

Remember, life throws you all kinds of curves in your path. You may have different challenges than I’ve had, but whatever they are, you can use these same ideas.

Probably, the most important thing I can suggest is breath deeply before doing something stressful! Breath deeply all day, and remember to love yourself, set your goals, work towards reaching them and just because life has taken you down a different path, or into a different room, or you find yourself as I’ve found for me, that puts your focus on someone else, never forget who you are, or how important your own dreams are. It’s never to late to start something new for yourself.

Wishing you much success and a downfall of blessings! May your life path be absolutely amazing as I am finding mine to be…

Copyright 08222013