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Expert Voices # 7 Networking - Love it or Hate it? (Part 2)

Expert Voices is the Teimlo blog entry dedicated to sourcing expert knowledge for our readers and customers. Please read, enjoy, share and comment.

Networking - Love it or Hate it ? (Continued from Part 1) kindly contributed by Debbie Newman from armstrongbeech.co.uk

8. If it’s a seated event, try to annotate the cards you’ve collected as soon as you sit down – add
something which will remind you of that person – visually/something they said/flashy
tie/doesn’t matter what so long as it’s a memory jog; then when back in the office always write
on the card the date/venue where you met them. If putting their details then into your data
base, add these memory jogs here too. If you’ve promised to follow up with something
specific, jot this down on the card too.

9. If you have a commitment to follow-up with someone do it within a couple of days of the event
whilst still fresh in your mind (and theirs) with a quick email or phone call. If you do a lot of
networking, then perhaps consider a business postcard or folded overprinted notelet to ‘stand
out’ from the standard two-line email. I was sent once a great follow up from a national IFA
but two flaws – it was written upside down and there were no contact details attached. What a
waste – in fact more than that – it lessened my confidence in the contact.

10. If you have time, consider how the person you met is most likely to want to be communicated
with - think about where they fit in with the behavioural/disc quadrants and contact
accordingly.

11. If you are sending an email follow up, check your email signature to see that it’s complete.
You need:

o First name and surname
o Title
o Company name
o Strapline/few words about what you do
o Landline
o Mobile
o Email address
o Website

12. When you make contact, suggest a follow up meeting to find out more about their business
and for them to find out more about yours.

13. When you receive an email from a new contact, make sure you update your ‘contact’ details
on your PC, eg outlook contacts. Personally I copy all details from an email signature and
then paste onto a new contact and then populate the appropriate boxes accordingly.

You get out of networking what you're prepared to put in. Building up a network can become one of
your best marketing strengths and can help to generate regular referrals. Enjoy it.

If you wish to contribute an article to Expert Voices please contact Marie Preston.

Cool Stuff # 15 Squidoo

Cool stuff is Teimlo's blog series to help you out by telling you about useful applications and websites that can help your business.

Squidoo is a fast free and useful tool to help promote yourself or an organisation through Lens Building. The tool helps you share your knowledge, increase your profile, helps to increase your traffic whilst also earning a royalty.

If you have used Squidoo and found it to be useful please share your comment.

Teimlo derives no financial benefit from featuring Squidoo in this series. If Squidoo is useful to you please comment and/or share this entry.

Mobile Marketing Information, Tips and Advice #2: 12 Things You Must Know to Be Successful with Mobile Marketing (Part 1)

Mobile Marketing Information,Tips and Advice is Teimlo's exciting new blog series dedicated to bringing you expert knowledge and some of the latest information, tips and advice on mobile marketing that could be of real use. Please read, enjoy and share your comments.

The following article has been written by Richard Westlund on behalf of the Mobile Marketing Association. The MMA has kindly allowed us to use the article on the Teimlo blog site.

12 Things You Must Know to Be Successful with Mobile Marketing

By Richard Westlund

Whether you’re new to mobile marketing or can explain all the details of text messaging (SMS), picture messaging (MMS) and mobile web (WAP) technologies, it’s important to know how to deploy campaigns successfully, leveraging this powerful new media channel in today’s rapidly evolving global environment. Here are 12 recommendations from experienced mobile marketing professionals, starting with the basics and moving into tips for planning and implementing a successful campaign.

The Basics

1. Respect the end user

Any successful mobile marketing program must respect the end user and always put the interaction decisions including choice and control in the hands of the consumer (this means consumer “pull,” not consumer “push”). That’s why the MMA publishes the Global Code of Conduct, which focuses on consumer privacy and protection and ensures that all interactions with the consumer are at the consumer’s request. The MMA has also published its “Consumer Best Practices Guidelines (CBP)” for the U.S.market, which focus on ensuring a positive experience for the consumer and creating consistency in the interactions between brand and consumer via the mobile device. In the U.S. CBP guidelines, for instance, it is prohibited to send an unsolicited message to a mobile user, and the guidelines define that all messages must have consumer “opt in” before they can be sent. In any mobile endeavour, brands and marketers need to conduct themselves responsibly and use common sense when interacting with consumers. That means having the utmost respect for individual privacy, and ensuring that consumers have always opted in to your campaign.

2.Take advantage of existing resources

Education is the key to being successful, says Jason Gruber, vice president of U.S.strategic evelopment for AOL’s mobile team in Seattle Brands need to get smart about the mobile space,” he says. “If you think mobile is important to your consumers, spend a day on the Mobile Marketing Association’s web site [www.mmaglobal.com]. You’ll learn why a mobile spend can be more effective than online if you’re smart about selecting goals, choosing a partner and structuring a campaign.”

3. Understand the ecosystem

Because mobile marketing involves multiple participants, understanding the ecosystem (aka value chain) will help you launch a mobile initiative more effectively, as you will understand what players will need to be involved in providing your solution. Simplistically, the value chain includes consumers, who carry many different types of handsets, such as cell phones, smart phones and PDAs with varying capabilities. Next are the wireless operators/carriers, who provide service to consumers through a wide assortment of voice and data features and functionality. Aggregators and technology enablers provide the technical solution, the interoperability across the carriers and the link with the marketers. And then, brands and their agencies will help define their strategic objectives, goals and creative and lead the launch of the campaign. Since many mobile campaigns have integrated digital and traditional media components, marketers may also wish to explore the nuances of varied multimedia platforms, advertising networks and other web service providers.

Part 2 of this article will be published shortly, so please check back soon. If you would like to contribute an article or would like to add a comment please contact marie.preston@teimlo.com or if you would like to find out more about what our services can offer you please submit a form at http://www.teimlo.com/contact_us/ 

Expert Voices # 6 Networking - Love it or Hate it? (Part 1)

Expert Voices is the Teimlo blog entry series dedicated to sourcing expert knowledge for our readers and customers. Please read, enjoy, share comment.

The following article has been kindly contributed by Debbie Newman who works with Armstrong Beech Marketing. A company who works with owner/managers of small to meduim businesses who need help with their marketing. The article provides 12 pointers to conisder when networking.

Networking - Love it or Hate it?

Some of you are regular attendees; others not sure and others again absolutely hate it. I have always

networked and passionately believe in its value. When working in the telecoms sector and

establishing an office here in the South West, I gained at least one third of my business through

networking. And, equally important, those customers remain loyal and don’t get whisked away when

the next ‘too good to miss’ telesales call comes in – so long, of course, that you have ‘done what you

say on the tin’ and given them the very best customer journey. So do give it a try. I’ve jotted down

a few pointers to help you:

1. Consider how many networking groups you join. Whilst the cost of a breakfast isn’t huge, the

time can mount up over a month, so you need to be selective and support perhaps 2 or 3

groups, plus your own professional network(s).

2. Get there early/exactly on time and bring plenty of business cards with you which are easily

accessible. It’s much easier to enter an almost empty room than one really full and busy.

Have your own badge with you just in case yours has been missed or the name is wrong etc.

3. Be approachable and talk to people! After all that’s what it is all about. Approachability

derives from the Latin verb  which means ‘to come nearer to’, so remember this applies to you and whom you are talking .. you want to create relationships that can be followed up. There is no hard sell on the day and no one is there to buy.

4. Practise your 60 second summary of what you do and how you help the people you work with..

o I work with....
o Who has a problem with...
o What we do is...
o So that...
o Which means...

Give them the benefits of what you offer and above all keep it short. Remember, you are not
that interesting!

5. Try to take a quick look at the delegate list to see if there is anyone particular on the list you

would like to make contact with. Check with the desk during registration to see if he/she has

arrived yet and ask them to point him/her out if need be.

 

6. Think about your body language and try to adopt an open and approachable posture to attract

others to talk to you. Don’t cross your arms, no matter how tired you are! Never, ever prejudge.

 

7. It’s much better to have had a good chat with a few people than a 3 minute conversation with

lots; you won’t remember them, nor they you; be passionate about your business and avoid

the use of the answer ‘fine’. How’s business? ‘fantastic’ / ‘amazing’ is so much more

powerful than ‘fine’! Ask lots of open questions to encourage conversation. Be interested in

the people you meet and remember the old adage: “two ears and one mouth” – use them in

that proportion!

Part 2 of this article will be published shortly. If you wish to find out more about Armstrong Beech Marketing please visit armstrongbeech.co.uk. If you would like to contribute an article to expert voices please contact Marie Preston.

Book Review # 5 : The monk who sold his Ferrari

Book reviews from Teimlo is our blog series devised to recommmend marketing and networking books that could help with your business.

The following book review has been contributed by Phil Terrett from Teimlo.

The monk who sold his Ferrari
Robin S. Sharma
ISBN 978-0-00-717973-2

Approached with trepidation due to its bestseller status The monk who sold his Ferrari is actually a transformational book. It is a self-help/change your life book wrapped in a story of a lawyer, who after a near fatal heart attack, leaves his career to pursue a path of self-redemption and renewal in India. He recounts his story on his return to a former intern.

The writing style is largely monologue, with frankly some inane encouraging grunts from the former intern. The mix of East and West comes in by providing a checklist at the end of each chapter. The fable from which the chapters unravel is rather hokey, but hey, it contributes to the overall effect of the book.

The monk who sold his Ferrari makes you think, it pushes you to change, it reinforces some ideas that we all know are common sense, but mainly it is a very enjoyable read.

“When the student is ready, the teacher will appear”.

If you have read The monk who sold his Ferrari and would like to leave comment please feel free to do so. If you would like to contribute a book review please contact Marie.

Cool Stuff # 14 Flock

Cool stuff is Teimlo's blog series to help you out by telling you about useful applications and websites that can help your business.

  Flock

Flock is a useful application for Internet users who spend a lot of time going from one site to the next, keeping up with a variety of friends and interests. The application pulls all of your favorite people, places and content together in a convenient view and delivers a more personal experience of the web, where its users are more easily connected to what's important to them. If you have used flock and found it to be useful please share your comment.

Teimlo derives no financial benefit from featuring Flock in this series. If Flock is useful to you please comment and/or share this entry.

Book Review #4: Mobile Marketing; The Message Revolution

Book Reviews from Teimlo is our blog series devised to recommend marketing and networking books that could help you with your business.

Mobile Marketing

The Message Revolution

By M, Haig. 2002

Published by Kogan Page Limited

ISBN 07494 3798 7

In this book Haig talks about how mobile marketing has become the hottest communication method of the 21stCentury and focuses on the importance of using mobile as a tool in business. Haig uses examples of campaigns and explains the fundamental principles of successful mobile marketing providing a clearer understanding to the concept of marketing in this way.

The introduction provides information breaking down the terminology used in the world of mobile. From the quiet SMS revolution to the global messaging Haig identifies each phase to how mobile has changed businesses. Haig looks at the mobile culture and the cultural phenomenon of texting informing the marketer of the importance of conveying a deep understanding of the medium within the messages themselves that will make a positive impact following some key rules.

Ourview: We would recommend this book to those who would like to have an insightful cross section of viewpoints to understand the mobile revolution and how to get a marketing message across to the customer via the mobile. It is an interesting read yet would be considered to be of use to those who are considering using a mobile marketing campaign for their business.

Please feel free to add a comment or contact Marie is you wish to contribute a book review.

Cool Stuff # 13 OmniDazzle

Cool stuff is Teimlo’s blog series to help you out by telling you about useful websites and applications that can help you and your business.

  

Some fun and useful enhancements that can help brighten up your presentations Using OmniDazzle you can use a range of plugins to create visual effects as the plugins are designed to be both playful and practical.

Teimlo derives no financial benefit from featuring your Omnidazzle in this series. If Omnidazzle is useful to you please comment and/or share this entry.

Book Review #3: "Meet and Grow Rich"

Book Reviews from Teimlo is our blog series devised to recommend marketing and networking books that could help you with your business.

The following review has been kindly contributed by Neil Wooding of Razoreye.

Meet & Grow Rich

By Joe Vital & Bill Hibbler (2006)

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc

ISBN-13: 978-0-470-04548-0

I had the pleasure of being given this book by a good friend and it was interesting enough to capture my attention until the last page! "Meet and Grow Rich" is a simple concept around the format of Mastermind Groups based on peer support for your own business needs. The idea is not new but the way that the groups are formed, run and organically managed is something unique and almost magical. By the first few chapters, I was eager to start my own group!

The book itself an easy read, full of inspirational stories and anecdotes from a range of people who have used this book in the past. While heavily focused on American stories, I can fully translate this to my own needs and understand that some issues transcend boarders. It is filled with practical ideas for building and benefiting from your own mastermind group and gives clear indications on how to deal with some issues arising from groups that are not working efficiently to ways on managing timing. Many of the ideas for mastermind groups come from the most successful and recognisable names in a wide variety of fields. One thing that they all have in common is that they use mastermind groups to help them achieve success.

One thing that becomes clear in this book is that it deals with life on a humanistic level from personal issues to how we all deal with life each day. It clearly shows that having the support of peers in a group can be a highly rewarding process. I can't wait to put more of these techniques into practice and form my own mastermind group.

You can view this book at http://www.josseybass.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-047005624X.html

If you have read "Meet and Grow Rich" and would like to add comment please feel free to do so. If you would like to contribute a book review please contact Marie.

Mobile Marketing Information, Tips and Advice #1

Mobile Marketing Information, Tips and Advice is Teimlo's exciting new blog series dedicated to bringing you expert knowledge and some of the latest information tips and advice on mobile marketing that could be of real use. Please read, enjoy and share comment.

Mobile marketing helps to widen our perception and is a highly unique medium which compliments other forms of marketing media such as the television. Future technologies will see massive innovations that will be potentially more powerful than the old forms of media. Especially with the recent economy where advertising has taken a hit yet mobile marketing is considered to be seen as recession proof. Reports written by the Mobile Marketing Association reveal that there are now 64 million mobile phone users in the UK.

According to the MMA 2008 was a pivotal year for mobile marketing as this form of marketing played an important role in driving value and success for companies behind the campaigns. MMA provides one example of BMW who ran a simple MMS campaign in the U.S promoting use of winter tyres to 117,000 recipients that generated $45 million in sales or a return on investment of roughly 750 dollars for every dollar spent.

In 2009 Teimlo will be using this blog series to help you plot your way through the minefield of mobile marketing with some clear and concise examples of what works and does not work, the trends and friendly advice.

If you would like to contribute an article to this blog please contact Marie of feel free to leave a comment. If you would like to find out more about Teimlo as a mobile service provider and what we could offer you as a service please submit the form at http://www.teimlo.com/contact_us/