Twitter Transparency: Inner Architect’s Strategy

For the sake of being transparent, honest, and forthright, I feel it is necessary, as the Business Director for Inner Architect, to state our Twitter.com strategy on Twitter. Over the course of the last month I have reviewed the Twitter strategies, or lack of strategy depending upon how you utilize Twitter, of the National Association of Realtors and Wachovia bank. Let’s take a look at what we are accomplishing here on Twitter:

Two Account Strategy: deansguide

deansguide-twitter-page

My Twitter.com deansguide has the following functions:

  1. Engage: Spend time investing in my Twitter relationships, my selected communities, conversations, individuals, and companies by following nearly everyone who follows me
  2. Communicate: Direct contact with people or companies
  3. Research: Gather content ideas, valuable links, and industry information for repurposing
  4. Go-To-Source: Try to be a go-to source and resource of valuable information by providing the best tweets as often as possible
  5. Recognize: Recognize great content, ideas, attitudes, and kindness by ReTweeting or writing about any person or company that is creating and giving value on a continuous basis
  6. Network: meet and network with people in Silicon Valley (near my home) and around the country

My goal here is to contribute to the twitter community as much as possible.

Two Account Strategy: Innerarchitect:

innerarchitect-twitter-page

Our Twitter.com Innerarchitect account has the following functions:

  1. Research: Find content that matches our business goals, provides fresh perspective, and helps us build our library of value
  2. Follow: The main focus of this account is to find content, research our industry. Consequently we are less active in following. We try to follow people specific to our industry, read, and listen more on this account.
  3. Recognition: We will not follow everyone that follows us as that is not the focus of this account. What we will do is recognize people and companies that inspire us and provide value on a ongoing basis
  4. Activity: We will produce less content (Tweets) on this account because our focus will be to listen to conversations and gather information

Conclusion

If you are a company or individual concerned with ratio of followers to those you follow, then consider deansguide as the place to be on Twitter. On deansguide, I provide value and follow most everyone to build their network numbers.

If you are interested in our company mission, information, and writing consider following or checking in with Innerarchitect. We will focus on companies interested in social media and

Realtors Do You Support Promotions that Create Goodwill for Your Business?

Imagine a real estate business model where the customer names their price. Call it a“Pay-what-you-want-house” and you might have an interesting idea. That is the idea behind the new Ibis Singapore on Bencoolen. Check out this promotion merely to see the cool website.

Why Do People Love Promotions?

1. Added Value: is it such a bad idea to create promotions in a such dreary economic times? Even if you can’t give away the store, isn’t there an item or service you can give away? Now more than ever, bartering one of your services in some fashion would be a welcome relief to some people who need help. People want and need added value in anything they buy, more than ever today, whether it is a service or a product.

2. Consumers Remember: more economic pressure, job loss, and belt tightening is in store for 2009. Now more than ever, if you help someone by providing a promotional “prize” or service that gesture is often remembered and past forward via word of mouth. When people give under the toughest circumstances (economy), that is truly the measure of our willingness to help.

https://i0.wp.com/www.springwise.com/pix/spotlight/bencoolen.jpg

Social Media Networking Strategy #1: Be a Social Media Anthropologist

My Photo

Brian Solis Principle of “Future Works” and Social Media expert

Anthropology is the study of humanity. Within this discipline lurks the often maligned and always second guessed social anthropologist. Social anthropologist examine cultures, dissect cultures within cultures, and attempt to posit and theorize answers to why a society or people live within a structure of their making.

Brian Solis’s, no nonsense Social Media expert, article “Will the Real Social Media Expert Please Stand Up” is an in depth valuable assessment of social media systems landscape. According to Solis:

“Social media is about sociology and the understanding that with the new social tools available to us, we can more effectively observe the cultures of online communities and listen to and respond directly to people within the communities.”

Strategy to Engage

1. Stop pushing your sales pitch, thoughts, or agenda at people

2. Start listening to the conversation within a Social Media community

3. Contribute and talk to people within the Social Media community you wish to engage

4. Assess what the conversation involves, how to contribute, and what to listen to within the community

5. Give your value, contribute this value to the conversation

6. Monitor the conversation and watch for acceptance and response to your value give

7. Respect, honesty, and support will lead to trust within the community for you and your contributions

8. Become a Sociologist. Understand the group aka community. According to Solis “everything they (community) do is reflective of those they want to engage and embrace”

Networking Skills Workshop CSIX Connect September 30: Learn How To Market Yourself Through Networking

Communicate your need.
State your goals.
Improve your networking skills.
eXchange Job leads.

CSIX’s mantra

Tuesday September 30 I will be facilitating a workshop “How to Market Yourself Through Networking” for CSIX Connect employment group at the iRestaurant in Cupertino, CA. The meeting begins at 10:30 and runs until 1:00. The admission is $12 which includes a wonderful lunch, networking opportunities with a group of experienced and expert Silicon Valley job seekers, and information on real world networking.

For my friends and the friends I have just not met yet on Active Rain: If you like this workshop or any of the individual subjects covered, I am more than willing to provide links. If you have questions please contact me at dean@innerarchitect.com or call me at (415) 410-7524

The Program Will Cover

Definition What does Networking Mean?

1. The #1 Biggest Mistake in Networking: The Hard Sell

2. The #1 Method For Networking Success: Giving

3. The 5 Benefits of Giving: Referrals, Relationships, Evangelists for you, Reference Point, Mentor

4. Exercise: The “Give” How to identify your value give aways and outline a plan on how and where to deliver this value

5. 8 Tips to Engage: How to Make a Connection

6. Listening Is a Skill That Requires Strategy

7. Procrastination: 5 Tips to Help You Follow Through

8. 10 Reasons Why You Should Maintain An Ongoing Networking Campaign During Your Career

9. Etiquette Do’s and Don’ts of Networking

10. The Secret of Networking Success: Get Your Connections to Benefit First

11. 5 Tips to Branding “You”

This program is designed to be a two hour program. I am going to blast through this program in one hour with the promise of providing more information to those people interested.

If you are interested in this information, consider the fact that I have written about every subject here on Active Rain on this blog. You can simply go back and “mine” my archive of posts to find ea article that matches the subject matter. If I can be of assistence, please do not hesitate to contact me!

Branding “You” Through Networking is Fastest Growing Marketing Plan

Networking in the real world is such an important component to branding you, expanding your possibilities in the business world, and insulating your success from the highs and lows of any economy. Within this business life long strategy are some methods, tips, and guides that will make the road much easier to navigate.

The following is information about my workshop that I would like feedback on. Please let me know if this information is interesting, important, or process changing enough to be worthy of your time.

Workshop length: 90 minutes
Facilitator: Dean Guadagni

Who can benefit:

  • Any individual pursing employment opportunities
  • Individuals interested in increasing their value within an organization
  • Individuals interested in branding themselves for marketing to the employment sector

Training Formula (Deliverables):

  1. Understand what networking is and how it can help you
  2. Understand the biggest mistake in networking and why it is unproductive
  3. Learn 10 things to avoid while networking and why they hurt your marketing effort
  4. Learn how to utilize the #1 method to networking success
  5. Learn 5 strategies to become a valued contact
  6. Learn 8 tips to engage and make meaningful connectio

5 Steps To Discovering Your Value Give Away For Networking Success

Hard sales tactics adopted and utilized by most people in their strategies to network online and in the real world fall decidedly flat in an effort to create business relationships that lead to referral business. The 30 second elevator pitch, the blatant sales pitch, the product and services feature-benefit dump, a lack of listening skills, and the “work the room” mentality are giving way to a new much more effective strategy: giving value. Below is an example of the “work the room” business card treasure hunt modeled after a bad speed dating session seen on “Sex and the City.”

Before you can give away something that others value, give it often, give it continuously, and give it without asking for anything in return, you must first understand how to identify what you have to offer. The following should help you get started in identifying your value to others:

5 Tips To Finding Your Value “Give”

1. Make a List of Your Accomplishments: don’t be shy in this exercise. Give a full list with details

2. Make a List of Your Contacts of Influence: prioritize this list by who you know best and who KNOWs you

3. List Your Skill Sets: again do not be shy. Provide everything that is important to building your career

4. From the First Three Lists: analyze and choose what you believe to be the most valuable things you can give to your potential networking partners

5. Create a Plan on How To Deliver: will you utilize a blog or begin a public speaking platform to help benefit your potential networking partners? Identify all of the channels in which you can deliver your value

Networking The Right Way Part 2: #1 Method to Networking Success

In our last adventure our fragile business networker was accosted by the unseamly hardsell tactics of Superman during a networking event. Superman was the epitome of the hardsell, offer nothing, talking to much, and in general acting like the blowhard we all try to avoid.

Don’t Be A Joker!

Director Tim Burton specifically refers to this image as "the duel of the freaks".

Courtesy Jack Nicholson Wiki

#1 Method To Networking Success

“Give something that others Value, give it often, and give it WITHOUT asking for anything in return” –Jeffrey Gitomer

If you give people what they value, continuously give it to them, without asking for something in return or trying to sell them–you will have mastered the method to networking success: The Give

The Ann Tardy Story: A Case Study for Giving

Ann Tardy left a successful law practice as well as her CPA business to establish Lifemoxie.com. Ann is a powerful keynote and workshop facilitator. I attended her workshop “20 Ideas To Relentlessly Self Promote You and Your Business.

The Approach: It’s All About Giving

Shortly upon the conclusion of Ann’s workshop I met her face to face and offered:

1. To give my feedback on her presentation

2. To write an article praising her work for my blog

3. To provide her a free consultation on blogging, blog marketing, and social media networking

The Rest of The Story

After staying in contact with Ann, and many communications and networking referrals, we finally had the opportunity to meet for lunch 2 months after our initial conversation at her presentation. We were pleasantly surprised with the story Ann related to us:

“I was in New York City last week as a guest presenter at a Women Entrepreneur’s Conference. An audience member approached me after my keynote to tell me that she attended the workshop because of a review she read from a blogger. That blogger turned out to be you dean and your deansguide review. As a result of your wonderful review this woman attended and brought a friend with her.”

The Result of Giving

1. Referral-Gifts: Ann has provided our Inner Architect business with 17 amazing contacts which have led to 12 speaking engagements for author Susan Hanshaw

2. Relationship: Ann has become a trusted friend and source of business

3. Evangelist: Ann is now an “evangelist” for our company and Susan’s work. She spreads the word aka viral marketing helping people understand our work

4. Reference Point: Ann is a well respected national keynote speaker with incredible name recognition. Her willingness to validate our business mission lends added credibility to our reputation and public perception

5. Mentor: Ann is walking the path we intend to walk. Her mentorship and direction have been an integral part of our business growth and expansion

Innerarchitect.WordPress.com Moves To Innerarchitect.com/Blog: Combining Our Website and Blog Transition In Action

The blog supporting Inner Architect personal development firm and author Susan Hanshaw has moved from it’s original wordpress subdomain, innerarchitect.wordpress.com, to it’s new platform innerarchitect.com/blog. The combining of website and blog will bring all the Inner Architect writing, products, and services under one roof.

The focus will remain to provide continuous valuable resources:

1. Tips: Maintaining Positive Energy

2. How to Guides: “The Most Important Steps Toward The Life You Want”

3. Services: Books and Reference articles

4. Workshops: Changing Careers: Laying Your Foundation

5. Our Friends: trusted friends, reviewers, bloggers, and entrepreneurs

6. Events: Speaking engagements, workshops, networking opportunities

7. Discoveries: Discover Your Passions And Purpose

8. Inspiration: The story of a street preacher with a heart

9. Book Review: a sample of two book reviews for Inner Architect

10. Workshops: Scheduled events

Networking The Right Way: Superman vs Batman The Super Hero Syndrome

Networking Keynote Notes

Intro: How many speakers have you listened to who have begun their presentations with a joke? The obligatory, in their mind, joke. The joke meant to build rapport with the audience while providing a human element to the otherwise stiff speaker–that joke.

I AM NOT GOING TO TELL YOU A JOKE. I am a bad joke teller but I can tell a story

Instead I am going to help you network the right way by:

1. Describing the #1 biggest mistake most people make when networking

2. Offering the best method to win new networking relationships

3. Saving you time by helping you measure your aptitude

But first I will offer you a yarn to contemplate. . .

Superman vs Batman: The Story of Two Super Heroes

Intro: Imagine you are at a networking event in hopes of meeting a great connection and suddenly Superman walks up and launches into his pitch:

SM: “Hi, I’m Superman I own a Security Firm”

* “I’m faster than a speeding bullet”

* “More powerful than a locamotive”

* “Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound”

“Here’s my card, my cd, my dvd, my newsletter, and the number to my agent–when will you be calling?”

You: (Meanwhile you are thinking to yourself) “My Security firm is ‘Batman’ ”

“My guy has an employee- Robin, Customer Support Rep- Alfred, and a Call Center–the Bat Phone”

“My guy drives a really cool car, flys the Bat Copter, and he even has a boat!”

“With Batman I don’t have to deal with Jokers, Riddlers, or Cats!”

“And Batman has a beautiful home office–the stately Wayne Manner”

“This other guy is HOMELESS he even has to dress in a phone booth!”

“Why would I even consider changing firms? Especially considering that Kryptonite problem!”

—————————————

There you have it in a nutshell: networking is NOT launching into a hard sell sales promotional piece about you.

Stay tuned tomorrow as our fragile business networker describes the #1 Method To Networking Relationship Success

Same Bat Time, Same Bat Station!

Realtor’s Step 1 To Asking To Become A Contributor For A Powerful Blogger

Reuters.com published this deansguide article August 4, 2008

How do you get the kind of exposure you feel you and your writing deserve? How do you do this when you do not have a blog or you are about to launch your blog into the blogosphere? What is the best method of soliciting a prominent blogger with the information you want the consumers to see?

The majority of people never get what they want because they are afraid to ask. This fear, here is the solution to that problem, usually leads the person to take a circuitous route of vague inquiries that never land their intended results.

The following is a perfect example of my philosophy, Jeffrey Gitomer style, on how to ask for something without asking. This is an email sent to me by entrepreneur Peter Furia:

————————————————————

Dean,


I wanted to reach out to you quickly with a potential blog post for Dean’s Guide. There is a commercial real estate search engine called Rofo.com that just released a short YouTube video that I think real estate agents and consumers both would enjoy.
I’ve put a link to the video below — it’s at least good for a quick laugh.

Thanks and let me know if I can provide any other info.
-peter”
——————————————————————————–
The Offer-Give
1. Peter offers me content in the form of a very funny video from youtube. He knows that this video will make a great blog post, give my readers a good laugh, and help me with a post that is easy to write and fun
Note: Peter is GIVING not SELLING me first and foremost!
The Take Away
1. Peter’s email informs me of a new Commercial Real Estate search engine called Rofo.com
The Description
1. I emailed Peter and complimented him on his Approach and I asked him for a description of what he would like to promote:
“Rofo is a free website for entrepreneurs and small businesses searching for commercial real estate and related services for facilities/office space. Rofo allows you to search local listings, post your real estate needs, read and write reviews and find the right professionals related to your move. Rofo brings in relevant third party data from sites like Google, Microsoft, and Yelp to help businesses make decisions about where to locate their business.”
Who Is Peter Furia?
He is a funny man and the mastermind behind seedwell.com and Peter Furia Design performing:
  • Video Production viral videos, music videos, promotional spots, documentaries, short films
  • Viral Campaigns video seeding and promotion, microsites
  • Web 2.0 Strategies product-based social networking, user-driven advertising
  • Graphic Design event graphics, CD & DVD artwork, movie posters, flyers
  • Web Design site design, intermediate HTML, basic PHP, basic Flash
  • Music Production songwriting, recording, mixing