To Win the Sale, Win Your Customer's Heart
4:21 PM Tuesday April 6, 2010
You're unappreciated in your company, and you've begun to doubt your importance there.
Huh? How did I know that? I didn't. But I'm rarely wrong when I make that assumption about people, and especially about potential clients. In fact, that premise is central to my company's approach to forging an emotional connection with prospective customers. Everything that happens during buyers' first contacts with our company counteracts their sense of being undervalued and lets them know how important they are to us.
To get a sense of what we do, imagine that you're a prospective buyer and that you've come to our company, at our invitation and cost, to pay us a visit (we routinely invite customers to our facilities). You're going to experience these seven steps to an emotional connection:
•You get picked up at the airport.
•At our headquarters, you're greeted with a welcome sign listing your name and title and all the names and titles of the people with you, along with pictures of your packaged products (we make cans and other types of packaging). By the way, our employees saw the same sign when they came to work, so they know that your visit is the most important thing going on today.
•At the security desk, the guards tell you that your visit is so important to us that you've been preregistered.
•Our salesperson ushers you to the office of the CEO, who is waiting to greet you.
•From there, the salesperson escorts you to the boardroom, the most important and prestigious room in the company, to symbolize your importance to us. Other management types are waiting to greet you.
•With all of our top managers in the room, you're asked to tell us about your company and to brag about yourself.
•We outnumber you five or six to one, so that you can vividly see how important you are.
Selling is both a feeling and a thinking proposition. Treating people as we do opens their hearts by inflating their sense of importance, and it makes them more receptive to the thinking part of the sales process, which takes place next, in these four steps:
•We begin a series of presentations in which our top people tell you who we are, what we do, and how we do it. These are not sales pitches.
•You're taken to a plant where you can judge for yourself whether we walk our talk. Tours are conducted by the people who would be making your packaging, and you're encouraged to ask any questions you want.
•At a reception in your honor, you meet many more people in the company.
•At a gracious dinner in our executive dining room, the people you would be doing business with engage you in unhurried conversation.
Many sales organizations do little to create an emotional connection with prospective customers and concentrate instead on hype-filled sales pitches. We do the opposite: By conveying our warm feelings, we create an emotional bond without appearing phony or insincere. Then, by making an objective presentation, we show that we respect our customers' ability to make their own judgments. The art of selling is in the heart, not the brain.
Clif Reichard (creichar@ball.com) is a sales consultant in his 55th year selling rigid packaging substrates.
Kevin L. Brown www.stardustspillproducts.com
STARDUST Super Absorbent
STARPOWER Super Cleaner-Degreaser
Monday, April 12, 2010
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Four Fatal Online Writing Mistakes
Steve Strauss - Mr. AllBiz (The Strauss Group, Inc.)
Apr 05, 2010 -
Upon returning from a meeting recently, I received an email from one of the attendees. It opened with “It was great to sea everyone. I hope we can all contine to be so productive.”
Now that is a lesson in how not to impress anybody. But the author of that un-proofread email is not alone. In this age when everyone is self-published via the Internet, there are opportunities galore to blow it. And, while many business writing mistakes are minor, others can be fatal.
Here are the ones you simply must avoid:
1. TMI: Sharing too much information can be a killer. Especially in this age of tweeting and updating, business people increasingly make the mistake of posting too much information. And it is even worse because the very nature of Twitter is that you can dash off a tweet and not really think about its ramifications.
Doing so can not only hurt your reputation, it can even get you in legal hot water.For instance, every year Microsoft holds a summit for its most valuable professional partners (“MVPs”). Much of what these MVPs know is under NDA. Yet even so, at last year’s summit the MVPs tweeted so much confidential info that this year there was a Twitter logo outside sessions with a red X over it. The sign next to it read in part:“All Keynotes and Breakout and Side Sessions are . . . under your MVP Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) . . . Do not share session content from this event in any manner including: tweeting, blogging, posting, [etc.].”Violating your NDA for a tweet is dumb.
And what about tweeting too much personal information? That may be even worse.
How do you know when it is TMI? If you would not say in public what you are about to type, then you probably should not share it.Some things are better left un-tweeted.
2. Forgetting that it is still about business: Social media is the proverbial double-edged sword. On one hand, it allows you to have a more personal connection with colleagues and business associates. On the other, that very closeness can create an illusion of close friendship that may not be real, appropriate, or both.
And the danger there is that we say things to friends that we would never say to colleagues.So the important thing to remember is this: If you are posting about business, remember it is about business. Sure you can be friendly and colloquial, that’s great, but there better be a line.
And because there is no room for nuance with emails, posts, and tweets (since nuance is often expressed with a look or voice inflection), you run the real risk that people who do not know you well may misinterpret an overly-friendly post. If they don’t get your humor, or know your way, your post is liable to fall flat.
3. Not double-checking: Once upon a time, no business communication ever went out without being double-checked for errors; secretaries and aides would make sure of that. These days, with everyone in such a rush, double-checking may seem as antiquated as dictation, but it shouldn’t be because sloppiness can have severe ramifications. As the old commercial goes, “people judge you by the words you use.”
This mistake typically comes in two forms.
First, like my colleague above, it is very easy today to shoot off an email with typos, misspellings, or other grammatical errors. While a friend will forgive your error, colleagues may not forget; your written communication is a main way they form an opinion of, and eventually a judgment about, you.
Proofreading emails is a must, bottom line.
The second way a lack of thoroughness can be detrimental is a mistake probably all of us have made – sending an email to the wrong people, and/or cc’ing everyone by mistake. It can be devastating. Yes, mistakes happen, but creating a habit of double-checking means they will happen less often.
4. Mistaking texting for writing: While using texting language for tweets is at least understandable given Twitter’s truncated format, it should be avoided in business emails. Using “i” instead of I, emoticons, or cute abbreviations are the sorts of things that should only be used for people you know well, if then.
I mean really, how seriously would you take this column if I ended it with, “i hope u c what i am saying! J”
Right – not very.
Kevin L. Brown www.stardustspillproducts.com
STARDUST Super Absorbent
STARPOWER Super Cleaner
Apr 05, 2010 -
Upon returning from a meeting recently, I received an email from one of the attendees. It opened with “It was great to sea everyone. I hope we can all contine to be so productive.”
Now that is a lesson in how not to impress anybody. But the author of that un-proofread email is not alone. In this age when everyone is self-published via the Internet, there are opportunities galore to blow it. And, while many business writing mistakes are minor, others can be fatal.
Here are the ones you simply must avoid:
1. TMI: Sharing too much information can be a killer. Especially in this age of tweeting and updating, business people increasingly make the mistake of posting too much information. And it is even worse because the very nature of Twitter is that you can dash off a tweet and not really think about its ramifications.
Doing so can not only hurt your reputation, it can even get you in legal hot water.For instance, every year Microsoft holds a summit for its most valuable professional partners (“MVPs”). Much of what these MVPs know is under NDA. Yet even so, at last year’s summit the MVPs tweeted so much confidential info that this year there was a Twitter logo outside sessions with a red X over it. The sign next to it read in part:“All Keynotes and Breakout and Side Sessions are . . . under your MVP Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) . . . Do not share session content from this event in any manner including: tweeting, blogging, posting, [etc.].”Violating your NDA for a tweet is dumb.
And what about tweeting too much personal information? That may be even worse.
How do you know when it is TMI? If you would not say in public what you are about to type, then you probably should not share it.Some things are better left un-tweeted.
2. Forgetting that it is still about business: Social media is the proverbial double-edged sword. On one hand, it allows you to have a more personal connection with colleagues and business associates. On the other, that very closeness can create an illusion of close friendship that may not be real, appropriate, or both.
And the danger there is that we say things to friends that we would never say to colleagues.So the important thing to remember is this: If you are posting about business, remember it is about business. Sure you can be friendly and colloquial, that’s great, but there better be a line.
And because there is no room for nuance with emails, posts, and tweets (since nuance is often expressed with a look or voice inflection), you run the real risk that people who do not know you well may misinterpret an overly-friendly post. If they don’t get your humor, or know your way, your post is liable to fall flat.
3. Not double-checking: Once upon a time, no business communication ever went out without being double-checked for errors; secretaries and aides would make sure of that. These days, with everyone in such a rush, double-checking may seem as antiquated as dictation, but it shouldn’t be because sloppiness can have severe ramifications. As the old commercial goes, “people judge you by the words you use.”
This mistake typically comes in two forms.
First, like my colleague above, it is very easy today to shoot off an email with typos, misspellings, or other grammatical errors. While a friend will forgive your error, colleagues may not forget; your written communication is a main way they form an opinion of, and eventually a judgment about, you.
Proofreading emails is a must, bottom line.
The second way a lack of thoroughness can be detrimental is a mistake probably all of us have made – sending an email to the wrong people, and/or cc’ing everyone by mistake. It can be devastating. Yes, mistakes happen, but creating a habit of double-checking means they will happen less often.
4. Mistaking texting for writing: While using texting language for tweets is at least understandable given Twitter’s truncated format, it should be avoided in business emails. Using “i” instead of I, emoticons, or cute abbreviations are the sorts of things that should only be used for people you know well, if then.
I mean really, how seriously would you take this column if I ended it with, “i hope u c what i am saying! J”
Right – not very.
Kevin L. Brown www.stardustspillproducts.com
STARDUST Super Absorbent
STARPOWER Super Cleaner
Airgas renews rejection of tender offer
Airgas Inc., of Radnor, renewed its rejection of a $60-per-share buyout offer from Air Products & Chemicals Inc. after Air Products on Thursday said it had extended the offer for all outstanding shares from April 9 to June 4.
Airgas said in a news release that its board of directors continues to believe the offer from Air Products "grossly undervalues" Airgas.
As of the close of business Thursday, 12,291 of Airgas' 82.73 million shares had been tendered, Allentown-based Air Products said.
"We appreciate the support we have received and, going forward, encourage all Airgas stockholders not to tender their shares into Air Products' opportunistic and inadequate offer," Airgas said in its statement.
Airgas shares closed Thursday at $63.96, up 34 cents, on the New York Stock Exchange. The market was closed Friday. - Harold Brubaker
Kevin L. Brown www.stardustspillproducts.com
STARDUST Super Absorbent
STARPOWER Super Cleaner
Airgas said in a news release that its board of directors continues to believe the offer from Air Products "grossly undervalues" Airgas.
As of the close of business Thursday, 12,291 of Airgas' 82.73 million shares had been tendered, Allentown-based Air Products said.
"We appreciate the support we have received and, going forward, encourage all Airgas stockholders not to tender their shares into Air Products' opportunistic and inadequate offer," Airgas said in its statement.
Airgas shares closed Thursday at $63.96, up 34 cents, on the New York Stock Exchange. The market was closed Friday. - Harold Brubaker
Kevin L. Brown www.stardustspillproducts.com
STARDUST Super Absorbent
STARPOWER Super Cleaner
Monday, April 5, 2010
Today's TipWhy Cloud Storage is Feasible in 2010
Posted by: Today's Tip Contributor on March 31
With most emerging technologies, the hype is bigger than the reality. A welcome exception is cloud storage, which is enabling many organizations to achieve major economies of scale and greater control of growing data volumes. We recently polled customers worldwide about their readiness to use cloud-based solutions. More than half of the 535 respondents said they were seriously considering cloud storage now or in the future. Companies of all sizes can reap the benefits of cloud storage for a number of reasons, including the ability to:
1. Access a lower-cost tier of storage and drive down IT costs;
2. Shift storage costs from a capital expenditure to an operational expenditure, freeing capital to support other parts of the business.
3. Offload routine storage operations so IT teams can focus on more strategic technology initiatives that bolster profitability;
4. Replace or supplement tape—with all its management complexities and headaches—by storing off-site data copies in the cloud;
5. Access affordable disaster recovery as data copies stored in the cloud are, by nature, off-site and protected in the event of a local disaster;
6. Lower the costs of remote office data protection and remove the need for separate storage infrastructures because backup data can be consolidated in the cloud;
7. Leverage unlimited storage scalability with a "pay as you go" subscription model for increasing storage capacities as needed, without growing data center footprints.
Cloud storage is the right answer, especially for businesses requiring more space for archiving infrequently accessed data, undergoing infrastructure replacements, or seeking simplified compliance management. The key to the cloud: Secure the proper applications to simplify the movement, protection, archiving, and electronic discovery of all types of data stored there.
Jeff Echols
Senior Director of Cloud Storage
CommVault
Oceanport, N.J
Kevin L. Brown www.stardustspillproducts.com
STARDUST Super Absorbent
STARPOWER Super Cleaner
With most emerging technologies, the hype is bigger than the reality. A welcome exception is cloud storage, which is enabling many organizations to achieve major economies of scale and greater control of growing data volumes. We recently polled customers worldwide about their readiness to use cloud-based solutions. More than half of the 535 respondents said they were seriously considering cloud storage now or in the future. Companies of all sizes can reap the benefits of cloud storage for a number of reasons, including the ability to:
1. Access a lower-cost tier of storage and drive down IT costs;
2. Shift storage costs from a capital expenditure to an operational expenditure, freeing capital to support other parts of the business.
3. Offload routine storage operations so IT teams can focus on more strategic technology initiatives that bolster profitability;
4. Replace or supplement tape—with all its management complexities and headaches—by storing off-site data copies in the cloud;
5. Access affordable disaster recovery as data copies stored in the cloud are, by nature, off-site and protected in the event of a local disaster;
6. Lower the costs of remote office data protection and remove the need for separate storage infrastructures because backup data can be consolidated in the cloud;
7. Leverage unlimited storage scalability with a "pay as you go" subscription model for increasing storage capacities as needed, without growing data center footprints.
Cloud storage is the right answer, especially for businesses requiring more space for archiving infrequently accessed data, undergoing infrastructure replacements, or seeking simplified compliance management. The key to the cloud: Secure the proper applications to simplify the movement, protection, archiving, and electronic discovery of all types of data stored there.
Jeff Echols
Senior Director of Cloud Storage
CommVault
Oceanport, N.J
Kevin L. Brown www.stardustspillproducts.com
STARDUST Super Absorbent
STARPOWER Super Cleaner
Friday, April 2, 2010
Unisource Launches New Line of Protective Packaging Products
Unisource Launches New Line of Protective Packaging Products
By MDM Staff
March 31, 2010
Unisource Worldwide, Inc., Norcross, GA, distributor of paper, packaging and facility supplies, has launched a new line of protective packaging products under the Unisource brand
The line includes bubble cushioning, polyethylene foam and poly bubble mailers. Several of the products include recycled content targeted at businesses looking for environmental benefits.
“In addition to traditional protective packaging products, we wanted to offer our customers pre- and post-consumer recycled content alternatives,” said Steve Mohr, Director of Marketing – Packaging for Unisource. “We also wanted to ensure that these products could meet or exceed performance requirements.”
Kevin L. Brown
www.stardustspillproducts.com
stardust super absorbent
starpower super cleaner degreaser
By MDM Staff
March 31, 2010
Unisource Worldwide, Inc., Norcross, GA, distributor of paper, packaging and facility supplies, has launched a new line of protective packaging products under the Unisource brand
The line includes bubble cushioning, polyethylene foam and poly bubble mailers. Several of the products include recycled content targeted at businesses looking for environmental benefits.
“In addition to traditional protective packaging products, we wanted to offer our customers pre- and post-consumer recycled content alternatives,” said Steve Mohr, Director of Marketing – Packaging for Unisource. “We also wanted to ensure that these products could meet or exceed performance requirements.”
Kevin L. Brown
www.stardustspillproducts.com
stardust super absorbent
starpower super cleaner degreaser
Thursday, April 1, 2010
United Stationers, Deerfield, IL, released its 2010 Green Catalog with 2,700 items, an 8% increase over the 2009 catalog.
United Stationers Increases Green Catalog 8%
By MDM Staff -March 26, 2010
"Our offering of sustainable products has expanded significantly across all popular categories to offer consumers greater choice, and resellers more green marketing power," said Carol O'Hern, director of marketing research, analytics and sustainability. "Every item included as been verified for its green attributes by the manufacturers, who have also sought certification by third-party sustainability organizations."
The 2010 Green Catalog includes larger selections of paper SKUs with recycled content, sustainable binders and writing instruments, light bulbs – including more compact fluorescents, recycling receptacles, ink and toner cartridges, and fully biodegradable and compostable food service items.
In addition, the 2010 Green Catalog offers tips for sustainable purchasing, a guide to greener offices, and a glossary of sustainable terminology.
Kevin L. Brown http://www.stardustspillproducts.com/
STARPOWER Super Cleaner Degreaser
STARDUST Super Absorbent
By MDM Staff -March 26, 2010
"Our offering of sustainable products has expanded significantly across all popular categories to offer consumers greater choice, and resellers more green marketing power," said Carol O'Hern, director of marketing research, analytics and sustainability. "Every item included as been verified for its green attributes by the manufacturers, who have also sought certification by third-party sustainability organizations."
The 2010 Green Catalog includes larger selections of paper SKUs with recycled content, sustainable binders and writing instruments, light bulbs – including more compact fluorescents, recycling receptacles, ink and toner cartridges, and fully biodegradable and compostable food service items.
In addition, the 2010 Green Catalog offers tips for sustainable purchasing, a guide to greener offices, and a glossary of sustainable terminology.
Kevin L. Brown http://www.stardustspillproducts.com/
STARPOWER Super Cleaner Degreaser
STARDUST Super Absorbent
How Can We Map Social Media to B2B Sales?
Problem
We have a great B2B sales team. We've made a couple of forays into social media, and we like what we see! But what tactics are really working out there to draw prospects in—and not turn them off? What are some cool ways to match social with selling?
Expert: Kipp Bodnar
Kipp is Inbound Marketing Manager at HubSpot and the publisher of SocialMediaB2B.com, a multi-author blog for B2B companies planning to incorporate social media into their marketing strategies. He also blogs on technology and social media at his personal blog, DigitalCapitalism.com.
Solution
The key to monetizing B2B social media is to find ways to use the Web to solve problems for prospects, Kipp explains. "Problem-solving has always been a major aspect of what we do for our customers," he notes. "Now, B2B companies can use social media to better identify customer needs—and, by addressing them, improve engagement."
Here are a few key steps to take to blend social with selling.
1. Observe
"The first step in this process is to see what others are doing," Kipp advises. "Look to online resources that are B2B sales-focused." Perform keyword searches to find blogs, sites, and communities that match your industry or focus.You may find that industries tend to behave differently online, he notes. For instance, computer professionals such as software vendors "may spend more time on Twitter and message boards, while consultants and others in service-based industries may prefer sites like LinkedIn."
Regardless of the industry, you'll find one common thread in social-media conversations, he observes: "Every B2B customer thinks their niche is a difficult one." And that's a key point of entry, he notes: "You can find an empathy point with any prospect based on the business challenges they face."
2. Isolate
As you listen to the conversations taking place at the sites you choose to monitor, you'll begin to isolate the key questions people are asking. "Hang out in groups dedicated to your target audience," he suggests.
"Start to provide some feedback to the ongoing chats. As people heed your advice, you'll go up the list of folks they may consider calling on for help."
3. Study
How do you learn to solve problems online like a pro? Kipp suggests you check out some trade-organization websites. "You can trust that trade associations have spent time researching what's on their members' minds, what the major challenges are in their industry. Study the topics at their sites, and become familiar with the issues of the day. And observe how they're serving their members' needs." As you become better acquainted with the challenges your prospects face, you'll also naturally begin to isolate ways that your company can help, he notes.
4. Own it
The final step is to create an online presence—to "own some type of Web property"—where you can provide unique solutions that draw visitors in. "Build a hub, a home base, where you address the questions of the day," he advises. For instance, you can "start a blog that's dedicated to answering the questions of the community."
5. Market it
Finally, apply inbound-marketing tactics to your Web entity. "Ask visitors to sign in and provide their email addresses; optimize content so that you'll be picked up by search engines," he suggests. You can then begin to turn the resulting prospects into clients.
"The process behind blending B2B social media with selling is to learn the challenges facing your prospects, create valuable information to address those challenges, share it with folks who think it is valuable, build professional connections, and then begin to monetize your relationships," Kipp concludes.
Problem solved!
Don't miss Kipp Bodnar's session, Driving and Measuring B2B Conversations, Leads and Sales with Social Media Marketing, at the B2B Forum in Boston, May 3-5. Bring your company profile—and your B2B social media questions!
Kevin L. Brown
www.stardustspillproducts.com
STARPOWER Super Cleaner Degreaser
STARDUST Super Absorbent
We have a great B2B sales team. We've made a couple of forays into social media, and we like what we see! But what tactics are really working out there to draw prospects in—and not turn them off? What are some cool ways to match social with selling?
Expert: Kipp Bodnar
Kipp is Inbound Marketing Manager at HubSpot and the publisher of SocialMediaB2B.com, a multi-author blog for B2B companies planning to incorporate social media into their marketing strategies. He also blogs on technology and social media at his personal blog, DigitalCapitalism.com.
Solution
The key to monetizing B2B social media is to find ways to use the Web to solve problems for prospects, Kipp explains. "Problem-solving has always been a major aspect of what we do for our customers," he notes. "Now, B2B companies can use social media to better identify customer needs—and, by addressing them, improve engagement."
Here are a few key steps to take to blend social with selling.
1. Observe
"The first step in this process is to see what others are doing," Kipp advises. "Look to online resources that are B2B sales-focused." Perform keyword searches to find blogs, sites, and communities that match your industry or focus.You may find that industries tend to behave differently online, he notes. For instance, computer professionals such as software vendors "may spend more time on Twitter and message boards, while consultants and others in service-based industries may prefer sites like LinkedIn."
Regardless of the industry, you'll find one common thread in social-media conversations, he observes: "Every B2B customer thinks their niche is a difficult one." And that's a key point of entry, he notes: "You can find an empathy point with any prospect based on the business challenges they face."
2. Isolate
As you listen to the conversations taking place at the sites you choose to monitor, you'll begin to isolate the key questions people are asking. "Hang out in groups dedicated to your target audience," he suggests.
"Start to provide some feedback to the ongoing chats. As people heed your advice, you'll go up the list of folks they may consider calling on for help."
3. Study
How do you learn to solve problems online like a pro? Kipp suggests you check out some trade-organization websites. "You can trust that trade associations have spent time researching what's on their members' minds, what the major challenges are in their industry. Study the topics at their sites, and become familiar with the issues of the day. And observe how they're serving their members' needs." As you become better acquainted with the challenges your prospects face, you'll also naturally begin to isolate ways that your company can help, he notes.
4. Own it
The final step is to create an online presence—to "own some type of Web property"—where you can provide unique solutions that draw visitors in. "Build a hub, a home base, where you address the questions of the day," he advises. For instance, you can "start a blog that's dedicated to answering the questions of the community."
5. Market it
Finally, apply inbound-marketing tactics to your Web entity. "Ask visitors to sign in and provide their email addresses; optimize content so that you'll be picked up by search engines," he suggests. You can then begin to turn the resulting prospects into clients.
"The process behind blending B2B social media with selling is to learn the challenges facing your prospects, create valuable information to address those challenges, share it with folks who think it is valuable, build professional connections, and then begin to monetize your relationships," Kipp concludes.
Problem solved!
Don't miss Kipp Bodnar's session, Driving and Measuring B2B Conversations, Leads and Sales with Social Media Marketing, at the B2B Forum in Boston, May 3-5. Bring your company profile—and your B2B social media questions!
Kevin L. Brown
www.stardustspillproducts.com
STARPOWER Super Cleaner Degreaser
STARDUST Super Absorbent
5 Tricks for the Busy CEO Who Wants to be Active on Social Media
Mar 31, 2010 -
Social media is a great tool for connecting with your customers and getting some free PR, but it takes a ton of time to implement an effective campaign. How can you do all that if you're busy actually running your company?
Plenty of well-known CEOs really are the bloggers behind their blogs and the tweeters behind their Twitter updates. Think: Virgin CEO Sir Richard Branson, Marriott CEO Bill Marriott, and former Sun Microsystem’s CEO Jonathan Schwartz.
So how do they do it?
“My schedule is unpredictable at the moment,” says Barry Sutton, CEO of Hellbound Wine & Spirits whose company is in the process of launching a new wine brand. “I take every opportunity when I have any downtime to talk with users on our Twitter page. During this downtime I am swimming in a sea of information: business, viniculture, design, politics, entertainment, so I take the opportunity to post up information that is of interest to me [and] hopefully is also of interest to our customers and fans.”
Here are a few tips on how to manage your time running a successful small business and maintaining an active social media presence for your business. Remember: you want to be efficient, productive, and not waste your time.
1. Allocate designated time to social media. Budget in blocks of time for visiting your various social media sites. For some people it can be a three times a day: fifteen minutes in the morning, afternoon, and early evening. For people who require more time on their social networks for keeping up with customers, business advisors, and various industry innovators, fifteen minutes for every hour or two can be a good on topic break. Keep a timer and stay focused! It’s easy to get distracted by funny unrelated viral YouTube videos and Twitpics. Think of your social media time as little warm ups and sprints throughout the day that ultimately help you keep your business’ productivity up.
2. Figure out what you want to do on these sites. Make lists of which sites you want to focus on and why. While you are monitoring your social media sites for PR, customer service and marketing opportunities, you’re also extending your customer service and client relations.
3. Don’t make that allocated social media time all about you and your company. Spend some of time promoting the content and posts of other people to create dialogue and extend a conversation – just try to do it within your designated time slot!
4. Use social media with an end result in mind. Why are you updating your network? What do you have to share about your business? What do you want from sharing this information about your business? Tweet with new business and career opportunities in mind. Social media sites are destinations to showcase your expertise.
5. Hire a social media expert to ghost tweet and ghost Facebook for your company. “I outsource my social media needs to save time,” says Ted Pratt who operates financial ad network TakeAReport.com. “It saves me time and I benefit from experts from across a breadth of platforms. That way my reach is phenomenal and I don’t end up wasting time playing around.”
Kevin L. Brown
STARDUST Spill Products
STARDUST Super Absorbent
STARPOWER Super Cleaner/Degreaser
Social media is a great tool for connecting with your customers and getting some free PR, but it takes a ton of time to implement an effective campaign. How can you do all that if you're busy actually running your company?
Plenty of well-known CEOs really are the bloggers behind their blogs and the tweeters behind their Twitter updates. Think: Virgin CEO Sir Richard Branson, Marriott CEO Bill Marriott, and former Sun Microsystem’s CEO Jonathan Schwartz.
So how do they do it?
“My schedule is unpredictable at the moment,” says Barry Sutton, CEO of Hellbound Wine & Spirits whose company is in the process of launching a new wine brand. “I take every opportunity when I have any downtime to talk with users on our Twitter page. During this downtime I am swimming in a sea of information: business, viniculture, design, politics, entertainment, so I take the opportunity to post up information that is of interest to me [and] hopefully is also of interest to our customers and fans.”
Here are a few tips on how to manage your time running a successful small business and maintaining an active social media presence for your business. Remember: you want to be efficient, productive, and not waste your time.
1. Allocate designated time to social media. Budget in blocks of time for visiting your various social media sites. For some people it can be a three times a day: fifteen minutes in the morning, afternoon, and early evening. For people who require more time on their social networks for keeping up with customers, business advisors, and various industry innovators, fifteen minutes for every hour or two can be a good on topic break. Keep a timer and stay focused! It’s easy to get distracted by funny unrelated viral YouTube videos and Twitpics. Think of your social media time as little warm ups and sprints throughout the day that ultimately help you keep your business’ productivity up.
2. Figure out what you want to do on these sites. Make lists of which sites you want to focus on and why. While you are monitoring your social media sites for PR, customer service and marketing opportunities, you’re also extending your customer service and client relations.
3. Don’t make that allocated social media time all about you and your company. Spend some of time promoting the content and posts of other people to create dialogue and extend a conversation – just try to do it within your designated time slot!
4. Use social media with an end result in mind. Why are you updating your network? What do you have to share about your business? What do you want from sharing this information about your business? Tweet with new business and career opportunities in mind. Social media sites are destinations to showcase your expertise.
5. Hire a social media expert to ghost tweet and ghost Facebook for your company. “I outsource my social media needs to save time,” says Ted Pratt who operates financial ad network TakeAReport.com. “It saves me time and I benefit from experts from across a breadth of platforms. That way my reach is phenomenal and I don’t end up wasting time playing around.”
Kevin L. Brown
STARDUST Spill Products
STARDUST Super Absorbent
STARPOWER Super Cleaner/Degreaser
Suppliers Must Reposition Value Proposition
The days of sourcing everything in your own backyard are over as 82% of respondents to a Grant Thornton survey indicated that some portion of their supply chain is purchased internationally, up from 77% last year.
By James Ricci, Grant Thornton
March 29, 2010
More News »Outsourcing, off shoring, near shoring, what does it all mean? Is U.S. manufacturing being summarily dismantled and only to be rebuilt in China or India? The answers to these questions are complex and don't lend themselves to readymade sound bites. A recent survey conducted by Grant Thornton suggests that while China tries to meet demand for its own burgeoning market, it will continue to dominate as an origin for exports of manufactured goods. But that is only part of the story as suppliers reposition their value proposition amid evolving manufacturing and sourcing strategies.
For sure, the days of sourcing everything in your own backyard are over as 82% of respondents to a Grant Thornton survey indicated that some portion of their supply chain is purchased internationally, up from 77% last year. China remains the front-runner choice, with 28% sourcing from that country, up from 22% last year. What was the most interesting is only half of the firms surveyed (49%) have found international sourcing to produce a positive ROI.
This begs the question, why did the other half not find international sourcing to be profitable? Three possible reasons come to mind.
First, fluctuating fuel (transportation) and raw material prices increase risk of the return on investment. This risk exists even before production starts as these cost factors can change during the product planning and launch phases as well.
Second, quality and delivery can still be an issue. Companies are recognizing that supply chain reliability and agility are of growing importance to their business. Real costs are incurred when the supply chain breaks down or fails to function as intended. Recovery from offshore quality and delivery issues involves deploying resources overseas to fix the problem and can involve expensive air freight costs to refill pipelines.
Third, firms have varied levels of sophistication with regard to their sourcing criteria, approach and cost modeling. A more nuanced approach is being employed with increasing regularity in some industries though. In fact, the general trend toward using Far East manufacturing or other "low cost countries" to source the preponderance of components is being tempered by a need to provide local presence in each market. For example, more than ever before, automakers are designing and manufacturing global products yet sourcing remains "regional" through larger global suppliers.
As industries place greater importance on flexibility and an ability to react to market changes, suppliers and their supply chains will need to become more focused on supporting local operations. Thus, a migration toward globally sourcing into multiple lower cost regions can support a positive ROI while mitigating risk.
As companies begin to design and manufacture global products allowing for this regional approach to sourcing is key. Returning to the automotive example above, each of the major regional markets is structured to leverage the cost arbitrage compared to the home market. Three examples are cited below.
North America -- Mexico continues to dominate what would be considered the "low cost country of choice" for N.A. manufacturing. While Asia Pacific operations have increased their exports substantially over the past 5 years, Grant Thornton's analysis in the automotive space shows that the sheer number of plants and SKUs supplied by Asia Pacific operations is substantially less than Mexico. On average, Mexico operations supply more than three times as many SKUs from 50% more plants.
Europe -- Central/Eastern European countries such as Hungary, Poland, Russia and the Czech Republic continue to be the locations of choice for Western European manufacturing from both a plant and SKU perspective with supply percentages even greater than Mexico's support of North America.
Asia Pacific -- The Asia Pacific regional low cost sourcing is being dominated by China, India, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines. In fact, inland China is being employed as a low cost source for coastal manufacturing sites.
This sourcing approach incorporates other factors into the equation beyond the traditional definition of a total landed cost. In addition to quantifiable costs (component price including labor, overhead as well as international freight, import duties, special packaging, import-export costs, etc.) that companies evaluate when making a product sourcing decision, many companies are also quantifying supply chain risks associated with a particular region and/or country. These risk factors include but are not limited to:
Currency stability
Infrastructure needs
Inventory pipeline needs
Legislative framework and I/P protection
Management and workforce skills & capabilities
Political and/or societal stability
Quality control
Related industry or customer demand to spur and maintain competition
Reverse logistics requirements
When many of these factors are actually quantified in a sourcing decision, the incremental savings from sourcing to a higher risk region or country is often eliminated (especially when the principle benefit is labor arbitrage). For example, sourcing a product in Mexico versus the United States is very attractive as the wage difference between a typical U.S. worker and a Mexican worker is considerable (approx. $13/hr). The savings from the labor variance alone can often overshadow other cost considerations and risk factors. However, the labor rate difference between China and Mexico is not nearly as great (approx. $2/hr). Thus, when determining a non-domestic source for a particular component the other cost and risk factors have a growing importance as a criterion.
So what about those firms that aren't seeing a positive ROI from an international sourcing decision? Will they move product back to the home market or re-source it to a regional low cost country? In most cases the answer is no. Firms that have swung the sourcing pendulum too far in one direction will not move or re-source mass quantities of product back into a particular region -- it is costly and fraught with risk. What is a more likely scenario is they will revisit sourcing decisions on a case-by-case basis when a logical sourcing change can be made such as a new product introduction or for an engineering change.
So while China will continue to be a dominant player for manufactured goods, Mexico and Central/Eastern Europe will remain long-term partners and benefactors for their respective regions. For these reasons, we see this regional sourcing model continuing for the foreseeable future as manufacturers in mature markets leverage local international sources for cost competitiveness and market flexibility. What will be different is that these supplier firms will have a decidedly global footprint that mirrors their customer needs. Other firms will elect to reposition themselves as Tier 2 suppliers rather than scaling up to compete with these global Tier 1 suppliers.
James Ricci is a Director with Grant Thornton's Manufacturing Transaction Services group in Detroit and a Certified Supply Chain Professional. He assists companies with operational performance improvement and regularly consults on distressed and turnaround matters for manufacturing firms. http://www.granthorton.com
Kevin L. Brown
STARDUST SPILL PRODUCTS
STARDUST Super Absorbent
By James Ricci, Grant Thornton
March 29, 2010
More News »Outsourcing, off shoring, near shoring, what does it all mean? Is U.S. manufacturing being summarily dismantled and only to be rebuilt in China or India? The answers to these questions are complex and don't lend themselves to readymade sound bites. A recent survey conducted by Grant Thornton suggests that while China tries to meet demand for its own burgeoning market, it will continue to dominate as an origin for exports of manufactured goods. But that is only part of the story as suppliers reposition their value proposition amid evolving manufacturing and sourcing strategies.
For sure, the days of sourcing everything in your own backyard are over as 82% of respondents to a Grant Thornton survey indicated that some portion of their supply chain is purchased internationally, up from 77% last year. China remains the front-runner choice, with 28% sourcing from that country, up from 22% last year. What was the most interesting is only half of the firms surveyed (49%) have found international sourcing to produce a positive ROI.
This begs the question, why did the other half not find international sourcing to be profitable? Three possible reasons come to mind.
First, fluctuating fuel (transportation) and raw material prices increase risk of the return on investment. This risk exists even before production starts as these cost factors can change during the product planning and launch phases as well.
Second, quality and delivery can still be an issue. Companies are recognizing that supply chain reliability and agility are of growing importance to their business. Real costs are incurred when the supply chain breaks down or fails to function as intended. Recovery from offshore quality and delivery issues involves deploying resources overseas to fix the problem and can involve expensive air freight costs to refill pipelines.
Third, firms have varied levels of sophistication with regard to their sourcing criteria, approach and cost modeling. A more nuanced approach is being employed with increasing regularity in some industries though. In fact, the general trend toward using Far East manufacturing or other "low cost countries" to source the preponderance of components is being tempered by a need to provide local presence in each market. For example, more than ever before, automakers are designing and manufacturing global products yet sourcing remains "regional" through larger global suppliers.
As industries place greater importance on flexibility and an ability to react to market changes, suppliers and their supply chains will need to become more focused on supporting local operations. Thus, a migration toward globally sourcing into multiple lower cost regions can support a positive ROI while mitigating risk.
As companies begin to design and manufacture global products allowing for this regional approach to sourcing is key. Returning to the automotive example above, each of the major regional markets is structured to leverage the cost arbitrage compared to the home market. Three examples are cited below.
North America -- Mexico continues to dominate what would be considered the "low cost country of choice" for N.A. manufacturing. While Asia Pacific operations have increased their exports substantially over the past 5 years, Grant Thornton's analysis in the automotive space shows that the sheer number of plants and SKUs supplied by Asia Pacific operations is substantially less than Mexico. On average, Mexico operations supply more than three times as many SKUs from 50% more plants.
Europe -- Central/Eastern European countries such as Hungary, Poland, Russia and the Czech Republic continue to be the locations of choice for Western European manufacturing from both a plant and SKU perspective with supply percentages even greater than Mexico's support of North America.
Asia Pacific -- The Asia Pacific regional low cost sourcing is being dominated by China, India, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines. In fact, inland China is being employed as a low cost source for coastal manufacturing sites.
This sourcing approach incorporates other factors into the equation beyond the traditional definition of a total landed cost. In addition to quantifiable costs (component price including labor, overhead as well as international freight, import duties, special packaging, import-export costs, etc.) that companies evaluate when making a product sourcing decision, many companies are also quantifying supply chain risks associated with a particular region and/or country. These risk factors include but are not limited to:
Currency stability
Infrastructure needs
Inventory pipeline needs
Legislative framework and I/P protection
Management and workforce skills & capabilities
Political and/or societal stability
Quality control
Related industry or customer demand to spur and maintain competition
Reverse logistics requirements
When many of these factors are actually quantified in a sourcing decision, the incremental savings from sourcing to a higher risk region or country is often eliminated (especially when the principle benefit is labor arbitrage). For example, sourcing a product in Mexico versus the United States is very attractive as the wage difference between a typical U.S. worker and a Mexican worker is considerable (approx. $13/hr). The savings from the labor variance alone can often overshadow other cost considerations and risk factors. However, the labor rate difference between China and Mexico is not nearly as great (approx. $2/hr). Thus, when determining a non-domestic source for a particular component the other cost and risk factors have a growing importance as a criterion.
So what about those firms that aren't seeing a positive ROI from an international sourcing decision? Will they move product back to the home market or re-source it to a regional low cost country? In most cases the answer is no. Firms that have swung the sourcing pendulum too far in one direction will not move or re-source mass quantities of product back into a particular region -- it is costly and fraught with risk. What is a more likely scenario is they will revisit sourcing decisions on a case-by-case basis when a logical sourcing change can be made such as a new product introduction or for an engineering change.
So while China will continue to be a dominant player for manufactured goods, Mexico and Central/Eastern Europe will remain long-term partners and benefactors for their respective regions. For these reasons, we see this regional sourcing model continuing for the foreseeable future as manufacturers in mature markets leverage local international sources for cost competitiveness and market flexibility. What will be different is that these supplier firms will have a decidedly global footprint that mirrors their customer needs. Other firms will elect to reposition themselves as Tier 2 suppliers rather than scaling up to compete with these global Tier 1 suppliers.
James Ricci is a Director with Grant Thornton's Manufacturing Transaction Services group in Detroit and a Certified Supply Chain Professional. He assists companies with operational performance improvement and regularly consults on distressed and turnaround matters for manufacturing firms. http://www.granthorton.com
Kevin L. Brown
STARDUST SPILL PRODUCTS
STARDUST Super Absorbent
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