listening

We spend a lot of time in a lot of places telling people what we know.  I did this, I read that.  I went there, I tried that.  I wrote this, designed that.  Are we in the "me" economy?  And if so, is it possible to wring more out of it, to come out stronger, be more aware?  To receive feedback as well as we broadcast out? Shout.  Let it all out. We have professional profiles and virtual Rolodexes set up on LinkedIn, Jigsaw, and Plaxo.  We have blogs to showcase our big thoughts and Posterous...

The plight of a salesperson is a tough one. There are physical barriers ranging from receptionists screening calls to Junk or Spam filters blocking emails, and direct mailings that are overlooked.  I don't purport to have deep insights on how to effectively penetrate the "no solicitations" bubble surrounding many purchase decision-makers, but I do believe that many messages and tactics are off target to say the best, and out of touch, to say the least. What Did You Just Say To Me? These are excerpts...

Anyone who's browsed this blog understands my passion for the consumer/customer. I assert that they MAKE your business. Yes, that may sound obvious--the premise is commerce, after all. But what I mean is, consumer insight is the holy grail business strategists, product developers, marketers, and sales forces should forsake most other tools for.  Insight can help a business: Anticipate: flaws, lack of functionality, holes in offering suites Mitigate: lessen the impact or importance of flaws...

A Blog And A Partner I had the opportunity to partner with Successful Blog author Liz Strauss, and let me say I'm darned lucky. Not only is Liz the fairy godmother of relationships and conversations, but she can identify kernels of ideas and say big things about them.  Things that get her readers thinking.  And you can be sure, they're always listening to Liz. The post I co-authored was published today and is titled "It's so easy to get stuck repeating what we already know." And you guessed...

Communication is a powerful word, and as a concept implies an exchange of ideas and intentions between active, engaged parties.  Adding another layer of complexity is the reality that as an advanced people, we can communicate in written, oral, and sometimes more importantly nonverbal methods in the forms of body language, facial expression and reactive measures like word of mouth passalong.  I'm sure there are other subtleties I'm forgetting (comment your own additions below). The facet of communication...

Do you speak my language? I had the great fortune of having a live & in-person meeting this week with someone whom I'd previously known only virtually.  That is to say, we had connected via Twitter, LinkedIn, and even email.  It took awhile for our "first date," (she’s a busy gal) but as with some budding acquaintances, I had an inkling that we’d hit it off.  Score!. Lynn and I are both passionate about communication and helping create meaningful relationships between consumers and brands. ...