Social Media Minus The Bovine Feces

Alright, I know there are a lot of you in the managed print services industry out there who are not yet utilizing social media to market your brand or generate sales.

This ends today...

I present to you the book both you and your CEO need to read if your on the fence or not considering social media at all as part of your marketing plan.

"No Bullshit Social Media" by Jason Falls and Erik Deckers will show you the proof about the ROI inherent in social media and provide the kick in the pants needed to get you on the social web. It will also give you the tools and resources needed to succeed in said space.

The book is describe by Jason below...

"Erik and I walk readers through what social media marketing can do for business, how to decide what you want it to do for yours and how to plan, activate and measure what you do. This book is not about Facebook and Twitter. It’s about using social media marketing as a business driver. It’s no-nonsense, no smoke-and-mirrors … No Bullshit. It will reinforce what you know, give you more ideas and help those you work with see social media marketing as a viable mechanism to reach, involve and persuade consumers to do more than “Like” or follow."

Like it or not folks social media is here to stay and like I have said in the past, if your not involved yet your running late.

No Bullshit Social Media is a surefire way to start or improve your social media program. Whether your a recent adherent to the social realm or just getting started, this book is a tool that you must have in your arsenal for social media success.

Read more about the book here.

Why Sales Should Be Social

At this point in my career I believe that I have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that social media can be most profitable, even if you are given no budget to work with.

While I manage social media for my company I am also a member of the sales team and all of the sales generated by social media within my company have (thus far) come from my clients, several of whom I garnered through or in conjunction with social media efforts.

So it is with true gusto that on this day I do declare...

Everyone in your sales department should be involved in social media.

Is there a learning curve? Yes, but really its not rocket science and the skills needed to be a great sales professional parallel many of the skills necessary for any social media pro.

Many dynamics of the sales culture (networking, after hours gatherings, schmoozing, building trust) can be taken to new levels when social media is applied to said culture.

Most of the information needed to become a successful social media professional can be found for free on the internet. With some time dedicated to self education any individual who is already a sales professional can easily become proficient in the realm of social media.

If nothing else starting with the "big 4" a blog, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn one can generate sales and buzz within a years time (I know, I have done it).

Reading other marketing and sales professional's blogs as well as spending a few pennies on educational sites such as lynda.com can launch an already successful salesman or woman into new heights.

MPS Contract Via Social Media

I believe that I have accomplished a unique acheivement this week.

Yesterday I signed a managed print services contract that was garnered through social media.

Let me explain...

A few months ago David Morrow (a friend of mine which I had not seen in over 10 years) reconnected with me through Facebook after stumbling across my profile. In addition to listening to some music I had posted to my wall, he also took the time to check out my company's Facebook page and read a couple of blog posts I had shared there.

I guess he liked what he read.

Dave works at a company called Tech Cavalry as part of a team of IT professionals who offer services ranging from computer installations and repair to network design and implementation.

I guess you could say that they love computers and technology. Printers on the other hand, well...

Let's just say that said hardware is not their cup of tea. That being said, printers are not only our cup of tea but the very foundation of our company.

Dave felt that we are a company who share the same kind of passion for quality customer service that Tech Cavalry has and since he and his boss Michael had been looking to find a company with said qualities who would be able to take the reigns in regards to their customers printer needs, I was asked to come and meet with Michael to speak about the possibility of doing business together.

While my conversation with Michael spanned everything from cigars and coffee to VARs and MSPs and every dynamic in between, the conversation ended with a referral.

I was given information about a company not far from where I worked.

Thanks to that information I was able to perform an analysis, present an MPS solution and sign a contract for said solution with the aforementioned company in record timing.

Had I not been actively involved in social media, this opportunity would most likely not have occurred and even if it had, the lack of a reference to the gentleman I was able to get the referral from would have almost certainly made the process move much slower.

The point I would like make here is that if your working in a B2B environment and your not involved in social media then you are falling behind.

Social media is here to stay and chances are, your competitors are already ahead of the game.

Want To Help MA Tornado Victims?

Multiple communities spanning from Springfield to Sturbridge Massachusetts have been devastated by the recent Tornado.

A help and networking group who's goal is to help organize relief efforts for the people who have been affected by this disaster has been setup for those who would like to contribute funds, time, tools and any form of support possible to the victims and their families.

If you are interested in helping please join the TORNADO AIDE group on facebook for more info and resources on how to help!

All you have to do is click the "Ask to Join" button and the moderator will let you in.

Join Me At MarketingProfs B2B Forum Boston!

I will be speaking at the MarektingProfs B2B Forum in Boston, Massachusetts on June 15 from 11:00am-11:15am.

Here is my track information...

Case Study 1: 11:00–11:15am A B2B Social Media Program With Real $$ ROI!

Speaker:
Nathan Dube, Chief Social Media Marketing Engineer, Expert Laser Services

Can you really generate sales with social media in a B2B atmosphere? Of course you can! By combining elements of guerrilla marketing, music and free social media sites like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, Nathan will show you how he was able to create a profitable B2B social media campaign with little to no budget! If you enjoy humor, creativity, fun and music you won't want to miss this case study that incorporates them all!

If you would like to attend read more about the event here

As a reader of my Blog I am pleased to offer you a $100 discount off the price of your ticket!

Just use this promo code to save $100 off your ticket price! > SPEAK100

Hope to see you there!

Are Your Customers Fans?

As many of you know I play in the New England based Jamband Jabooda.

While the atmosphere, culture and people surrounding the band is about as far from the corporate/business realm as one could possibly get, the parallels in customer service, marketing and sales is astoundingly similar as is the work ethic involved. The band truly is, a second job.

In the band we place heavy responsibilities on our shoulders in regards to treating our fans (customers) like gold. While we do sell products to our fans we also give many of our live recordings and merchandise away for free as a thank you for their dedication and support. We put hundreds of hours into rehearsals in hopes to make sure that our fans get their moneys worth and we treat each of our fans as both human beings and friends.

In my role as a sales and marketing professional at Expert Laser Services I try to manifest the same dedication in my customers by catalyzing a similar energy to that which I have on stage. The hope is that my customers will truly become fans.

While I don't give away free cds or t-shirts to prospects I have at times given them a toner cartridge for free because I believe in the products my company produces and sells and I know that in certain cases, giving something away will turn a profit and act as a conduit for a positive relationship with that person who in the end, will truly become a fan of our products and services.

In the same way that a soaring guitar solo is at times pushed to its peak even as the muscles in the guitarists hands seem that they will give out from pain, such a sacrifice will almost certainly draw an intense return on investment in the form of ecstatic emotion derived from the crowd. I truly believe that offering unconventional services such as help desk calls after hours, last minute emergency parts delivery or repair calls and so on and so forth (which can be an intense personal burden on myself or other employees at my company depending on the situation) this kind of self sacrifice provides a similar feeling of gratitude to that of the aforementioned guitarist. Sometimes truly great customer service requires that we take added stress and burdens upon ourselves in order to provide the absolute best for our customers.

I can honestly the say that the labor of love as mentioned above is the key to success for both my company and my band. Expert Laser Services emphasis on advanced and caring customer service is what separates us from our competitors both large and small.

In the end, it is not hype or a robust marketing scheme that makes you a literal and or metaphorical rock star. It is the lengths that you are willing to go for your people. It is the actions that you are willing to make in order for your customers to truly become a die hard, dedicated and loving fanbase.

Relational Sales Via Twitter

On Thursday of last week I had the pleasure of consulting a long time twitter follower about laser printer repair directly through twitter. The consultation which was in and of itself a rewarding experience ended in a sale. Yep, that's right...

A sale directly through twitter!

Long time twitter follower and independent B2B Marketing Queen Dianna Huff, tweeted her frustrations about her HP 2015. In dealing with the issues of these machines as of recent, I quickly responded to her asking about the problems she was having in regards to said machine.

Bellow I have posted both Dianna's tweets as well as my own.





After going back and forth for a while I suggested two service providers in Nashua, NH where Dianna could look into service and sales however, she asked me to call her because she would prefer to purchase a machine from me.

Struck by the opportunity for a sale through twitter I suggested shipping the machine to her as to how I am located on the Massachusetts/Connecticut border and she on the Massachusetts/New Hampshire border.

However in the true spirit of the tweetup we decided to meet half way as to how it worked for Dianna's schedrule to be in Massachusetts. We were able to meet in person, discuss our careers within the world of B2B social media marketing and the challenges and joys associated with said work, while also completing one of the first ever direct through twitter sales (at least that I know of).

In retrospect, the cash ROI was trivial at best in comparison to the truly rewarding experience of connecting with another wonderful and talented human being who shared a passion for the same industry that I do.

Is this a glimpse of a possible paradigm shift in the world of marketing and sales?

I suppose time will tell.