Business Books, Events, and Trends...

My Blog Has Moved...

2010-01-18T11:15:00.001-08:00

Please visit me at my new blog site located at http://www.JennyMunn.com/blog. Thanks for joining me and please drop me a line!

Atlanta Blogging Workshop Review

2009-12-16T16:26:00.000-08:00

According to social media expert Erik Qualman, more than 200,000,000 blogs exist. Now, I love my little blog, but it has mostly been written with topics that were of interest to me and a select group of people (“Hi Mom and Dad!”). It’s past time to take my blog to the next level and highlight my copywriting capabilities.

So when I found Hollis Gillespie and Mike Alvear’s Atlanta Blogging Workshop advertised in Creative Loafing, I was ecstatic. Usually I wince every time I shell out more than $25 on myself, but ongoing education is so important. Especially for solo-preneurs like myself where my company’s greatest asset is…me (gulp).

The six hour seminar surpassed my expectations. Although I suspect many of the participants left the workshop with information overload and a long to-do list, I walked out with a clear direction of where to take my blog and what to do next.

Hollis and Mike co-taught, facilitating the exchange of ideas and sharing success stories. They held the class in a cozy, adorable, crazy studio decked out in outlandish décor. Although “finger food and champagne,” was advertised, there was enough food to feed the snackiest of snackers like myself. Delectables came at us all day in the form of fruit, muffins, cookies, cake, pesto pizza, chips, and more. I certainly think better when I’m served mimosas in the afternoon and dining on scrumptious food. The 13 or so of us participants sat in comfy chairs clustered around a long conference table.

Without giving all the seminar content away, I’d like to share a few workshop highlights. It was comprised of the following components:

-we reviewed several sample blogs as case studies to identify success factors
-we went around the room and each participant was able to explain where he or she was with their blog and any challenges they were having. ¾ of the room only had concepts of what they wanted to accomplish and had not created a blog yet. It was great to provide ideas and suggestions to people and in return get feedback for my own blog
-we were taught core blogging concepts such as having a narrow, niche concept, promoting your own work, having passion for your work, and the importance of writing killer content

And lastly, Hollis said something that resonated with me. One of the participants didn’t know what topic he would blog about and was a little lost trying to come up with ideas. So Hollis asked him: what would the world be missing without you in it? Blog or not, we should all consider the answer to this question. Life is about living with purpose and passion. Cheers!

Put Your SEO on Steroids with Blogs

2009-12-14T07:41:00.000-08:00

I love webinars and encourage everyone to sign up for webinars with interesting topics. It’s a great way to continue your ongoing education and keep on top of trends (which is very difficult to do sometimes!). Even if you can’t make the webinar at the scheduled time, the host usually sends out a link afterwards so you can listen at your convenience. One of the webinars I “attended” recently was “Put Your SEO on Steroids with Blogs.” I wanted to share some important takeaways from the perspective of focusing on the content, which is what I do as a copywriter. Plus, I am a HUGE advocate for businesses using blogging as a marketing tool and a way to communicate with potential and current clients.

My Webinar Notes:

-blog traffic spikes in the morning and at lunchtime: people like to check blogs first thing while drinking their coffee or right around noon to take break
-make other bloggers a key target for readership
-the user is looking for the answer; that is what you need to center your posts around
-organize content around keywords. My note: don’t make your posts sound ridiculous. If readers can tell what your keywords are, you are doing this incorrectly
-make a list of your top keywords. Think what TERMS drive your business
-what is the language of the customer? Use these words in your copy
-again, think about what people are going to type, and talk about that
-nobody wants LONG thought leadership posts. They want 1) the quick answer to their problem and
2) multimedia
-people skim content online; they want credibility, so give something of value
-to get higher in search, create more content
-a great blog post idea: tell the stories of your company: what problems have you seen? How does your product solve a problem?
-the key getting links (important in SEO) is to write good content
-the TITLE of the blog should be based on keywords as well

For non-techies, SEO is a difficult concept to wrap your brain around. It is certainly very trendy right now, and the amount of information on the web is overwhelming and at times, contradictory. This webinar was worth the hour it took to review the information .That takes a lot for me to say, as I am very protective about my time! Tip: if you attend the webinar from a download after the “live” event, what I think is fabulous is the ability to speed ahead or go back using the fast forward and rewind buttons. Note – I am not affiliated with this webinar. Just a fan!

2-Minute Video Book Review: Business Writing - What Works, What Won't

2009-12-01T11:37:00.000-08:00

I hope you enjoy my third video review! I really enjoyed this book, Business Writing: What Works, What Won't. Highly recommended if you want to polish your writing skills, learn quicker writing techniques, and get an excellent grammar refresher.

FaceBook Makes it Hard to Lie

2009-11-25T04:12:00.000-08:00

“Facebook…it’s not like being at home and writing in your diary. It’s out there for the whole world to see.” - Nathalie Blanchard

Are you FaceBook friends with your boss or colleagues? At my previous job, I was. And that made it extremely hard to lie or hide details of what I did on weekends or vacations. Not that I wanted to be deceptive, I just preferred to keep some parts of my personal life...personal. Also, I was sure that if I ever even considered calling in “sick,” it would be Murphy's Law that the one time I did it I would be outted accidentally by a FB friend or family member. Not only did I have to be careful what I posted on FB, but what my friends posted. I am 28 but I still flinched when a friend recently posted several pictures of me with a beer in my hand at a local Atlanta bar for a birthday party.

In light of this it was no surprise when I read an article in the AJC, “Facebook photos cost Canadian her benefits.” Basically, a Canadian woman was on sick leave for depression and receiving monthly benefits when an agent found her FaceBook photos partying it up on vacation. Her benefits were promptly cut. FaceBook photos showed her at a Chippendales bar (sounds fun!), at a birthday party, and on a sun holiday. Recently, a teacher in Atlanta was forced to resign because of European vacation photos showing her holding a glass of wine. An anonymous “parent” (who is more likely a disgruntled colleague) complained about it.

I can easily see how occurences like these came about. On my FaceBook account, one former classmate posts endlessly about his unraveling marriage and impending divorce, often heavily cursing. Another girl posts about how much she hates her life and how hard the dating world is. It’s very depressing and I don't think that will get the guys to line up. But again, both examples are of people who should be writing in their diary instead of FaceBook.

My husband, who refuses to get a FaceBook account, constantly harps on the fact that people are giving way too many personal details out and it’s going to bite them in the butt. I expect that situations like this Canadian girl and the Atlanta teacher find themselves in are going to be occurring more and more. This is not a new concept by any stretch but people still aren't getting it. My take? Zip it, people.

Thoughts?

The Must-Read Books For Women Entrepreneurs

2009-11-19T07:54:00.000-08:00

I recently had a chance to participate on a very popular website by sharing my favorite book for women entrepreneurs. It was so hard to pick just one book; I’ve read so many and refer them to people who are in different stages and processes in their career. As I was forced to narrow it down though, I chose one that I still think about often and has really made an impact on me. The site, Toilet Paper Entrepreneur, just went live and is already ranked on Google’s first page - very exciting! Check out the tip from #92 - she seems very smart. :) "The Must-Read Books for Women Entrepreneurs" is brought to you by Toilet Paper Entrepreneurs (great blog for small business owners).

Meanwhile, this picture of the stacked books represents the pile on my kitchen table that I need to get through. Ugh, how do you squeeze more time out of the day?

Trends in Sales, Web Marketing, and Business Development

2009-11-14T13:16:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday I attended B2B Marketing University in Atlanta that was sponsored by Silverpop. It was an interesting concept – invite your target audience to an educational seminar in which there are NO product pitches whatsoever (having it at a top-notch hotel and feeding attendees doesn’t hurt either). Genius. Certainly companies and backgrounds were mentioned but it seemed done more so from the standpoint of establishing credentials.

Over the course of three hours I took five pages of notes, front and back, which I’ll be sharing on this blog. Although I’m no longer in B2B Marketing, it was important for me to be there to learn what the “big boys” are talking about and see how this translates to Small/Medium Businesses (SMB). It is ESSENTIAL in this day and age to stay updated on trends that affect a business owner’s market. One of the speakers even uttered my mantra: “change is the only constant.” Companies that resist change and evolving are going to quickly get left behind.

A few themes developed for me as I was reviewing my notes, and instead of writing one gi-normous post I’ll write a future post on “Tips and Information for SMB." So below are a few of the trends that everyone should become familiar with, according to Silverpop and its comrades:

• The buyer is changing – companies/freelancers are shortlisted before they’re ever called
• Social media is critical to making buyer decisions. So why should a business owner have a blog, submit articles to content-sharing sites, have a Twitter account? Because if he/she doesn’t and their competitor does, it’s an easy decision for the buyer.
• If you can’t be “found” easily, it sends up red flags. When I google a company and can’t find it, it screams out “sketchy” to me.
• There is a fundamental shift focusing on raw leads to managing buyer dialogue to nurture sales-ready relationships
• A trendy new term is “inbound marketing.” Inbound is the ability to 1) Get found and 2) shape community dialogue (this is done via a blog, social media site, etc)
o A fictional example, but one that people can identify with is Dunder Mifflin’s failed “Infinity 2.0” social media project from the popular TV show The Office
• Static websites are dead; websites need fresh, relevant information for SEO purposes. What does this mean for people who have to continuously pay webmasters to update? I don’t know. But for those who don’t have sites yet, keep that in mind.
• Trending words are “manage,” “manage,” and “manage.” Manage the process. Again, back to entrepreneurship 101 of having a proactive not reactive business model.
• Change is the only constant. Get onboard and stop resisting/whining. I tell my husband this all the time as he hates FaceBook, LinkedIn, etc.
• More ROI pressure is being put on vendors. Example: I gave you a $1, now how much is your service giving back?
• Marketers have to adapt, but it is not completely out with the old, in with the new
• Buyers want relationships
o I disagree. I think the word ‘relationships’ is getting old, fast. Buyers want a company with personality. They don’t want you to be their best friend and you shouldn’t like that. But you should stand for something, know how to communicate that, and show up (meaning, be found). • Trend: do to your customers what you’re doing to them. If they mention you on twitter, you do the same. If they comment on your blog, you do the same. Mirror
• Lastly and very important, the difference between “Email Marketing” and “Marketing Automation:”
-EMAIL MARKETING: is more B2C
-MARKETING AUTOMATION: B2B or Complex sales process

eWomen Network Event with Robyn Spizman: Is Your Business Gifted?

2009-11-13T21:06:00.000-08:00

Last night I attended the eWomen Atlanta Network meeting at the Ravinia Club. I attended for two reasons: because I have always been curious about this organization and to hear Robyn Spizman give a presentation on “Is Your Business Gifted?” The overall event exceeded my expectations. I have spent the last seven years in sales (which means I’ve been to hundreds of networking events) and can maybe count on one hand the number of events in which members walk up to you proactively to greet you and walk you around to meet other people. It was a very friendly, engaging group.

My notes from Robyn’s speech are below, but first I wanted to highlight the non-verbal features of her presentation which were equally impressive as her message. And I’m not saying this just because I work for her at The Spizman Agency.

Here are a few things worth mentioning:
-Robyn’s words were so effective in part because of her presence. She used NO notes or teleprompters and walked around the entire time.
-she was present; meaning, in her presentation she wove in names, situations, and stories from people she interacted with that very night. This resulted in a very engaged audience.
-we left the event with actionable takeaways. That’s the difference between a good speech and a great speech.
-Robyn elicited a lot of emotion in the audience through her storytelling. It was excellent.

And now, to share a few highlights from the presentation:
-before launching into her content, Robyn promised to increase our business platform and help us find out what our gifts are. This is using the inverted pyramid approach that I use in copywriting – “tell ‘em what you’re going to tell ‘em.” People’s attention spans have evolved and you have to capture their attention and know what they’re getting out of something from the beginning.
-she began with such a simple, yet powerful (and underutilized) practice: learn people’s names and use them which she broke down into simple steps:
1) Learn someone’s name
2) then practice
3) then rhyme it
-know that tomorrow is a gift
-examples of personal gifts can be as simple as the ability to say hello and make friends to the ability to make the best chocolate chip cookies
-people need to concentrate on “budget conscious gifts that reflect our ability to sustain them”
-how does your business serve someone? That’s your benefit.
-leave a message of goodwill; do something out of the box that says “I love you.”
-business building words: How May I Help You?
-people have to communicate and show up
-show up by giving
-Robyn’s gift is her enthusiasm
-in your life, where do you involve what you love? Start there
-you don’t always know what to give, but study the person, study the business
-tell a story, don’t sell a service
-you only succeed if you find out what someone values; ex. Give their PET a gift if they are a petlover
-play with words – ex. “you’re the smartest cookie I know” and give cookies or Starbucks gift card saying “I love you a latte”
-wake up your words, your business
-you’re not selling a product but building a relationship
-when we give, people see us as a leader
-you have to love your service; otherwise you’re doing the wrong thing
-give before you get
-finally, don’t be shy; know how people can help you and communicate that

2-Minute Video Book Review: The Adweek Copywriting Handbook

2009-11-10T04:33:00.000-08:00

2 Minute Video Book Review: Search Engine Optimization

2009-11-06T04:09:00.000-08:00

I hope you enjoy my first video review! I really enjoyed this book, Search Engine Optimization: Your visual blueprint for effective internet marketing. Highly recommended if you want to learn more about SEO.

Business Communications - Copyediting, Copywriting, and Proofreading: A girl's dream work!

2009-11-05T11:25:00.000-08:00

I recently took a Copy Editing and Proofreading class with Jack Smith of The Smith Group. It was a day-long class through Evenings at Emory and I highly recommend the program. Jack specializes in working with nonprofits and focuses on grant writing. We spent the morning talking about the business side of writing/freelancing and the afternoon focusing on the meat of copyediting/copywriting.

The class was 99% women, very Type-A who love pointing out grammar mistakes other people make and who each had an opinion in a highly-charged conversation about whether or not the serial comma should be used. Yes...it was that type of group.

I furiously took notes all day and for those interested, have compiled some useful trends, information, and tips about copywriting, copyediting and proofreading.

-Many people incorrectly and interchangeably use the words copyediting and proofreading. The real definitions are that copyediting means to compile existing/already written material. It is the content and organization of material to cohesion. Proofreading is the final check before launching.
-Content and organization is the meat of copyediting.
-know your grammar weaknesses. Mine are trying to put together words that should not be compound words, such as pot luck, grant writing, table coth, etc. My natural inclination is to make all those words one word. I also always go back and check my subject/very agreements.
-When working on a project for a client, it is extremely important to know what they’re looking for before you begin. That means making sure the client explains exactly what result they want achieved so you both aren’t working on a gazillion drafts.
-It’s also important to know how many pages you can copyedit in one hour. Copyediting is a very tedious task and it’s important to schedule breaks, so factor that in.
-The business has evolved. Gone are the days when copywriting used to mean coming up with advertisements in the paper and copywriters worked on staff. Now the work is more contractual and a large portion of it is online vs in print.
-this doesn’t have much to do with copywriting, but Jack stated (and I wholeheartedly agree), that the opportunities for an employee to stay with the same organization for 30 years are gone. Organizations have evolved, and people need to do the same to stay marketable. As an employee, have a proactive plan, strategy, and purpose. If you are freelancer, multiply this times ten.
-when freelancing, understand your niche and how you fit in. What is your USP? What differentiates you?
-trends that are important to know: the prevalent use of bullet points, italics, and bold to categorize text. NEVER underline a word online unless it is hypertext.
-trends in formatting: one space after the period, not two, and we’re not indenting paragraphs anymore but flush left and ragged right. Double space between paragraphs.
-it’s also interesting to pick up on small nuances and make sure you’re adapting to the language of your clients. For example, if you’re still putting a hypen between “non” and “profit,” that’s the sign of an amateur. The trend is to spell it without the hypen (nonprofit). Small things like that will differentiate you from your competition and show the client you fit in.
-when beginning to freelance, it’s important to have a robust portfolio. Do this by working pro-bono, bartering, or charging a very low rate and then build up from there.
-these days, it’s important to write in an inverted pyramid structure.

We learned a TON more and I’d be happy to share some of the handouts – just reach out to me!

Sales/Prospecting tips and ideas for small businesses and entrepreneurs

2009-11-03T18:06:00.000-08:00

This week I attended a meeting with ReFocus on Careers, an Atlanta-based group that helps people practice their networking in a comfortable environment and provides great educational content for a reasonable price.
The Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Circulation Director, Michael FitzGerald, spoke to our meeting and offered these tips for people looking for jobs or sales prospects:

-the paper offers an index of all companies and people that are featured. If you see a prospect, send them a congratulatory note or follow call. Most importantly, tell them what about the article caught your eye.
-handwritten notes are an extremely under-used tool; people don’t always read their email, but they will read a note sent in the mail on professional stationary.
-who is advertising these days? These companies have money.
-this is more of a publicity tip, but if you would like to get your company featured in the paper, call up the appropriate contact, and in a very non-salesy manner, tell them you have a unique idea you would like to share with them and then in 30 seconds communicate your idea and why his/her readers would be interested.
-if there’s an interesting article (book review, leadership article, industry trends, etc), send that article to the client and write a handwritten note WHY you thought he/she might be interested.

Other tips for the holidays
-clients are doing their budgets in December and will budget in your services or position
-business is slower – this is a great time to make some personal calls
-people are happy!
-look up “odd” holidays and send your prospects/friends/clients something interesting about it
-January: send New Year’s cards
-to create a relationship, ask your contact “how can I help you?” Don’t make it all about you.
-crash holiday parties – it’s a great way to meet employed people.
-it takes 7-8 times before someone will give you a referral or lead.

Communications/Storytelling Even In the Most Unlikely Professions

2009-10-29T18:52:00.000-07:00

I dislike lawyers. I really do. I can say this in spite of the fact that my three best friends are lawyers. It has taken me some time, but I can grudgingly admit that maybe not all lawyers are evil.

I came across an article in the AJC that was actually a nice, inspiring story about a former lawyer who decided he wanted to make an impact on kids’ lives and made a career transition to teaching. In his previous profession, this man used to “tell stories” to try to keep prisoners off of death row. He realized that judges need to see each client as a human so he changed his communication strategy to telling humane stories instead of just spouting legal jargon, which was boring his audience. So instead he talked about how one of his clients served in the Army or how another client had suffered wrongdoings earlier in his life. Let’s forget for a second the victims and their family members who may have suffered at the hands of these criminals who were now getting off easier due to the finesse of this lawyer. This story is not about that and it does seem like Mr. former lawyer is more than making up for it.

This storytelling method he used actually succeeded in helping some of his clients and just goes to show how important targeting your message is to the correct audience. It applies to all small businesses and entrepreneurs. If your audience isn’t responding, change your communication tone and message and it just may prove effective.

A Student for Life

2009-10-21T12:57:00.000-07:00

I have one more week of my Grammar Refresher course I am taking through Evenings at Emory. I have said this before, but something about being on a bustling college campus just makes me feel more intelligent. I guess it's being surrounded by students and the general academic ambiance. Even the musty library we meet in smells smart!

A six-week course definitely forces one to dedicate time and attention to the subject at hand in addition to physically attending the class. It's the only way someone can really learn and retain the information. My subject was grammar and I was very intent about getting and retaining a good overview and really learning the basics again. As I have heard from friends pursuing their Masters Degree, you become very serious about your education and school when you are older and can appreciate the time commitment and financial commitment attached to it.

I have signed up for one more course on Copy Editing and Proofreading for the end of this month and I look forward to seeing where and how I can apply my new knowledge and skills. Ongoing education is so important and I definitely recommend an Evening at Emory program.

What's IN What's OUT

2009-10-06T11:56:00.000-07:00

I love lists that tell consumers what's "in" and what's "out." They usually tend to be ridiculous and dramatic but I actually rather liked this one I found in People Magazine's Style issue. Here are a few things from it (I particulariy agree with what's "out")

In:
Competitive Workouts (Biggest Loser style to cheer each other on)
Sports Bars (cheap beer - a sign of the times)

Out:
Wireless Ear Pieces (this is "a relic of precollapse Wall Street" according to the Zandl Group)
Trashing Electronics (recycle them instead!)

The Atlanta Writers Club September Meeting

2009-09-22T10:32:00.000-07:00

This past rainy weekend I went to my first Atlanta Writers Club meeting. I am super excited to have found this community of fellow writers where I can network and advance my writing skills. I love the fact that the meetings are free and you don't need to sign up to attend.

For the September meeting they had acclaimed author of Chicken Soup for the Soul series, Mark Victor Hanson, present to the group. He was very humorous and a good storyteller; however, he basically was there to pimp his $1000 writing bootcamp to get authors published. He did offer a lot of value but I was shocked at how many people were actually signing up for program. This is not the first inspirational speaker to do this - I had the pleasure of seeing , James Ray, co-author of The Secret. He led a great event at a local church and I was very motivated until the very end when he started selling the audience on this workshop they HAD to sign up for that was critical for them to meet their goals and succeed in life. People were literally running up the aisle to sign up as he offered a discount to the first few people to register. I think James and Mark have the same business coach because they employed almost identical tactics to sell their respective workshops. I would love to hear from any of these participants if the experience met his/her expectations. I sincerely hope it did but I have my doubts.

The highlight of my weekend was the next speaker: Kathryn Stockett, break-out author of The Help. She mainly spoke about how she got published, her background, a little about the process of writing her book, and then she very candidly answered audience questions. She was such a breath of fresh air and so authentic. You could tell she was also very humble and still seemed surprised herself at how successful her book is doing. She is definitely an author that I will be following in the future and I wish her nothing but success. I look forward to my next AWC event.

Decatur Book Festival - Day 2

2009-09-16T12:27:00.000-07:00

This was the first “real” day of the festival. I left my house early in anticipation of the overcrowded parking situation and by 10:00 am I was at my first panel to see Charlaine Harris. I’m still not sure how I ended up there as I had never read any of her books but knew she had a big fanbase. Wow, no kidding. The people to see here were not just fans, they were fanatical about her. And at the end of the panel I liked her enough to pick up a Sookie Stackhouse book at the library. Charlaine was personable, humorous, and down-to-earth. I wonder if she would’ve had as many fans there if not for True Blood.

Afterwards I took my time to visit all the vendors and walk around the square. I got several books for quite a steal – you gotta love that aspect of book festivals: cheap books! I also met another very cool vendor, an Atlanta-based Mom who came up with some very creative ways for kids to eat healthy: Cooking for Monkeys. Her blog is a must-see.

I also had the fortune of catching Diana Gabaldon (photo above). Again, never having read any of her books, I was curious what the hype was all about. I got into the line that wrapped around the building and started talking to a few of her fans. All loved her work and were excited about her upcoming book. She gave an interesting talk although she talked SO fast it was sometimes hard to keep up with her since the venue echoed. I was intrigued enough that I picked up her first Outlander book on CD, which I am excited to listen to. (FYI – books on CDs have made my workouts much more interesting!).

And lastly, courtesy of one of the many great food vendors, I picked myself up a delicious veggie corndog. And then proceeded to drop ketchup all over my shirt. Oh well, the veggie dog was worth it.

My Experience at the Decatur Book Festival (Day 1)

2009-09-09T09:41:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I attended the Decatur Book Festival in Decatur, GA. The festival lasted three days total, and being the big book nerd I am, I attended all three days. I had mixed feelings from some of the panels I attended, but overall the event lived up to my high expectations:

Friday (Day 1):

Free writers workshops were held on the beautiful campus of Agnes Scott. There was a diverse amount to choose from but they all ocurred at the same time which was a shame because they were all interesting. I ended up attending "Putting Flesh on the Bones: How to Write Great Characters" by accomplished author N.M. Kelby. Here are a few takeaways:

-mid-listers are having a tough time in the current publishing world and industry

-engaging, character-driven novels grab editors' attention and are what's selling

-think of characters like a squid - all the tentacles dangle beneath the surface

-what will make people CONNECT? this is very important

-being a writer is about learning, learning, learning

-when you're a writer, be like Santa - always give gifts and surprises

-introduce and build characters through dialogue and action.

-start with physicalness so people aren't lost; don't lose or isolate your reader

-characters MUST reveal themselves or evolve

-romances must be earned; use real emotion, romances require a connection

-don't forget to revise and revise again

-wallow in rejection or depression, and then shake yourself off; feel awful and use it for your characters

-write one sentence - the truest sentence you know

Cyber-risk and Liability Associated With Your Blog

2009-09-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

It was bound to happen, but this article just astounds me: Backup For Your Blog. I clicked on the article because I thought it was literally going to tell me how to protect and backup my material. Rather, it talks about how increasingly blogs for corporate use AND personal use are being scrutinized for potential litigiation risks. The article cites these two examples:

-Last month a Chicago landlord sued a former tenant alleging defamation after she claimed in a tweet that her residence had mold.
-In San Francisco, a chiropractor sued a patient for alleged defamation after the patient posted a negative review on Yelp. The case was settled early this year.

What about freedom of speech? I rely on sites such as Yelp and Kudzu for reviews on most new services, restaurants, contractors, etc that I use and bad reviews are just as pertinent as good reviews. I don't know the whole story but it is scary that revealing a negative experience can turn into a potentially devastating lawsuit. Of course, a level of responsibility for your words and actions is still required as once you publish on the web, you lose privacy and anonymity.

My husband doesn't have FaceBook, Twitter, a Blog, or use LinkedIn and he is constantly telling me that I put way too much personal information out there, even on "protected" sites like FaceBook. I am much more careful now with what I say than I was six months ago.

Read the full article - very insightful.

Women in Technology Book Club: GenderTalk

2009-08-18T18:02:00.000-07:00

I have been attending TAG's WIT (Women in Technology) book club and love it for several reasons:

1) It's on a Sunday from 3-5:00. Great time as weekdays are often hard and this gives my husband a little daddy time alone.

2) We read and discuss business books with topics specifically geared toward women.

3) The women are very insightful, intelligent, and savvy

4) There is a great opportunity for networking

5) ***my favorite reason***We don't actually have to READ the book. Best of all, nobody makes you feel guilty and this frees me from the guilt which is why I have dropped out of other book clubs.

I am always reading several novels and professional development books at one time. Currently, I'm reading Twilight, New Moon, A Lifetime of Riches, Good in a Room, What do I say Next, and listening to a few different audio books including a novel by Atlanta author Iris Johansen and The Power of Full Engagement.

At this past meeting we "read" GenderTalks by Connie Glaser. The book generated some GREAT discussion on communication differences between men and women and I was taken aback to learn that I commit many of these communication crimes. Here are a few of my notes:

-Women need to cut to the chase in all communication with men. It was unanimously agreed that men do not understand hints. Be direct.

-Stop apologizing. I say "sorry" all the time. Especially around my male boss.

-De-sensitize yourself

-Don't expect mindreaders. Again, be direct, especially in conversation with your husband, your father, brother, coworkers, boss, waiter, accountant, etc.

-Stick to the facts; it is proven that men's brains cannot register excess verbal chatter.

-men need to keep criticism constructive.

-We need to see the world as WE are, not as it is.

-Communicate from where others are, not where you are

-Stop interrupting with apologies.

-Have a sense of humor. It is another proven study that women cannot tell jokes. If a man tells a joke around you it means he accepts you. Same with cussing.

-Women use more qualifiers. Stop qualifying, saying "I think" and "well maybe." Be confident.

-In emails, use bullet points and 10-20 words. Brief emails.

-Be direct, don't explain.

-One of the women had a great tip - instead of apologizing for something that is not your fault or as a conversation filler, say "That's unfortunate."

-Women need to be better self promoters.

-Speak about what you do well.

I look forward to our book and discussion next month!

TSEA Event: Steps for Building Consensus and Enhancing the Value of Your Event Program

2009-08-18T17:44:00.000-07:00

Today I had the pleasure of attending a TSEA (The Association for Exhibit and Event Professionals) event for the first time. I mostly applied because I was interested in the presentation which was going to be on "Steps for Building Consensus: Enhancing the Value of Your Event Program" given by Keith Reznick of Creative Training Solutions. As a side benefit I also sat with some really nice people. Although the presentation was tailored toward corporate exhibit managers it could also apply to sales. Here are a few of my takeaways:

-What are your clients objectives? Build value with your customers. "It ain't about you, it's about them."
-There is a gap between where your clients ARE and where they WANT to be. This gap is where you can provide value.
-what is your client/prospect trying to improve and why?
-Buy-In vs Consensus. Buy-in is where the decision has been made and you then ask for support on your decision. Example, "I need this of you." Consensus is a collaborative effort where the solution is decided upon together.
-understand your customer's perspective, goals. Help the stakeholder accomplish these.
-What's in it for them VS what's in it for me
-Always focus on the solution, not the problem.
-A golden rule in sales: Find out about them before you tell them about you.

How to Tell Your Story

2009-08-11T06:33:00.000-07:00

Last week I had the pleasure of hearing Mike Wittenstein, CEO of Storyminers give a presentation on How to Tell Your Story. He specializes in helping businesses define and amplify how their customers see them but this can apply to individuals as well. Here are my notes from the program:

Expressing Yourself:
-identify, control, amplify. What is your vibe you put out?
-You can’t tell others your story; they will create from their perspective
-It is important that you be different. Different means preferred, better for your audience. Your story starts with how you’re different
3 steps:
1. Ask for testimonials - in an email, on LinkedIn, recommendations, etc.
-People will tell us who we are in their eyes. What themes continually pop up? Capture “turns of phrase” and understand the words they use. Learn to see yourself as others do
-use that to say “some of my clients say that I am ___." Or “one of my past colleagues said that I am __.”
-get 2 dozen testimonials
2. Create a Reason for Being
-this is your North Star, why you wake up. Where is your focus, passion?
a)WHO do you serve? Characterization of target audience. Who is your customer? State in their words
b) what OUTCOME do you deliver? What does someone value? Ex, what activity
c) HOW do you do it?
Mike's example: I help people in business. I help them tell their most important story. I capture patterns/experiences that connect them to their audience.
3. Record a friendly interview (not a Matt Lauer interview)
Ask amazing questions. Ex. Who is your hero? What are your ideas, values? What’s your reason for being? What motivates you, makes you tick? When to follow vs when to lead? Lead up to focus, help them focus their strengths. Take the tape recorder and turn it around. See what/how they tell their story. How do they interpret your story? Practice over and over. Fresh feedback.

Final Notes:
-think about "What does the work I do look like?" Create an experience that other person discovers is uniquely you. Read between the lines; what do you remember most? Plant nuances. What would you tell another person about me/him/her?
-Control: Is not possible. Own your presence, profile. Be consistent everywhere. Check yourself out.
-Amplify: share your story. Be consistent and be everywhere (Bio, Resume, twitter, blog, website, mktg plan, etc). Work your passions and discipline. Find yourself and share info properly. Create your own sales team. 10 tell 10. Loose connections and connectors (Malcolm Gladwell)
-Don’t stick your head in the sand. What floats your boat, makes you DIFFERENT and BETTER.

Go through these exercises, discover this, and you are on your way.

Re:FOCUS on Careers and Daniel Silva Book Tour

2009-08-06T14:08:00.000-07:00

The past week I attended two great, but very different, events. The first was the Daniel Silva book signing at the Barnes and Nobles in Buckhead. There were a lot of fans there and the discussion was great. I am interested in Daniel but have never read his books before, which I hope to do soon. You could tell by the Q&A and lively interaction that his fans are very loyal though, which is great.

The second event I attended was with Re:Focus on Careers. There were over 95 professionals in a packed room listening to expert storyteller Mike Wittenstein share tips and advice on how to brand yourself and to literally, tell our own story. Then for the first time I participated in speed networking. Whew - I have A LOT of follow up to do now! As I have learned, working the room is only half the battle. The majority of what networking is all about is the follow up.

Networking vs Working the Room

2009-07-28T13:43:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking a lot lately about Networking. I have been attending networking events, have gone to events specifically on Networking education, and am reading a few books right now on the subject. It finally dawned on me that Networking is extremely different than Working the Room. Yes, it took all that but I finally get it.

I went into my quest for knowledge on networking specifically looking for information on how to approach and build rapport with strangers. I have always been shy to walk into a room full of people already grouped together in discussion when I know no one. But after some introspection this perceived idfficulty I now have the confidence to hold my head up when walking into a room and engaging with a person standing by himself or can walk up to a group and join their conversation (which is more difficult). However, I didn’t realize that the follow-up and relationship building is the more important part of networking. And that you can’t just follow up once, you have to put it on your calendar to follow up again and establish yourself as a resource based on a rapport-building topic or something you have in common. And that has been harder for me – to uncover something in an initial conversation that gives me a good reason to follow up and be a true resource, friend, partner, supplier, etc. Does anyone have any good books on that topic?

The Compliment Guys Making a Stop in Atlanta

2009-07-26T13:43:00.000-07:00

Just reading this AJC article made me happier. Two Purdue University students have become famous for giving out compliments. Yes, you heard me right.

They used to stand outside one of their buildings on campus and just say nice things to fellow students going to class. Kodak now sponsors them and they are traveling on a 10-city tour, encouraging people to look on the bright side of life. Recently they were in Centennial Olympic Park calling out compliments and high-fiving people walking by. I have had a lot on my mind in general trying to acclimate to being a working mom and family/life balance. If I saw these guys I probably would’ve walked the long way around the park to avoid them and most likely would’ve thrown a dirty look their way.

I think what these guys are doing is very cool. I can definitely use a little more positivty in my life and sure many others could too. I wonder if we can hire them for our clients’ conferences and meetings? I think they’d definitely generate buzz!

What the Future Holds for Sales and Marketing in 2012

2009-07-16T10:04:00.000-07:00

This morning I attended a TAG Marketing presentation on “What the Future Holds: Marketing and Sales in 2012.” It was very interesting and more than a little scary at the pace of technology, where we are, and where we will be in a few short years. As I’ve been hearing over and over again, adaptability and innovation are the two most important traits for companies to survive and thrive. Change happens very quickly these days. Here are a few items I compiled from the meeting:

Antiquated -> Present and Future

Ranking Reports -> Traffic
Leads -> Conversions
Homepage -> Custom landing page
Search Engines like Google -> Searching on Twitter
Search Engines -> Decision Engines
Googling to find a plumber in your area -> Reaching out to FB friends or LI contacts to find a plumber
TV ->YouTube
User experience ->Does this convert to sales?
Laptop ->Cellphone
Generic, broad-based marketing and sales ->Niche and Personal

-more credibility in marketing and sales is necessary
-integration (of social media) with traditional media
-increased focus on usability, user experience
-social media marketing is past its experimental phase. The question is, are we participating in the conversation or not? You can’t control what’s being said about you, but you can participate in the dialogue
-single source: clients are increasingly wanting a company who can do it all
-all marketing will become interactive
-keyboards will become obsolete
-88% of the revenue comes from the top 16% of salespeople
-in sales, you must show value and solve clients problem before or by the first call
-lead with value

My Initial Twitter Experience

2009-07-08T08:39:00.000-07:00

I REALLY didn’t want to begin twittering and have resisted for a long time. I am already feeling the time-suck of social media by writing two different blogs based on two completely different interests, trying to beef up my LinkedIn account and navigate all its capabilities, maintaining a personal FaceBook page where I post pics of my baby, and helping my company utilize our corporate Delicious and FaceBook pages.

I decided to start VERY slowly with Twitter. I created an account and then sat on it for days. Then I gradually searched and followed experts and thought leaders to see what they were doing. I have changed my profile about 10 times and will probably keep changing it until I decide what my objective and strategy is for Twitter so that when I finally narrow my focus I will already be up and running. Three of my observations:

-I am not tweeting with my best friends and I don’t necessarily want to. I am on Twitter to follow the experts in a field and soon hope to establish my own niche and develop an expertise. This is not my FaceBook account and the two audiences are very different.
-Again, it’s not so much the tool. Twitter is just another medium in which experts get their message across.
-I really like that I can access Twitter from my BlackBerry. While the application is a little slow, it gets the job done.
-Writing a compelling message in 140 characters is actually pretty difficult

Social media will dominate you and your time unless you proactively take control, know your purpose and objectives, and set aside time in your schedule. Most importantly ABIDE by that time. If you have a Twitter account, follow me here: @jennymunn

Event: TAG Enterprise 2.0 - Selling Social Media Within Your Organization

2009-07-01T10:29:00.000-07:00

This morning I was getting ready to leave for my first TAG (Technology Association of Georgia) meeting and my car wouldn't start. So I yelled at my husband to come help me because I was going to be late and there were specific people at the meeting who I wanted to introduce myself to. I caught him just before he jumped in the shower and so he came running down in his towel and showed me how to jumpstart my car. Thankfully I was still a few minutes early for my meeting so I was able to network a bit. I took a picture of the speakers (it's very close because I like to sit in the front row) - from left to right, Sherry Heyl with Concept Hub, Jeannie Ericson with PBA's Lens on Atlanta, and Andrew Wilson with the ACVB. Not pictured on the panel were Sue Klumpp with nuBridges and Lisa Aloisio with Brandware.

The content of the meeting was very good. The topic was "Selling Social Media Within Your Organization." Personally, I run into a lot of resistance when I encourage people to implement a social media component to a meeting or conference, so I was eager to hear what the panelists had to say. And I was surprised to find that my friend Sherry Heyl was moderating the panel as she is chair of this group and I didn't know that. Here are my top takeaways:

-what companies need to know nowadays is that you can't control the conversation. It's happening, like it or not.

-social media has turned into a sexy buzzword, which it is not. It is business as normal and should be treated so accordingly.

-time management should be a non-issue if you are using social media to fit with company strategies and objectives.

-to introduce social media to your organization, you need to justify either the cost-savings or explain how it will bring new business and drive leads.

-know who are your customers and how can you connect.

-introducing social media in your organization: you have to do it to prove it, but there is a huge risk associated with that and a lot of resistance. Be careful.

An objective I encounter pretty frequently is that no one is sure which department should spearhead the effort. My brilliant idea is that a committee should be created, comprised of one member to represent each department in IT, Marketing, Communications, and Sales. Although someone does need to do the initial work to begin encouraging a social media program, it definitely needs to be a very collaborative, engaged, and controlled process with parameters. Overall, great meeting!

Networking Bootcamp - AWRT Event

2009-06-30T09:17:00.000-07:00

This morning I attended a very educational event, Networking Bootcamp, put on by the Atlanta Chapter of American Women in Radio and Television (AWRT). The speaker was Debbie Rodkin, Executive Director of re:FOCUS on Careers.

Two interesting things: 1) although I was the only person NOT affiliated in any way with AWRT, they had opened it to the public which I thought was great. Next month they are featuring a meeting on “Reverse Mentoring,” which is where the younger people mentor the older people in technology and social media. What a great idea and I’d love to attend that meeting for the sole purpose of gauging its effectiveness and attendee reactions. 2) The speaker, Debbie, has a full-tie job in addition to her Executive Director job at re:FOCUS. I asked how she managed her time effectively and she said that she averages about four hours of sleep per night. WOW.

Here are some notes I took from this morning:

-show up early, act as a host and greet others coming in. Use the time to mentally prepare what you want to get out of the meeting.
-what is the purpose for being there? For every event you should know why you’re there, who you want to meet, etc.
-small talk: use this to influence the conversation; make it about the other person and have questions ready. A GREAT question to ask in the course of a conversation is “what would be a good referral for you?” I have been asked this a few times recently and it really takes the conversation to the next level and reflects very well on the person asking.
-make conversation about the other person, but talk about topics that interest you too.
-do not be afraid to go up to a group of people who are already in conversation. This is intimidating but can produce great, unexpected results.
-know when to disengage and move along in a polite manner
-having an elevator pitch is extremely important; people cannot help you unless you can clearly communicate what you do
-don’t leave the follow-up to others; be proactive and touch base as soon as possible before life and work get in the way. **** This is a crucial, much-overlooked part of networking****
-be in the know and position yourself as a resource.

To sum up, I attend a lot of events around Atlanta and network quite a bit – I highly recommend this seminar and the useful takeaways that can be applied immediately.

The Future of Organizations: Flexible Hours and Change

2009-06-24T11:25:00.000-07:00

Working a 9-5 job? Having to sit in an office five days per week? That is SO last year.

I have been preaching for awhile now that a flexible work schedule and the ability to work remotely is going to be the future. I live it and work it and can praise for days the benefits. The new generation is not going to tolerate the rigidity of the past and talent will be hard to come by as the millennials seek to work in organizations that are flexible and offer work/life balance. As I talk to people I hear more and more that they are being granted flexibility, which is great.

Also, I was reading an article on NCR moving its headquarters to Atlanta. The article was giving some history about the company, and one specific quote caught my eye: “The first 75 years they were ahead of the curve…the last 50, they’ve been chasing.” For the giant corporations that have a lot of history, change is very difficult and slow to implement. The adaptable, nimble organizations of today’s times know that smart, effective change is a must-have. The constant evaluation of business practices is a must. After we emerge from this recession, it will be interesting to see which companies (and people) will be the trendsetters and which will still be lagging behind, struggling to keep up.

Managing Transitions/Company Strategy Meeting

2009-06-15T10:05:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday my company held its annual strategy meeting. We brainstormed some great ideas for this year and next and I am looking forward to putting our ideas into actionable steps. Our industry is slowly but surely coming around and there is definitely a light at the end of the tunnel.

One of my favorite parts of the meeting was having Jane Gentry facilitate our meeting. It was a great experience to have a third party motivate, moderate, and direct our strategy sessions and lead us on a few fun exercises. Jane presented to us on a very timely subject - Managing Transitions. It is one of her most sought-after presentations. Here are a few highlights and takeways:

-Many times when a change happens, focus is on the wrong place
-“change” and “transition” are two very different things. Transition is the activity of influence. A change usually means that something will be lost.
-even if a change is positive, people still have to let go of something
-a coach can help a person figure out what they “perceive” they are losing. Perceptions can be very different from reality
-many people get stuck in the “letting go” phase and can be stuck in it for years
-there are 3 main phases when a change occurs: Letting Go, Neutral Zone, and New Beginnings
-to help let go of the old way create a memorial or ritual. Honor and respect the old way to accept the new change
-in a company, high performers are the most at risk because they have the most to lose
-the Neutral Zone provides us an incredible opportunity to get creative and stand out!
-the Neutral zone can be a lonely, uncomfortable place
-Habit inhibits creativity

Much more was discussed but it was very eye opening, as this information is so applicable to life and business. Visually, it helped tremendously to see a picture of the phases and know how to work with people who are in different stages of a transition. I highly recommend reaching out to Jane if you or your company could use some help in this area.

Yowzas – Not a Good Way to Start the Morning

2009-06-15T06:55:00.000-07:00

All before 9:00 am, today is looking like it will definitely be one of ‘those’ days. I didn’t realize I forgot my laptop power cord at home until I got into work today. I had approximately 28 minutes of power remaining. On my drive to Office Depot to buy another cord, I wanted to make some phone calls to stay productive and realized I forgot my cell phone back at the office. When I returned to the office, my phone, laptop, and desk lamp weren’t working which could only mean that my wall outlet was tripped. So we restarted every single circuit breaker in the office, causing my boss’s computer to shut down. And then I realized that the button on the power outlet was turned to “off.” Oops…

Article: "To Boost Sales, Check Your Optimism Level"

2009-06-08T05:22:00.000-07:00

This recession is certainly the optimal time for a company to really think about, strategize, and sell what sets it apart. I enjoyed this article entitled "To Boost Sales, Check Your Optimism Level." Here is a good excerpt:

Optimistic salespeople take control. They know sales is the greatest profession to be in during a recession. They can meet with mentors who can help them look at another way of doing business in tough times. They can outwork their competitors. They can invest in learning and outsmart their competitor. Optimistic salespeople manage results, not excuses.

Good advice these days as we are ALL salespeople, whether it is in our title or not.

Teambuilding Idea: Volunteer at the ACFB (Atlanta Community Food Bank)

2009-06-04T09:31:00.000-07:00

My husband's company, Marcus and Millichap, had a volunteer night at the Atlanta Community Food Bank (ACFB) on Tuesday night. There were 30 of us and we had a great time working in the Product Rescue Center inspecting, sorting, and packing food items for the more than 800 partner nonprofit organizations the ACFB serves.

It's very interesting the items people donate - I myself came across 2 rubber chickens, Christmas lights, and every single canned vegetable under the sun. Of course, all items of good quality are welcome and in these days, donations are needed more than ever. All the guys wanted to drive the forklift but thank goodness nobody let them!

This is a great teambuilding idea for any company, and I hope that M&M does it again soon. This is a picture of the happy group (I'm in the pink up front).

Interesting Hospitality Industry Articles...

2009-06-01T07:51:00.001-07:00

Interesting news I read this morning...

1. City Tweets to Curb Tourist Drop-Off Good for the city for keeping up with trends

2. Rite Aid Nixes Baltimore Convention. Boo!

3. Second Life's Linden Lab Sells Virtual Realities to Businesses. Maybe the future of meetings, teamwork, and corporate communications?

Good Quotes in "Meetings and Conventions" Magazine

2009-05-28T09:47:00.000-07:00

Last night I read an article entitled “Defending your Event” from Meetings and Conventions Magazine.

As I know not only from the perspective of a planner but also an attendee, half the value of meetings, tradeshows, and events comes from the socializing portion where attendees put on their casual clothes, loosen up, and become their true, authentic selves. There is nothing like bonding with your fellow colleagues out on the dance floor or at an off-site event.

So I enjoyed this article quote by meetings tech guru Corbin Ball: “There is no such thing as a virtual beer. It is for this reason that face-to-face meetings will remain viable for the future, despite recession-induced drops in attendance.”

Another noteworthy quote: “When Obama was trying to get his budget passed, he didn’t go do a webinar and he didn’t get on TV, which he could’ve done. He met with people, let them look him in the eye and ask questions. Face-to-face is still the main way to get business done and will be for a long time to come.” Vicki Hawarden, VP of Knowledge and vents MPI, Dallas

Read the full article here.

Becoming a Resource

2009-05-27T05:13:00.000-07:00

Justificiation is a big word out there right now - justifying a job position, justifying an expenditure, justifying time spent doing something if no immediate ROI is demonstrated, justifying a face to face business event, etc. It's a hard time to be in any position right now, let alone sales, marketing, and business development in the meetings and events industry.

While our clients are currently in a holding pattern until they are given leeway from their bosses to begin face to face meetings again, my company has brainstormed how we can continue being a great partner and asset. So, we have turned part of our focus to becoming a resource. And this is part of the beauty of social media! We have created a Delicious page, which is a social bookmarking tool that allows us to share links of relevant articles and information. Best part is that we can categorize and "tag" the content, so people can easily navigate to the subjects that most interest them. We read A LOT, and now we can share the best of the best out there with clients, potential clients, vendors, colleagues, and anyone else interested in meetings and events. Please check it out and let me know if you have any feedback: http://delicious.com/dynamigroup.

Ethics in the Meetings Industry

2009-05-19T12:14:00.000-07:00

Today I attended a GaMPI meeting at the Westin Atlanta Airport. Michael Shannon, CMP, presented on “Everyday Ethics for the Meetings and Sales Professionals.” Although not exactly the most sexy topic, the presentation addressed important items that are on all our minds these days. Specifically, TARP, SOX, and of course ethics. Here are a few highlights:

-SOX has put much more scrutiny on expenses (necessary and frivolous). More people in an organization are reviewing and signing off on budgets and expenditures and planners need to be able to support and justify choices
-Keep a paper trail and document everything (even personally, I do this with everyone from my health insurance company over the phone to our roofing contractor in person. I always document date, time, who I spoke with, outcome, and anything else noteworthy. Make this a habit in your personal and professional life!)
-TARP: it is important our industry self-regulates and holds ourselves to standards vs become subject to government intervention. Be an advocate on our behalf!
-Perception is Reality – we now need to step it up by getting educated and effectively communicate on behalf of meetings and incentives
-Ethics are very important and it’s easy to overlook things or step over the line when it comes to accepting gifts, going on FAM trips, etc. Act consciously and consistently; once your reputation gets tarnished it’s hard to fix it

Confidence vs Cockiness

2009-05-17T19:19:00.000-07:00

I have always been a “fake it until you make it” kind of person when it comes to confidence. I’ve also always been jealous of those who seem to have been born with the innate talent for being very sure of themselves without crossing the line to cockiness. It’s a fine line for sure.

Right now I’m reading a great book that I randomly picked out at the library called “Lions Don’t Need to Roar: Using the Leadership Power of Professional Presence to Stand Out, Fit In, and Move Ahead.” It’s a very good read that give short bursts of tips and advice without overloading the mind. These are all things we know, but don’t make a conscious effort on in business situations. I’ll share more as I continue with the book but here are some things that apply to me (I think!):

-Give slow, deep, and purposeful nods; don’t nod your head like a bobble-head
-Eye contact is very important when you meet a C-level executive or someone you hope to impress
-maintain eye contact 1 second longer than necessary
-enter a room purposefully as if to say “I know who I am and I know what I’m doing”
-When at a networking event, size up a room, then move directly and deliberately to the person you want to speak with.
-confident people pause; learn to use strategic silences
-hold a handshake a split second longer than necessary
-extend my hand consistently to both men and women in all situations

There’s much more but I’d like to leave you with something that I heard Beyonce say in an interview: she said that she doesn’t feel guilty for everything she has in life and deserves it all because she works harder than anybody she knows. As an example, she gave a run-down of her activities the past 48 hours and whew, she does stay busy. My husband thinks she is very cocky but I think it is admirable that she said that and has the confidence to do so.

Summary of Briefing Paper: "The Case for Meetings and Events: Four Elements of Strategic Value"

2009-05-12T12:02:00.000-07:00

Never before have meetings garnered such attention in the press and at the C-suite. So if anything positive is going to come of this intense scrutiny of our industry, it is the drive to make meetings and events even more strategic and in-line with company objectives. Which is not a bad thing at all!

So I read a briefing paper put together by MPI and Boone Associates entitled "The Case for Meetings and Events: Four Elements of Strategic Value." And I'm not going to lie to you - the 9 page paper hurt my head and I had to re-read it several times to make sure I understood the full scope. Don't get me wrong; it's a great read but definitely reinforces the thought that heavy-duty reading has been a far cry from the baby books I have read lately and I am going to have to step it up if I am thinking of pursuing my MBA. Anyway, here is my short and sweet review in bullet points to make for easy reading:

This crisis brings an unprecedented opportunity for collaboration (and strategic discussions) between the people who plan meetings and the powerful stakeholders. Previously the meetings industry has been thought of by executives as frivolous and party-planners.

Meeting Planners need to present a clear, comprehensive business case about how to achieve strategic value to gain the resources needed to transform their organization through the effective use of meetings.

4 Elements are necessary for driving the strategic value of meetings and events (and apply to for-profit and non-profit organizations): 1) Portfolio Management, Meeting Design (which seems to be the main focus of this paper), Measurement, and Advanced Logistics

Portfolio Management:
-How do all of an organizations's meetings and events contribute to the mission, strategy, and objectives?
-Efficiency orientation vs Effectiveness orientation
-"Event Alignment" incorporates change management, technology analysis, policies and compliance, processes, and measurement, to achieve results greater than mere cost reduction.

Meeting Design:
-Many individual meetings are expertly planned but not expertly designed
-Meeting Design = the purposeful shaping of the form and content of a meeting to achieve desired results
-Incorporates methods and technologies that connect, inform, and engage a broad range of stakeholders before, during, and after the meeting.
-Meeting Planning on the other hand focuses on the logistics of meetings (venues, travel arrangements, lodging, registration, entertainment, staging, etc)
-Meeting Design is different than Meeting Creative. Meeting Creative=ideas for staging and communications, "broadcast" messages such as PowerPoint design, theme, speakers, entertaiment, videos, set design, etc. Meeting Design=how people will interact before, during, and after the meeting PLUS how leaders tap into the intellectual capital in the room.
-Meeting Design maintains a laser focus on the business drivers for the meeting and organization as a whole.
-It is critical that the designer be involved throughout the process.
-Meeting Design is not the same as Instructional Design=training or activities at a meeting
-Excellent Meeting Designers have working knowledge or expertise in: social sciences, social network analysis, complexity science, strategic planning, experience design, IT/social media, and more
-Meeting Design is a collective effort between: meeting owners, selected meeting participants, the meeting planner, designer, and creative and instructional design.
-CSR and Green initiatives should be addressed in Meeting Design
-Multi-purposing a meeting =the practice of taking an existing meeting and addressing objectives that were not initially part of the reason for holding the meeting.

Measurement:
-Good Meeting Design is linked to meeting measurement
-A good ROI Model consists of 5 levels of measurement: 1) Reaction and planned action 2) Learning 3) Job application 4) Business Impact and 5) ROI
-Up to 80% of meetings should be measured at the "learning level." 10% should be pushed to the "business impact" level.
-ROI should NOT be used to evaluate the performance of the planner; it is about process improvement
-Complexity-based software and methodology combine qualitiative and quantitative approaches to understanding the impact of meetings on corporate culture, continuous learning, organizational performance, and other areas.

Advanced Logistics:
-Portfolio management encompasses procurement.
-Although contracts with key suppliers and vendors should be negotiated, flexibility is important for strategic needs identified by meeting design that fall outside of these partnerships

I am excited to apply these practices to our clients' events. MPI is going to begin rolling out webinars and workshops on these 4 elements, so much more to come. In all, this was a great article and Mary Boone seems to be a pioneer on this topic and has carved out a great niche for herself.

Marketing Help for Creative Businesses in Georgia

2009-05-08T09:05:00.000-07:00

I recently read an interesting article in the AJC's Sunday Jobs section. It caught my eye first because of the title, "Creative Businesses Get a Marketing Hand," and also because the cover photo was of a girl who I knew from UGA and Delta Sigma Pi.

The article is about how the Georgia Department of Economic Development and the Georgia Tourism Foundation are putting together a state-wide initiative to help market and promote creative businesses. More importantly, they are teaching these artists how to market themselves and do a better job of promoting their work. I mentioned this in a previous post - creative and technical people are great at doing their work but generally need help refining the business side, particularily in sales and marketing. Most people in general are uncomfortable talking about themselves, their accomplishment and their work. Women especially are too humble, which is one of the biggest differences in gender in the workplace.

The website to check out more about this is http://gamadegagrownproducts.org/. Not that I consider myself an expert in sales and marketing, but I'd love to volunteer and help teach a class or workshop. Maybe they should start a blog! Anyway, I am interested to see how this initiative pans out over the next year.

LinkedIn and Social Media Tips from David Nour

2009-05-04T10:32:00.000-07:00

So I heard a great keynote speaker the other day who is a Social Media/LinkedIn/Networking expert named David Nour. He had some great advice and tips that I wanted to share with ya’ll. I hope you find it useful and please let me know if you have any questions or need clarifications.

LinkedIn:
-less than 10% of people know how to use it (use it for growing a network and for business contacts).
-to search for a target person do an “advanced search.” Example, type in “Current VP at Disney.” The number to the side of the list that pulls up is the degree of separation between your network and theirs.
-advanced search also lets you filter by geography.
-if you are looking for an introduction to someone in your friends’ network, don’t ask for an introduction unless you know your friend very well. Ask “what can you tell me about him/her” and get creative.
-build a content rich profile
-recommend others and get recommendations for yourself
-on your profile promote what you’ve done and what you want to do, projects, etc.
-use bullet points
-join groups specific to your industry and interests. Then contribute relevant information to questions, discussions, forums, and start initiating your own thoughts and questions.

Websites to visit:
-slideshare.net is the YouTube of presentations. Visit slideshare.net/dnour for the speaker’s page.
- http://www.relationshipeconomics.net/RENetworks.html. (This is his social network/community site)
-aNobii is a social media site about books
-American Well is a social media site reinventing healthcare

Other information:
-when utilizing social media, have a voice and a perspective. Get yourself out there!
-Enterprise 2.0 is defined as “The Business Web” and you will want to be a part of it.
-Google your name and know what’s out there about you.
-Specificity drives credibility
-social media is not the place to be humble
-use social media to gather, compile, and share best practices

Why I Will Do a Great Job For My Company

2009-04-30T12:42:00.000-07:00

The poop was everywhere. Not only did it burst out my baby’s diaper but it had run up his back, through his outfit, and somehow in the process of cleaning him up it got all over his hands, arms, and into his hair. Ugh. I was just about to leave and drop off my baby at my in-law’s house so I could get some work done and now I was late. But you know what? I didn’t care.

I didn’t care that I was running late because I am blessed with a VERY rich work/life balance in that I only work 25-30 hours per week, have flex hours, and can work remote ocasionally. So I don’t think the person I’m about to call on will mind if I call an hour later than I originally planned. :) And my boss won’t mind because he knows I’ll get the work done. And I don’t mind because it allows me to be in the moment with my baby Collin and then later on when I do start working I’m 100% involved in my work and I won't be feeling guilty that I’m not spending time with my baby. (Okay, well maybe there’s still a little guilt)

So I was able to enjoy the moment with my 6-month old baby, laugh about the poop situation, and enjoy the bath I had to give him that caused me to run 45 minutes late. My time with Collin as a baby is so precious and fleeting.

This benefit and balance not only makes me want to do a great job for my company; it’s WHY I will do a great job for my company. And that is a big difference.

Social Media for Event Planners

2009-04-28T19:16:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I attended the PYM (Plan Your Meetings) Live 2009 event at The Atlanta Event Center at Opera. The topic was Social Networking Strategies. Although this was my first PYM event, they have a reputation for facilitating events with great speakers and about 80 planners were in attendance. Prior to the keynote luncheon I spoke with several people who were hungry for knowledge on how they can apply social media strategy to their organizations. It’s interesting how our industry is still very much in the educational phase of social media. No one knows quite how to implement it for several reasons:

1. It transcends departments and no one knows who should take ownership: meeting planners, the IT department, marketing, corporate communications, or sales?
2. Setting up a social media site is easy; maintaining it purposefully on a consistent basis and using it to achieve marketing objectives is another thing.
3. ROI – marketing departments and planners are all under pressure to demonstrate returns and social media is very difficult to gauge short-term.
4. There is still skepticism and pushback from conservative (older) colleagues, internal clients, association members, direct reports and stakeholders who think social media has nothing to do with them.

Although I’m sure many planners are interested in general social media, I specifically have been educating myself on applying social media to our clients’ conferences and events. It’s a very exciting niche.

So David Nour of Relationship Economics was the keynote speaker. I have seen him speak several times and as always he engaged the crowd and essentially “dumbed it down” for people. What I appreciate is that he shows concrete examples, leaves great takeaways, and his content is relevant for both beginners and more advanced social media learners such as myself. More to come in the next post about a synopsis and review of his presentation.

Loews Atlanta Site Visit

2009-04-27T17:38:00.000-07:00

Today we had the opportunity to take a hard hat tour of the Loews Atlanta Hotel. Slated to open April 2010 they are a few weeks ahead of schedule and drywall will be coming up shortly. It will be a great property and will help solidify Atlanta's Midtown Mile. Loews will have 414 rooms which all have great views. One of my favorite parts of the hotel is that it is filled with floor to ceiling glass windows. Another favorite is the terrace that is just off the pre-function space of the ballroom. Very unique and private which is great for events. This corner room under construction is a standard room so make sure to request it for an extra special experience.

Loews has 18 hotels and resorts in the US and Canada. They aren't Starwood or Hilton and they don't want to be. Their motto is that they "go beyond Four Diamond standards to delight guests with a supremely comfortable, uniquely local and vibrant travel experience." We can't wait to do our first Schmooze event here!

GaMPI Monthly Program

2009-04-21T18:22:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I attended the monthly GaMPI (Meeting Professionals International, Georgia Chapter) meeting at the Buckhead Hotel. I was especially interested in hearing the speaker since the topic was about Work/Life Balance. I need a lot of tips on this as I have a 6-month old and a new job! Really though, I am so blessed and lucky as I have a great work/life balance since my boss and I came to a very mutually beneficial arrangement that I work about 25-30 hours per week. Andy Masters was the speaker and he was very energetic and told entertaining stories. 3 interesting items that came up randomly during his presentation:

1)The average person spends 23 hours watching television per week - WOW. I actually think my husband is one of those people. He loves television and swears that he never gets sick of it and never will.

2) This slide is awesome:

and

3) We did a fun exercise where we had to fill out items we wanted to START, DO MORE, DO LESS, and STOP doing. Here's a photo of my list.

Overall, great GaMPI program as always.

Green Meetings Industry Council

2009-04-18T20:49:00.000-07:00

On Thursday I attended a meeting of the Atlanta Chapter of the Green Meetings Industry Council (GMIC). A relatively new organization, the group is collaborating on green meetings and preparing to become a leader in the green movement for our industry. Once a very popular concept it got sidetracked due to the economy but is once again emerging. I have always been environmentally conscious – for years and years I have cut up the plastic that holds together 6-packs of soda cans so the baby seals and dolphins don’t get stuck and I do my part for the environment by also honking at drivers who throw their cigarette butts out the window. From an industry standpoint, I am interested and excited to hear what other companies are doing and see how we can be leaders by bringing these issues to the forefront and creating best practices for meetings and events. A couple other random thoughts that came about from this meeting:
· If advocating something, walk the talk. That’s one of the reasons why I blog. I personally believe that my company can make a lot of impact for our clients and their events by assisting them to incorporate a social media component to promote their programs and engage their attendees.
· People resist change – that is what the current economic time is all about in my opinion. People who have been securely stagnant are having to get out of their comfort zones and figure out who they are, what they want, and what new skills they need to move forward.
· Competition – in my industry, we are always crossing paths with our competition, and most of the time the exchange is friendly. I recently was listening to a panel at an industry meeting and the person next to me was making snide comments and belittling one of the panelists because he was their top competitor. It was a little uncomfortable and unfortunately made my neighbor look very petty. One of our competitors was on the GMIC panel and I thought he did a great job and had very insightful things to say. I even went up and told him so.
· Generationally, younger people are more involved in technology, CSR, and the environment. Get their guidance on any of these topics for new ideas.

Volunteerism

2009-04-18T20:44:00.000-07:00

I am a member of the Junior League of Atlanta. Attending a JL event for me is like going to the gym. I moan and groan about not wanting to go because I’m too busy, but then once I go I am always very glad about how it makes me feel and grateful for the wonderful things in my life.
On Tuesday I attended a “Self-Esteem and Empowerment of Others” Foundations event. I have to admit that I attended because I needed another meeting credit. What I thought might be an interesting program though ended up being a GREAT program. One thing that I really like about Junior League, is that every event I attend I meet really amazing, interesting women. One of the girls I met and chatted with for awhile is getting her PhD in Organizational Psychology. Her job entails the study of behavior in work settings and to coach executives on being effective leaders, managing time, etc. Another girl I met told us about her experiences working with DFCS (very awful and sad) to working with men in the Fulton County Jail System (very rewarding). One of my most favorite JL moments was meeting the very inspiring Ron Clark of the Ron Clark Academy and listening to his remarkable story.
The Foundations program itself was very interesting. One takeaway is that you can’t just empower people – you have to empower them AND give them skills. They go hand in hand. When you’re in a position to make a difference, you have to give someone the necessary tools to get to the next step.

Long after people forget what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel.
--Michael Port, author of Book Yourself Solid, Beyond Booked Solid, The Think Big Manifesto

Thank you, G.J. Hart and Texas Roadhouse

2009-04-13T13:02:00.000-07:00

I am now a huge fan of Texas Roadhouse. Although it seems like everyone is cancelling meetings these days, a few forward-thinking leaders are still out there. This video is a must-see! Texas Roadhouse CEO G.J. Hart is not only still holding a 5-day combination incentive/business meeting in San Francisco worth over $2 million, he is going on the news and having a very frank discussion on the benefits of this event. He quotes that "People are the best asset we've got" and you have to "give a little to get a lot." Even during the hard times, you have to recognize and retain good people.

It's so refreshing, and a very sincere thank you is warranted. Let's all support this company that is supporting and celebrating it's workforce. Kudos!

The Hospitality Industry and Economic Woes

2009-04-09T09:43:00.000-07:00

The hospitality/meetings/events industry is suffering so much now due to the AIG effect and economy. I subscribe to the Business Helping Business newsletter and this latest request sums it up perfectly:

0407.N1 - SUMMARY: I need to fill a 4 million dollar cancellation at a Conference Center that has over 900 overnight guestrooms and 250 meeting rooms in the metro Washington DC northern Virginia area. This cancellation caused us to have to lay off 8 people last week.

Cancelling meetings is not the answer! I truly believe that businesses will benefit 100 times over by meeting face to face.

AiMA Meeting

2009-04-08T07:57:00.000-07:00

This morning I attended the Atlanta Interactive Marketing Association (AiMA) meeting at the headquarters of Cox Enterprises. I feel very privileged that my job allows me to attend various industry events all over Atlanta. This was my first time at an AIMA meeting and I was excited about it since personally I am interested in social media and professionally, I believe it has and will continue to become an integral tool for my company, dynami group.

I have mentioned this previously, but as a professional in the meetings industry, I am pretty critical and pay very close attention to the details and logistics of meetings I attend. I had registered for the event in advance and even received a confirmation email; however, when I went up to the reg desk they didn't have any record of my name and I was directed to a long line with people who were registering on site. In line, I did meet a very nice woman from Cox Radio who also lives in Brookhaven. I also met two nice guys, Chris and Jason, from a video production and graphic design company called NoodleHead Studios. I had a nice chat with Jason, who is on AiMA's board, and I am always appreciative and impressed when board members mingle with attendees. Overall, the content of the meeting was interesting and I look forward to future educational meetings. Sorry the picture is so dark...user error.

First Job Out of College and Lessons Learned

2009-04-07T09:42:00.000-07:00

I didn’t always look back very fondly on my first job out of college, although I do now. I was at Insight Global when it was in its start-up phase (second female to be hired) and I started out as a recruiter then moved quickly up to being an Account Manager. I was lucky enough to be taught by the owner and sales extraordinaire, Glenn Johnson. It was very high stress sales but I learned an incredible amount and think it was one of the best career moves I have made. I worked there only a year because I wanted to pursue a job in International Business and Spanish and the sales approach was a little too much for me. I cried when I put in my notice with the owners, as I did when I left my international marketing position at the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau. I learned great life and professional lessons at IG. It’s interesting that I am putting these lessons back into practice (somewhat) after coming full circle from Sales to International Business to Marketing and back to Sales. Lessons learned:

-When someone walks into your business office ALWAYS get up immediately from what you’re doing (unless you’re on the phone) to shake hands and say hello. It sincerely makes the visitor feel important and incredibly welcome.
-I think I had about two emotional breakdown/crying spells at the office in front of coworkers. It was such an intimate, aggressive, results-oriented environment that any mistake we made we were immediately brought into the conference room by a senior employee then and there to address the error. And we were coached not to give rebuttals or excuses but to silently accept the constructive criticism. It took awhile for me to learn the benefit of this as the first few times my self defense walls were thrown up. This daily practice of in-your-face training made the office as a whole very close and connected as we all bonded over public exposure to our weaknesses. It makes for great colleague connections when all your faults and flaws are laid out on the table in front of everyone. And every single employee experienced this. A lot of people couldn’t handle it.
-Everyone needs a mentor! I would love to ask David Nour to be my mentor, but he is so busy that I am still preparing the best way to approach him and am putting together compelling reasons why he should meet with me.
-social get togethers also made the office closer. We had parties at the owners’ houses and were encouraged to go to company happy hours. Spouses and significant others were always welcome.

I learned a lot about who I am as a person and what I am (and certainly am NOT) looking for in a career. I think the best way to learn what you don’t want in a job is to experience it first hand.

Quotes to Live By

2009-04-07T09:41:00.000-07:00

"We didn't lose the game; we just ran out of time."
-Vince Lombardi

"If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough."
-Mario Andretti

"If you haven't got anything nice to say about anybody, come sit next to me."
- Alice Roosevelt Longworth (1884-1980)

Technology and Productivity

2009-04-06T18:59:00.000-07:00

Efficiency experts are always touting the benefits of not logging onto email first thing in the morning. They say that you are much more productive if you’re being proactive at getting strategic tasks done instead of reacting to emails. When I once mentioned this to a previous boss she said we didn’t have this luxury since I was in a sales position and clients depended on us responding in a timely manner. Understandable but I have always still wanted to try this experiment.
So I very much enjoyed reading this article: E-mail, instant messaging and Internet use are rampant, but do they make us more productive? It mentions that in 2007 Intel conducted an inside experiment where they asked certain team members to turn off their email during certain times of the day. These workers reported being more productive and recommending it as a company policy. The article also has some great statistics about time spent on tasks before, during, and after distractions such as email, IM, phone calls, texts, and coworkers. Very interesting!

Two Great Blogs

2009-04-05T12:39:00.000-07:00

I have followed two blogs for a long time: Penelope Trunk’s Brazen Careerist and Steve Pavlina’s Personal Development for Smart People Blog. I love Penelope’s blog because it gives very un-traditional, no-nonsense career advice. For example, her latest blog post is about How to Lead in the New Millenium and gives great advice about authenticity and how to become a leader. Sometimes she’s a little too candid though, especially about intimacy issues and her divorce. You’ve got to feel a little sorry for her ex-husband and kids although it makes for great reading.

I started following Steve in 2005 when I ran across him in a Google search. I was searching for ways to become an early riser, since I read that all successful people are most productive in the early morning. Now that I’m a Mom, I don’t have as much of a problem! Steve is a great writer though and he gives very real, tangible methods and advice to becoming a better person every day. I haven’t kept up with him in the last few weeks though and was shocked to read his latest post that he and his wife decided to have an open marriage. The term “open marriage” seems like a big contradiction. Why not just get a divorce? I mean, my husband was mad at me for looking up my ex on FaceBook! As high school sweethearts, we are celebrating our five year wedding anniversary this June and have known each other for 12 years.

So although I don’t relate as much to Steve and Penelope with relationships, their professional development advice is well worth the read and time investment.

Elevator Statement

2009-04-04T20:31:00.000-07:00

Random person I meet out and about: “So, what do you do?”
Me: “I work in the event planning industry. It’s great!”
Random person: “Oh, that sounds like fun.”
Me: “It is.”

Yes, I am very guilty of having an awful elevator pitch in the past and not initiating an interesting dialog about my job. In the book I’m reading now, “Book Yourself Solid” by Michael Port, it talks about crafting an elevator statement by answering two questions: “Who I help” and “Why I do it.” Here’s what I have so far:

Who I help:
I help people who manage strategic events
I help corporate marketing and communications managers
I help people who plan face to face business events

Why I do it:
I love bringing people together
I love educational events
I love helping people with their business needs
I love communications
I believe in face-to-face business
I believe in making face-to-face business experiences the best they can be
I know that face-to-face opportunities offer people personal and professional development

I’m still not sure how to bring these together or even if this makes sense. It took the author six months to perfect his pitch, so I guess it will be a work in progress.

AJC Subscription

2009-04-04T20:30:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to get a 7-day, 52-week home delivery subscription of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution for a few weeks now. My father-in-law paid $130 for his subscription and every time I call up the lowest price available is $240. I try to negotiate, offer to pay the fee up front, ask how I can get a discount, and I get nowhere. The reps always let me off the phone with no fight at all and a very cheerful “Have a nice day.” One would think that they would do what they have to to increase subscriptions. If anyone knows how to get a discount, please let me know!

Iron Chef and PRSA

2009-04-02T17:44:00.000-07:00

I love networking events. It’s a chance for me to learn something new and meet new colleagues, clients, and friends. I always go to events looking to meet people and am constantly surprised at how many attendees I see standing in the corner and generally being very unsociable. Especially being in sales, I notice this a lot since I’m always looking over the room to learn from and seek out who the people are that are having animated conversations and who look interesting.
Today I attended two very different, interesting events. One was Marriott’s Iron Chef competition at the Renaissance Waverly. Because I have never watched the show before and having arranged a lot of teambuilding events over the past few years, I was pretty skeptical. It’s hard to impress meeting planners and put on events since that is what we do for a living. I was very pleasantly surprised at how fun it was and the quality of people the event attracted.
After that I attended the PRSA luncheon to hear economists talk about the region and the economy. The panel included economists and speakers such as Sam Massell with the Buckhead Coalition and A.J. Robinson with Central Atlanta Progress. Sam and A.J. are both great speakers and I’ve heard them several times throughout the last few years.

As a first-time visitor, I enjoyed myself and the people I met. A few recommendations I have would be that there are handouts in our seats promoting the next few events or highlighting the speakers and topic, and also to integrate guests and members. Overall...great day!

Sales and Entrepreneurship

2009-04-02T17:35:00.000-07:00

My brother-in-law is a systems admin who has talked about starting his own business several times. However, he has the E-Myth Revisited challenge: he wants to do the technical side and not have to do the sales thing. I know so many entrepreneurs in this position that just want to do the day-to-day business aspects and would like someone else to do the business development because they either don’t like sales or don’t have the training. According to Persuasion IQ, 96% of small businesses fail within the first five years due to lack of sales.
As a salesperson, I empathize. Sales is difficult! With a successful sales background however, a person can be very marketable in this down economy. That’s how I got this job, even now when layoffs are so much more prevalent than hiring. I never thought I’d be so appreciative of my training and background, especially since I never planned on ending up in this profession.
A few months ago, before I got my current job as Marketing Services Manager at dynami group, I was looking for a part-time sales position after my son was born. I made a list of businesses that I liked and called up Sips n’ Strokes in Atlanta regarding a sales opportunity that I thought could be very mutually beneficial. I would market and sell Sips n’ Strokes parties and teambuilding to groups, conventions, corporations and associations. I even would’ve done this on a commission-only basis.
I’m sure a lot of really great business ideas never made it to fruition, and this makes me sad. What’s the best way to bring salespeople and entrepreneurs together?

Leveraging Friendships for Business...Is it Wrong?

2009-03-31T12:29:00.000-07:00

Several of my friends work for corporations such as Radiant Systems, Softchoice, Philips, MEAG, First Data, CBeyond, etc. My question is – is it wrong to ask them for business contacts? If you can’t ask your friends for business, who can you ask?

I personally feel uncomfortable asking them to pass along their internal Marketing, Events, or Communications contacts. Here is one idea I had: A campaign entitled “I’d Love to Work with My Friends.” A no-pressure, friendly message that will list out in basic terms:

What I do:
Who I want to work with:
How you can help:

I would send it out via LinkedIn, FaceBook, and email. If I knew exactly how I could help make my friends be more professionally successful, I would. I would love to hear any ideas about how to approach friends and ask for business. I will post results after I send this out and get some feedback!