Managing the Gray – Positive Advice That Everyone Can Use to Succeed

The road has kept me busy, but when you I see a constant trend in the world that I don’t like I’ve got to call it out. Today’s Managing the Gray is a bit more of a rant then I try to record around these parts, but I had to get it out there and say it.

At the end of the day if you want to be successful you need to make sure that you remember a combination of common sense, manners and basic business skills. For some reason people seem to think that as the online tools to connect with people become easier, that they can forget these things. I’m here to tell you otherwise.

Links to people, places and things mentioned on the show:

• Content Rules
• OTA Sessions
• My post on Inspiration

Thanks for listening and sharing.

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Why is it that I keep hearing about brands and individuals dipping their toes into the power of the web and then sitting back and hoping that magic happens?

What I mean is someone sets up a podcast or develops a Facebook fan page. Maybe they create a Twitter account or begin to blog. Whatever first step they take, they do it and then just assume an audience will follow. They assume instant success and people flocking to them.

I hate to tell you, but that isn’t how it works. As with every other marketing campaign, public relations initative or successful brand it involved a lot of hard work, a little luck and constant evolution in what you are doing. Plain and simple, it takes time!
I don’t mean to cast any doom and gloom because that is not what I’m doing. I just seem to be seeing more and more people assuming that the first little thing they do is going to be hugely successful and solve all of their problems. If you want to use social media or execute a major marketing initiative or gain popularity for yourself then get in gear and get to work. Be passionate and committed to what you are doing. Be ready to work hard, invest both time and money into your goals and stop thinking short term and look at the big picture.

Sorry for the mini-rant, but this has been on my mind a lot lately. Social media is not the silver bullet to solve all your problems. Yes, it is going to help you if it is appropriate and done right for you, but it is not a cure all.

Ahh….I feel better.

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I’m once again going to go to the power of my community to hopefully find the answer to this question.

I have a Macbook Pro laptop. I do a lot of business traveling and want the flexibility to work from anywhere I go.

I also have a community of great people around me that I’m more then happy to talk about the positive experiences with and share my bad ones.

Right now I’m having a horrible time with Verizon Wireless. I like their wireless service. It’s the most stable one I’ve ever used to be honest with you and is why I have not switched over to an iPhone and AT&T. But, on the mobile broadband side they are sucking completely.

The first two stores I went into told me I could upgrade the services on my Blackberry 8703e and that would give me access. Tried that and no dice. Third place told me that wouldn’t work with a Mac, only PCs.

Tonight I went into a third store to find out what USB modems they had would work with my mac. I was told that the the USB727 would work for sure. When I asked, “are you sure it will work with Leopard?” they had no idea what I was talking about. I explained that it was the new operating system for the Mac. The reply was “well yeah if it is newer then 10.3 it will certainly work.” I laughed and asked them to find someone else to ask so they went to the manager of the store and he assured me that there would be no problems.

Well, I can safely say that it does NOT work with my Mac. I’m going to return it tommorrow and give them a bit of a reality slap for it all.

So what mobile broadband company DOES work with my Mac? Sprint? T-Mobile? Anyone from any of these companies out there want to chime in and make me their happy customer? Hell at this point whoever does give me connectivity on the road is going to be the “official connector of managing the gray” at this speed because I’ll be that damn happy!

Someone out there please help out. This is getting pathetic and Verizon wireless has lost my business on this now for good.

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I’m ALL about influencer outreach programs. I WANT politicians to figure out how to leverage new media in their campaigns. I love seeing them experimenting and I applaud them for that. BUT, the Edwards campaign just totally swung and missed in my general direction. But, just like I tell my son when he strikes out in baseball, I’m hoping they will do better next time.

I got a Twitter yesterday from Edwards camp asking me if I’d be interested in helping with a new online program they were going to do. I was curious and he’s one of the candidates I’m very interested in so I responded and the conversation switched to e-mail where I gave them my number and said I’d love to talk and find out more.

A few minutes ago I got a call from someone on the staff. Not the person that I had chatted with and agreed to talk with (bad move #1, don’t pawn me off onto someone else without telling me). This kid was good, but it felt like he was reading from a script. Worse part was they had not done even a five second search on who I was or what I was about. I had assumed the Twitter was because I had written about the campaign in the past, but now I’m thinking it was just a generic message to followers.

On the call I was actually asked if I had ever used MySpace or Delicious before? Are you kidding me? Come on. Do a little bit of homework and find out who you are talking to. I don’t mean this in a cocky sort of way, but at least find out if the person you are talking to has a blog or a podcast or anything. Know a little bit about them before getting them on the phone.

Then I was actually asked “so do you think you can push out some information and content to all your friends?” No direction, just get the information out there. Huh? You are kidding right? PLEASE tell me you are kidding. I wanted to school this kid on the phone but realized he’s just doing his job and it’s really the people heading up this outreach that I need to talk with.

It pains me that this felt more like a band’s street team approach then truly embracing new media. They are doing it right by going to where the conversations are happening, but they fall down in their outreach and approach. If you are going to just blanket reach out to people it is NOT going to work. Figure out who you are talking to and then talk to them appropriately. Find the people who are already talking about you and then tell them you’d love to give them more information.

I had made an assumption that they were reaching out to me because of my political views and because I’ve talked about how politicians can use new media. In the end it turns out I was another random face to them.

I hope the campaign (and all campaigns) can learn from this. As I’ve said before you can fall down in this space, get back up and be better for it. That is why I call this “the new media playground” because we are all learning how to play with the toys and the only way to get better is to keep trying and take advise from the other kids who might have been playing a bit longer.

I don’t want to share what they are doing behind the scenes, but it is a GREAT first step. Every campaign should be doing what they are doing and a lot more. We’ve got to move beyond baby steps and really get things going.

What will be interesting to see is if they will even notice this post and react? I guess it’s a little test for them. *grin*

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Earlier today I got a message from a band looking for some play on Accident Hash. I get these all the time, but what bugged me was the blatant fact that it was a form e-mail. I get them every day and no biggie. Sometimes I’ll check. Sometimes I won’t. But, when I got three of them in a matter of five minutes I Twittered about it.

What was interesting to watch is that for the next couple of hours I’d see someone I’m following go “hey I got that band e-mail too” and one person even mentioned the band by name. Something I’m going to avoid doing since they don’t deserve the exposure. *grin*

But, this isn’t about bands. It’s about reaching out to influencers and individuals via e-mail. It is a lesson that every company should think about and every individual as well.

We all get too much e-mail as it is today. If you want to get someone’s attention you’ve got to take the time to actually talk to THAT person in the To: line of the e-mail or you are not going to get anywhere. Sure, part of the message can be the boiler plate message that you have got to get across, but take the extra couple of minutes to say hello to the person. Go even a step further and actually read their blog, listen to their podcast or watch their videos so you know the person you are touching base with. I guarantee you’ll get better results for whatever it is you are touching base with them about then just a form letter.

A bit of a mini-rant but something I wanted to get out there because as I saw today one bad move can lead to lots more then one person talking about it very rapidly. A lesson to keep in mind.

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As someone who works in the marketing space I’m sickened to find out that the bomb scares happening all over Boston today turned out to be part of a publicity stunt by Turner Broadcasting.

I don’t know who the agency working this is, but I hope their heads roll and that they never work again. This is pathetic.

They’ve just released this statement:

The ”packages” in question are magnetic lights that pose no danger. They are part of an outdoor marketing campaign in 10 cities in support of Adult Swim’s animated television show Aqua Teen Hunger Force. They have been in place for two to three weeks in Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, Portland, Austin, San Francisco, and Philadelphia. Parent company Turner Broadcasting is in contact with local and federal law enforcement on the exact locations of the billboards. We regret that they were mistakenly thought to pose any danger.

Shirley Powell
SVP, Corporate Communications

Oh good! Let’s put things under bridges in major cities across the country. Yeah that’s a good one.

Get a clue people. You’re giving those of us who want to be creative but still use our brains a bad name.

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I ordered some roses and alstroemeria for our 10 Year Anniversary to be delivered to my wife at work. They are her favorite flowers so I ordered them specifically for the occasion.

She brought the flowers home and all I see is an ugly vase full of lillies. Huh? I didn’t pay for those.

After sending a message to FTD I get the following in a nice old fashion form letter back from them

We’re sorry that your experience was less than satisfactory. FTD.COM strives to provide you with the very finest service. Let us assure you that your experience is not typical, and that all your future orders will be filled with the special care and attention that they deserve.

Give me a break! Don’t they realize that I ordered from them because of their brand over the years, but now have no reason to buy from them if this is the type of drival I’ll get from them over a mistake? Not even a personal note, but a form letter? Come on gang.

FTD you blew it. I’ve got tons of choices for flowers and I don’t have to order through you ever again.

It’s a customer’s market. Always has been. Always will be.

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I’m not going to write about it more here since I just posted a nice long rant here.

I can’t begin to express how upset this has me.

My stance is going to be:

“The Community owns the term podcasting. Not ANY company.”

I’m saying it and I hope others do to. Let them know how loud podcasters can be.

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