Archive for February, 2012

I recently presented this topic to my colleagues at the Oakville Networking group, and they found it very informative and helpful, so I thought I would repurpose it and share it with you – not to mention it’s a long overdue blog post for us at Sydcam! Here is Part 2 of a two part series on this topic.

Social Responsibility

Of the many hot ‘buzz’ words in the 21^st century, arguably none is bigger than corporate social responsibility (CSR). With all the corporate wrongdoings by both individuals and groups such as Bernie Madoff,  WorldCom and Lehman Brothers, is there any doubt why the issue of CSR is so prominent today? Clearly, there is a need for businesses to be more ethical and accountable. Brands that can truly stand under the CSR umbrella can build brand equity and value through these actions. Those that don’t will likely be the next businesses under Chapter 11.

Social Consciousness

Employing socially responsible business practices is nothing new. As many of us know, companies like Ben and Jerry’s and The Body Shop have been doing this for over a decade. Where the tide has shifted however is in the attention given to this area of business. Once considered a novelty and a “nice to have”, today the public considers socially responsible business practices a requirement; part of the rules of engagement in business. Anything less is considered a failure and a symbol of irresponsible management.

What does this all mean for small business?

While many small business owners may look at this development as a daunting one to take on, one could argue the complete opposite. This is very much a “glass is half full” scenario,  where this “social” movement can enable small business marketers to position their clients in a way that would have been virtually impossible even 15 years ago.

This so called ‘social’ movement has enabled small businesses to differentiate themselves and stick out from the crowd. Smaller companies have the benefit of being more nimble and community focused, and thus using these attributes to leverage the local market and beyond with their social purpose and mission. In the end it’s all about making a difference and a statement about your business stands for.

The Social Movement

The evolution of social consciousness has created a number of opportunities for marketers of all types of companies, small, medium, large, for profit and non-for-profit. But to embrace this phenomenon requires a completely different perspective than in the past: marketers need to consciously develop a social element to their client’s marketing this becomes an integral part of their brand, mission and values.

I recently presented this topic to my colleagues at the Oakville Networking group, and they found it very informative and helpful, so I thought I would repurpose it and share it with you – not to mention it’s a long overdue blog post for us at Sydcam! Here is Part 2 of a two part series on this topic.

Social Responsibility

Of the many hot ‘buzz’ words in the 21^st century, arguably none is bigger than corporate social responsibility (CSR). With all the corporate wrongdoings by both individuals and groups such as Bernie Madoff,  WorldCom and Lehman Brothers, is there any doubt why the issue of CSR is so prominent today? Clearly, there is a need for businesses to be more ethical and accountable. Brands that can truly stand under the CSR umbrella can build brand equity and value through these actions. Those that don’t will likely be the next businesses under Chapter 11.

Social Consciousness

Employing socially responsible business practices is nothing new. As many of us know, companies like Ben and Jerry’s and The Body Shop have been doing this for over a decade. Where the tide has shifted however is in the attention given to this area of business. Once considered a novelty and a “nice to have”, today the public considers socially responsible business practices a requirement; part of the rules of engagement in business. Anything less is considered a failure and a symbol of irresponsible management.

What does this all mean for small business?

While many small business owners may look at this development as a daunting one to take on, one could argue the complete opposite. This is very much a “glass is half full” scenario,  where this “social” movement can enable small business marketers to position their clients in a way that would have been virtually impossible even 15 years ago.

This so called ‘social’ movement has enabled small businesses to differentiate themselves and stick out from the crowd. Smaller companies have the benefit of being more nimble and community focused, and thus using these attributes to leverage the local market and beyond with their social purpose and mission. In the end it’s all about making a difference and a statement about your business stands for.

The Social Movement

The evolution of social consciousness has created a number of opportunities for marketers of all types of companies, small, medium, large, for profit and non-for-profit. But to embrace this phenomenon requires a completely different perspective than in the past: marketers need to consciously develop a social element to their client’s marketing this becomes an integral part of their brand, mission and values.

I recently presented this topic to my colleagues at the Oakville Networking group, and they found it very informative and helpful, so I thought I would repurpose it and share it with you – not to mention it’s a long overdue blog post for us at Sydcam! Here is Part 1 of a two part series on this topic.

The Customer is King

So what has changed so much in marketing to make it such a different playing field that it has been historically? Simply, the consumer has evolved into a position of power, if not even control by many of the developments in the last 10+ years. The era of the internet has provided consumers with something they never had before – easy access to a plethora of information on virtually every topic under the sun.

From product information to customer feedback and ratings on products and services to direct feedback loops via social media to retailers and manufacturers etc., the consumer has real influence over the marketplace and the products and services offered to them for consumption.

Being “Social” is more than Social Media

Many who read this blog’s title may assume that I was just going to talk strictly about social media and its influence on marketers. Wrong! While social media is an integral part of the many ‘social’ changes affecting society today, it isn’t the only one.

Being social touches on social media but goes much farther. In general, it influences marketers in its ability to enable active engage with your customers, the ability to add value to this relationship on a regular basis, and to broaden the reach of your marketing and communications messages – both on social networking platforms along with other mediums.

Use this engagement to learn more about your customers, and what they need or want from you. Encourage  them to collaborate with you to build better products and services, and to share any ideas and unfulfilled wants they might have.  You’ll build brand awareness, customer loyalty and a whole lot more!

Part 2 of this blog post will follow shortly in February, so stay tuned!

I recently launched a survey and the preliminary results are in. In response to the question what is your preferred learning format – 75% of respondents said In Class Training.

In answer to your request I have organized 3 dates for In Class Training of 
Set The Stage – Business Development Training That Turns Leads Into Sales

This foundational class outlines the Follow Up Business System and The Business Growth Strategy and is the same material I use to show corporate sales representatives at Investors Group, Verico Mortgages and new entrepreneurs through The Learning Enrichment Foundation and Enterprise Toronto how to follow up so they do not feel like they are being a pest.

Never feel like a pest again when you follow up after meeting people at business networking and trade show events!

This course will show you how to build a system that turns those business card leads into sales!

Set The Stage – Business Development Training
3 hours of training – $89.00

February 14, March 27 or May 8

from 10 am – 1 pm in Burlington Ontario.

Sign up for your preferred date

If you would prefer this training at your location, just contact me.

It really bothers me when I hear that people attend networking and trade show events as a route to find new clients and grow their business fast, but end up off course, lost in voice mail jail, frustrated and feeling like a pest.

Did you have a chance to pick up your FREE Business Growth Strategies Report? You Have Worked The Room – Now What?

Or take the survey ? Link to Survey surveymonkey.com/s/VDG78R9