everything web 2.0...

a complete list as described by Mr. Bob Stumpel...great resource, nice job Bob...

it's official, customer service IS important...

take a look at this commentary on a recent study by University of Michigan Professor Claes Fornell

this whole thing almost seems laughable and yet there it is, what i've been saying and what i've built an entire framework around. MANDATE AMAZING is all about creating AMAZING customer experiences and AMAZING employee experiences...so all skeptics pay close attention...now that academia has stepped up and proclaimed it you can now believe it...

sarcasm aside, motivating your employees to treat your customers like royalty isn't always the easiest thing to do...and i believe it starts with hiring the right people...be picky, be patient and hire maturity rather than a warm body...this will take organizational discipline and it will pay off in the long run...this is a choice.

continue to hire stumps that run at the first sign of real work or you can take more interest in this process and match the right people, levels of character, personality and skills with the job and culture, this will translate into less issues down the road, ultimately less turnover and better customer service results.

lot's to read today...

marketing is tough to get right. master these details to increase your results.

just because you've managed to ensure that you've grown past a logo to an actual brand and that there is a consistent message on your marketing collateral and corporate documentation, or that you actively network and follow-up on all leads doesn't mean your marketing work is done...

the key now is to ensure you truly understand your the habits of your prospective customer in everyday life.

many consider demographics and statistics when constructing a marketing strategy and that's great. let's dig deeper. how many of you relate to the habits of the human being behind the stat?

let me explain. many will be familiar with a little bit of software called a "cookie." this software tracks your internet surfing habits. i personally find this annoying, so i use BPS Spyware Remover Adware Remover to get the removal job done. let's talk about human interaction rather than software, let's talk about spending time with people and taking a serious and genuine interest in learning about tendencies, habits, trends. let's talk about the emotional wants and needs within that community. remember these customers, clients and consumers are actually people and human beings first. if you want to market to them effectively so that you actually sell something in the end...you need to understand them on a much deeper level, this also includes your online marketing effectiveness. get out of the office or your cubicle and go meet them, learn from them, respect them...

remember mel gibson wearing pantyhose, lipstick and waxing his legs in "what women want"? sort of the same idea...thank-goodness i don't have any prospective business relationships with large cosmetic companies or to follow my own advice i'd have to do the same thing as mel...(that gives me willies just thinking about it)

so often we experience marketing that demonstrated the company in question had little if any real deep understanding as to who they were dealing with. the timing was inconsiderate, the message was boring and fell short in terms of emotional impact and relevance. speaking of relevance for example, if you would like a different way to spend a friday, go to my radio show at fusedlogic radio, you'll laugh, cry and be amazed...

hidden subliminal message: (take a deep breath....and repeat after me (3) times...my business can't survive without fusedlogic. i will listen to the fusedlogic radio show and read the fusedlogic blog several times a day. there's no better source for business advice and ideas than fusedlogic. i must hire fusedlogic, i must hire fusedlogic, i will call them today...

i assure you that my intent above was to be joking and a bit sarcastic as there was nothing hidden or subliminal about that message...and yes my sense of humor is out there. still the result was that i most likely still got you to read the above statement and you repeat my company name fusedlogic (6) times...why? i'm illustrating the point, that humor, mystery and honesty are important to just about every one...how important and in what order of importance will be what you need to learn.

this overall issue is especially important if you're in politics...why do you think a few years ago, campaign managers were concerned about the blogosphere and now they're also watching and leveraging youtube? that's because it's at the leading edge of where the voters are expressing opinions on the wannabe leaders and their platforms...because politicians already get out to shake hands with voters, in their case, they have to become more deeply connected and aware by paying attention to web-based communities. the message is the same, just remember to be flexible in your approach.

get out of your marketing comfort zone and spend real time with your target, get to really know them in their world and for goodness sake LISTEN to them...constructing your message will be easier and you'll be more effective at identifying concerns. concerns that if left unchecked, will cost you copious amounts of dollars in lost revenue and lost marketing budget as well as the intangible loss of brand credibility.

simple small business example: if your target market is the business professional/career executive. you may want to identify where these folks may stop for a morning coffee during the drive into the downtown core. there are most likely several coffee shops, you start with the starbucks or second cup drive-thrus...they're targeting the same customer profile in this example, rather than the blue collar tim horton's

to take action, identify the top 4 locations from the four corners of the city, then on a rotating basis plant a mobile ad vehicle or similar solution displaying your concise message for consumption as they wait in line to grab their morning java...further define your message based on gender, age and wealth profile. to be really aggressive and depending on your product or service you may want to pursue a strategic alliance with these companies...

learn the habits of your target and you'll increase your marketing return on investment, an investment most companies cannot afford to get wrong too often, if at all.

want to know if this works...just ask cranium about their sales success related to their spot on starbucks shelves...

catching up with web 2.0...

there are signs that savvy small business owners are continually becoming more comfortable with the web 2.0 environment of today's internet. however, we're still very much at the early-adopters stage of this evolution. referring to geoffrey a. moore's book crossing the chasm. those paying attention are well on their way to impacting the world at large with their brands as they leverage some very cool web 2.0 apps, i give you the infamous blogger hugh mcleod - gapingvoid.com. this man on a mission to look like he's not on any particular mission at all other than to blog from a house in the english country-side and get paid for it by leveraging his blog to build interest, recognition and ultimately sales for his micro-brand clients. he accomplishes this by holding our fleeting attention by drawing crazy cartoons as the hook. i liked the idea that it inspired me to go on my own crazy moment of amatuer cartoonist emulation some time back, to which i give hugh all the credit for the content style and inspiration. I still may grace these pages in the future with more drawings of my own but hugh is the business card cartoonist in this world and there's really only room for one...

i describe web 2.0 as an online empowering revolution for the individual. bits of software talking to each other to improve your online experience. improved search responses, mobile computing, social networking...the increased ability to share, comment, influence such as i'm doing here on my blog (minor and insignificant as that may be -i'm most certainly part of the long-tail). there's even a way to become a virtual version of yourself if you like. all are ways to interact with the world in a more efficient, if not often times geeky and far reaching way.

those business owners who can access a team (like fusedlogic for example) with the express purpose of putting together an online tactical marketing plan that would include web.2.0 options are going to be far more successful in diversifying the reach of their brand globally, (hey it's my blog, i never suggested i would stop being a capitalist) the next step is to then leverage that new brand recognition. how? learn to direct traffic, interest and opportunity generated by your hard working web 2.0 tactical plan towards a waiting efficient process that involves the sale of your products or services online... that's right, shopping carts, pay-pal or at least a way to book services online should be the next step in your plan...

the idea and promise of the internet providing online revenue for brick and mortar companies is a concept that has existed for over a decade now...however, until web 2.0, it's never been so easy to implement with so few resources and so few hands on deck. in fact, you are able to do almost if not all of this yourself and all you need is a paypal account or credit card. scary thought huh?

explore new web 2.0 concepts today... here are a few to consider:
blogger
secondlife - this is something i'm going to have to try once just to have some fun...

and for a more extensive list (because i'm busy and a bit lazy today) try sacred cow dung

be brave!

WOMEN...diverse and complex...

listen in today at 4pm MST for more information on how to attract more women as consumers to your business...

fusedlogic radio

fusedlogic radio...

well almost all of the kinks are worked out and there's a bit of flow now to the content so it's time to make the announcement about the new fusedlogic radio show...

today was the 4th show and i chatted with a very special guest - Gail McDonald the Catalyst Coach was on the show today to talk with me about "self-responsibility."

In today's show Gail mentioned a couple of links that she wanted to provide to everyone...they are:

wheel of life - http://www.new-oceans.co.uk/new/wheel2.htm

the change/transition site is www.wmbridges.com

i encourage everyone to go and listen to the shows and bring lots of paper as there are some really great tips. If you want to know more about the fusedlogic program called MANDATE AMAZING, you'll be happy to know i've provided a general overview (2) part series on my radio show as well...

yes, fusedlogic will continue to branch out as part of its MANDATE AMAZING to impact 1 million people with this philosophy in under 5 years...look for new announcements and other technology being used to spread the word...such as at helium where when you search Walter Schwabe you get the latest articles i've written...

there is lot's of opportunity to find out what fusedlogic and it's owner Walter Schwabe are all about, you just have to spend some time looking...then give me a call 780-640-2331, email me or reach out via instant messaging ID: info@fusedlogic.com and let's do some business.

web 2.0 the machine is us....

here is an interesting video that in less than 5 minutes sums up what web 2.0 is and how the internet is evolving..