Education- Why? I'm Already Good..

So you have a career in the field of your dreams, and you are making a fairly good living- the bills are covered, the social life is on fire, the family situation is just as you like it at this time (subject to change: like life!). AND….You look as though there is no end in sight for the success you feel you deserve, after all the long hours, the training, the meetings, the late nights…etc. Guess what? That is when the real job begins, and you need to turn the notch up a couple of degrees on self expectation.

Good enough is only good enough when nothing else can be achieved. When we feel there is nothing left in our chosen profession to achieve, we get lazy and stop reaching for new goals, content in the life that we have so carefully made for ourselves. Nothing good lasts forever, unless you have a sure-fire way to back it up, because whether we wish to admit it or not, there is someone just waiting in the shadows to take the clients you let go of, or to take on the tasks that you feel are now beneath you because of a couple of lucky breaks.

One of the ways you may consider to help stay in-demand and on top is to go back to school. You’re probably older and wiser now, and you realize that everything you need to know won’t just fall in your lap. This means finding a course, or series of courses which will help you stay relevant. The work-force is changing, and you now have 2 options: Change or get left behind. I can’t speak for everyone, (I’ve tried) but no one wants to be left behind; much less passed over on future promotions because some junior employee happened to be a step ahead.

It doesn’t have to cost alot to return to school. Look around and see what courses others in your trade are considering, attend night-school, or weekend seminars on areas you either have (or wish to have) a better knowledge in. Look at the courses which are relevant to your career- Is there any stone that needs a bit of polish, as new practices replace old techniques. I don’t believe that there is any career out there which hasn’t been affected by changes in technology.

Being good is fine, but why not try and be something better? Your clients deserve you to be your absolute best, or they WILL move up the street to the service that is more in keeping with their forward thinking. After all, I’m sure most of us, if not all of us would find the time if it meant that there was a larger paycheque to be had!

Think about it and look around….There is certainly some skills you have that could use a refresher, or some skills you could add to your repertoire and become just a little more “in-demand”….

Something to Think About…

© 2011 thedanieljsmith

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What's Your Social Media Marketing IQ?

As you make your 2012 marketing plans, consider what you need to do to take your social media marketing to the next level. To ensure your firm's maximizing its social media effectiveness, now's the time to check your organization's social media marketing IQ.

Here are 30 questions to help determine your firm's social media marketing IQ. These questions will help you assess where your organization is in terms of social media marketing maturity and where you may need to improve effectiveness. Depending on where your organization is along the social media adoption curve, some of these questions can help you develop plans going forward.

Listening

1. Do you have brand monitoring and/or other analytics in place? If you don't have the budget for professional social media monitoring, use free options such as Google Alerts, Twitter Search, and Google Analytics.
2. Are you analyzing the information collected?
3. Are you taking action where appropriate based on your brand monitoring? Remember, about 2 percent of the comments require any company interaction.

Social Media Guidelines

1. Do you have social media guidelines for how employees should represent themselves and what they can say?
2. Do you have guidelines for what's acceptable for customers and the public to contribute on your organization's website, blog, and/or forum? This doesn't mean you can delete negative comments! Customers will say whatever they want on their own and third-party social media networks where you have no control.
3. Do you have a crisis management plan? If so, do you review it regularly to ensure it's up to date and employees know what to do? If not, here's help to develop one.

Goals

1. Do you have goals for your social media marketing? This is a critical first step of any marketing strategy. Don't think it's just a test and we'll figure it out later. If it works, you'll need to make a case for more resources.
2. Are your social media marketing goals related to your overall business objectives? This is a must for any marketing plans!
3. Is your social media marketing driving revenues? For many businesses, this is a sign of social media maturity.

Management

1. Does senior management buy into social media as part of your marketing and business plans? Recognize this can be difficult to achieve. Research shows leadership at one in three businesses supports social media marketing after three years.
2. If management doesn't buy into social media marketing, are you bringing them up to speed? Chances are that you need to show how it drives results associated with business goals.
3. Are you expanding buy-in beyond senior management? Think customer service, sales, product management, human resources, investor relations, and other organizational departments.

Social Media Marketing Strategies

1. Do you have a social media marketing strategy? What do you want to accomplish?
2. Are your social media marketing strategies integrated with your overall marketing plans?
3. Are employees monitoring social media marketing implementation(s)? Customers will use every point of contact to reach a human being.
4. Are you promoting your social media marketing efforts? To drive customers and the public to your social media marketing, you must continually promote it. Use internal media.
5. Do you make it easy for social media participants to share your content? Think social sharing including Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
6. Do you have tailored call-to-action and tracking mechanisms integrated into your social media marketing efforts? Prospects and customers need to be guided through your sales process.

Social Media Marketing Content

1. Are you creating tailored content for your social media marketing initiatives? Since social media thrives on content, ensure your social media efforts have the fuel they need.
2. Have you created a variety of content formats?
3. Does your content support every stage of the purchase process? The information consumers need may cut across your organization. To support these efforts, use an editorial calendar and marketing personas.
4. Is your social media-related content integrated into your search optimization efforts?

Social Media Marketing Budget

1. Do you have a dedicated social media marketing budget? Social media marketing isn't free! You can't count on having a robust social media marketing strategy without financial and headcount resources. If you don't have a dedicated budget, can you leverage other resources or hide your social media marketing budget?
2. Do you have headcount dedicated to your social media marketing efforts? If not, are social media marketing activities incorporated into specific employees' job descriptions? If no one's required to do the work, it won't happen.
3. Do you have social media training to ensure employees understand how to engage on social media platforms and are consistent in how they represent your organization? Many firms overlook this important factor.
4. Do you have a social media contingency plan to ensure you have personnel involved and monitoring social media 24/7? What happens if your social media manager's sick or unavailable and there's a problem?

Metrics

1. Do you have established metrics to track social media marketing efforts back to marketing and/or business objectives? This is best done when you're planning your strategy.
2. Do your metrics include the full purchase process not just the last marketing touched?Social media can influence customers before you realize they're shopping and after they've bought your product or service.
3. Do your social media metrics go beyond marketing? Think broadly across your business such as customer service.
4. Are you measuring the ROI of your social media marketing? Understand it takes time to have a well-integrated social media marketing strategy where you can measure your investment and results accurately. Short-term, determine whether your social media marketing contributes to achieving your business goals.

Social media marketing is a growing part of every marketer's plans and budget. Regardless of where you are on the social media marketing continuum, you must assess the effectiveness of what you're currently doing and implement strategies to enhance your results

And In the Beginning...Or Am I Primed for The Day?

You wake in the morning, hopefully after a full night of sleep (made possible by a lack of problems in the mind..Or you are starting a new position.) and would like to think you will take on the world and win.

How? Do you have a plan? Do you have a routine or ritual? Or do you just run “off the cuff” and hope all the day-stars will line up correctly for you to move on. Okay so the last point probably isn’t enough to hope for, but there are the people who…

Seven things you should be thinking of over the course of the day; add to or delete from what doesn’t apply to you, but I think the list really wouldn’t be that hard to follow or set up on a daily basis.

1. Shower, Dress and have something that could resemble Breakfast. During this time work on a ‘to-do’ list of things ideally you would like to accomplish and write it in your day-timer. This is a fairly simple process, note how none of yesterdays issues are put here…Unless it is career-ending or client-dropping, it probably could be listed for later today.

2. Plan time where you can have mind-clearing breaks. Be it to write some ideas down for future blogs, grabbing an energy-stimulant (chocolate or coffee), or just walking up and down the hall to clear out all the extra crap that really isn’t key right now. (This stuff should be listed at worst in an ongoing list of projects undertaken, yet not finished)

3. Concentrate on all the positive activities you have going on. Pat yourself on the back for a job well done, or a new time-saving procedure you have seen to put in place. Negative thought brings the mind and karma down, which makes the day seem twice as long. See what you can do to keep the downslide on an upswing.

4. At a sensible time, BREAK FOR LUNCH. Many of us think we are gods who can constantly run on no energy..WRONG. No lunch equals no production because the mind will start spinning in place. Its been proven that energy will increase production. This I know from experience because all missed lunches gained me was more free time on the clock logged in for the company….(lets see 25 years x 30 min/day….ENOUGH)

5. When the work day is over and you have either accomplished the list or moved it forward to another day; take time for yourself. There is nothing (except possibly a spouse) which prevents you from taking a little time to wind-down before you return home. This will probably allow you to leave work at work and not obsess over the tasks undone.

6. Working off of the above point, try to take some time in the evening for yourself, or involve the family and try to do activities which will add to the social well-being of your life. The family aren’t with you at work, so you shouldn’t expect that your time with them is to be used on work-related projects. BIG No-No (Trust me…personal experience)

7. Try to hit the pillows at a reasonable time. And as tempting as it is, keep the bedroom for two things,(self explanatory, but one of them is sleep) Leave the T.V. watching for the den or living room, because unless you are living in a one room apartment, the TV is better not in the bedroom as it is a cause of negativity, or a lack of sleep. Easier to move your pillow to the sofa and try there.

Seven relatively common sense ideas to obtain a solid moral centre where work and life are concerned. Fashion this list into some thing that will work for you; and after a little time to experiment and grow; people around you will notice a really cool customer as they admire the new you.

Something to Think About…..Your turn to give it a shot!!!

©2011thedanieljsmith

To Survive...And...Perchance to Dream

Let me throw all the crap against the wall and lets just see what sticks!! It seems to me that the older I get; the more I hear about the people who have forgotten about why they got in “The Game” and settle instead into complacency and give up on the successes they had plans for or the dreams they once held near and dear. This is not to place myself on a pedestal, because I have had my share of mucking through the mire trying to find the golden key of success. Guess what? I’m still looking….and will continue.

How does anyone know whether or not they are successful? Is it the entourage you gain, the gems on the fingers and the newest toys and technology that money can buy? Is it your name on the company letterhead; or being on the cover of Forbes Magazine before you hit the age of 40? Or is it retirement after finding the client on the golden goose? Lofty goals…each and everyone of them….but guess what…(and you may be shocked by this) SUCCESS COMES WITH A PRICE !!!!!

Without the hard work associated with the success, you may as well find a really deep hole and jump in, because that is where your success may lie if you don’t start looking at reality. We all want the golden egg (see above..leads to early retirement), and we all want everyone to see us as the truly great and good people we seem to be; lending out our skills to others in the hope that the bigger picture will be achieved sooner, and all the while having a secondary objective which would torpedo the whole thing. At some point if you are not careful, people will see you for the pariah you are and run for the hills; not even stopping to get directions because all their business sense is screaming that anyplace is better than where you are.

Hard work equals success? Possibly not, but there hasn’t been a day go by in my lifetime where I haven’t risen each and every day, looked at myself in the mirror, and stated that “Today is going to be a Great Day!” It’s understood that this encompasses all the people I will affect this day, yesterday, tomorrow, or at some point next year- It really doesn’t matter; because no one goal will be achieved (large or small) without some sort of a team around you. And don’t put yourself behind a curtain, because you don’t like the attention. TOUGH….and suck it up, Buttercup… because this ride leaves in 5 minutes and you don’t have the option of staying home.

Business RELATIONSHIPS are like a marriage or a really cool club that everyone wants to be part of. Show your leadership potential some of the time and SURPRISE, another cog in the big wheel is formed. Will you make mistakes?Probably. Will your feelings be hurt? Definitely. (again, see above, Buttercup).

This is where you have to ask yourself…”After all the pain, agony and effort that went into this project, am I any worse off for the experience?” Probably not—A good team isn’t all that easy to find—everyone has to be on board for the same reasons, and have the same goals in mind. So you may not be the figurehead 100% of the time—but I’m sure the cost of a winning team is worth standing in the shadows some of the time. If not, take what you have learned, and what you have taught; SHAKE HANDS with the team on the way out; and WISH THEM WELL—and don’t start a smear campaign the minute you are out the door, it simply adds credence to why they may not have really needed you in the first place.

A harsh lesson; a free-form document written from the heart, with the hopes that those reading this will find the magic formula for success, and once doing so, share it with others who have dreams just like you.

blah,blah..class dismissed..blah, blah, blah, Something to Think About!!!

©2011 thedanieljsmith

(Writers Note: This was written August 24th, 2011, on the 15 year anniversary of my mothers death. Fortunately she hasn’t been around to see some of the set-backs, and failed projects that are my source of inspiration….I will reach the summit and see you on the other side)

(p.s. No business models, company standards, plans of future wealth or successful teams were harmed in the writing of this piece—DJS)

To Survive, And Perchance To Dream…..

Let me throw all the crap against the wall and lets just see what sticks!! It seems to me that the older I get; the more I hear about the people who have forgotten about why they got in “The Game” and settle instead into complacency and give up on the successes they had plans for or the dreams they once held near and dear. This is not to place myself on a pedestal, because I have had my share of mucking through the mire trying to find the golden key of success. Guess what? I’m still looking….and will continue.
How does anyone know whether or not they are successful? Is it the entourage you gain, the gems on the fingers and the newest toys and technology that money can buy? Is it your name on the company letterhead; or being on the cover of Forbes Magazine before you hit the age of 40? Or is it retirement after finding the client on the golden goose? Lofty goals…each and everyone of them….but guess what…(and you may be shocked by this) SUCCESS COMES WITH A PRICE !!!!!
Without the hard work associated with the success, you may as well find a really deep hole and jump in, because that is where your success may lie if you don’t start looking at reality. We all want the golden egg (see above..leads to early retirement), and we all want everyone to see us as the truly great and good people we seem to be; lending out our skills to others in the hope that the bigger picture will be achieved sooner, and all the while having a secondary objective which would torpedo the whole thing. At some point if you are not careful, people will see you for the pariah you are and run for the hills; not even stopping to get directions because all their business sense is screaming that anyplace is better than where you are.
Hard work equals success? Possibly not, but there hasn’t been a day go by in my lifetime where I haven’t risen each and every day, looked at myself in the mirror, and stated that “Today is going to be a Great Day!” It’s understood that this encompasses all the people I will affect this day, yesterday, tomorrow, or at some point next year- It really doesn’t matter; because no one goal will be achieved (large or small) without some sort of a team around you. And don’t put yourself behind a curtain, because you don’t like the attention. TOUGH….and suck it up, Buttercup… because this ride leaves in 5 minutes and you don’t have the option of staying home.
Business RELATIONSHIPS are like a marriage or a really cool club that everyone wants to be part of. Show your leadership potential some of the time and SURPRISE, another cog in the big wheel is formed. Will you make mistakes?Probably. Will your feelings be hurt? Definitely. (again, see above, Buttercup).
This is where you have to ask yourself…”After all the pain, agony and effort that went into this project, am I any worse off for the experience?” Probably not—A good team isn’t all that easy to find—everyone has to be on board for the same reasons, and have the same goals in mind. So you may not be the figurehead 100% of the time—but I’m sure the cost of a winning team is worth standing in the shadows some of the time. If not, take what you have learned, and what you have taught; SHAKE HANDS with the team on the way out; and WISH THEM WELL—and don’t start a smear campaign the minute you are out the door, it simply adds credence to why they may not have really needed you in the first place.
A harsh lesson; a free-form document written from the heart, with the hopes that those reading this will find the magic formula for success, and once doing so, share it with others who have dreams just like you.
blah,blah..class dismissed..blah, blah, blah, Something to Think About!!!
©2011 thedanieljsmith
(Writers Note: This was written August 24th, 2011, on the 15 year anniversary of my mothers death. Fortunately she hasn’t been around to see some of the set-backs, and failed projects that are my source of inspiration….I will reach the summit and see you on the other side)
(p.s. No business models, company standards, plans of future wealth or successful teams were harmed in the writing of this piece—DJS)

Something To Think About…..

Something To Think About…..:

'via Blog this'

Your Brand is only as Good as Your Weakest Link.Guess Who?

Look in the mirror and ask yourself -“Can I perform my duties to the best of my abilities today? Or is this going to be one of those rare days that I am just going to go through the motions?” Answer honestly, because that will set the tone for your day as well as set your mind-set (good or bad).

If you genuinely believe that you will be successful today, then you will feel a little glow of positive energy which should carry you through the day because you BELIEVE in yourself and what you have to offer. Should you not truly believe that this will be a good day (due to various problems, home-life, outside distractions, etc.) then that too will be reflected in your aura, and the people you interact with will feel it, and know that you are not “walking the walk” of the image that you are trying to portray. You have to be truthful 100% of the time with yourself and not fall into the rut of the “false facade”

A false facade is an image you project when your mind is pre-occupied with anything other than the task at hand, and you are distracted to the point that your mind and body are out of sync and neither one wishes to take control of the situation. Another way of looking at this is the phrase “phoning in”. People know instinctually that you are not being real, or authentic, and you are just skating by on past glory (even if it is only yesterday) and know your production will be hampered by distraction and you will not be working to your usual 100% potential. Realizing this early will allow you to take the steps (whatever ones you use) necessary to stop a bad activity before it starts. One “phone-in” will lead to another, and the road to bad work-place habits begins. Whether you realize it or not, people look to you daily to help set the tone and the pace, whether you are working solo in a retail/salesman type of organization, or you pound the pavement, keeping as many possible cold-calls and appointments as your day-timer will physically allow. Your team and your clients deserve the best you have to offer; its up to you to follow through and provide for them the service which they have become accustomed to. You set the bar high when you started this adventure, you can’t lower it for a couple of days just because you feel off—consider it a challenge that requires you to rise and meet head on. Others cannot be held responsible for you in the same manner you are responsible for running an excellent environment where success and keeping a positive energy flowing daily.

Don’t accept #2 as this is the position of the unfocused. Strive for #1 in each event you participate in and show why you ARE the leader, not the follower. It’s probably taken a life-time to achieve your current position in things, and it will only take one or two bad transactions to feel the strain on your stellar reputation. YOU steer the ship, and YOU make the choices for yourself to act on.

Make sure what YOU are working towards is what you want, not just the best you think you deserve. YOUR Brand and more importantly YOU deserve better than that.

Class dismissed..as usual, hopefully I have given you “Something to Think About”

©2011 thedanieljsmith

Have a Fantastic Day!!

Daniel J. Smith
Community Manager 
Radical Events

(617) 939-9178- business
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