Some times the best view of Calgary is from the rear view mirror

For those of us who live and work in Calgary, here is the perfect brunch getaway for your Sunday mornings.  Invest some of your well-earned time and hop in your car and drive west about 45 minutes from the city. You are aiming for Exshaw/Seebe.  When you get to this exit, right after the Hey 40 turn off for Kananaskis Country, exit off the highway and head south towards the Rafter Six Ranch.  There you will find the best kept secret in the entire Province of Alberta.

Last Sunday my wife and I decided to just this, we got in our car headed towards the mountain parks for the day.  I have often heard to the awesome brunch at the Rafter Six Ranch and thought this was the perfect way to start the day.  I wasn’t expecting the awesome service and hospitality we received when we arrived and throughout our 3 or 4 hours we spent at the ranch that day.  The service is amazing and these folks truly understand Western hospitality.

Be warned…The Cowboy brunch doesn’t start until 11 AM…really 11:30 but who cares when you are out there, if you are the type to get upset because your schedule is out of whack…then don’t go, it is truly a laid back Western way of life out on the ranch and those who are in a rush, you will go crazy.  Just sit on the patio, enjoy a cup of coffee and watch the horses, the dogs and the clouds go by against a wonderful Rocky Mountain backdrop.

This is one of Alberta’s gems nestled in the Canadian Rockies.  Need a stress-free day come and experience the laid back Alberta lifestyle and get out of the city for a little while.

I know where I am going on my think days from now on.  I think I will take one day in August to go out and just think.

After our bunch and our wagon ride around the ranch, we managed to strike off something off of our “100 things to do” list.  In all the time we have lived in Calgary we have never driven the Spray Lakes Trail from Canmore to Hwy 40.  This is worth the 70 km of dusty road as well.  Want to experience the mountains close up and the freshness of the air and the lakes…do this drive.

What is the reason for this post…sometimes we need to take a break from being a social media consultant and enjoy the beauty that is around us.

This post may ruffle a few feathers especially here in our Calgary Social Media consulting world.  But what the heck, sometimes I learn from Vladville and gotta upset the apple cart from time to time.  I am only writing this because I care enough about Canadian small business to raise a flag on all the “so-called” gurus out there ready to take your money and give you nothing in return.  Buyer Beware and do your homework before giving your credit card number or writing a cheque.

How does the average Canadian small business see Social Media? What does your business think of those feverishly running around or continuous tweeting looking to pitch their services?  $100 off a strategy session here and promises to manage a company’s social media there. There is still a lot of promises about experts looking to fill the pipelines of Canadian small business with endless referrals become of their social media activities.

Sorry, I have to throw my BS flag here. Just because you have a website and sent out 5 tweets doesn’t make you a marketing expert.  Our team at Ulistic are serious and professionally trained consultants and a team who works strategically with business across the globe.  We take an exception to those social media gurus out there who think they can save the day with a simple Facebook Page and Twitter account.  Sorry, social media success is part of a greater marketing strategy and business plan loaded with KPIs and objectives.

There are some markets our team has a wealth of experience and some we simply have a basic understanding.  We know our strengths and appreciate our weaker areas.  I can’t promise that we will fill your pipeline with gobs of referrals.

What if no one is looking for what you are offering?
What if your sales team can’t follow-up on leads?

What if…what I can promise if you do things right and follow the new rules of marketing you can position yourself to win new potential opportunities, but I can’t promise you the phone will ring off the wall.  Those who promise this, sorry I simply don’t understand it.

With that, more and more social media consultants are popping up on the landscape claiming to save the day.  It is almost embarrassing.  The social media consulting space here in Calgary and across all of Canada is becoming extremely crowded.  Crowded  with social media consultants and self-proclaimed experts.  Those who have a family businesses to former golf ball and promotional products experts flying in to save the day with Social Media.

Wait a second here!

Here are a few things to watch out for when hiring a social media consultant for your business:

• Is your social media consultant going to educate you and your team.  Your team must own your strategy.  A great consultant will share everything they know and use to help position your business for success.  Speaking from experience, our Ulistic Social Media Coaching program is in hot demand simply because we coach and work with the clients we serve to position themselves and be in the right spot, hopefully at the right time.
• You as the business owner or leader must own the strategy, outsource the tactical but the business owner must own the strategy.  I can’t tell you what going to happen in your market.  But I can help you formulate and then execute a plan based on your own business intelligence.
• Do your research.  When finding a firm to work with check some basic things.  Does their website look like some cheap or free template?  Does your social media consultant have a professional image?  How do they show up at your office?  Suit and Tie or T-shirt and shorts.
• Never, Ever hand over any money without doing your background check.  Ask for references, talk with those in your industry and most importantly do your own Google search on the firm you are looking for.  If your social media expert is going to position you for online success, they better be high on the first page of Google.
• Does your social media professional have deep strategic relationships?  What industry groups do they have membership in?  Who endorses their work?  Do your homework and ask the right questions.
• Ask your social media expert for their P and L and income statements to prove they are a legitimate business.  Nothing wrong with asking for proof they are running a successful enterprise.

Real business needs real world consulting. Not someone who will tweet your specials and start a fan page on Facebook.  Your business is not going to win with social media alone, social media must be integrated into your overall marketing strategy.  A strategic marketing coach with specialities in online marketing, social media and search engine optimization can help your business understand this part of the strategy but also have resources outside of the online marketing world to help with the overall marketing strategy and business execution.

That is the end of my rant…here is my last tip to the business owner…Do Your Homework and Buyer Beware!

I was visiting a local Calgary Orthodontist the other day and got speaking with his team on the powers of blogging in business.  This doctor who specializes in Calgary braces really gets the power of online marketing for his business.

However, not only does he get online marketing…I learned something from his blog when reading it.  Snapped an excerpt for you to enjoy.

In life there will always be times when things don’t go your way, but don’t let that define who you are. Always strive to do the right thing in every situation, even when doing the wrong thing seems easier. Your actions, words, morals and values define who you are – so make sure you’re always representing yourself well.

After the day I had on Monday…I needed this, thanks Cory.

Visit Dr. Cory Liss, Calgary Orthodontist Blog at http://corylissortho.blogspot.com/

This post today is not about social media consulting in Calgary or even the work we do each day helping our clients with search engines optimization. However, keep this in mind, the work we do with all of our social media efforts and investing the time and/or dollars into a search engine optimization campaign all start with understanding our businesses.

You know it is still very surprising how many business still don’t have a business plan and even more have a marketing plan that consists of the proverbial, “let’s throw spaghetti against the wall and see what sticks” approach.  By the way, don’t be in denial…don’t tell people you have a business plan and then have to blow the dust off it or even worse..you can produce it.  If your business and marketing plans are in your head, they are simply dreams. Get it on paper today.

During a recent Starbuck’s gathering with one of our SEO copy editors who works with Ulistic, we got chatting about business and the various stages of a small business.  I was intrigued about these various stages and thought that I should know them because I am on my second small business now.  Once I started to understand them, it was easy to share with you all.

Here are the three stages that we discussed over coffee:

• Forming – These are the early stages in a small business.  You may be here solo or have a group of two or more.  This can also be known as the “dating phase”.  You like each other, you see synergies and you elect to jump into a business with each other.  Everyone kind of knows what they need to be doing.  Usually lots of toes are stepped on but everyone is happy.
• Storming – Enter the rocky seas.  Everyone is heads down and feverishly working hard for the success of the business.  Everyone has the right intentions but lots of things are being missed, people are getting upset and this stage is where a number of the small business relationships fall apart.   Success occurs but everyone is so busy pushing forward that they fail to reward themselves, egos start to form and everyone is jockeying for position.
• Norming – If your small business can make it through the storming phase, you will start to see that the stormy seas start to calm and everyone settles into what they do best.  Your true sales experts start to emerge, your technical folks understand their roles and everyone is on the same page.

Let’s face it…egos get bruised every day in a small business and every business goes through these phases eventually.  The forming period maybe longer for others.  Storming may be short-lived and norming we all hope can go on for ever.  Let your colleagues flex their muscle and ride out the stormy times to get to the smooth sailing.  Some people just need to know they can do it and have early success.

Having run a very successful IT firm in Calgary for 9 years I can tell you that we went through all of these phases.  It wasn’t until we had some outside help that allowed us to figure out the norming phase.  The phase where roles and job descriptions are clearly defined and KPI’s are set.  Do you have KPI’s in your business? If not, how do you know if everyone is doing what they are supposed to be doing?

Having someone come in to do a SWOT analysis on your business is totally awesome and well worth the exercise.  I highly recommend investing the time.

Where are you in your business today?

I found out this morning that a very good friend and colleague was a victim of the latest round of cutbacks across the Microsoft Partner Network.

My good buddy Robert Dutt from CRN Canada reported that long time channel program manager for the Microsoft Partner Network, Carol Terentiak has parted way with the Mississauga crew.

I found by accident when contacting Carol and another colleague this morning at Microsoft Canada, who informed me prior to getting the Google Alert.

During my tenure as IAMCP Canada President, Carol was there for me and the entire team.  She made sure everything was taken care of.  Her commitment to the Partner Program and now Partner Network was second-to-none.  I sometimes have to shake my head at the decisions made at large organizations.  Carol was a gem and still is…she was the type of person who would respond to your emails and return your phone calls.  That doesn’t happen much in these large companies (well doesn’t happen in small ones either).

I wish you luck Carol in your next steps…

Your Friend

Stuart

Social Media and Search Engines are turning the sales world on its head. Is your business attractive bait in the online ocean or is your business just a small fish in a big pond. Businesses today are looking for what you have to offer but how are they finding you?

One of the questions I get asked throughout the course of my day, as a Canadian Social Media Consultant is how small businesses across Canada can actively prospect for new business in our online world. The Internet has opened the kimono when it comes to marketing opportunities.

Is your business leveraging what the Internet has to offer?

I continue to enjoy a strong passion for sales and marketing. This passion was born in my early days as a computer tech and IT Professional in the Calgary market. As a young computer support technician I had a knack for helping those get the right IT solutions for their business and with the right mindset. These core principles I practiced 12 years ago are now very relevant today.

It started with putting service first and the need to provide the client the right solution that allowed them to achieve their crucial business goals. I loved being involved in the sales process and eventually helping build IT Matters through a strong client-first marketing focus.

Like many of you, I had a number of so-called “sales experts” try to educate me on how to sell to my customers. Some strategies worked and some flopped. That was part of the education process. The important component of any experience is that we learn from it.

In a traditional sales environment, we have always taught our sales teams to go out and prospect. Chase down potential opportunity after opportunity and shake things out. Many of us are still taught to “go out and hunt for opportunities”. We do cold calling, warm calling, selling to people in our networking groups and the list goes on from there.

The question is, does it really work in today’s world?

The market is much smarter than just a few years ago. Google, BING and the Internet have helped educate our clients on exactly what they want or need. Social Media and online communities are breeding grounds for those looking for answers. However, many of us continue to turn a blind eye to the power of social media and continue with websites that don’t perform.

Today’s consumer plays the prospector role. Educated consumers lurk amongst us and the Internet allows these knowledgeable consumers to continuous search the information and answers they want. Many will never stop until they get the answer they want. These same consumers once relied on our expertise. Today, that expertise is available with a simple Google search.

I often think in order to fill this need and to be successful in our businesses we need to flip the prospecting model on its head. The roles have to be reversed. Our sales teams and marketing professionals must become the prospect and our future clients…the prospector. I think this is how the model has to look. It is the only way it can work in today’s world where answers are at everyone’s fingertips.

What can we do online and offline that facilitates others to prospect for our services and products? How do sales professionals and business owners become attractive bait for those in need of what we have to offer? I often think about what Jeffrey Gitomer says, “customers love to buy but they hate to be sold”.

How can we become that facilitator who allows people to do what they love…BUY. Can our social media activities play an active role? I think it has to. The reality of today’s world is never before has the opportunity for many of us to become great bait and allow the prospectors out there to find us. After all, isn’t that we all love to buy? The debt crises in North America can attest to that.

The Internet allows us to be searchable. Social media and search engines are the prospector’s tools. The scary part is for many of us is we are nowhere to be found. We have little or no online presence and we wonder why the guy down the street gets all the business. Maybe it is because he is out there, helping and serving those who are looking for what he or she has to offer.

That is the reality, it doesn’t matter what market you are in, you have an opportunity to educate and make yourself the most attractive bait out there. You just need to take the first step and learn how to participate effectively.

Great lesson from Frank Allen

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, “My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all.

“One is Evil – It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

“The other is Good – It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.”

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: “Which wolf wins?”

The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”

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Ulistic focuses on serving the needs of Canadian Small Business, REALTORS, and Information Technology firms across Canada and United States. Helping your business understand, deploy and leverage social media, search engine optimization and online communications to generate business opportunities and make an impact inside your community and industry.

My business partner David and I are business professionals first. We understand what it takes to run a successful small business.

I invite you to reach out to me personally at 403.775.2205 or email Stuart at scrawford@ulistic.com.

Thank you to everyone for all the emails lately.  Many of you who have been used to getting my blog posts delivered via email have emailed me concerned about the slow down or the drop off in the frequency of the emails.  Thanks for that.  The reality is this, I have just been very busy.

Ulistic is growing and expanding.  We have welcomed Frank Allen as one of our sales reps and are currently in discussions with another amazing person who will become a vital component of our team just like Frank.  Ulistic is blossoming into a Internet consulting firm across Canada and the United States.

Next week, David and I are heading back down to Los Angeles for a couple of days and then come home right in the middle of Stampede.  No Microsoft WPC for me this year. Going to miss seeing everyone who I have become friends with in the Microsoft community but it will also be great to spend a week networking in the Calgary business community.

All is well with me.  Trying to get back into my routine of working out, working on the business and working on my own personal goals and family.  It is truly a fine balance.  I haven’t even watched much World Cup Soccer.  Football however during the month of June kept us busy and it will again come August.  Football even reduced me business networking where I had to just pop in to say hi to those colleagues in a local Calgary Oil and Gas Meetup group.

All is well…just busy.

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Ulistic focuses on serving the needs of Canadian Small Business, REALTORS, and Information Technology firms across Canada and United States. Helping your business understand, deploy and leverage social media, search engine optimization and online communications to generate business opportunities and make an impact inside your community and industry.

My business partner David and I are business professionals first. We understand what it takes to run a successful small business.

I invite you to reach out to me personally at 403.775.2205 or email Stuart at scrawford@ulistic.com.

At the recent Search Engine Strategies event in Toronto one of their final sessions was held at the Hyatt Regency’s bar where many of the conference attendees got together and discussed tactics around Search Engine Optimization and if they were a Black Hat or a White Hat optimizer. Intrigued I was…interested in seeing all the different opinions and approaches some optimizers take in working on search engine rankings.

Being relatively new to this industry here in Calgary I was intrigued until I finally got it.  White Hat and Black Hat SEO are tactics used to help position business in the search engine rankings.  I related this to what my friend Paul Moffatt would call, below the line or above the line prospecting.  This got me thinking, what do I stand for in business.  The Go Giver approach or the Go Taker approach.  White vs. Black in the SEO world.

At about.com they define Black Hat SEO at unethical or if I relate it to Paul’s prospecting model, perhaps “below the line’.  Is operating in this manner effective?  This is a question I keep asking myself.  Is creating doorway pages or feeding industry forums with false information appropriate tactics in SEO or promoting your business online.  I recently experienced perhaps a “so called” guru SEO consultant at work at a recent trade show who in my opinion confused many of our peers with trickery and black hat tactics.

I left their presentation wondering how long it will take for Black Hat tactics to be punished on Google?  May not to long with their recent Mayday release.

I rather focus on the “white hat approach”.  White Hat SEO tactics focus on quality content balanced across the Internet.  It is about leadership and being an authority on your area of focus.  I may even break it down to specializing, picking a niche rather than attempting to be everything to everybody.  Although it maybe slower in getting the SEO results you are looking for, it will be more effective in the long run.  This is my belief.  It is sort of like the sprinting out in the marathon just to get the TV time as the early leader and your 15 minutes of fame or pacing yourself and winning the race.  What would appeal to you?

About.com defines “White Hat SEO” as clearly defined keywords, important keywords and phrases stand out and I would even take it a step further and I tell my clients about the importance of balance.   On their website, balancing the right content with the right design…this is what matters the most online.  Google’s Mayday update may just reward those who have been focusing in the White Hat space with the changes to long tail searches and maybe punish those who demonstrate Black Hat approaches to SEO and not focused on quality content.

Deep down inside, I don’t like seeing business in Calgary and wherever we serve being taken advantage of by slick salespeople and those only out to serve their own interests (this month’s quota).  This is not the Go-Giver model I have been working hard at focusing on over the past few years.  Your business needs someone who will serve you and look after your best interests.  Your business needs someone they can call on when they need help or have a challenge.  This is what I strive for and if this approach interests you, then call me at 403.775.2205, I will be happy to serve your needs.

WOW…is all I have to say!

David and I are on our way home today after a great couple of days in the Los Angeles area visiting with partners and friends of Ulistic.

Lots of great lessons were shared during our time with our partners from both sides of the table.

I am looking forward to pushing ahead now with some of the great opportunities.