Joshua Guffey

Have you ever tried to complete a project for yourself or a client without a clear sense of where you were headed?

Of course you have.  And I’m willing to bet that nine times out of ten the results were less than stellar.

In my work as a massage therapist, I discovered that if I really wanted to help someone feel better, I had to listen on many levels.  It became vitally important to really grok their intended outcome, often when they hadn’t articulated it yet themselves.  This usually meant pressing on with a line of conversation when the client wasn’t quite sure “where I was going with this”.   It all makes sense in the end.

Sometimes it was somewhat awkward and sometimes the client would rather that I got the session started sooner rather than later.  But with very few exceptions, pressing on just another moment or two, asking that extra question or being capable of being present with the awkwardness of it all, allowed me to ‘get it’ and consequently, to be able to give them exactly the session they needed.

In the end, it was always worth it.  Clients walked away happy, having gotten what they came for, and I had a renewed sense of accomplishment and confidence in my abilities.

Take the time to really grok the outcome.  It’s always worth it in the end.

It’s a shame that more businesses don’t use Twitter as an avenue for customer service. It’s ridiculously well suited to providing instantaneous feedback from your customers and potential customers. And it’s free.

Most small biz’s are still using it like broadcast media, which it isn’t. Their paradigm hasn’t shifted yet. They haven’t seen the true value and potential in engaging in NEW ways via these ‘new’ channels.

That said, I recognize that everyone has to start somewhere. There’s no shame in that. Just get started, make a real effort to use it to better serve your people while adding value to the connection. Be honest and human. Bring a lighter side to your interactions while remaining accountable and casually professional. People like it when you’re human.

I don’t usually like to drop links in comments cuz it always sets off my own spam radar, but I’m going to make an exception here because if you’re one of those businesses looking to implement social strategy it may be overwhelming and confusing. I hope this post I wrote helps. It’s titled “Are social networks good for your business?” and it goes into some things to consider when you’re starting out. It’s at: http://www.joshuaguffey.com/are-social-networks-good-for-your-business/

Here’s to your bravery!

-J

Originally posted as a comment
by joshuaguffey
on Mashable – The Social Media Guide using DISQUS.

You know that person that invites you to every app they find on Facebook?  You think you must be their bff on Facebook, right?

How’d you like to just go ahead and block all of their application invites at once?  …I thought so.  Here’s how:

Go to:
http://www.facebook.com/settings/?tab=privacy&section=applications&field=ignored_invites

…and start blocking!

This doesn’t block them as friends, only their midnight adventures in Farmville, Best Friend Quiz and whatever else they decide you should be playing.   Ugh!   =P

How do you decide where to go next?  What do you do when you get stuck?

I’d like to write. Daily. But I find that I often blow it up in my mind to a big deal.  One I don’t feel so equipped to handle.  I worry about the type of content, my spelling, what I’ll say.  I wonder if my thoughts fit the direction I’m headed and if I should share them.

As I look at these thought processes, it’s more like I’m hearing someone else describe their trouble writing.  And I move into support role–I think “don’t bother yourself so much with all of those thoughts about what to write.  Just sit down with only one window open and start typing.  The words will come.  And don’t be bashful about sharing your thoughts.  If people don’t like it they won’t read it.  What’s to lose? Ultimately you will define your thoughts more clearly and perhaps find your niche in the process.  And if not, so be it.  At least you are writing.  You are a success as long as you are writing.”

These thoughts help me to feel better about sitting down with the laptop and typing away.

What do you think about writing?  And being stuck?

Social Network Connections

When you’re new to Social Networks

If you’re getting started in social media from a business standpoint
you may feel inclined to join Facebook, Twitter and every other
social network you find and become active on each. This impulse is
good and I would argue that doing so will help you to stay current,
relevant and accessible for your customers and in your industry;
however, I would offer a few words of caution and some direction for
what may not yet have revealed itself to be an rather ambitious task.

Many people think of these networks as “So I put up my profile and a
picture and then friend a bunch of people to get exposure.” Umm, no.

Consider that each of these networks are really new forms of
communication. They go both ways. Yes they are powerful. Yes you could
get great exposure. And yes they can even be fun ways of growing your
business. But remember, if you are to use them effectively, they are
also work. I know many of you shuddered just reading that. Sorry to
burst your bubble.

Think about it…every new network is a new point of contact, a new
‘inbox’ to manage. And each social network comes with it’s own
technical learning curve. So without totally frightening you away from
social media as a new channel for communication between you, your
current and potential clients and your industry as a whole, I’d like
to offer a few suggestions about how to begin; because I do believe
that in most cases the benefits outway the hurdles.

Focus your social efforts:

Don’t try to learn more than one major social network at once. Give
yourself enough time to learn one well enough to maintain it and to
move forward with it before you take on another. This may be a month
or two for you or it may be a longer or shorter process. You’ll know
when you’ve got it handled. You’ll be engaged and responsive on that
network. You’ll be in relevant conversations and you’ll be expanding
your connections all the time. Just don’t be ‘that guy’.

Engaging in multiple social networks simultaneously can be a bit
overwhelming, especially if you’re just learning the ’social ropes’.
There’s a new language to learn, etiquette to grasp and mental
bandwith to appropriate.

Here I’m mostly referring to Facebook and Twitter. Yes they’re both
very big, very busy and potentially a great place for you to setup and
begin building a reputation, a sense of ‘authority’ (I’m not super
fond of this term as it seems to be used frequently in a matter as to
suggest deception or subverting the natural process of becoming
recognized in a giving space, but you get the point) and also a sense
of connection with an interested community. Notice I didn’t say
audience; that isn’t what social media is about. It’s about actual
interaction. Forget that and you’re in trouble.

I would go ahead and grab your username at each major site so as to
secure brand integrity, but I wouldn’t actually become active on each
until I’m ready to integrate a new inbox and a new community of
individuals into my social media efforts.

I know that I just got finished saying essentially “don’t do this
unless you’re going to do it right” and now I seem to be contradicting
myself, but there’s actually a really simple solution. What I would
suggest is that on whichever social networks you’ve decided are less
relevant for your intial social media expansion (more on this in
another post) simply make a statement that tell people where you ARE
focused right now.

Your “Sorry, I’m out” message

It may read something like this:

“Thank you for visiting me (or your business name) on Facebook. It’s
important to me that I’m able to respond to you so I’m choosing to
focus only on Twitter at this time. I’d love to connect with you there
(I’m @JoshuaGuffey) or feel free to send me an email. Thank you!”

It doesn’t have to be long, elaborate or particularly elequant. Just
tell them what’s up and where to find you and express an honest
appreciation. I’ll get more into choosing a network to focus on later.

Until then, you can go grab your name in the places you think you
might setup shop and write a little blurb directing people to
somewhere to connect. Even if that’s just email address or blog. At
least you’re being straight-forward and making an effort.

Add your thoughts!
I’m sure there are important points that I missed.
What would you like to add to the comments section?

photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/marc_smith/