Posted by Mark Campanale on Tue, Jan 11, 2011 @ 03:02 PM
by Mark Campanale, Client Relations
Imagine someone saying that to you?
This happens more than you think. All of those prospects that you thought didn't Tweet or use LinkedIn or use the internet for any sort of R&D, have now become savvy and are looking for experts to help them.
So ask yourself this question: can they find you? And if they can, are they impressed?
Imagine you have a meeting with a prospect/future boss/etc. who 
who was very interested in learning more about how you could help them. What would happen if one of they did some virtual due diligence, and couldn't find any info on you? No white papers, no video clips of speaking engagements, no robust LinkedIn profile - nothing. How do you think you would do in this meeting?
Self-promotion in this day and age is no longer narcissistic, it's a sales necessity. Publishing and sharing your experience:
- promotes your expertise
- builds credibility
- creates anticipation to work with you!
Some quick and easy takeaway tips:
- Write a 250 word blog once a week on what you love most about your career.
- Update your LinkedIn status daily - yes, daily. Share links, your blog, etc.
- Join industry forums and enter into conversations. Answer questions, post industry news, help people with their problems.
These very simple exercises can and will become routine once you get into a rhythm. Write about what you know, and promote your expertise. If you want to see what others see (or do not see), do a search for yourself on different search engines. The results will get you motivated.
Posted by Mark Campanale on Sun, Aug 15, 2010 @ 05:10 PM
by Mark Campanale, Marketing & Social Media Manager
When we stay at hotels, whether for business or vacation, we expect that our reservations promise that our stay will be nothing more than pleasant; if something should go wrong, the hotel staff will do everything in their power to correct the issue. As professionals, our clients expect the same.
At my recent stay in New York, I had an issue, albeit extremely minor, with the TV in my room. So I called the front desk and explained the situation, and they said they would send a tech up immediately. The tech came within minutes and handed me a new remote. I asked him to stay while I checked to see if the remote worked - it didn't.
The Tech says before I could open my mouth:
"We just got all new TVs, and haven't programmed the remotes to fully work with them."
He also mentioned that programming the remotes was not not a priority for the hotel.
This is a minor, trivial issue at best - however:
- It shows that the hotel puts their priorities before the guests'
- It creates an issue as the guests enters their room
- and (depending on the issue) instantly has the guest comparing their brand to the brand of competitors
How we apply this to everyday business:
What we need to remember is that branding is a promise that you make to your customers, vendors, friends, non-customers, competitors, etc. The most important factor is that you keep that promise everyday, or suffer the consequences of word-of-mouth.
The hotel chain made a promise to deliver the ultimate-customer-experience, but on their terms. Yes they got fantastic new TVs, but if the remotes don't work, well, that just brings me back to the days when I had to get up to change the channel!
The take-away here is to keep your promises at all costs. If you want to be known for something, deliver on that promise consistently as if your business' success depends on it.
Cos it does.
Posted by Mark Campanale on Sun, Aug 08, 2010 @ 08:41 AM
by Mark Campanale, Marketing & Social Media Manager
If you put up secret traps when sharing your information, then you are the social media equivalent to the TV show, Wipeout.
On Wipeout, contestants line up with all the confidence in the world to make their way through an obstacle course with the hopes of winning $50,000. Within moments of beginning the course, however, 'something' jumps in their way of acheiving their ultimate goal (and we, of course, laugh).
Now, let's look at this from the web's perspective.
Imagine you are on twitter, or in a group on LinkedIn, and you see a quite enticing link from a social media connection to an e-book full of info to help you be more successful. HOWEVER! Upon clicking the link, you get 'face planted' by a FORM! And if this 'double cross' wasn't bad enough, all fields are mandatory - down to the 'best time to call' field.
This is as close to spam as possible without spamming. The downside is that 9 times out of 10 the info isn't worth the click, and now they have your info.
What's wrong with sharing?
Why are David Meerman Scott, Seth Godin, Chris Brogan, CC Chapman, Chris Penn and others so successful? They share their expertise on a daily basis! By sharing with others their knowledge and expertise, they:
- Get re-shared
- Get more followers
- Get business!
I learned about one of my favorite authors, JC Hutchins, through a tweet by CC Chapman. I started following JC who gives away video and textual excerpts of his books on his web site! Whoa - an author giving away stories? This has turned into many, many fans for JC Hutchins.
The take away here is to tear down the obstacle course - let your readers get to your information without running into a wall! Create info and share it freely. The rewards will return to you 10-fold.
Posted by Mark Campanale on Thu, Aug 05, 2010 @ 11:21 AM
by Mark Campanale, Marketing & Social Media Manager
I know too many people who look like this: 
What if you had an appointment with a prospective client, and 
upon meeting them for the first time, they covered their face; to make it worse, they didn't reveal themselves for the entire meeting. How would you feel? What kind of connection would you have with this person?
I'm increasingly mystified by the # of people who create a profile in the Social Media realm and do not add their picture to their profile. Is it fear of being known?
The benefits of having a full profile are as follows:
1. You build credibility: your full profile shows you are real and not just a lurker in the shadows
2. You build stronger connections: people want to connect with people, not silhouetted icons.
3. You become trusted: a full profile shows that you are committed to the community
4. You are social: Social Media is not for hiding behind a computer; it about engaging others and contributing to communities and the feeling that actually know the person before you meet them in-person!
In your professional profiles, (LinkedIn, Twitter, Blog, etc) be sure your picture matches the message you want to send. Stay away from vacation/party/college photos. As most people are still just using Facebook for personal use (a trend that will balance in the near future), your profile picture can be a bit more relaxed, but don't be stupid; you are still building a personal and professional brand.
I'm curious to know a) if this article helps and more importantly, b) why do people choose not to add photos to their profile?
Posted by Mark Campanale on Tue, Aug 03, 2010 @ 07:44 AM
by Mark Campanale, Marketing & Social Media Manager
I love LinkedIn. There are so many powerful tools in this one community that can help you meet new people, reconnect with business contacts, get questions answered by people you've never met who are willing to help you, even earn new business.
What LinkedIn is not for is - unsolicited spamming. I'll explain:
In one of my groups, I asked a question that my Marketing Dept. desperately needed an answer for. I was immediately rewarded with 18 responses, all with fantastic information; all from people whom I've never met, but were willing to help me because I was part of their community.
BUT! I was also discouraged when I recieved 2 e-mails and 2 phone calls from sales people who saw my post in the LinkedIn group and proposed their services. THIS IS NOT WHAT LINKEDIN IS ABOUT!
LinkedIn is about building solid, professional relationships. As of this posting, I have 400 connections which equal approximately 4 million professionals in my network. If the SPAMMERS knew how to use LI, they would've looked at my profile to see if they could get introduced to me through a connection we have in common - LI makes it easy with a link that reads:
GET INTRODUCED THROUGH A CONNECTION
I am far more inclined to take an appointment when someone is referred by one of my trusted contacts. It happens all the time - it's why LinkedIn is so powerful and been around for so long because it PRODUCES ROI!
The take away is, don't lurk; don't think the answer to somebody's question is your services. Find a way to connect with prospects through your contacts. You'll earn more than new business; you'll earn trust, which, in business, is the most valuable tool you can use.
This is my profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/markcampanale
Feel free to see whom we have in common or who you may know that can introduce us. I'm always willing to help other's succeed in business.
Your comments are greatly appreciated.
Posted by Mark Campanale on Tue, Mar 30, 2010 @ 01:31 PM
By Mark Campanale, Marketing & Social Media Manager
First, Triumvirate Environmental launches the first ever Online DOT Training program that features live examples between a teacher and student. Now, we present the Doug the Trainer App for the Android phone platform (iphone and blackberry apps coming shortly).
Features:
- Doug's blogs on regulations and compliance issues facing Environmental Health and Safety professionals
- Doug's Twitter Feed
- Doug's videos including outtakes and gag reels from training programs
Check out the video below for a quick demo. Want to be notified when we launch the iphone and blackerry apps? Let us know in the comment section!
Posted by Mark Campanale on Wed, Jan 27, 2010 @ 02:59 PM
By Mark Campanale
Marketing & Social Media Manager
I needed gum.
On this particular day I was reaching for my usual pack of branded gum that held the promise of pure chewing satisfaction, when a flashy discount sign popped into my peripheral. The gum was an entire 2 dollars cheaper! I decided to trust the discount and try the gum. Long-story-short, it wasn't that good. It was pedestrian at best and how it got in the same category as the gum I wanted, I'll never know. But I do know this -
I GOT WHAT I PAID FOR.
By basing my purchase solely on price, I learned a quick lesson. The same can be said about how your customers choose to buy your product/service or that of your competitor's.
As a seller, if the price of your product reflects the quality then there is no reason to budge on price. It is the job of the seller to show the consumer that they are getting what they pay for. If someone chooses and inferior product to yours to save a buck, they either:
a) learn a valuable lesson in what-not-to-buy, or
b) they weren't the customer you wanted to begin with.
If customers or prospects call to haggle on the price of your product/service, it is because you've trained them to do so. You've shown them that the 'price isn't the price', and what you have is of a lesser value.
Think about this: nobody has ever called Apple and said, "I'll buy 3 ipods if you give me a $100 discount." Why not? Because Apple has earned the right to sell ipods at their given price point because they've created a superior product that everybody wants.
It's not easy standing firm, especially in this economy when everyone is scrambling to make money. But when you do, you earn the respect of the buyer and you increase the value of your product. People who get upset that you won't discount your price do so because THEY WANT YOUR PRODUCT!
If you believe in what you have, stand by it; don't wimp out; be proud of the cost because in the end, your product/service will have more raving fans.
Special thanks to President & CEO John McQuillan and Executive Vice President Tom Aicardi for the inspiration and support that drove me to write this blog.
Posted by Rebecca McDaniel on Mon, Nov 16, 2009 @ 01:25 PM
By Greg Rosinski, Chemist II
Social networking has allowed manufacturers to improve on customer service by providing a sense of intimacy with their consumers. Traditional forms of customer service like an answering service or email service have been helpful in tracking issues that consumers are experiencing, however a more efficient way to solve these issues is to see live conversations and deal with issues by posting a resolution for all consumers to see. Social networking has allowed for a new type of intimacy to develop. . Manufacturers now have the ability to see what their customers think about their products or services. In past decades it has taken the manufacturer weeks, if not months to gather data regarding their customer’s feelings. Social Networking and the advances in technology have now made it possible for manufacturers to better understand their customer’s wants and needs.
Microsoft is an example of how social networks have helped improve customer intimacy. Microsoft’s involvement began when the company wanted to get their customer’s input on Windows Vista. Microsoft looked to the conversations their consumers were engaging in on social networking sites. They were able to see the frustration and issues their product was creating for users. Microsoft gathered that information and sent the data to their programming department. The programmers were able to pinpoint the major issues and improve their next version, Windows 7.
Social networks now play a key role in developing and strengthening customer intimacy between companies and their consumers. It is important for manufacturers to embrace social networks, and make it a priority to be involved in the conversation.
Posted by Mark Campanale on Wed, Nov 04, 2009 @ 08:07 AM
By Mark Campanale, Marketing & Social Media Manager
At the beginning of my social media presentations, I always ask:
"Can I get a show of hands of who is on (twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn, etc)?"
The forest populates with just about 100% of attendees arms waving in the air.
Then there's the follow up:
"Keep your hands up if you are using (twitter/Facebook/Linkedin, etc)."
And the forest becomes sparse with a few saplings (ie, arms half raised), and then a little chuckle from the audience (as in, 'hey, I'm not alone!')
When I follow up with 'why?', I get the following responses:
1) Too busy
2) Too time consuming
3) Don't get it
4) I'm too old
5) I don't see the value
Which for me is perfect, because then I can focus my presentation on opening people's eyes to the value of using social media for personal and professional success.
I'm finding that many people see the social media tools like a gym membership - some sign up, go a few times and then decide that it is too much hassle to go. While others see the ‘membership' as what it should be; they become members of a network of people that share the same goals. In the social media case, it is the sharing of information.
Help me out -what have you heard as excuses for signing up for a social media account but never using it? Comments will be posted with full credit in my new e-book, 'The Kickstand.'
Posted by Mark Campanale on Tue, Aug 11, 2009 @ 09:58 AM
By Mark Campanale, Marketing Manager & Social Media Trainer
Imagine going to a furniture store with the intent of purchasing a new mattress. Now imagine approaching one you like and as you attempt to sit or lie on it, a salesperson tells you that you must register all of your contact info with them before trying out the mattress. How would that make you feel? Would you buy from this company?
This is exactly what happened to me when I was looking to demo an online training program. I found 2 sites, both with the HUGE banner that read 'test drive our software now!' HOWEVER! When I clicked said banners, I was brought to a 'register with us to demo our software' page.
Why? Are they afraid I may pirate their software or share trade secrets?
I dismissed one site, but was curious as to what they would do with my info - so:
1. I registered with my real, personal info right down to the telephone #
2. I received a congratulations page - um, congrats for what? That I know who I am?
3. I was told that once I was approved (again, congrats for what?), I would receive a link via e-mail to view the demo
4. (Here's the kicker) They called me 5 minutes after I hit submit! Before I got the e-mail with the link! The salesperson left me a voicemail that said, "We noticed you signed up for a demo of our online training. I wanted to let you know that we are running a discount special for only on this particular training, so you'll need to call me soon in order to save $...blah, blah, blah."
5. Got the e-mail with the demo link the next day. It sucked.
To make it worse, she called me again, and wondered why I hadn't called her back to take advantage of her incredible offer. Did I ask for this?
I just wanted a DEMO!
This is why more companies need to LOSE CONTROL - a term coined by Social Media genius David Meerman Scott. Information that is shared freely:
- Gets feedback
- Gets viral
- Gets promoted
- Gets fans!
If you put up a wall to your product or service, potential buyers will get turned off. No one wants to get added to another mail list (unless opting in), no one wants to receive pestering phone calls.
If your product or service is that good that someone wants to copy it, well, I'd take that as a compliment.
LOSE CONTROL.