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Although we invited the world, most people were local that attended; I have never seen a Tweetup of this size in Vancouver where everyone came out to connect in person. What the Olympics has done is give us Vancouverites a reason to relax, connect more often and have more fun. What was great of course is that Canada won (sorry my Swiss friends) and Guy Kawasaki the most Tweeted about personality online showed up after the game to say hello. Over all it was a fantastic demonstration of how social media and virtual connections can create real community and real relationships. For more Tweetups in Vancouver visit “VancouverTweetup.”

Victory Goal Video (by @jlate)

O’Canada Video (by @jlate)

Photos

The Fashion Police Were Obviously Not Present

Mitch Baldwin of Social Media Club Vancouver at the Caprice

Marc McPherson @marcmcpherson from Builddirect.com

Vancouver's Social Media Community Tweeting Up for Team Canada

@jason_baker @guykawasaki @shanegibson and friends

@cybelenegris & @guykawasaki

Shane Gibson is co-author of Sociable! How Social Media is Turning Sales and Marketing Upside-down and is an active member of the Vancouver Board of Trade and Social Media Club Vancouver. Learn more about Shane at http://ShaneGibson.tel or follow him on Twitter @ShaneGibson.

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Thanks You!

PHOTOS:

Have you seen the pictures from the launch party?

You can see them here – http://www.facebook.com/SociableBook

We will have a video from the event shortly, watch http://www.sociablebook.com for it!

Do you have photos you took at the party? We would love to see them, just upload them to our Facebook Fan Page
http://www.facebook.com/SociableBook

BUY SOCIABLE!

Didn’t Get A Chance To Buy Your Copy of Sociable! ??

You can buy Sociable! at:

Amazon.com – http://bit.ly/9OoplU

Hager Books – 2176 West 41st Avenue, Vancouver, BC – 604-263-9412

Bulk Purchases -  http://www.sociablebook.com/BuyTheBook.ubr

SPONSORS:
The Sociable! Launch Party could not of happened without our sponsors.  A big thanks to:

Event Sponsor:
Amuse Consulting  – http://www.amuseconsulting.ca

Media Sponsors:
TechVibes – http://www.techvibes.com (marketing support)
6SMarketing – http://www.6SMarketing.com (marketing support)
Jeremy Lim – http://www.jeremylim.ca (photographer)
FreyBurg Media – http://www.freyburgmedia.com (video)

Cruiser Tables:
HootSuite – http://www.HootSuite.com
SplitMango – http://www.SplitMango.com
Mobio – http://www.mobioid.com/
SiTek – http://www.sitek.com
Kaerus – http://www.kaerus.ca
JustTheBill – http://www.justthebill.com

SPEAKING:
To hire Stephen and/or Shane to speak at your next conference or event please contact us at http://www.sociablebook.com

Thanks again so much for your support!!

It was a really fantastic night and we could not have done it with out you all.

Sincerely,

Steve and Shane
http://www.sociablebook.com
http://twitter.com/sociablebook
http://www.twitter.com/sjagger
http://www.twitter.com/shanegibson

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10 Things That Will Not Change About Social Media in 2010

1. It’s about the conversation
2. It belongs to everyone
3. It can’t be controlled only lead
4. It works best integrated
5. It doesn’t fit in the marketing ROI box
6. It’s an investment
7. It’s never been about the tools but those who wield them
8. It’s not going away, it’s not a fad
9. Experimenting with your clients money is a bad idea
10. Success belongs to the storytellers

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Partnering & Stakeholder Engagement Strategies (Nov 5) &
Leading in a Hyper Connected Marketplace (Dec 3)

Click here for registration information (PDF)

Presented by Shane Gibson
President of Knowledge Brokers International (http://www.closingbigger.net).

Hilton Vancouver Metrotown, Burnaby
November 5th & December 3rd, 2009

=======================================================

Partnering & Stakeholder Engagement Strategies: November 5th, 2009

In order to survive and prosper most major business, government or not-for-profit initiatives necessitate the support
of multiple stakeholders and stakeholder groups.  It is about identifying the core needs, goals, fears, and
motivations of every key party and managing that information for strategic and tactical success.

You will learn the key strategies on partnering and stakeholder engagement including:
• The stages of relationship and partnership development
• Key steps in systemizing your relationship and stakeholder development planning (includes sample
planning charts and templates)
• Tips on handling and avoiding roadblocks
• How to map the Power Players in any business or organization
• How to persuade each Power Player

=======================================================

Leadership 2.0 – Leading in a Hyper Connected Marketplace: December 3rd, 2009

With employees, customers and stakeholders equipped with technology that allows for mass collaboration and
rapid communication we as leaders need to understand how to harness this technology and the crowds we are
connected to.

Today’s workplace is not a homogeneous one. As leaders we have to lead teams that are made up of Baby
Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y.  This coupled with diverse cultures and values in the workplace make
leading both exciting and challenging.

Key topics include:

• New rules for engagement in a digitally transparent era.
• Web 2.0 collaboration and learning tools.
• Creating an environment that is productive and engaging for the millennial / Gen Y.
• Tips and approaches for recruiting staff using tools like Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter.
• Using technology to break down silos and create collaboration within your organization.
• How to apply timeless leadership principles to this new work and business climate

Click here for registration information (PDF)

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Aquí les present mis 25 Tips Sobre Medios Sociales (PDF):

25 Tips sobre Medios Social

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Shane Gibson Speaker Video

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What is a Tweetup?

A Tweetup is:

• A gathering of people who use Twitter
• It can be a general geographic Tweetup like a Tweetup of people in Vancouver
• It can be a Tweetup for a cause where Twitter friends organize a get together to do something for the community
• It can be topical such as a Tweetup for martial artists, cyclists or people who are in the social media scene
• It’s about the fact that when we get offline and meet in person it cements relationships and builds community
• An Event that Usually lasts from 1 to 3 hours
• It is a great stewardship and community building tool (See Jeremiah Owyang’s Post on Tweetups and coverage of the Vancouver #TweetupHeatup by GillianShaw of The Vancouver Sun)

A Tweetup is not:

• An event where you pull people in from Twitter to pitch or sell them something
• A seminar event
• A tradeshow or multi-day event
• A general community event like a sports event, lecture etc.(it’s called a Tweetup because it’s people on Twitter connecting in real life)

Who Can Organize a Tweetup?

• Anyone with a Twitter account
• You don’t have to be a social media guru or expert, it’s about community.
• Usually one person will announce a Tweetup but many are involved in the organization and promotion, it’s a community focused event.

I have a big event happening already. Can I promote it as a Tweetup?

No. People who come to a Tweetup expect to connect with those who use Twitter as a networking and community tool. This would be misleading if a large portion of the people were not in fact on Twitter, people go to meet their online connections offline.

You can however create a special Tweetup within a larger event. For instance at a race, or something like Dragon Boat Festival you could have a “Tweetup Tent” for a 3 hour period during the main event where Twitter folk meet and mingle.  If you’re doing a fundraiser at a pub or lounge, have the Tweetup for a couple hours before the main event, then let people know they can hang around later if they want to network with the rest of the community.

Who made these rules anyway?

Twitter, social media and etiquette attached to it are evolving constantly, this however is accepted practice right now. These answers are a summary of how the concept of a Tweetup is being used within the social media community.  The majority of people attending or promoting Tweetups follow these loose guidelines. You can break these rules (or bend them) just realize that you may get a fair bit of negative push-back or even lose good Twitter connections.

If you’re in Vancouver join Vancouver Tweetup

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Questionnaire for Colombia Newsletter

Shane Gibson Social Media Speaker

Q: How are Social Media turning traditional marketing habits around?

A: In the past we could dominate the marketplace with advertising, direct mail, and other forms of traditional media marketing. Today consumers are much more powerful marketers than companies are, with their ability to publish information to the web, they outnumber us. Their conversations about our brand, company, products and services are now “branding” us. They can blog about our company, they can share their opinion on our product on Orkut or Twitter, and they can post a Youtube video praising or condemning us.

Marketers now have to not just broadcast, they have to listen to what conversations are going on out there, and then they have to connect and interact with the marketplace in order to direct the conversations about their brand.

Today the customer owns our brand.

Update August 31 2009 (Watch a 7 minute speaker video addressing this question):

Q: Do you think these tools will replace well-known Marketing complex software such as CRM, for example? Why?

A: These tools are changing the way sales professionals and marketers interact with the marketplace. In the past we would build a database of customers in our CRM and proactively drive the sales process through constant contact. Social Listening tools that allow you to track conversations about your company or what your target market is doing are allowing marketers to pinpoint customers at the very moment they have a challenge or need for what we sell. There is also a new breed of CRM tools called Social CRM (SCRM) software that is just beginning to be available in the marketplace.

SCRM will allow you to pull in all the information about a contact, based upon permission from them (they tell you what data you will get), and your sales process will become driven by the daily activities and events in the lives of the customer. SCRM will make your database come alive with by the minute updates on what your best clients and prospects are posting on social networks and publishing in social media.

Q: What are the main benefits of including Social Media in Marketing and Sales strategies?

A: Social media success is built through a series of genuine interactions with the marketplace. The key is to create valuable content, resources, build community and connect in personalized ways with your market. Unlike traditional marketing and advertising most of the best social media tools are free. They need a time investment, and you have to train your staff to use them, but after that you can generate results with a significantly lower on-going investment financially. Also if used right, you can turn almost any staff member in your company into part of your marketing and customer service team, all they need is a Smartphone or a computer with web access. Social media expands your customer service and marketing capabilities.

Q: (Any real life examples as to how much money companies can save you can mention?)

A: My co-author Stephen Jagger (Sociable! Book Site) runs a company called Ubertor which has several thousand clients. His clients are real estate agents who use his real estate software to drive their websites. Steve was originally a client of mine. He had 10 sales people, and over a dozen other staff including computer programmers, management and support staff and a very large office. In order to service these clients he also needed a lot of telecommunications tools and phone lines.

Steve and his business partner Mike over a period of time began to replace telephone customer service with Web based Live Chat service and Twitter. He then decided to use Meetup.com to hold events with guest speakers on social media and technology use for his target market instead of sending sales people out top real-estate offices (he no longer needs salespeople). The next step was to close the office and have staff work virtually. They moved their phone system to Google Voice, which is free and use Gtalk and a tool called Yammer to communicate all day with each other. Steve’s blog and his Youtube videos are used to communicate to his clients, and post solutions to problems and information on the software updates and functionality.

The result? Significant business growth with a significant decrease in business costs. Steve is saving thousands of dollars per month in business costs, far fewer staff and has actually improved his customer experience.

Q: What are the main obstacles firms face when implementing Social Media in their Marketing and Sales strategies?

A: One of the obstacles is techno-phobia or as I call it Social Media Phobia. A lot of people don’t feel confident in experimenting or trying to use these new tools. They’re also worried about negative comments or someone using their blog or FaceBook to attack their brand. The reality is this technology is new, and we are all learning. Now is the best time to experiment and get good at social media, while your competitors are still watching on the sidelines. In addition to this, the only way we can insulate our company and brand from negative comments or competitor behavior online is to get involved in social media. Build a community of raving fans around your brand. You need to get social to win.
Related Posts:
Social Media Seminars

Developing a Social Media Policy and Guidelines

Social Media Speaker Shane Gibson on Social Media Etiquette

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How Social Media is Turning Sales and Marketing Upside-down

It’s not who you know but who knows you in today’s hyper-connected marketplace. The consumer now owns your brand, and in order to profit from this new dynamic, we need a solid strategy and set of principles to engage the marketplace.

Understanding the role social media and social networking play in this new dynamic, is paramount to our future success as sales professionals, marketers, and corporations. In this fast paced webinar Shane Gibson and Stephen Jagger will share with you:

• The new rules of engagement in sales and marketing
• How anyone can become a global brand in their niche using social media
• How to effectively and profitably implement social media in your business
• The Role of Social Media in the Sales Process
• The top global social media and networking tools and trends for 2009 and beyond

About Shane Gibson

Shane Gibson is a professional speaker and author of “Closing Bigger the Field Guide to Closing Bigger Deals.” He is also co-author of Sociable! A new book written with Stephen Jagger on profiting from, social media to be released in Summer 2009. As a sales performance and marketing specialist he has addressed several thousand people over the past 15 years on stages in Canada, USA, South Africa and South America.

His client’s include organizations such as Builddirect.com, Ford, The Certified Management Accountants, and numerous Chambers of Commerce and Boards of Trade across Canada.

Shane has been cited as a subject matter expert on the topic of sales, social media and marketing in the Globe and Mail, the National Post, BC Business Magazine, and the Canadian Professional Sales Association’s “Contact Magazine.”

About Stephen Jagger

Stephen Jagger is an entrepreneur that has been starting businesses since high school. He is currently involved in 2 companies. Combustion Labs Media Inc, which operates as Ubertor.com, is a real estate software company that provides websites and online marketing tools to thousands of real estate agents across North America. His other business, Reachd.com is a training company that focuses on marketing professionals and businesses that are interested in learning more about search engine optimization, blogging, online video, Google Adwords and social media.

Stephen has been covered in many major publications including The Vancouver Sun, The Wall Street Journal, The Ottawa Citizen, The Vancouver Courier, The Calgary Herald plus many more. He has spoken at many different events including British Columbia Institute of Technology, The Vancouver Board of Trade, The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver, and Inman News Connect 2007 in San Francisco where he was on a panel of 4 with a representative from Google, Yahoo and the Yellow Pages and 2009 in New York on a panel discussing blogging. He is very active in the community as a member of the Vancouver Board of Trade Communication Committee, the Vancouver College Alumni Association, a volunteer with Kids Help Phone, the founding member of the largest real estate agent meetup in North America and a mentor for the Leaders of Tomorrow program.

Your session on Social Media was relevant, practical with ready to use concepts. At the end of the day it’s about the bottom line. I appreciated your real world proven approach to social media marketing
- Dr. Denis Cauvier, Best Selling author of “The ABC’s of Making Money”

Each webinar is just $59.50 FREE to VIP members (take theVIP Tour)

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Reachd training founded by Stephen Jagger (co-author of Sociable!) is putting on several great courses on everything from online video, to social media, search engine marketing training. Use the discount code CLOSINGBIGGER when you register.

Training in Wichita Kansas

• August 13th – “Market Like a Sniper with Adwords”
  Learn to use Google Adwords to promote your business and test your marketing strategy
  More details about the
  Adwords Class in Wichita
• August 17th – “1 Hour Web Marketing Intro”
  If you are not marketing your business online but would like to start, this 1 hour fast paced session will give you a great overview of some of the resources available for online marketing
  More Details about the Web Marketing Intro in Wichita
• August 20th – “Build a Website Google Loves”
  3 hour introduction to the in’s and out’s of search engine optimization. Most web activity originates with some sort of search, you need to ensure that your website shows when your visitors are searching
  More Details about the SEO Class in Wichita
• August 27th – “Broadcast Your Message with Online Video”
  There is no better way to build relationships with your web visitors then through online video. In this 3 hour course each participant receives a FREE Flip Video Camera.
  More Details about the Online Video Training Class

Training in Vancouver BC

• August 6th – “Market Like a Sniper with Adwords”
  Learn to use Google Adwords to promote your business and test your marketing strategy
  More details about the Adwords Class in Vancouver
  
• August 11th – “Explode Your Growth with a Blog”
  Blogging is the cornerstone of Social Media and a great tool to use to help fill your website with relevant content
  More Details about the Vancouver Blogging Course
  
• August 18th – “Build a Website Google Loves”
  3 hour introduction to the in’s and out’s of search engine optimization. Most web activity originates with some sort of search, you need to ensure that your website shows when your visitors are searching
  More Details about the Vancouver SEO Course
  
• August 25th – “Broadcast Your Message with Online Video”
  There is no better way to build relationships with your web visitors then through online video. In this 3 hour course each participant receives a FREE Flip Video Camera.
  More Details about the Online Video Training Class
• August 27th – “Social Media Guided Tour”
  Learn to use Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to build your brand and grow your business
  More Details about the Vancouver Social Media Training

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Here’s how 28 Days to Better Selling Works:

1)    A daily task that you can easily implement to improve your sales and business
2)    A succinct daily lesson to help you make the improvement

By the end of the 28 days you will have looked at 28 ways to fine tune and improve your sales process and business.  The daily lessons will be in written, video or audio format and will take less than 10 minutes each to review.

Day1  The ABC’s of Targeting

Day 2 Targeting the Right Referral Sources

Day 3 Prospecting in Person

Day 4 Networking Strategy

Day 5 LinkedIn Prospecting

Day 6 Investigative Prospecting

Day 7 Lead Nurturing

Day 8 Don’t Be A Boring Salesperson

Day 9 Listening in Sales

Day 10 Needs Analysis in Sales Part 1

Day 11 Needs Analysis In Sales Part 2

Day 12 Twitter for Sales Part 1

Day 13 Twitter for Sales Part 2

Day 14 Keeping Commitments

Day 15 Selling Benefits and Results

Day 16 Preemptive Objection Handling

Day 17 Sell the Price Different Not The Total Cost

Day 18 Vital Signs

Day 19 Preparing For a Sales Call

Day 20 Team Selling

Day 21 Just Thinking About You

Day 22 Team Players Make Efficient Sellers

Day 23 Day of Rest, Chill Out and Reflect

Day 24 Influencing Top Level Decision Makers

Day 25 Key Skills and Strengths for Selling Intangibles

Day 26 Reducing Anxiety and Worry

Day 27 15 Ways to Close A Sale

Day 28 Operationalizing Your Sales Process

Want to Close Bigger Deals? Buy the Book:

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Social Media Speaker Shane Gibson on Social Media Etiquette

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It is not uncommon for salespeople and/or sales managers to get caught in the throes of everyday problems and miss seeing the trees because of the forest.
In most cases there is much more support and help around us than we can see. If most of us could really appreciate what we do have, and be grateful, most of the time we would never have a motivation problem.

There is power in gratitude. For example; Have you ever been forced into giving a kiss and a hug to a relative or a friend of a friend you couldn’t stand? It’s not an inspiring experience. As a matter of fact, it can be downright de-motivating. But if you have ever been asked to hug and kiss someone you secretly admired, I bet you found it to be a very pleasant experience. What’s the difference between the two?
Having to embrace someone you can’t stand, can be de-motivating; embracing someone you admire is motivating.

The same rule applies to situations. Most of us spend time living for tomorrow; living for when we will get that raise, that job, that relationship, or that home. In other words, that’s when we will be happy. We don’t like where we are now, so let us dream about tomorrow. What this means is we are not living in the now. It also means we often set our objectives or goals from a time, place, or state of mind that we do not like, which means we don’t embrace it. Therefore it is de-motivating.
What if you could appreciate the moment and embrace it? It would be inspiring, just like embracing that person you admired.

Gratitude is a powerful motivation. To embrace or appreciate the moment you are in, gives you a deep settled strength, and alleviates anxiety. With this strength you are able to tap into your intuition and be directed into paths that are more meaningful and in tune with who you are. This makes it much easier for you to become enthusiastic and move forward and feel good about the present as well as where you want to go. Having gratitude for where you are now can get you started.

Think about the situation you are in right now that frustrates or even immobilizes you. Now come up with a list of some really positive things that you have going for you right at this moment. Think of things you may be grateful for. A few examples could be good health, living in the country you are in, experience in your field, great relationship with your wife, husband or significant other, certain belongings, past experiences, just to name a few.

Once you finish the list, go back through and mentally say “thank you” to all the circumstances and people you could thank for each one of these. For example; in reference to your health, mentally thank someone who showed you how to eat properly, or who got you involved in some form of physical exercise. Maybe a previous employer believed in balanced living and not just work, work, work. Be sure to thank that person mentally. Thank your government for the facilities that are available and your creator for being so kind to you. As Plato once said; “Happiness is not being in a good state, but rather knowing you are in a good state.”

Once you have completed this exercise, you will have experienced the power of appreciation. You will feel much better about the moment. To see the positive in your present circumstances and to feel gratitude about the moment will get you started and keep you going.

Unfortunately, our egos work very hard at stopping us from experiencing gratitude. Very few of us can openly display gratitude on a daily basis to all those people and situations around us. It is much easier to fill our minds and bodies with self-importance, dissatisfaction, criticism, and victim-style thinking, than it is to put these feeling aside and say thank you. Monitor yourself and see how often you resist or justify not having gratitude. Being aware of your anti-gratitude stance alone, can start you on the road to being more grateful and more productive.

As the manager you may want to share this process with your people. Gratitude is one of the greatest internal motivators of all.

(An excerpt from our “Complete Sales Action System”)

To Donate the the Vancouver Food Bank Click here or the image below. Every bit helps!

Blogathon 2009 for Vancouver Food Bank

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To Donate the the Vancouver Food Bank Click here or the image below. Every bit helps!

Blogathon 2009 for Vancouver Food Bank

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Can a fictional character blog?

This was a huge question in the early days of blogging. Blogging stalwarts felt that only “real” people should be blogging, especially for a company. There were a couple notable character blogs that were pretty controversial at the time: the Denali Flavors Moose blog and T. Alexander from the Gourmet Station blog.

For a number of months this was an all-consuming tempest in a teacup, with all sorts of name-calling and unpleasantness, however when it all blew over…
Sure, characters can blog. It became clear that whether it was fan fiction or a company mascot assuming the role of “spokesperson”, it wasn’t who the “author” was pro-ported to be, but rather what and how things were said.
Businesses find it helpful to have one “person” be the voice for the entire company, but have several folks write behind the scenes because there aren’t enough people in the company to dedicate one person to blog. The hardest part of having multiple authors blogging is keeping the “voice” of the writing the same. One easy fix is to divide the tasks up. Maybe only one person writes longer posts, but others do things like a weekly post of interesting links or another do the photo of the week. Mix up the type of posts and the people writing them and you’ll have a dynamic blog with a lot less effort!

This is an excerpt from Tris Hussey’s upcoming book on blogging “6 Easy Blogging Projects” published by Pearson. Follow Tris on twitter.

To Donate the the Vancouver Food Bank Click here or the image below. Every bit helps!

Blogathon 2009 for Vancouver Food Bank

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#1) Raul in his happy place (He’s blogging for charity tonight too)

#2) This guy I met in Yaletown, his daughter neglected to brush the cat until it’s hair was in knots, the poodle groomer was cheaper. He should be arrested… and shaved.

#3) Doolins Irish Pub at Lunch time. You should see dinner.

#4) This was a joke gift but he chose to wear it in public.

#5) I can’t really top #4 so this post is done.

To Donate the the Vancouver Food Bank Click here or the image below. Every bit helps!

Blogathon 2009 for Vancouver Food Bank

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Twitter For Sales Part 1

Twitter For Sales Part 2

What the Heck is a Tweetup?

Social Media is Turning Sales and Marketing Upside Down

How Hard is it to Video Blog?

To Donate the the Vancouver Food Bank Click here or the image below. Every bit helps!

Blogathon 2009 for Vancouver Food Bank

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To Donate the the Vancouver Food Bank Click here or the image below. Every bit helps!

Blogathon 2009 for Vancouver Food Bank

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Here it is:

Can You Use Social Media To Get International Sales For Your Business?

As a small business owner based in France targeting North American clients, social media makes good sense for me. And it works my business. Why? Because there are no significant barriers created by cultural differences between the social media I use and the people I connect with.

If you want use social media to develop your international business, there are two things you need to remember.

Sales Techniques

You will need to develop strong international sales negotiation techniques.

This comes with practice. But you must be willing to put in the personal effort needed to develop these skills.

Adapt Your Business

Have a look at the 5 different cultural scales outlined by Geert Hofstede:

· High versus Low Power Distance

· Individualism versus Collectivism

· Masculinity versus Femininity

· High versus Low Uncertainty Avoidance

· Long versus Short Term Orientation

What are these scales? They are an attempt to categorize and explain cultural differences.

I will not go into them here, but click through the link above. It is a very interesting table. You will see scores for a long list of countries for all 5 of these scales. And you can choose your country and another one to see how the two sets of cultural differences compare.

Although these 5 scales seem complex and they have their limitations, it is easy to understand why you need to approach people from different cultures differently.

And International Social Media?

Read the news and open your ears. Social media has hit the world everywhere. Here are a few points to remember:

· There are different social medial platforms in different countries

· What is popular in one country may not be popular in another one

· People use social media differently

It is not easy to get international social media statistics. And I am not sure I would even begin trying to get a comprehensive world vision of social media.

I suggest another approach…

Instead of taking on the whole planet, simply because social media is “free’:

· Keep your business in mind.

· Choose one country and jump into their social media environment.

Do not start with social media marketing. Instead:

· Start with social media networking

Get to know how people use social media in their country and then work on finding out how to adapt marketing your business in this new country.

There are some international social media networking scenarios where it is easy to create business relationships from a distance.

If you have any international social media stories to share, I would love to hear them. Please leave a comment below and tell me how you have used social media within part of your sales process.

Cindy King is a Cross-Cultural Marketer & International Sales Strategist based in France.  She uses her dual background in sales & marketing to help businesses improve their international sales conversion and develop country-specific international sales guides. Connect with her on Twitter @CindyKing

To Donate the the Vancouver Food Bank Click here or the image below. Every bit helps!

Blogathon 2009 for Vancouver Food Bank

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To Donate the the Vancouver Food Bank Click here or the image below. Every bit helps!

Blogathon 2009 for Vancouver Food Bank

Click here to Tweet this Sales Blog Post to Twitter

Free version of Free the Future of a Radical Price

Free the Future of a Radical Price Downloads and Versions.

In my seminars I often refer to the fact that the best tools on the internet are free.  So is some of the best content, lessons, and guidance. So when I heard Chris Anderson (author of The Longtail) on the Managing the Gray Podcast talking about his new book I was pretty fired up. Today (thanks to a heads up from Fred Shadian) Chris has released several free versions of his book prior to the book launch of July 9th.  I’m watching Chris closely as giving out free versions of Sociable is part of Stephen Jagger and my plans for our book launch later this Summer and it’s nice to have someone blaze the trail for you!

Chris’ strategy on charging for abridged versions is interesting, he says:

Why is the whole book free in audio form, but half the book is $7.49? (FREE ABRIDGED VERSION HERE) [note from Shane] Because, as the Audible.com listing explains,“Get the point in half the time! In this abridged edition, the author handpicked the most important and engaging chapters and points, cutting three hours from the length without losing key concepts. Time is money!”

Here are the versions available now:

MP3 Download of Free the Future of a Radical Price (Zip file)

Listen to it on Wired.com

Or read it on Scribd.com

FREE (full book) by Chris Anderson

What are your thoughts on his strategy? I like it, a lot.

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On June the 23rd we’re doing it again with 7 groups and we don’t expect snow, we expect a full house.

This is the Meetup of all Meetups that we are associated with here in Vancouver. We have joined forces with the likes of the Third Tuesday Meetup then Vancouver Blogger’s Meetup the Real Estate Technology Meetup and the Young Professionals Meetup for one big summer social mixer. New Additions to the Meetup of Meetups is the Wordpress Meetup and the Vancouver Entrepreneur Meetup Group.

Door prizes valued up to $500.00 donated by Ceilis Irish Pub, Reachd, and Ubertor. Other prizes include an iPod speaker system from EcoSmart Automation and advance copies of Shane Gibson and Stephen Jagger’s new book Sociable!

This is an opportunity to expand your network, connect, and have fun in a casual atmosphere.

Cost: Free (Sponsored by Ceilis) but we would like to suggest a $5 donation (or more) for the Food Bank if you can. Cheques and Cash.

Schedule:

6:00 pm Arrive, grab a drink ticket and your Meetup Badge
6:30 pm 5 minute welcome and thanks to the sponsors
6:35 pm til late: Positive community building and networking anarchy! Have fun
8:30 pm prize draws and twitpic of the night award.

Important Notes:

Ceilis will also be offering a couple food specials at the event.
If you’re doing to drink please arrange a drive home with a designated driver or taxi
Drinking and twittering or updating facebook should be done while seated or leaning against a bar to avoid shaky photo syndrome.

Register Here for The Event

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3.    Consistent – Don’t change your identity.  Brands, relationships, trust, and technology all take time for adoption and acceptance. Be consistent with your message and on-line social media identity.
4.    Confident – You must be confident and instill confidence in the customer.  Use social media to listen to your customers.  Jay says, “Service is anything the customer wants it to be.” Listen! He goes on to say, “Quality is what customers get out of your product. “  This is great information that can help you provide specific, on topic, brilliant solutions to your target market’s pains.
5.    Patient – Be patient. Be patient with yourself, it will take you time to master the Guerilla Marketing “Weapons of Social Media.” Be patient as you build a community online, build roots and a foundation that will be un-shakable.  Be patient with your target market, they will rush in to use and engage in social media, but they will do it in their time-frame.

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A number of you have asked for more information on the program. Here are the major topic areas that will be addressed in the 28-day program:

• The ABC’s of Targeting – How to fine tune and focus your sales process
• Master Prospecting Strategies – How to develop a step by step prospecting plan using offline, online and social media tools and processes
• Rapport – Tips, strategies and tactics for developing instant rapport
• Selling with Style – how to read and adapt to different types of buyers for maximum effectiveness.
• Social Selling – Social media and networking strategies to help you engage and develop business, using tools like blogging, twitter, FaceBook and video.
• Needs Analysis Selling – Using questioning to establish rapport, identify client pains and develop easy to sell solutions.
• Key Account Management – Approached to landing, retaining and growing high value clients
• Life Time Client Strategies – Using personal branding, social media leadership, relationship development, and pro-active service strategies to create a loyal customer base.

Each day participants will have the opportunity to share their success, applications and challenges with each other. I expect this to also be a good networking opportunity. (All this will happen at http://closingbigger.net)

If you are not already registered for the program you can do so below. (There’s no fee, no advertising, and you can start or quit at anytime).

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Today’s consumer has a lot of choice. They also have access to many points in the distribution chain that they never had before. This poses many opportunities for entrepreneurs, sales professionals, and anyone else involved in the value chain.

Marketing and sales has changed.

This is a positive thing for progressive marketers and sales people, but it also offers up many challenges for those who are selling like it was 1999. Have a listen to today’s sales podcast to find out the three key skills and tools necessary to engage today’s consumer and client:

-

Special event:

28 Days to Better Selling Launches May 18th 2009:

Here’s how 28 Days to Better Selling Works:

1) A daily task that you can easily implement to improve your sales and business
2) A succinct daily lesson to help you make the improvement

By the end of the 28 days you will have looked at 28 ways to fine tune and improve your sales process and business. The daily lessons will be in written, video or audio format and will take less than 10 minutes each to review. There is no charge for this event and program.

To Register for the program please enter your e-mail address below:

Enter your Email

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If you want to improve your sales and have been too busy to put a plan into place you’re not alone.

I have had many people in the sales community including sales professionals, senior executives and high tech entrepreneurs and bloggers who are all looking for ways to convert connections into long-term clients and relationships.

Their challenge is that most resources available are either one time training opportunities, or extensive and over whelming programs that are tough to implement. This program takes care of all of this.

The 28 Days to Better Selling program is completely free and is 100% content and 0% advertising or promotions. All content focused on helping you.

This concept was inspired by a 31 Days to Build a Better Blog program that Problogger.com put on for 12,000 other bloggers. As a participant it was very helpful for me. The concept is simple:

Here’s how 28 Days to Better Selling Works:

1) A daily task that you can easily implement to improve your sales and business
2) A succinct daily lesson to help you make the improvement

By the end of the 28 days you will have looked at 28 ways to fine tune and improve your sales process and business. The daily lessons will be in written, video or audio format and will take less than 10 minutes each to review.

To Register for the program please enter your e-mail address below:

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Jay Levinson has sold over 20 million books on Guerrilla Marketing making him one of the top selling marketing authors in history. Following is a brief video interview I did with Jay on Guerrilla Marketing.

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Sociable! Is about “How social media and social networking are turning sales and marketing up-side down.”  This book idea really began as a discussion shortly after I interviewed Stephen Jagger for my sales podcast on “Twitter and GrandCentral.com.” Then in January I shared with Steve my goal to write three more books this year and when the topic of Social Media for Sales People and Entrepreneurs came up we quickly decided that we should do it together.  We will also be sharing with our readers how we have managed to write a book in 90 days at some point in the future.

Based upon my experience and the collective experience of the team at Knowledge Brokers International we have seen sales evolve to a true profession. With that said I also feel that sales is broken, a lot of the old approaches such as cold calling or marketing at people versus engaging them are becoming less and less effective (this prompted my podcast last week on “how to avoid cold calling“).

The bare bones pre-launch website for Sociable! is up and you can sign up to hear more about upcoming seminars, events (usually involving beer and social media sales types), at the site.  We will also be selecting about a dozen people to review the book in a protected blog where you will be able to make comments and add your thoughts.  Some of those will be included in the comments section at the end of each chapter.

After spending 8 hours today finishing these Chapters off, I’m done writing for a while.

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Some once said part of success is just showing up. To add to this it’s about HOW YOU SHOW UP. Have a listen (Be warned this one may offend those who don’t enjoy sarcasm):

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Yesterday was the first day Stephen Jagger and I officially announced our new book Sociable! A book on how social media is turning sales and marketing up-side down.  We did a 30 minute presentation and 25 minute Q&A at the Massive Technology Show in Vancouver. (We will be in Toronto on May7th as well)  The feedback from the seminar was positive and the big question has been when is the book being released?

Based upon feedback from the publisher / printer we’re looking at early June as the soft launch of the book.  We will be announcing a series of events around the book in the coming weeks and how you can get advance copies for review.

If you want to be kept up to date on this you can get on our list here:

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I have been working with the Academy of Learning for over a year to launch this program and it is now available through their network of 145 locations across Canada.

New Program Trains Sales Professionals Who Meet the Demands of Today’s Business World

Academy of Learning is pleased to announce the new Sales Professional Diploma program“ said Derek Hamill, President of LaunchLife International Inc., the franchisor of Academy of Learning. “Without sales there is no business. Academy of Learning wanted to deliver a first rate diploma program to guide and prepare graduates for top notch sales opportunities, and that’s what we did.

Academy of Learning, along with speaker, author and global entrepreneur, Shane Gibson, President of Knowledge Brokers International (KBI), designed the Sales Professional Diploma program with the goal to ensure that every student has the necessary sales knowledge and practical tools to succeed in a sales career.

This program is based upon KBI’s methodologies that have been implemented and used by leading business organizations such as SIEMENS, Old Mutual, The Certified Management Accountants of Canada, the Vancouver Board of Trade and dozens of manufacturers and leading financial services companies. Over 100,000 people in the last 10 years have attended KBI’s programs in Canada, USA, Southern Africa, South East Asia, the Middle East and South America.

This program will prepare graduates with the right skills to excel as a sales professional.

Some of the key courses and areas of focus in the program include: Principles of Selling, Business Presentations, Professional Selling, Business Negotiations & Contracts, and Business Law and Ethics. Graduates will be prepared with the right tools for lucrative sales careers in disciplines such as inside sales, outside sales, key account management, retail and large business to business sales careers. This program is ideal for individuals entering the workplace for the first time, re-entering the workplace, or current jobholders who want to upgrade or get formal recognition as a sales professional.

Labour conditions for the sales profession have remained consistent. Jobfutures.ca indicates that there is a broad variety of career opportunities in sales in fields such as advertising, wholesale, publications, hospitality, entertainment, travel, as well as in the telecommunication industry. Companies need to be competitive and that means having the right sales person who knows how to win accounts and maintain business relationships.

A labour analysis conducted by Academy of Learning shows sales positions are still key requirements in the workforce. Additional research relating specifically to the sales profession research found that:

• Graduates of sales related programs can expect a salary at a mid to slightly higher than average annual salary.
• The employment outlook in sales is at a good level for the coming year.
• The Globe and Mail newspaper stated that employers are having difficulty filling Sales Representatives positions.
• 72% of those with previous work experience found a job within one month of graduation.
• 45% of respondents in the Canadian Professional Sales Association study on “The State of the Sales Nation” stated that finding good sales people was very challenging.

According to Rob Simas, Director, Academic Division at LaunchLife International, “the labour market findings allowed us to develop a comprehensive and focused Sales Professional Diploma program, designed to meet the outcomes and objectives of program standards used by many of the community colleges, without sacrificing vocation and integrity.”

Mr. Simas concluded by saying, “We are pleased to provide a program to individuals looking for a well-rounded introduction to sales. We are confident that this program will open the door to entry-level positions within the exciting and rewarding field of sales.”

Contact the Academy of Learning

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No. 265- February 22, 2009

Dive Right In. Let’s talk about the job market in a positive way. Yes, people are losing jobs, but they are also finding new ones, or getting promotions. Here is some excellent advice on one of the first things you should do when you get that new job. William C. Byham, chairman and CEO of Development Dimensions International, in Start Networking Right Away (Even If You Hate It) Harvard Business Review, January 2009 says, “Even if you have an aversion to networking – as many people do – it’s imperative to start forging deliberate connections within the first 30 to 60 days after a promotion, the period when people in a new division or company are making up their minds about whether you’re dependable – or a loser who should never have been hired.” To read the entire article go to: Harvard Business Review

– Darcy, Gayle and Judy

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As most of my stories start, it began with Guinness and good times.  I tipped several pints over several nights with Trevor and Robyn and we formed a friendship.  Eventually I asked Trevor to help me as a Ghost Writer for my book ( later named “Closing Bigger the Field Guide to Closing Bigger Deals”) yet after a few weeks of working with him his in depth of experience as a real crime reporter, Bloomberg business writer, and all around brilliant guy, I asked Trevor if he would be co-author with me instead of just a writer in the background.  At that time I had the first glimpse of this gentle warrior genius and I knew that I wanted to share more adventures, successes and creative moments with him.

It soon came to pass after many months and some great mentoring by people like Dr. Denis Cauvier and my father Bill Gibson that the book was ready for market. Trevor and I liked to celebrate a good day of writing with a a few pints after work.  We calculated that “Closing Bigger” took 386 pints to write. Not bad. We should have had more Guinness and written the sequel too.  All joking aside, in the year we worked together sided by side we forged a great relationship, and for the first time in a very long time I had found a business partner that I could completely trust, COMPLETELY.

So it was with great sorrow and angst ( I hope I hid it well ) that I bid Trevor farewell from the Yaletown brewing company in Vancouver, gave him a big hug (wasn’t something we did normally) and watched him walk out the door.  It’s the last time I witnessed him walk.  He as a reservist turned full time military officer he was heading to Afghanistan to emancipate those without a voice. Trevor dreamed of fresh water, young girls with access to education, and renewing hope for those who had lived under tyranny, ignorance, and war for decades.

Three months later; just before 7:00 am in early March 2006 my phone rang.  The call displayed “Gregory Kirkpatrick” a mutual friend and rugby buddy of Trevor’s and mine from the Vancouver Rowing Club.  I knew it could only be one thing. Trevor Greene.

“Trevor’s been hit in the head, he might not make it, he was ambushed”

I originally thought he had been shot in the head. I later learned that while meeting with some village elders in a small town attempting to find out what rebuilding they needed (schools, infrastructure etc.) he was “Brained, LITERALLY” (as Trevor describes it) with an axe to the head by a deranged young man.  The axe literally chopped part of his skull and brain in half, leaving bone, blood and gray matter on the ground.  They all thought he was dead. The young man that hit him was riddled with bullets and died before he hit the ground. ( You can read more about the incident here )

That morning was for me the lowest emotional point of my life. We had built a friendship, a brotherhood, and a dream together and now it was taken away from me, from him, from Debbie and little Grace.  I woke my wife up sobbing, wailing actually.  I had held people while they died, I even while living in Africa witnessed up close an execution/gun fight in front of the Hard Rock Café in Johannesburg of all places, but nothing in my past compared to this.

I was angry, I should have done more to make him stay.  I should have made him quit.  This angst spread into a low level numbness that lasted months.

Back to Trevor: First he had to stabilize, then they would fly him to a US Military hospital in Germany where they would operate on him.  While I was full of sorrow and a healthy dose of self pity Debbie Lepore, Trevor’s Fiancée was arriving in Germany and about to begin an incredible journey with Trevor.

They told her that he might not live, and if he did, he probably wouldn’t wake up.  If he did wake up, he would be a vegetable.  Debbie simply replied “You don’t know Trevor.”  This would become her mantra. Their mantra.  No one had ever come back from this, there is no medical case history. Once a Doctor told her to put him in long term care and get one with her life. “You don’t know Trevor” she replied

Experts defined: Ex= “a has been” Spirt= “a drip under pressure.” The problem with these people is they attempt to measure the infinite with finite tools.  As much as Trevor’s story is about a hero and a warrior it is one about infinite love and faith.  That cannot be measured by indoctrinated “group thinkers.”

“He will not wake up”
He woke up.
“He will be a vegetable”
He responded and was aware
“He will not talk”
He talked
“He will not survive several bouts of pneumonia”
He healed, he survived
“He will not have use of his limbs, he will not be able to move on his own”
He now can feed himself, he can now push his own wheelchair and sometimes if he’s really motivated he can tip his own beer.
“But he will not walk again.”
YOU DON’T KNOW TREVOR

I visited Trevor and Debbie in the hospital several times when he was in Alberta.  One trip I visited and he according to others was just coming out of a depression of sorts. (I worked with him, and we’re both moody at the best of times!)  I asked him why the positive change? What happened? Why had his progress rapidly increased all of a sudden?

In his own words to me:

I forgave my attacker, you can’t hate and heal at the same time.

Love heals. Love creates abundance. Give what you most want. If you want love, give it. If you want respect, give it. If you want peace, give peace.

In the documentary about Trevor Greene and Debbie Lepore that airs today at 7pm PST on CTV here in Canada (done by an amazing woman Sue Ridout) Trevor answers a question and his answer is something that stuck to me, permeated my being.

The question was “Trevor do you have dreams about what happened?”  Trevor answers “Yes.  I’m in Afghanistan, I’m sitting in the village where I was attacked, I am talking to the boy that attacked me, and I tell him, I’m sorry, I’m sorry that my friend killed you, I was there in uniform in your home, with a weapon.”

Many people think it’s too late to change, to change their lifestyle, to change their habits, to learn new things.   At 41/42 years old Trevor has been able to rewire his brain, retrain his Nero system, and rewire the brains of anyone who is influenced by Trevor and Debbie.

Trevor and Debbie, their story, and their friendship has changed me forever.  I feel blessed to know these two heroes, these two healers.  Some of the lessons that I have been blessed with as a result are:

• Trust your heart not the experts
• One person is a majority not a statistic
• You can’t hate and heal at the same time, so make up your mind
• Love and faith are really great medicine
• See the miracle in every moment you spend with those you love
• Tell them how much they mean to you sooner than later
• With faith, focus, and follow-through anyone can create massive positive change in their life, in their body, and in their community.

==========================================

December 14th Update:

Summary in Macleans Magazine of the Documentary on CTV ( W five )

Video Trevor Greene “Peace Warrior” You can now watch parts of the documentary on CTV.ca

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Rodney and Stephen from Reachd Training

Last week I had the opportunity to do something I haven’t done in a while.  I had the opportunity to sit through 3 half days of training on social media and social networking facilitated by Reachd training. I asked Stephen Jagger co-founder of Reachd to meet with my client Builddirect.com and have a brief discussion with the executive team about how they go further engage their customers using social media and social networking.  After this initial discussion it was decided that Stephen Jagger and Rodney Bartlett would run a 9 hour ( 3 half days ) bootcamp with the team.  Because I’m working with the sales team I wanted to understand what they learned and how we could integrate it with the sales process.

As someone who has sat through a lot of training sessions and seminars I was impressed. The training was relevant and customized for the client. Here’s briefly what they covered:

Day 1 – Video Blogging

Although I already do some vidoe blogging this day re-inspired me to do much more of it.  In fact it opened my eyes to many other positive applications.  They covered everything from what good content is right through to how one can get massive distribution for their online video blogs.  We even watched a video of Ian Watt take his pants off on Tom Everitt’s show. Ian was named as a top 10 Real Estate Blogger by Inmann News, and I don’t think he did it by being safe

Day 2 – Twitter, Twitter and more Twitter

Great day.  Twitter is a micro-blogging and social networking / communications tool.  This day was focused on how to create valuable conversations with your clients, customer, partners and even the media using this tool.  Companies like Zappos and Comcast as examples have used Twitter to directly engage their customers online.  Mostly early adopters, thought leaders and of course chatter boxes of all types.  Steve and Rodney were great and outline clear strategies to use the tool to engage customers, increse blog traffic and offered revenue generating examples as well.

Day 3 – FaceBook for business and Blogging

FaceBook has entire blogging communities devoted to it’s mutiple uses.  In Canada in particular it has high numbers fo subcribers compared to MySpace and in the US it basically is tied in regards to the number of users.  Most people reading this have probably been on FaceBook for a year or more. So I’ll spare you “What is FaceBook” rant.  With that said Rodney shared innovative ways to use video, photos, the events function, groups and pages to engage and grow your client and fan base.

Blogging – This was a great overview of how to write to create a following and an engaged client base.  The core message was blog and blog often. Also focus on shorter posts with a single focus this also helps with search engine optimization and you don’t tend to lose the readers interest.  One other good tip was when people comment on your blogs, answer them back, even drop them a quick e-mail to let them know you replied, this stimulates levels of engagement and personalizes the interaction.

This was a very brief review (I have 9 pages of notes) from the training but it was comprehensive yet down to earth and easy to understand.

Related links:

Follow them on twitter: Jeff Booth CEO of Builddirect, Rodney and Stephen of Reachd, Builddirect.com Corporate and for Upcoming Reachd Training events

Follow me Shane Gibson on Twitter

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• Ian Watt of http://www.ianwatt.ca posted a video review of yesterday’’s Seminar I did for the Vancouver Board of Trade on Selling and Succeeding in Turbulent Economic Times.
• Vinetta Peek Vice President of Marketing and Communications for the Certified Management Accountants shares her thoughts on the event as well.

Ian’s Video:

Shane Gibson Selling and Succeeding in Turbulent Economic Times from Ian Watt Vancouver Condo on Vimeo.

Vinetta Peek’s review of the event:

On behalf of the Certified Management Accountants of British Columbia – I wanted to let you know how pleased we were to participate and sponsor your event yesterday with the Vancouver Board of Trade.

Selling and Succeeding in Turbulent Economic Times is definitely something any company who wants to survive the upcoming Economic Storm, needs to focus on – and your presentation went into great depth as to how to focus on those positive opportunities – which will ultimately result in growth vs. decline.

In talking to some of your guests after the event, the comments were extremely positive: in the information you provided, your great sense of humour – which makes learning enjoyable, and the overall positive benefit to them attending the event.

I look forward to attending more of your seminars in the future – as I find them refreshing and relevant to the challenges businesses face each day.

Vinetta Peek, CMA (Hon.) Vice President, Marketing and Communications CMA Canada – British Columbia Suite 1055, Two Bentall Centre 555 Burrard Street, Box 269 Vancouver, BC V7X 1M8 1-800-663-9646 ext. 7003 | Fax: (604) 687-6688 or 1-800-663-8715 Website: www.cmabc.com

cmabcjobs.com – The exclusive job site of the Certified Management Accountants of BC!
BC’s Best Employers, BC’s Brightest Students & Graduates, BC’s Top CMAs.
We encourage you to visit this new site often as job postings and resumes are added on a continual basis.
Visit www.cmabcjobs.com today!

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Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Managers’ Toolbox

Speaker:	Shane Gibson, President (North America), Knowledge Brokers International Systems Ltd.
Topic:	SELLING AND SUCCEEDING IN TURBULENT ECONOMIC TIMES
	Many sales professionals and entrepreneurs are concerned about how they are going to weather today’s global financial storm. The rules of the game have changed with the meltdown in the banking sector, along with globalization and the introduction of disruptive technologies to almost every industry. Succeeding in turbulent economic times is about proactively taking control of our own personal economy. Shane Gibson, president of Knowledge Brokers International, will share with you strategies to succeed in any economic condition. Fortunes have been made during times of change and economic downturn; sales people and entrepreneurs must develop a tool kit to help us adapt to and succeed in this ever-changing environment. It’s not what happens that defines an event; it’s how we respond to it that matters. This fast-paced session will give attendees the tools, insight and strategies needed to respond to today’s marketplace conditions. You will also learn: How to develop and fine-tune your sales process for any environment; Why the best time to gain market share is in turbulent times; The power of community and connecting; How to use technology to reduce your marketing and sales costs; How and why to swim against economic tides and trends; Tips and steps to maintaining sanity and focus in tough times. About the speaker Shane Gibson is a Vancouver-based international speaker, author of Closing Bigger: The Field Guide to Closing Bigger Deals, and a global entrepreneur who has addressed several thousand people over the past thirteen years. As a trainer, coach and motivational speaker he combines a diverse background in sales force leadership, new entrepreneur development and extensive sales and leadership coaching. Who should attend Business owners, executives in the areas of sales, marketing, business development, sales staff, entrepreneurs and anyone responsible for or part of a team that needs to generate revenues. Presented by The Board’s Small Business Council MAKE IT COUNT The Vancouver Board of Trade’s 2008 Managers’ Toolbox Series qualifies for The Company of Young Professionals Engaged Leadership Certificate Credits. One session = 2 credits. Please refer to http://www.tcyp.ca for further details.
Event#	090722
Date:	Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Time:	Registration: 7:30 a.m. Program: 7:45 – 9:45 a.m.
Location:	The Coast Plaza Hotel & Suites, Stanley Park – Comox Ballroom 1763 Comox Street
Sponsors:	Certified Management Accountants Presented in co-operation with: Small Business BC
Tickets:	Members Individuals $64.00 + GST Register Online Table of 6 $462.00 + GST Register Online Members save at least 30% ! Future Members Individuals $96.00 + GST Register Online Table of 6 $750.00 + GST Register Online Not a member yet? Click here for Membership Benefits!

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Here’s today’s podcast on “Using Social Networking and Social Media to Succeed in Tough Times.”

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Quick Links:

Sales Training Courses

Internet Marketing Training

Shane Gibson’s Bio

More Sales Videos

Sales Podcasts

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Become a CMA in British Columbia

Learn about the CMA Designation across Canada

Book Shane Gibson for your next conference

Title: The Career Maker – Relationship Development Skills

This is blogathon entry number 38 for the MSMF Blogathon. Visit this page to learn how you can support this cause.

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Stephen Jagger will be talking about using the web and technology to amplify your small business and help you move into the big leagues.

Norman Stowe will be talking about how to effectively work with the media using PR and other tools.

I will be talking about how to build personal relationships that develop depth and credibility and in turn create an endless stream of referals for sales people and entrepreneurs.

Here’s the Board’s description of the event:

In today’s business climate, a small business can position themselves strategically to compete with some of the fastest growing companies in the world.

These experts offer clear guidelines and a wealth of information on how to make a big impact with your clients, raise your company’s profile, and use the power of technology to move your business ahead.

Focus your brand, communicate effectively, fine tune your online presence and your small business will not only succeed, but make a big impact.

It will be interesting to see how we contrast and overlap with our approaches.  I know both Steve and I are big believers in using technology and the web but both of us use the tools a little differently.  Norman Stowe’s events have involved people like the Dalai Lama and Bill Clinton and will have a very global view of branding and networking.

I have a couple of extra tickets for people who are not already members of the Vancouver Board of Trade.  Drop me an e-mail (shane@kbitraining.com) this weekend with your name, telephone number and company info and I’ll hook you up (first come first serve).

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I have provided you with a brief 13 minute audio sales podcast of the topic discussed.

Sales Performance Meetup

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for a 24 hour Blogathon for Charity. Over 24 hours I will write 48 blog posts to help build a school in India that will provide hope, literacy, and options to a very impoverished region of that country.  Some posts will be in the form of audio podcasts to give my hands a rest.

I will be answering questions and blogging on sales, leadership, personal development, and motivation.  Here’s a couple ways you can help:

• Sponsor and entry for $50 and submit a  question on sales, leadership, personal development, or motivation.  Your blog entry will have your answer and a personal profile of you and/or your organization and 2 links back to your website(s).
• Pledge any amount via e-mail (everything helps)
• Spread the word and let your friends and associates know about this event
• Visit my blog and post some comments of encouragement during my 24 hour blogathon 10 pm Friday July 25 to 10 pm Saturday July 26th

To make this as simple as possible I have set up an e-mail account for pledges and after the blogathon I will send you directions on how to make your donation online directly to MSMF.  My e-mail address for pledges is blogathon@kbitraining.com.  Any bloggers who sponsor an entry also will be added to my permanent blogroll as an extra thanks.

For more information on the MSMF foundation and why I chose this charity click here.

To donate immediately click here

Any questions call me at 604-351-5539 or e-mail shane@kbitraining.com

Participating Bloggers:

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We were talking about heros, warriors and winners.  Fred Shared this with me:

When a hero plateaus it’s usually because they have not accepted their calling

This is such a powerful quote.  When we plateau, greatness is before us but we’re at that place (the rut as some refer to it) and it’s because we haven’t fully embraced our mission.

ANSWER YOUR CALLING

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I also just joined another fantastic community called SelfGrowth.com. It’s a massive global expert data base on everything from sales to yoga.

Here’s my new profiles:

Shane Gibson Sales Speaker Profile on Top Sales Experts .com
Shane Gibson’s Expert Profile on Self Growth .com

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Being nervous not kiss of death
MAKING A PRESENTATION: It’s OK if you have a few butterflies

Carla Wilson, CanWest News Service

Published: Sunday, March 25, 2007

Don’t worry if you’re nervous making a presentation. A few butterflies may actually help you.

“If I’m not nervous at all, I may be too relaxed and too uninspiring. A little bit of an edge and some passion can really pull an audience in,” says Shane Gibson, executive vice-president of Knowledge Brokers, which trains executives and managers on how to make more effective, engaging presentations.

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