How does a startup company grow?
The biggest challenge as a startup, says Russian startup CEO Dmitry Golovachev, is figuring out how to grow—getting the right resources to make the right decisions at an early stage which will end in good results years down the road.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icJgq9C7tXY&feature=youtu.be]
I love this video where Golovachev talks about how he and his company, STEK, hoped to address this challenge by finding new partners and create a bigger network through IBM SmartCamp. They found this and much more, with mentoring sessions which helped them be more confident in their company strategy.
Golovachev said STEK has also participated in startup programs offered by other big tech companies like Microsoft and Nokia, but received only software or technical guidance, which did not help his company see the bigger picture and give them the support they really needed. Providing this greater support, he says, is what sets IBM apart in its work with entrepreneurs.
Now, with a win at IBM SmartCamp in Moscow under their belt and a growing network through IBM Global Entrepreneur, it looks like this budding startup is on right track!
Trend #1: Value of Social Sharing is > Information Hoarding
Happy Monday!
Today we are starting a new series of the Top 5 Trends in Social today -- actually involving Social, Big Data and Analytics.
The firs tof the trends is the shift in information value. To illustrate, when I went to school, value was placed on what I memorized. Today, it is about what I share. One of my daugther's assignments at school was to find the answer to a question and prove the answer was from an expert who could be trusted!
Take a look at how this trend applies to business!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYuMSIzuX14&feature=youtu.be]
A brillant combo: Universal laws of sales and social!
Soooo, are there universal laws in sales? Yes! By adhering to these laws, can you increase your value within your company and with your customers?
Join my colleague Jeffrey Gitomer in one of several cities in the US, as he shares his 21.5 Unbreakable Laws of Selling. Learn how these laws can help you better engage and build relationships with your customers.
I have to say.. he makes learning fun! And he just shared with me the secrets of Karaoke and selling ... ! Yes see you in the Karaoke lounge at IBM Connect 2014!
I will have the opportunity to join Jeffrey in a few cities to explore how you can leverage social tools to share knowledge within your organization and create a smarter sales force.
The first seminar will be held in Orlando on September 3, followed by Atlanta, Las Vegas, DC, Philadelphia, and other cities to come.
Visit Jeffrey's website here for more information www.gitomer.com
I look forward to seeing you there! Sandy
Who is the smartest in the room? Social can tell you!
Ask a social executive, ‘who is the smartest in the room?’ and she will answer: the room. (Now, since she answered this way, does that make her the smartest again?!)
Why? The Fortune 500 lose “$31.5B a year by failing to share knowledge” according to Lisa Quast, Forbes Online. The "room" is the group that generates ideas because they are closest to the clients and the market. But only 25% of companies are good at Idea Generation & Idea Conversion.
So yes, that executive who can harness the power of the room, wins everytime!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnb4onPPbAs]
Sweet tea and screen doors. Social Businesses could learn alot from them!
Yes, I am southern pure as they come! I love my sweet ice tea, grits with butter, screen doors, and Kudzu.
In the summer, the screen door is an essential element of everyone's home. The screen door's entire point is that it's not a barrier. Its job is to open easily. It is a welcome to all visitor's and friends that approach it.
Is your social media site like that screen door? Does it open and welcome others in?
Tips to make your site as welcoming as that Southern Door!
- Do you make people type in that "code" to enter? Don't!
- Is your site mobile friendly and usable?
- Do you have stellar content ? Content is Queen!
- Is Video part of your strategy? Video is the highest trusted media! Use it wisely!
- Do you have a Twitter Widget on your Home page to engage your audience? (Check out my blog on IBM Voices!)
- Can you feature other guests on your site?
- How do you listen? All relationships listen first!
- Are your employees empowered to really represent the brand on your site?
- Have you chosen the right social tools that welcome your audience? For instance, if you are selling to men, Pinerest may not be the best first choice.
- Do you constantly review the feedback and make changes to adapt and change?
Social Business Use Case: A more successful Acquisition using social
Happy Monday and welcome to today's Social Business Coffee Break!
Today we are continuing the series on Top Social Business Use Cases. This one is how to leverage social to have more successful acquistions! It makes sense - right. Social helps with communication, ideation, and integration. All the things that companies need to retain the top talent in companies that have been aquired.
Tell me what you think!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-L72HUFKeus&feature=youtu.be]
3 G's of Social Communication in A Social Media World!
I was reading an article in HBR on the elements of successful leadership. It was a great HBR article. And as I read it, I thought that it applied to Social Leadership in the way that Great companies should use social -- as a way to build relationships.
Here are the modified Social 3 Gs!
The 3 G's!
- Gifted. Your social communications needs to be both content rich but engaging. Your gifted communicators need to also be able to master having a strong Point of View and to be able to handle conflict without being offensive.
- Game. In social, you need to be able to fail fast. In Social, you need to have the courage to take risks. Just as a leader needs to be "vulnerable and open to challenge and criticism" , your social engagement needs have confidence. The kind of confidence that allows them to be questioned by others without becoming defensive. This is the way that true innovation occurs!
- Generous. Your social strategy needs to put to ensure the goal is for the good of the overall client ecosystem. It should be good-hearted, mutually respectful, and gracious, resisting the urge to dominate, or take the upper hand. Part of being generous with others also means taking an interest in, learning about, and offering opinions regarding your clients and employees.
I think these 3 G's should guide the Social Conversations in the Blogosphere. What do you think?
Social Media Tip of the Week – Using Twitter for business
Using twitter is more or less easy, but being seen by the right people is not that simple. How do you stand out from the crowd without looking like “our company is the greatest” or “buy our products”? On key suggestion on how to use Twitter without contributing to the noise:
-
Cultivate a following:
Relevant followers are more important than just big numbers. Thus: Understand who your customers are, and find them.
IBM Partners in NYC!
Today we hosted a great set of partners down in NYC at the IBM Boardroom! And gave them a great tour of the IBM Library along with the rich history!
Check out these superb partners!
