I believe as humans, it is our natural inclination to say yes, to want to help others. I also believe that we can overwhelm ourselves or overload our schedules by saying yes too often.

My personalty is the type that is driven to succeed, but at the same time has a hard time saying no to people. Why?  I want to help others, I see it as a challenge and to a certain extent because I don’t want to disappoint others.

Like most professionals, I receive requests for help or assistance in certain areas; things that I may have more knowledge of , and typically I will try to help when appropriate.  But this does not mean that every request that can be or should be honored nor does it mean that the assistance should be free.

As a consultant in marketing, social media and business development, my time is what I have to charge for.  I do not sell a product like a widget, I sell my knowledge and my time.  This does not mean that I won’t enjoy a cup of coffee with you or lunch and won’t discuss business.  It does mean that once the discussion is about my areas of consultation, we will discuss rates.

It is also okay to say no to requests for recommendations. Do you use LinkedIn?  If not, cruise on over and sign up; build your network and connections sensibly and ask for recommendations from former co-workers, colleagues and friends.  A word of caution; if you have not talked to someone or had any communications or connections with them recently, it’s not a good idea to ask for a recommendation.  This recently happened to me; the person that asked for the recommendation is a fine person, but they have not spoken to me in years.  I have no recent basis of how to recommend this person.

I think it’s okay to say no. What do you think and how do you politely say no?

One of the reasons I love visiting Walt Disney World is to see the looks on children’s faces when they see everything before them!  Cinderella’s Castle, Mickey Mouse, thrill rides and their favorite characters right before their eyes!  The eyes wide open, jaw dropped look is priceless!  This is how children approach most days, with wonder, amazement and excited to see what will happen!

My question to you is this: How Do You See The World?  Think about it; each and every day we are given has this same amazement and wonder to us as adults….if we only adjust our thinking to see what is before us.  Amazing friends, new connections, opportunities to help others; these are just basic examples of what is in  front of us each day! Business opportunities are in front of us at every step, every single day; but only if we open our eyes to see what is in front of us!

How Do You See The World?

Unfortunately, as adults too many of us see the world and each day as a chore….we must get up, we must go to work, we must meet quota, we must do this and do that!  Wake up!  Each day is a gift given to you and you are NOT guaranteed tomorrow!  Greet each day as a child does entering Walt Disney World:  ready to see it all, do it all and experience it all!

How Do You See The World?

What would you attempt if you knew you could not fail?
-Robert Schuller

I love this quote by Robert Schuller.  What would each of us attempt if we knew we could not fail?  My guess is, we would attempt a lot more than we do now. I believe we can get too wrapped up in the planning and pursuit of  perfection instead of taking chances.  Building and supporting our community is vitally important.  Having a strategy or plan for your business, for marketing and social media is important.  Taking chances are equally important.

So what chances could you be taking right now?  Dive in and try something. Reach out and help a friend; contact someone that you haven’t spoken to lately due to a disagreement.  Try something new.  Take a chance….today!

What chance will you take?

A wise man once said, ” If you stay in the shower for a long time on Monday because you don’t look forward to going to work…. find a new job.”  I am paraphrasing a little with that statement, but to the best of my memory, I first heard that listening to a Zig Ziglar motivational tape!  The thing about that statement is….it is true!

We are blessed with a limited number of days on this planet, and if you spend that much time wishing you were somewhere else, then you need to take whatever steps necessary to make it happen.  Go back to school, learn online, ask the experts, listen to how others are doing what it is that you want to do; do whatever it takes to make this happen. Start networking, start connecting and finding the resources it takes to help you do this.

Employers, you have a responsibility here too!  Talk to your employees and really LISTEN to what they are saying!  Employers say  their greatest assets are their employees; start listening to what they have to tell you.  They may have knowledge that can improve your business and their work!

Embrace Monday’s and another week full of opportunities, or change what is going on in your life so that you can!

If you know me at all, you know that I am a full supporter of the Apple brand and owner of multiple products bearing their logo. Why?  It just works.  I purchased the original iPhone the day it was released and anxiously awaited the release of the iPhone 4. Due to my original 2g phone dying Memorial Day weekend, I was unable to pre-order the new phone; resigning myself to waiting in line on June 29th; the day AT&T had phones available for retail purchase.

Showing up at my local store around 7:00 am, I was greeted by a line of other iPhone enthusiasts…stretching around the side and back of the store. As the store opened and the line slowly crept forward, we were greeted and kept up to date on what to expect by Tom, an AT&T store employee.  Tom supplied answers to our questions as well as water for the mostly patient, soon to be iPhone 4 owners.  He even managed to provide one customer with a bagel because she was so hungry.  Tom told everyone he was not a usual staff member at this store, he was just a floater; someone that worked where needed.  This man could write a book on customer service.  If someone had a specific question; he asked their name; went inside to find the answer, if he did not know it himself; and then would return with the information.  It was a pleasure to watch someone excel at customer service.  The entire staff at the AT&T store performed very well during a busy and challenging day.

The AT&T and Apple experience was an example of customer service done the right way.  What follows is an unfortunate example of the exact opposite; customer service done the wrong way.

In addition to my consulting business, I work as Marketing Director for Consolidated Construction Services.  In this roll, I work to educate the public on what Consolidated does as well as manage all marketing efforts including their online presence.  One of my goals is to make sure that Consolidated is getting the best return on the money they spend on marketing efforts; including their website.

To that regard, we made the decision to move hosting of their website to a new company.  I know the owner of the hosting company and have a deep comfort level with their abilities and organization.  If you wish to check them out, need hosting or design services contact them: Next Generation Designs.

I notified the former hosting company during a phone call on June 29th; due to several reasons, we had not made the decision on moving the hosting until the end of June. Our hosting was up for renewal on July 1st and I committed to Bill Norton, the owner of The LakeNet and ComNet Web Solutions that, due to the late notice, we would pay for an additional thirty to sixty days of hosting and that this could serve as our notice of not renewing our contract.  That did not go over well with Mr. Norton; he stated that we had to pay for another year of hosting…..although we were moving our site and email to a new hosting company!  Within fifteen minutes of our phone call, he suspended our website and email accounts; ignored our phone calls and was completely unresponsive….although we still had time left on our hosting contract!!  After  a couple of hours, he restored the site and email account access so that Next Generation Designs could move it to their servers.  He then fired off an illiterate email to me and blind copied the owner of Consolidated on the email.  The owner’s response?  “I want the entire world to know how unprofessional he is.”

I have not included links to Mr. Norton’s company on purpose because I am not going to promote this person or this type of behavior.  Maybe he was upset because we didn’t purchase the $18,000 blog and advertising package he pitched to us. You read that correctly….an $18,000 package.

Customer service is not hard; if a company the size of AT&T can provide exceptional service with the launch of the largest product in Apple’s history, a local hosting company could at least strive to provide decent service.

That is what I say; what say you?

It amazes me how connections can turn into incredible partnerships, friendships and opportunities to promote one another, even when its unexpected.

If you follow me on Twitter, thank you;  if its been a while since we spoke, drop me an @ reply or a DM, I would love to hear from you.   Followers on Twitter know that each morning, the #PositivePosse gets things going on the East Coast early, normally 5:00 or 5:30 am.  We are a group of friends that support each other and try to keep the positive energy flowing through our conversations on Twitter.

One participant in the #PositivePosse is my friend Vincent Hunt; (@VincentHuntCo) the Captain of our group.

Vincent is the owner of the Vincent Hunt Co.; their main goal, making cool things happen. Essentially his specialization is Design and as he puts it, Design Thinking.

Vincent sent me a DM yesterday asking me for my email address because he had ” a fresh baked idea from his design kitchen” for me.  Just knowing the caliber of this man, I was very excited! After sending my email address, I received a series of emails back with several Fresh Baked Ideas; many of which you will see in this space in the coming days.  I was blown away.  If you want a preview, check out my Twitter profile page @JohnLusher.

Vincent is amazing; with incredible talent and creativity.  Do you need fresh ideas for your brand or business?  Do you need to rebrand?  If the answer is yes, I encourage you to talk to Vincent.

Thank you Captain; we have many more things to work on.  You are amazing!

Most small to medium businesses, along with entrepreneurs attend trade shows.  Consider the following statistics:

Trade Show Statistics – Benefits of Attending Shows

Very often trade shows are billed as the ultimate “Business to Business” sales mechanism, without any supporting data. If you are wondering exactly how valuable investing in a trade show is, here are a few recent statistics and facts:

Trade Shows cost 38% less than Sales Calls.

85% of an exhibitor’s success lies in the performance of the “staff”.

91% of attendees say they get the most useful buying info from trade shows and events.

81% testify that trade shows help attendees become aware of new products and services.

53% of exhibit managers say it’s “difficult, or very difficult”, to keep effective booth staffers.

79% of the attendees say that attending trade shows helps them decide what products to buy.

Trade Show visitors will tell 6+ people about their experience.

91% of attendees say trade shows impact their buying decisions because the competition is in one place, allowing for comparison shopping in real time.

83% of attendees have some kind of buying power.

My question to you is this:  with the benefits of trade shows  as outlined above, do you make the most of this tremendous opportunity to connect via LinkedIn?

LinkedIn at a Trade-Show?  Of course!!!

How would this work?  Ask those you meet if they use LinkedIn
When you meet someone that you would like to maintain a professional connection with,  such as attendees at a trade show or expo, ask them if they are using LinkedIn; if they are, ask if they would welcome a connection request. This is generally a good question after trading business cards!  If they do not use LinkedIn, ask them if you can send them a request; you may open their eyes to what LinkedIn offers to today’s professional.  Be sure to ask for their email address so that you can send them the invitation; then be sure to  follow up after the event and send the invitation.

It’s that simple.  You never know, the connection could lead to business or a professional relationship for career development or growth!

How do YOU use LinkedIn?

Statics Source: Merchant Circle

According to Webster’s New World Dictionary, the word of the year for 2010 is Overshare.  Here is their definition:

Overshare (verb): to divulge excessive personal information, as in a blog or broadcast interview, prompting reactions ranging from alarmed discomfort to approval.

In preparation for an article in the Roanoke Times on Facebook etiquette, one of the areas that I was compelled to address is how much information we share. This specific article is more for high school and college age students that will enter the job market; but I believe we can all learn to NOT overshare our information. Citing multiple survey’s for the article, the lessons learned included being cautious in what you share because executives and hiring managers are making decisions based upon what they find out about you online.

The rise and popularity of social media has lead to the smallest, most mundane details of our lives being published for the world!  Do we do this because we believe people want to know what we are doing, every moment of the day?  Do we overshare so that we can gain approval from our friends or soon to be friends; or, are we changing how we communicate and feel like we have to share these details?  How many times have you read an update from a friend or follower and thought, “why are they sharing that” with me and the world?

I believe there is a saturation point; a point where we can share too much information.  However, I like knowing what my friends are doing, and I have actually met friends for lunch or coffee unexpectedly due to both of us checking in on Foursquare.  Sharing can be good and can lead to opportunities you may not have realized. Oversharing can cause problems or potentially lead to situations that could have been avoided just by using discretion.

Social media and everything it includes should be approached with two simple words: common sense.  Those are my thoughts; what say you?

Join us TODAY for the Roanoke 4Square Day!  This is a great way to promote Roanoke and a local business while networking and relaxing!

More Info: http://www.roanoketweetup.com/…

If you are a business owner, stop resisting social media as a platform to build relationships and to promote your brand!  Just as businesses resisted building and promoting a website, a portion of them are now resisting social media.

Why?  Is it because you don’t understand it or you think it’s a fad?  It isn’t a fad. Is it fear of the unknown?  You have more resources available at your fingertips to learn about social media and how it can help your business starting today!  Guess what?  Your competition is already involved with social media!

Before you jump into social media, let’s clear up some misconceptions.

Social media is inexpensive, or even FREE! We need to put this misconception to rest once and for all.  Yes, many of the tools and the sites that are involved with social media are free to sign up and use.  Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Friendfeed and others do not charge you to sign up and create an account, but you will discover, that is where the free part ends.

It takes time to properly create these profiles and to maintain them.  Social media is and should be part of your marketing campaign.  As a business owner you need to make this plan part of your overall business plan.  Some companies spend as little as a few thousand dollars on a social media campaign. Others spend upwards of $50,000 to $100,000 or more.  This is a form of advertising and marketing your company; tools for building your brand.  Treat it as such, budget for it and plan for it.  You didn’t go into business without a business plan (did you) so do not start a social media campaign without a plan.

Anyone can build your campaign for you. Well, if you spend any time on Twitter, you will realize that thousands of “experts” on social media are promoting themselves.  First of all, there are no experts.  We are all students of social media and it changes so quickly that no one can become an expert.

I recall a conversation with a retail store owner about his website.  In an effort to save money, the store owner was having a local high school kid design and launch his site.  I visited his store six months later and the site had just launched, over three months behind schedule.  Approximately one year later, a Google search, with specific parameters included that related to his business and that should have been keywords for his business; resulted in his site being found….on page three. Was the cost savings worth the amount of lost business to his shop because consumers couldn’t find his site or his store?  Do you go past page one on a Google search?  Hint: consumers typically do not.

I use the previous story to highlight the importance of hiring a true professional to build and launch your successful social media campaign. A campaign that is integrated with your marketing efforts. You should also interview the person or firm that you decide to choose as a partner! Have they created successful campaigns in the past? Do they integrate video into their campaigns? What does their portfolio look like?

You can make a big splash in short amount of time. Rome wasn’t built in a day and typically your social media campaign will not make a big splash or build a strong or loyal following in a short amount of time.  It can, but those are exceptions to the rule, not the norm. If you are already a star or have a big name in business, then you can make a big splash; if not, it takes slow and steady work. Twitter is great for building a following and driving traffic to your site, your blog, your website.  Use video to acquaint your followers with your company, products, services and staff; but remember it takes time!

You can handle a social media campaign internally. Maybe. Most companies rarely employ personnel that are well versed and experienced in social media campaigns.  Even if they have the experience, do they have the time?  What do you pay them to do and how much?  Run the numbers and then hire an experienced person or firm.  Another advantage to using an outside person or firm?  Their contacts and their network. Chances are, it’s larger than yours.  Do you do your own business taxes?  Do you represent your own company in legal matters?  Why would you try to run a social media campaign internally without the right people, with the right experience?

People will automatically find you. That misconception reminds me of one of my favorite quotes, “Doing a good job around here is like peeing in a dark suit, It makes you feel warm but nobody notices” Jason Bolt. People will not automatically find you, but word of mouth, or spread by the click (mouse) can help!  Using tools like Twitter, StumbleUpon or Digg helps, but your network, combined with traffic driven by the professional you partner with for your campaign, will help the world find you!

You can’t measure social media results. Sure you can. Just as you can measure traffic to your website and responses to advertisements in traditional media, you can measure social media results.  Using Google Trends along with other analytics can provide you specific statistics on who is finding you, who is clicking on your links and sites and how well your campaign is working.

Approach a social media campaign just as you would any other aspect of your business; carefully, with planning and the right professionals involved.

Those are my thoughts. What say you?