On customers, sellers and digital "body language"

I attended recently a webinar on using social media to increase sales. I am not into sales and my chances to ever get into it are very slim, but I am extremely interested about the general process of interaction and communication between customers and clients in the new 2.0 world.

What I've learned about or remembered is that:

- the customers have more control over the products and are imposing their own demands - we are buying faster than the sellers are developing;

- information is vital and your brand is not only what you say it is, but what people says it is - social media is very important and the discourse provided on various tools - Twitter, Facebook, youtube - is providing at a great extent the image of your company and the content of your brand;

- for sales, YouTube is very important: setting up an account and posting a smart, not exclusively expensive, video about your product is a good idea for attracting more customers;

- Twitter is helpful in offering various coupons for the existing or potential clients;

One of the conclusions of the webinar, going beyond the strict domain of sales is that social media requires new skills: as, for example, the ability how to find the best key-words, or how to read a link. The expression of the week was: "digital body language" - I am still thinking about how to better use it.

Speed is everything

Speed or die, this is the conclusion of the one-hour webinar of David Meerman Scott on Real-time marketing and PR, I attended a couple of minutes ago. I am so happy to hear from the part of the experts the advices I am obsesively share with my clients and colleagues.

A couple of ideas: Think fast and react with the speed of the Internet. Offer to the journalists what they are interested in - and not, as it is the case often what you, the PR person, would like to hear. A communications expert is never on vacations - it's as you would pretend you are effectively thinking only 8 hours the day (which might be true for many people, whatever the level of their education). For crisis management: Create a real-time system in place including social-web monitoring, website analytics, marketing studies. When the crisis occurs, all you have to do is to react, following a well-practiced path - even only at the theoretical level.

Another new interesting aspect I've learned about was that, if the bureaucratic and decision-making system might be to complicate, in order to not be override by the situation, you can assume the risk of communicating as an individual, as an expert - via Twitter or blogposts - separated of the "we" required for corporate communications. It is risky, of course, but it is how the real professionals are tested.

Now, have to go, some other professional requests to be processed in very real time.

On Twitter

While preparing a short presentation for a webinar on Twitter for businesses, I found a couple of interesting links aimed to improve the use and efficiency of this micro-blogging tool.

http://twitpic.com - used for posting pics

http://www.twitalyzer.com - measuring the connection between activity spent and the influence

http://tweetwaster.com - measuring the time spent on Twitter

http://www.twitblogs.com - it's offering you the possibility to post more than 140-character

http://www.twitterlocal.net - is connecting you to local businesses in your area

http://beta.twittervision.com - localizing tweets around the world, via a Google map

http://tweetmeme.com - the hottest links

http://www.whoshouldfollow.com - for finding the last trends in followers

http://www.twerpscan.com/en - for avoiding scams

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/twitter - latest in terms of Twitter news

See the framework

Attended yesterday my first webinar on scrum. I knew the concept for a while, without entering too much into bibliographical details. I am not yet very much interesting in getting into depth, but still consider it is useful to have it in my mind when thinking about a better use of human resources and organisation of knowledge.

What scum is bringing new is to create a certain framework based on small and smart clusters. The advantages of small teams are obvious - as the reliable human relations are usually limited by number, increased teams are complicating the context and lead to unmanageable situations.

Using the scum masters various external situations as for example protecting the team from external influences or resolve impediments. A kind of coacher able to see the whole picture and to recommend the necessary evolutions or corrections.

As the role of communications is obvious, I would like to improve my knowledge on this.

Live from your home

Another not new but useful "discovery" I would like to shortly write about: the Webinar. An important tool for education, trainings, sharing information and ideas.

I will not enter too much in the technical idea behind this system, as long as it is very easy to already find the appropriate references on the Internet. I would rather like to focus a bit more about the so to say, "philosophical" implications of this system.

What a Webinar is offering, at a very general level: the possibility to have live meetings, independently of the geographical localisation of the participants. All you need is a computer connected to Internet. In some cases, you need a camera as well and a microphone. The program for watching the webinar is easyly downloadable. The direct access is possible after log in, according to coordinated sent via e-mail.

In the front of your computer you might follow business presentations or trainings on various topics. The information could be presented in the Power Point format or as a live presentation. The participants - in unlimited number - are able to address questions - in writing - at the end of the discussion. After, you have to follow the usual rules in terms of feedback - sending the presentation to the participants, managing a couple of questions and observations. If it is about the presentation of a company, you have to see how many of your attendance is interested to continue the communication, would like to take part to other kind of presentations - eventually, paid - or to classes in an extended format.

Minimum costs, lots of advantages. One of the most important is related to the learning process, but the business potential cannot be neglected as well. If you have something to say, just with a bit of technical skills and another proportional bit of smart PR, you are very close to find the right audience to share your toughts.