Regardless of how good it is, no idea sells itself. Before getting commitment to proceed with an idea for a new product, process, venture, technology, service, policy, or organizational change, innovators must sell the idea to potential backers and supporters, and neutralize the critics. They must find resources, expertise, and support. They must convince colleagues to advance the idea in meetings they don't attend.
People whose ideas get traction — that manage get out of the starting gate — take advantage of this practical advice for selling ideas.
1. Seek many inputs. Listen actively to many points of view. Then incorporate aspects of each of them into the project plan, so that you can show people exactly where their perspectives or suggestions appear.
2. Do your homework. Be thoroughly prepared for meetings and individual discussions. Gather as much hard data as possibly to have command of the full facts, and speak knowledgeably from a broad information base. Know the interests of those to whom you're speaking, and customize the message for them.
3. Make the rounds. Meet with people one-on-one to make the first introduction of your idea. It's always a good idea to touch base with people individually before any key meetings, and to give them advance warning of what you and others are planning to say at the meeting. Then they can be prepared (and coached) in your point of view. And you know theirs, so you can modify your proposal accordingly.
4. See critics in private and hear them out. One-on-one meetings are especially important when you expect opposition or criticism. Groups can easily turn into mobs. Avoid situations in which critics can gang up on you, or when a group of people leaning positive turn negative because the listen to a few loud voices. Never gather all of your potential critics in one room hoping to hold one meeting to brief everyone all at once. This kind of event mainly helps them discover each other and their common concerns, so they coalesce as a group united in opposition to the idea.
5. Make the benefits clear. Arm supporters with arguments. You might rehearse them for meetings in which questions about your project will come up. Stress the value that the idea will produce for them and other groups. Remember that selling ideas is at least a two-step process. You sell one set of people so they can sell others. You convince them to back you because you reduce the risk to them by giving them the tools for selling their own boards or constituencies.
6. Be specific. Make your requests concrete, even while connecting your idea to unassailable larger principles. Wait to approach high-level people until your have tested the idea elsewhere and refined your vague notions. The higher the official, the more valuable and scarce his or her time, and thus the more focused your meeting must be. Use peers for initial broad discussions, then ask top executives for one simple action.
7. Show that you can deliver. People want to back winners. Early in the process, provide evidence, even guarantees, that the project will work. Later, prove that you can deliver by meeting deadlines and doing what you promised.
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Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
The Problem With The Facebook Culture May Be Fatal
Facebook's imbroglio over privacy reveals what may be a fatal business model. Some people live on Facebook and they are furious at it. This was the technology platform they were born into, built their friendships around, and expected to be with them as they grew up, got jobs, and had families. They just assumed Facebook would evolve as their lives shifted from adolescent to adult and their needs changed. Facebook's failure to recognize this culture change deeply threatens its future profits. At the moment, it has an audience that is at war with its advertisers. Not good.
Here's why. Facebook is wildly successful because its founder matched new social media technology to a deep Western cultural longing — the adolescent desire for connection to other adolescents in their own private space. There they can be free to design their personal identities without adult supervision. Think digital tree house. Generation Y accepted Facebook as a free gift and proceeded to connect, express, and visualize the embarrassing aspects of their young lives.
Then Gen Y grew up and their culture and needs changed. They started looking for jobs and watched, horrified, as corporations went on their Facebook pages to check them out. What was once a private, gated community of trusted friends became an increasingly open, public commons of curious strangers. The few, original, loose tools of network control on Facebook no longer proved sufficient. The Gen Yers wanted better, more precise privacy controls that allowed them to secure their existing private social lives and separate them from their new public working lives.
Facebook's business model, however, demands the opposite. It is trying to transform the private into a public arena it can offer advertisers. In doing this, the company is breaking three cardinal cultural norms:
1. It is taking back a free gift. In order to build profits, Facebook has been commercializing and monetizing friendship networks. What Facebook gave to Millenials, it is now trying to take away. Millennials are resisting the invasion to their privacy.
2. Facebook is ignoring the aging of the Millennials and the subsequent change in their culture. Older Gen Yers want less sociability and more privacy as actors outside their trusted cohort enter the Facebook space in search of information and connection. These older Millennials want more privacy tools for control of their information and networks.
3. Facebook is behaving as though it owned not only its proprietary technology platform but the friendship networks created on it. It doesn't. Millennials believe that ownership of their networks of friends belongs to them, not Facebook, and resist their commercialization.
Facebook, under intense pressure, is belatedly agreeing to streamline and strengthen its privacy tools. That will lower the anger of its audience but increase the anxiety of its advertisers. The brand value of Facebook has already taken a hit and competing social media platforms that promise privacy are beginning to appear.
What lessons can we draw from the Facebook flame-up? Lifecycle changes can trump generational change and cultural values perceived as crucial at the age of 13 can be very different at 20. A business founded on the values of a generation, such as Facebook, has to keep up with, and respect, evolving lives and needs.
Ownership in the social media world of networks is different from selling products and services in the traditional marketplace. Understanding the underlying cultural context of "free," "gift," and "creation" is important to businesses, including and perhaps especially high tech companies. It is not impossible to monetize that which is free. Apple did that with 99 cent songs on iTunes. But it is difficult.
Giving economic value to social networks is the new holy grail in advertising and the media. An army of economists and mathematicians are at work on this task. To date, most of the work has focused on metrics — how many friends, how many linkages, how much influence. Facebook's problems with privacy highlight the need to understand culture as well.
___
Here's why. Facebook is wildly successful because its founder matched new social media technology to a deep Western cultural longing — the adolescent desire for connection to other adolescents in their own private space. There they can be free to design their personal identities without adult supervision. Think digital tree house. Generation Y accepted Facebook as a free gift and proceeded to connect, express, and visualize the embarrassing aspects of their young lives.
Then Gen Y grew up and their culture and needs changed. They started looking for jobs and watched, horrified, as corporations went on their Facebook pages to check them out. What was once a private, gated community of trusted friends became an increasingly open, public commons of curious strangers. The few, original, loose tools of network control on Facebook no longer proved sufficient. The Gen Yers wanted better, more precise privacy controls that allowed them to secure their existing private social lives and separate them from their new public working lives.
Facebook's business model, however, demands the opposite. It is trying to transform the private into a public arena it can offer advertisers. In doing this, the company is breaking three cardinal cultural norms:
1. It is taking back a free gift. In order to build profits, Facebook has been commercializing and monetizing friendship networks. What Facebook gave to Millenials, it is now trying to take away. Millennials are resisting the invasion to their privacy.
2. Facebook is ignoring the aging of the Millennials and the subsequent change in their culture. Older Gen Yers want less sociability and more privacy as actors outside their trusted cohort enter the Facebook space in search of information and connection. These older Millennials want more privacy tools for control of their information and networks.
3. Facebook is behaving as though it owned not only its proprietary technology platform but the friendship networks created on it. It doesn't. Millennials believe that ownership of their networks of friends belongs to them, not Facebook, and resist their commercialization.
Facebook, under intense pressure, is belatedly agreeing to streamline and strengthen its privacy tools. That will lower the anger of its audience but increase the anxiety of its advertisers. The brand value of Facebook has already taken a hit and competing social media platforms that promise privacy are beginning to appear.
What lessons can we draw from the Facebook flame-up? Lifecycle changes can trump generational change and cultural values perceived as crucial at the age of 13 can be very different at 20. A business founded on the values of a generation, such as Facebook, has to keep up with, and respect, evolving lives and needs.
Ownership in the social media world of networks is different from selling products and services in the traditional marketplace. Understanding the underlying cultural context of "free," "gift," and "creation" is important to businesses, including and perhaps especially high tech companies. It is not impossible to monetize that which is free. Apple did that with 99 cent songs on iTunes. But it is difficult.
Giving economic value to social networks is the new holy grail in advertising and the media. An army of economists and mathematicians are at work on this task. To date, most of the work has focused on metrics — how many friends, how many linkages, how much influence. Facebook's problems with privacy highlight the need to understand culture as well.
___
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Recognizing Valuable Search Engine Marketing Services
Many Internet marketing companies are offering search engine marketing services. Not all of these so called services are worth the cost, and in some cases will actually draw unwanted attention to your website. There are a few things to look out for when looking for a search engine marketing company.
What kind of services do they provide and do they guarantee the top listing? If they are, watch out. In most cases what you are paying for is something you already have access to. If a search engine marketing service is guaranteeing that your website will show up at the top of a search page, then chances are you are paying them to sign up on as a sponsored link on a search engine. This is something you could easily do yourself at sometimes half the cost. Another tactic is to offer to have "keyword" articles written, this is different then search engine optimized articles. Keyword articles are usually nothing more then gibberish. They are articles that contain repeated phrases and keywords all published on a website with the aim of making a search engine rank that site highest due to the repetition of certain words or phrases. These kinds of articles can easily get your website completely removed for search listings since it is a violation of most search engines standards. Other companies may send you software that does nothing, but jumble up several key words and do not produce positive results.
These are just a couple of things to look out for when choosing to enlist the services of a search engine marketing or consulting company. In order to make sure that you are getting valuable search engine marketing services, it is important to use an online database that can show what kind of reputation a service provider has gained. By seeing a long history of consistently meeting customer needs up front you can be confident that the search engine marketing company you choose will deliver. Finding the perfect company is easy. Choose AAACBC Inc. and you won't be disappointed with your results.
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What kind of services do they provide and do they guarantee the top listing? If they are, watch out. In most cases what you are paying for is something you already have access to. If a search engine marketing service is guaranteeing that your website will show up at the top of a search page, then chances are you are paying them to sign up on as a sponsored link on a search engine. This is something you could easily do yourself at sometimes half the cost. Another tactic is to offer to have "keyword" articles written, this is different then search engine optimized articles. Keyword articles are usually nothing more then gibberish. They are articles that contain repeated phrases and keywords all published on a website with the aim of making a search engine rank that site highest due to the repetition of certain words or phrases. These kinds of articles can easily get your website completely removed for search listings since it is a violation of most search engines standards. Other companies may send you software that does nothing, but jumble up several key words and do not produce positive results.
These are just a couple of things to look out for when choosing to enlist the services of a search engine marketing or consulting company. In order to make sure that you are getting valuable search engine marketing services, it is important to use an online database that can show what kind of reputation a service provider has gained. By seeing a long history of consistently meeting customer needs up front you can be confident that the search engine marketing company you choose will deliver. Finding the perfect company is easy. Choose AAACBC Inc. and you won't be disappointed with your results.
___
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Freelance Jobs – Great Business Opportunity
One of the most lucrative ways to generate income for living nowadays is through freelancing. You can have this done as your regular source of income or just a par time. The money you can earn is just depending on how much time you can allocate for freelance jobs and how enthusiastic you are to offer a competitive result.
However, if you do not have any experience to help you in establishing foundation in the arena of freelance jobs, this area of endeavor can be daunting to your part. For those who intent to ride on this business bandwagon, you must think it twice and always remember, though, freelancing can be made as your career, not all people who engaged in this area are successful.
Some freelance jobs where you can engage yourself are: freelance writing jobs, freelance photography jobs, freelance graphic design jobs.
Below are some essential tips for individuals who are just starting to step towards freelance jobs. These are surely applicable if you want to join in this venture.
First, bear in mind that establishing contact is really essential for individuals who are just starting. By making contacts, you can have access to potential clients that can give you freelance job assignment. It is important to note that it is very much better if you have done various project in years because this build trust and establish contacts to possible clients. Furthermore, this way gives you the opportunity to be recognized in the arena of freelancing.
It is also of that important that you build a genuine reputation in this particular industry. So, make it sure that every freelance job you do, make it to be the product of your most capacity. Remember, your reputation depends on how you handle jobs assigned to you and how you generate your productions.
Since great things start from humble beginning, it is significant to you to start in small scale freelance jobs. Time will come, when you gain your clients’ confidence, you’ll be able to elevate your work as freelancer. You can still do freelance while still having your regular job.
Werther you are planning to engage in freelance writing jobs, freelance photography jobs, or freelance graphic design jobs, please be reminded always that good reputation is always have an integral part for you to succeed as freelancer. And to have that gain, you must be able to do your freelance tasks at your most upheld standard.
___
However, if you do not have any experience to help you in establishing foundation in the arena of freelance jobs, this area of endeavor can be daunting to your part. For those who intent to ride on this business bandwagon, you must think it twice and always remember, though, freelancing can be made as your career, not all people who engaged in this area are successful.
Some freelance jobs where you can engage yourself are: freelance writing jobs, freelance photography jobs, freelance graphic design jobs.
Below are some essential tips for individuals who are just starting to step towards freelance jobs. These are surely applicable if you want to join in this venture.
First, bear in mind that establishing contact is really essential for individuals who are just starting. By making contacts, you can have access to potential clients that can give you freelance job assignment. It is important to note that it is very much better if you have done various project in years because this build trust and establish contacts to possible clients. Furthermore, this way gives you the opportunity to be recognized in the arena of freelancing.
It is also of that important that you build a genuine reputation in this particular industry. So, make it sure that every freelance job you do, make it to be the product of your most capacity. Remember, your reputation depends on how you handle jobs assigned to you and how you generate your productions.
Since great things start from humble beginning, it is significant to you to start in small scale freelance jobs. Time will come, when you gain your clients’ confidence, you’ll be able to elevate your work as freelancer. You can still do freelance while still having your regular job.
Werther you are planning to engage in freelance writing jobs, freelance photography jobs, or freelance graphic design jobs, please be reminded always that good reputation is always have an integral part for you to succeed as freelancer. And to have that gain, you must be able to do your freelance tasks at your most upheld standard.
___
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Finding A SEO & SMM Specialist
SEO & SMM is a growing market. As the internet continues to grow and expand, search engine optimization and social media marketing has become much more important. Site owners need individuals to visit their pages, and with the help of a SEO & SMM expert, they can get the hits they need to improve their conversion rates.
What, exactly, though does a SEO & SMM specialist do, though? Some of the best sites, those that are packed with the most information, are buried under pages of results. People end up never seeing the sites that might be most helpful to them because the internet is so crowded. A SEO & SMM expert consults with site owners to find the best keywords for them. From there, the two parties can decide how to best optimize the pages so viewers can find them easily. While some keywords are more and more difficult to optimize for than others, a good SEO & SMM expert will help to find the keywords that will work out best for your site and your budget. Once the pages are optimized, the SEO & SMM expert will help to get your site submitted to the right directories and set up your external linking systems to continually increase your page rank. In many cases, SEO & SMM experts will work with other professionals including freelance writers and web designers to offer you the best overall pages.
Finding the best SEO & SMM consultant for your project, though, can be a bit difficult. Sites like the Equan can help you find the perfect freelance search SEO & SMM specialist to help put your site in the top tiers of page rankings. Hundreds of experts will view your project and post bids for you to choose from. Which is not an easy task, that’s why it is maybe best to hire directly a team of SEO & SMM experts like AAACBC Inc because once you've decided on the best SEO & SMM expert team, you will be on your way to higher page rankings.
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What, exactly, though does a SEO & SMM specialist do, though? Some of the best sites, those that are packed with the most information, are buried under pages of results. People end up never seeing the sites that might be most helpful to them because the internet is so crowded. A SEO & SMM expert consults with site owners to find the best keywords for them. From there, the two parties can decide how to best optimize the pages so viewers can find them easily. While some keywords are more and more difficult to optimize for than others, a good SEO & SMM expert will help to find the keywords that will work out best for your site and your budget. Once the pages are optimized, the SEO & SMM expert will help to get your site submitted to the right directories and set up your external linking systems to continually increase your page rank. In many cases, SEO & SMM experts will work with other professionals including freelance writers and web designers to offer you the best overall pages.
Finding the best SEO & SMM consultant for your project, though, can be a bit difficult. Sites like the Equan can help you find the perfect freelance search SEO & SMM specialist to help put your site in the top tiers of page rankings. Hundreds of experts will view your project and post bids for you to choose from. Which is not an easy task, that’s why it is maybe best to hire directly a team of SEO & SMM experts like AAACBC Inc because once you've decided on the best SEO & SMM expert team, you will be on your way to higher page rankings.
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