What’s so sad is, when I googled this to make sure I was spelling it correctly, I actually found the Muppets video of this song. I’m sure I even heard a kazoo in the chorus (another word not used very often - kazoo)!

“Social networking”, the new buzzwords for places such as MySpace and Facebook - online applications where people can connect and interact with each other.

Even blogs are the social networking “it” tool to have.

So, how does this affect you IRL? (If you are from the chat room era, I don’t have to tell you, IRL = “in real life”).

Well, I’m no scientist, I don’t have any technical data, nor much written research to back up what I’m about to say, but I am an avid watcher of people, a studier of trends and my friends tell me I have a knack for sensing change.

Over these last four years or so, I’ve seen a change in “networking” and a rise in non-traditional ways of connecting.

Just like the field of sales. Long gone are the days of the slick salesmen with their bag of wares, traveling from door to door, successfully crafting their irresistible presentations and pitches.

At one time, that’s the way sales was done. They were sharp, with million dollar smiles, winning attitudes and always knew the exact words to use to get the sale.

Unfortunately, the door-to-door salesperson you see today is most likely a hustler, dropped off from a van, using pressure or guilt tactics, and standing on the corner sharing a smoke with their buddy in between knocking on doors.

This is what we see in our mind today when we think of “salespeople”, which is sad really, because business doesn’t get done without sales. Somebody has to do it, so we’ve created new names for it, like “Relationship Manager”, “Business Builder” and “Representative”.

What do you see in your mind when you think of “networking”?

A place where you go to exchange business cards? Perhaps. But for most people, that’s all that really ever happens when they “network”. Technically, that’s not networking, it’s business card exchanging.

How many people call you after you’ve given them your card? And of those people who call you, how many are calling because they really want to see if you fit into their network - as opposed to trying to sell you something?

This is why so many people don’t call. Maybe you don’t call your cards either, because you’re not sure what to say or what the next step is. You might be thinking to yourself, “If I call, they’re going to know that all I want to do is sell them something” or, you might be thinking, “I just don’t have time to meet with all these people one on one”.

So, what do you do?  Well, I have a few solutions, but that’s not really what I want to talk about today.  I want to talk about avoiding this scenario in the first place, which is where the new “social networking” phenomena takes place.

I recently attended a networking event where we did things a little differently.  For me, it was perfect.  We got to know each other so well, I nixed two people.  That’s right, I eliminated each of them as potential person that I would want in my network.  And I left knowing that there was one person I NEEDED to connect with right away.

We say, all it takes is one person.  One person that could change your entire business because of their resources, connections and expertise.  But how often do you find that one person, without following up with all 10?

Wouldn’t it save you an enormous amount of time if you could actually network, right there and then?  And I don’t mean coffee and a chat.  I mean, do a team building exercise or work on a quick project.  Something that actually makes you interact with another person to the level that you’ll know how they behave and conduct themselves with others.

People no longer have time for networking the way that we’ve always done it.  They want results and they want it fast.  Just like they want their food.  However, food is easy.  Relationships are something else entirely.

We’re not there to get a bunch of business cards.  We’re not there to be hustlers.  We’re not there to sip coffee.

We’re there to meet the right people.  We can only do that through interaction.  It happens every day on social networking websites, and I believe that the trend will spread IRL.  Look for the signs at your next event.

Both the concept and the creator, Michael Ault, are a rich marketing study.

First, Ault has taken a basic element, a nightclub, and turned it into an exclusive, posh, who’s who, brand of his own.

Second….and this is key….he has a personal phone book of 500k+ names.

Though he was born and raised in a uniquely wealthy and privileged environment that not many of us are privy to, we can learn from his techniques and apply certain principles to our own businesses for outlandish success. In the article, a leading graphic designer stated that Ault was “responsible for creating the blueprint for the modern lounge venue”.

Transaction buyers are interested only in price. They have no loyalty to you or your business. If they can find it cheaper down the street, they’re gone.

Relationship buyers, on the other hand, are looking for someone they can trust. They want friendly interactions and for you & your staff to remember their name, their likes and their dislikes.

If you’ll cultivate relationships with these types of buyers, they could continue to buy from you for a lifetime.

By Editor - Customer service is an essential piece of your marketing plan. I use the term “plan” loosely, as you may not have a plan. But, if you are open for business, and have customers, somebody is marketing for you…and it could be according to their own plan.

I’m sure you’ve walked out of your share of businesses and marveled at how they stay open with their staff’s stinky attitude and poor customer service.  I walked into 3 different businesses recently, within about 20 minutes of each other, and discovered that this is a prevalent problem.

I am new to the area of town in which I live. I’m discovering new places to visit and to do business with.  A few weeks ago, my son and I stopped to grab a sandwich in a shopping center where there were many choices.

We first went to an independently owned coffee shop. After walking in, I asked the barista how she was. She told me she’d seen better days. They had their own terminology for coffee on the menu board, so it was taking me a while to comprehend the new verbiage. With no help from the lady having a bad hair day, I ordered a tea and moved on to the next door, where there was a franchise sandwich shop. 

A staff member was mopping in front of the door, so we carefully walked in, and were semi-greeting by a distracted woman who clearly wanted us to know what we wanted the second we walked in.  After being rushed along, with a disinterest in helping us with our decision making process, we completed the order and walked out to leave the staff engrossed in their own conversations. They clearly had no care about us or anyone else who wasn’t in on that day’s gossip.

To get something sweet, we visited the bakery next door. The treats from the window enticed us. As we walked in, a woman got up from her chair, walked behind the cash register and waited for us to decide on something. After we asked a few questions, she put the items in the bag and rang it up. It was a dull, lifeless experience.

I wasn’t drawn in by anything other than signs and convenience. No coupon, no billboard. That aside, what would make me return?

A great experience.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get one at these places and won’t be back to any of them.

So, if good marketing didn’t get me in the door, what kind of marketing would make me return, and tell all my friends? Marketing INSIDE the doors, and that’s done through customer service.

You don’t have to have a retail location to make sure people have a good experience with you. I’ve worked with independent dealers and representatives that I won’t work with again. No matter how good your product or service is, people do business with people. Make sure your people, and you, are constantly aware of opportunities.

I haven’t read Acres of Diamonds in a while, but I just downloaded a copy of it so that I could read it again.

Many of us are in search for the field of diamonds, when it can be found right under our noses.

Always ask yourself, and your staff, where are your diamonds today?

Retailers, florists and restaurants are industries that are affected by seasonal availability, but they also set into motion our seasonal buying patterns.

How many times have you said, or heard someone else say, “They keep putting Christmas out earlier every year!”? It’s because the retailers are thinking about it well before we are.

Earlier this year, on September 14th, my mind was eons away from Christmas decorating. Then I walked into a Target store.

As I glanced down the aisle, I wondered if my son would like that really cool orange and white UT stocking this year…. Wait a minute! It’s not even close to Christmas yet and we have plenty of stockings packed away….but THAT stocking might be sold out if I wait until later in the year to get it…

So goes the seasonal retail merry-go-round.

What demand can you set today? If you plan a year in advance, what types of natural patterns can you capitalize on, and what types can you create?

For instance, the home-based business industry has patterns. Those in the industry usually gear up for this time of year, knowing that people naturally start ventures at the beginning of the year as part of a new resolution.

Think about the patterns in your industry. If you don’t have any, create some. Target Stores do it all the time.

Since when did buying decorations for Christmas start in September?

Ever since THEY set the pattern!

And updating it? Let’s see….where did I put that scrap paper that had my mother’s new address on it….

Life in the rolodex lane just didn’t work for me. Then along came computers and the internet. Over the years, I’ve been deluged with contact management options. When I started my direct sales business in 1999, it was most important for me to communicate by email. I had data everywhere. 10,000 records to be almost exact. At the time, I used cumbersome group mail and filtering software.