Thank you for following and checking in on this blog.  It has been dormant for some time now and for that I apologize.   A diversified plan was in place for the past few years:  Diversified by topic as well in social media presence.  Moving forward, this blog is being transferred, consolidated, and absorbed at the following location:  http://dwstraub.tumblr.com/

Additionally, the marketing brand and image are being managed by the Straub Organization under the moniker of The CRM Network.  The CRM Network’s social media profile consists of a Facebook page, Twitter account, Google Plus page, and a YouTube channel.  The links to some of these can be found at http://StraubOrg.com/The_CRM_Network

While the writings will be more broadly based, you will still find the essence of this outlet in many of the future pieces.  I have often stated to clients that when a business model is no longer successful then there must be a change.  That has been true for others in the past and it is true now.  As Spring has sprung and the life renewed, so too the time for this to be born anew. 

With Warmest Regards.

Unprofessional Conduct by a Business via Social Media

Social Media can be a wonderful thing both professionally and personally.  You can become informed about industry specific news or you can reconnect with an old friend.  But what happens when the two become intertwined and a private business dispute is then made public?

A family I worked with over 25 years ago opened up a bar about 20 years ago.  They have a Facebook page for their establishment which I “liked” and I reconnected and “friended” some members of the family.

Apparently, the owners of the bar did not create, set up, or have any administrative controls over the Facebook page.  They relied on the competence of one of their staff members to maintain and update the page.  But did the family ever consider what might happen to the page should something happen to this employee?  The answer is no.  And the only reason I know, along with the rest of the Page followers or friends associated with the family members, stems from the very point that there were no contingencies and that the whole issue was made public.

According to the status updates that were streaming into my feed that started off with a tone of annoyance became a tone of anger.  And, without knowing the details, seemed to be just a friend blowing off steam.  In the end, on the Facebook page, the background story was made public and here is how it follows.

The employee that oversaw the Facebook page was allegedly caught skimming from the business.  The business owner tried to keep it a private matter by just terminating the employment and didn't exactly think about the Facebook page or any other privileged access to the public image and marketing to which this employee was privy.  This is mistake number two on the part of the business as they acted out of emotion, probably without much deliberation if any.  On the one hand they wanted to keep it private, that is admirable, but they could have kept it private at the same time they could have postponed their action to terminate.  By keeping it private and acting hastily and emotionally, they denied themselves the benefit of contemplation and counsel.

As a result, this newly terminated former employee shut down their Facebook page.  All of that client relations good will and data are now held hostage by a former employee.  I can’t even use the word disgruntled because, logically, who would keep up a page for a business for which they are no longer associated?

 

It was at this point that the family members’ status updates started to become angry and belligerent yet at the same time trying to shame this former employee into “doing the right thing”.  Doing the right thing would have been to take a more deliberative tone in handling the termination, but now the only action they could do was to plead in a public way and try to convince the former employee to grant them access to the Facebook page.

Ultimately it was resolved and the bar was able to put the page back up.  The former employee allegedly acted improperly causing his/her termination, but it all stems back to the business and the family owners for not understanding the ownership and control of their social media marketing and presence.  Moreover, had they chosen to handle the termination in a deliberate and professional fashion, they could have kept it very private just as they had intended.

Recently I was asked what it was I did for a living. I told the person that I could give them the long answer or the short one. He said he was serious and wanted the long version. So I started to tell him. As I proceeded I thought this would make a great blog entry and a resource for anyone interested in what it is I do.

I started by telling him that I am a business consultant; a rather general, all purpose title. But then I elaborated. I told him I specialize in the planning, implementation, and management of strategic initiatives pertaining to sales, marketing, and client relations.

What I prefer to do with a client is examine where they find themselves, where they want to be, and the assets they are working with. Corporate culture is something that must be recognized and either accepted for what it is or changed. Organizational management is the driving force behind the persona the company is trying to create and it manifests itself in the sales and marketing endeavors that it tries to implement.

To that end, with regards to marketing, I assist firms with their branding and imaging. This means everything from the way the employees look and dress to a unified Social Media presence. In most cases it is recommended that anyone in the firm associated with client interaction and communication should sign up for one of my 2 ½ day, 17 hour, 30 topic sessions on soft skills. The training helps merge the concept of taking ownership in a professional manner; essentially Entrepreneurship and Etiquette.

What I have found with most small businesses is that they have an idea, product, concept, service, etc., and have managed to carve out a nice little business for themselves without much planning or strategy. But now they have hit a wall. They don’t have the infrastructure in place to expand. They may have policies in place that work for a small shop and customer base, but nothing scalable.

What I am able to do is take my many years of experience, education, and professional resources, and make a firm, like the one mentioned above, polished, streamlined, and competitive.

Nothing Good Happens After 2:00am

Nothing good happens after 2:00am. Not the topic I was originally going to post, however as you will see it is appropriate.

The phrase, “nothing good happens after 2:00am”, was the plot of the sitcom How I Met Your Mother. I never thought it would actually apply to my life. That being said, last night was one of those nights that I just couldn’t get to sleep. We were bracing for a snow storm with accumulation projections varying from 4” to 12”. Schools had already been canceled and the snow was coming down at a steady rate; a good night to stay up if it were not possible to sleep.

With Facebook and Google it is rather easy and instantaneously gratifying to think of something and or someone and get the answers to your questions. For the past week a classmate of mine from college has been popping into my head. She was a year ahead of me and good friend throughout my freshmen and sophomore years. My junior year, her senior, due to our differing course schedules, we were not as close. After each of us graduated I guess I may have seen her a couple of times, however no communication in the past decade. We had simply lost touch.

Her name was a rather unique one so as I entered it into Facebook I felt certain she would be there. Having been on Facebook for over two years now and reconnected with others we had in common I found it odd that I had not seen her name in a posting stating that she and someone else were now “friends”. But her name was not to be found in the search field.

Last night, as I sat with my laptop I thought “perhaps a Google search would help”. Well, it did. But not in the way I thought it would. She apparently passed away last summer. The search revealed an obituary.

Now I know this blog is for customer service and this post will touch on that topic. As I clicked on the search entry it took me to a site that revealed a sentence or two of her obituary. Enough for me to know it was her, but hardly enough to show the full extent of the column. There was a link to see the full text so I clicked on it. There it presented me with a $3 fee to see the rest of the obituary and any notes left by friends and family. This I found very disturbing. More so because I know my local paper has a search of obituaries for free going back several years. But this paper only went back a matter of months and then archived everything earlier.

I have no problem with papers archiving. It is what they do. But to charge for an obituary. Regular stories perhaps can be justified to warrant a fee, but announcements such as an obituary seems wrong to me. A person suddenly finds out about the passing of a long lost friend and to read more has to pay for, what, the privilege? Part of good customer service is a sense of understanding: all of this in the context of generating revenue for the good of the business. But is this really a good business decision?

So I apologize for taking so long to get to the theme of this blog within this posting, but just remember…nothing good happens after 2:00am.

2011 is here and DWS can help with your marketing and development endeavors. From Branding and Imaging to Sales Training and Management, DWS works with you to enhance your Client Relations and bring you on board with Social Media and Content Management solutions.

Welcome to the DWS family of Social Media venues. DWS can be found on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn as well as various blogs. Below please find links and descriptions.

Professional Profile:

www.linkedin.com/in/drewstraub

Facebook Presence:

www.facebook.com/dwsgroup

Twitter:

www.twitter.com/ucdws

DWS oversees various discussions in the form of blog postings. Depending on your need or interest, each site can offer just the insight you are seeking: everything from an academic perspective to everyday examples of professional development and client relations management.

The Enlightened Consultant:

www.enlightenedconsultant.blogspot.com

This blog is for those that are in sales or sales management, follow a consultative sales approach, or provide consulting services. The purpose of this blog is to foster a sense of shared learning; hearing about what works, what doesn't work, and how events or activities in your daily life are integrated into your profession.

This blog is more academic in nature and will often mention books or generate a series of discussions based on a book or collection of works.

The Duck Pond Wall:

www.duck-pond-wall.blogspot.com

While on campus during my college years there was a duck pond. It intersected the dorms to the lecture halls and the library to the student union. If you sat on the wall at the duck pond you would see everyone on campus throughout the day. Topics of all kind were discussed. I took this setting to create a venue for sharing concepts and ideas. Hope you find the posts worthwhile.

Everyday CRM:

www.everydaycrm.blogspot.com

This blog is created to share those everyday moments when client relations issues rise to the level of being noticed. For better or worse, this blog will provide real life examples and what lessons can be learned. Hope you find this blog to be a regular destination on a weekly basis through out 2011.

The goal for all the blogs in 2011 is to post twice per week. That being said, there should be fresh content everyday. Furthermore, by following on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn you will be notified immediately of the latest posts.