Direct mail, email, telephone, exhibitions, online, offline, networking, referrals, joint ventures.
Like any “Marketing Mix”, the pieces involved here can fit together in a variety of different orders depending on 2 key factors:-
1. The sector, i.e. the characters you are aiming to interact with, &
2. The attitude of the Principal – shy & retiring or brash & outgoing, and all the possibilities in between.
There is no question whatsoever that, since Lehman Brothers in 2008, the World has changed, and there’s no going back.
The Internet has been developing at a rapid pace since the turn of the Millennium, and now enables communication and commerce today in a fashion which could not have been anticipated 10 years ago.
The most vital factor to realise is that OUR attitude to transactions has changed irrevocably – in the past we were influenced by the “message”, so Advertising, and those that could directly or indirectly control it, was one of the lynch pins of society – he that could throw enough money at the market could call the shots, and bring in the bucks. Banks, Insurance & Advertising Companies were accepted as foundations of our way of life, largely because they TOLD us what to believe.
Since year 2000 that position has been shifting, and the events of 2008 gave it the final nudge.
The enabling effect of the Web means we are much more in control of “the message” than ever before, largely because we CAN & DO check it out, and challenge it if we want to.
This all means that the way goods and services are brought to market, and consumed, has changed as well. We research online before a purchase. We purchase online in many cases, BUT this is often only lower value items & services, because for larger goods / bigger spends we still prefer to “see the whites of their eyes” meaning that “Meet, Like, Know, Trust” is back as the dominant factor.
This is very much the age of “Digital Media Marketing”, and the approach to that is radically different, not least because it is so much more “Global” in delivery.
Over the last 10 years it has become the norm that, if you are bringing anything to market, you ”must have a website” – your stall in the global marketplace. Now, as that idea has become a reality, maybe even a “new foundation”, there are simply millions and millions of sites. So the question then becomes how do you differentiate yourself from, or “shout louder” in the market than, the others around you?
The answer has finally emerged, to the long lasting benefit of ALL of us, that you must connect & communicate, or “engage”, with your customers and prospects alike, and in doing so provide a higher class of customer service than ever before.
The major advantage that “first movers” are finding in this new territory is that that is NOT just the province of the “big boys”, the corporates, anymore.
Anyone who can master this particular art, and deliver their goods or services reliably and transparently, with the implied back up & support that goes with that delivery, can make a viable niche for themselves, for now & for the future.
So “Interaction leads to Transaction”.
“Twas ever thus” I hear you say – yes, we have come full circle!
Some, smaller, businesses, have operated this way, “offline”, for generations, and may not even need to change, if they’ve already “got it right” in their local community. But the vast majority, of all sizes, are having to adjust to the new times, by rising to the challenge and seeking out new routes to a transaction.
You may notice that I have steadfastly resisted the temptation to use the word “sale” – that still carries the connotation of a one way “thrust” at a “buyer”, so it will eventually become extinct.
The key to all of the new routes to market is that they revolve around “being found”. The words Google and Search Marketing may be virtually synonymous, but the only way to get found is to get involved in “Interactive Marketing” – providing what people are looking for, and engaging with them in the process. The tools to enable this are those that have become known as “Social Media”.
And “Social Media is a Communications process leveraged by Technology” according to Jay Deragon in his recent white paper on Social Media Directions.
How have you communicated with your customers in the past? How will you communicate in the future?
Howard J Moorey
8th December 2009
hojomo group provides coaching, training and insight into Interactive Digital Media Marketing – business development for the future.
Contact Us through directcontact@hojomo.com or phone +44 1865 600085 Here to Help
Wednesday 9 December 2009
Saturday 14 November 2009
Changing Times - Why Pubs, & others in business, ignore Social Media at their peril
As most that know me will be already WELL aware, I am a passionate believer in new technologies for business development! That’s why I am so keen on getting offline businesses (yes, there are still some!!) and “online” businesses – “we have a website, so we’re online” (never mind the fact it’s a brochure and hasn’t been updated for 6 – 12 months!) TO DO THE RIGHT THING & GET INTO SOCIAL MEDIA!!
I’m very passionate about the plight of British Pubs – many of them are getting a raw deal from the Pub Co’s they’re tied to, leaving publicans/managers out of a job, and often waist-high (or deeper) in debt. It is no longer an option for them to use social media to it’s fullest extent, it’s an absolute NECESSITY!
Get yourself a Twitter account, get yourself a Facebook account, and a “Page” and start engaging with your customers past, present AND future. Tell your guests what’s going on and when, what beers you’ve got & why, and get chatting – it’s that conversation that makes the world of difference! You can make friends with other pubs, see what they’re doing online, share experiences, join Facebook Groups like Justice for Licensees and Save The Great British Pub and help build the numbers, find those who really care about the trade, and be a part of the action.
All this can equally be applied to any other business, vocation or passion – you can find others out there who are just as keen to buy as you are to sell.
But, Golden Rule Number One is PLEASE DON’T TREAT SOCIAL MEDIA LIKE CLASSIFIED ADS!
We don’t want to know about what you are selling, we want to know about you, what makes you tick, and how much you’re just like the rest of us!
The markets have changed, the ways of doing business have changed, so it’s fair to deduce that the way YOU pedal your wares should have changed as well!
Make the Net Work for you!
At Hojomo Group we help businesses of all sizes to learn what to do with Social Media, and why it is an essential part of their marketing mix. We also aim to help businesses & individuals where the times have brought a burden of debt that no-one should have to bear alone.
Follow us on Twitter @hojomo @4Pubs & @debtDrGlos and find us on Facebook and LinkedIn too.
Thanks for reading.
Howard J Moorey
14th November 2009
Saturday 5 September 2009
As self-appointed Chief Social Media Officer 4 UK Small Businesses it is my solemn duty to spread the word relentlessly into the UK, as an emerging market, that Social Media is a vital new component in the economic toolkit of the Nation.
This enables us to "Think Local & Act Global" and seize every available commercial opportunity - Social Media levels the playing field for us all to enter, or even create, New Markets, by letting us Meet Strangers & Make Friends (with due acknowledgment to Seth Godin).
Today we network with our Local Communities and with the World in equal measure. Unless those Communities are deprived of fast, broadband, connections of course!
This is still too common an occurrence in many parts of Rural Britain - the connection is non-existent!
How can the "Nation of Small Shopkeepers" survive, and indeed seize a chance to make a Grand Comeback, if it doesn't have the oil for the wheels, let alone the tools to do the job?
Britain IS Back, and I'm Backing Britain!
Join me and support Martha Lane Fox, our new "Digital Inclusion Czarina", in pressing to enable everyone who wants good, fast, Internet Access & Application, to have it by 2012.
The Race is no longer just to the Olympics!
4Networking works, but not anywhere near as well as it would if we were all connected!
"As You Act, Social You Be!" (sic)
Howard J Moorey
@hojomo (& follow @marthalanefox too!)
www.hojomo.com
5th September 2009
This enables us to "Think Local & Act Global" and seize every available commercial opportunity - Social Media levels the playing field for us all to enter, or even create, New Markets, by letting us Meet Strangers & Make Friends (with due acknowledgment to Seth Godin).
Today we network with our Local Communities and with the World in equal measure. Unless those Communities are deprived of fast, broadband, connections of course!
This is still too common an occurrence in many parts of Rural Britain - the connection is non-existent!
How can the "Nation of Small Shopkeepers" survive, and indeed seize a chance to make a Grand Comeback, if it doesn't have the oil for the wheels, let alone the tools to do the job?
Britain IS Back, and I'm Backing Britain!
Join me and support Martha Lane Fox, our new "Digital Inclusion Czarina", in pressing to enable everyone who wants good, fast, Internet Access & Application, to have it by 2012.
The Race is no longer just to the Olympics!
4Networking works, but not anywhere near as well as it would if we were all connected!
"As You Act, Social You Be!" (sic)
Howard J Moorey
@hojomo (& follow @marthalanefox too!)
www.hojomo.com
5th September 2009
Monday 29 June 2009
Pentangulation – An Explanation: #ThePowerOf5…
…is a 21st Century Business Technology concept involving the “crafting” of Social Media to provide a Corporation, Company or Small Business with:-
1. A rapid, credible, online presence amongst it’s peers, customers and prospects;
2. A policy of turning strangers into friends – the best customers are friends NOT strangers, and that goes for the best businesses too!
3. Customers, and prospective customers, who will value a direct method of communication with their supplier, and the best channels they could wish for in achieving this (the ones they’re already in!);
4. Coaching in Social Media – the Do’s, the Don’ts & what it's all about;
5. Set up, and handover, or ongoing management, as preferred to suit the needs of the business.
Application of this concept incorporates Marketing, Lead Generation, Brand, Reputation, & Presence Management and Customer Retention. This approach is more about an overall “Communications Policy” than purely “Social Media”
All this is set in the context of a New Economy, post 2008, where transparency, openness and reduced complexity are prime requirements for commercial efficiency.
In addition, an element biased towards enhanced Customer Care, ensures that New Business gains a truly Win-Win result for all components of the transaction process.
The "Social Media" are here to stay – they continue to evolve with every day that goes by – and with such a wide selection available they now provide a reliable, affordable online method of reaching, and engaging with, buyers, customers or prospects.
Can you afford NOT to get involved? With some of your competitors there already, they are gaining the early mover advantage right now!
The New World demands New Ways - for improved Communication, Marketing Support, Delivery, and Customer Response.
ThePowerOf5 offers Win-Win hands down!
“Strangers & Friends” as recognised by Seth Godin @ The Difference
Howard J Moorey
28th June 2009
www.hojomo.com
“ThePowerOf5” is derived from the pentagram invocation of Spirit, Earth, Water, Air, and Fire for recognising earth energies and summoning them to combine for protection and greater good – strength in numbers.
From within this ancient practice comes the recognition that we, as humans, can better understand and absorb concepts and systems if they are first broken down into just five elements which, when combined, encapsulate the whole and represent the basis of achieving greater leverage from harmonising individual, but complementary, strengths.
At Hojomo Group, we offer ThePowerOf5 through affordable, face-to-face coaching and induction, or remote online set-up and deployment, to suit the individual circumstances. This ensures that we can tailor the offer to suit small & medium (“compact”) businesses, operating from one location, or larger corporate enterprises with multiple, national or international, locations, with widely deployed field forces.
MOOREY – where Business & Internet Overlap!
Saturday 20 June 2009
Social Media for Business Networking?...
For effective Business Networking today you must have a presence in at least 5 different places - that's #ThePowerOf5 - and you must think Local AND Global - and most importantly: Engage with followers as people first & as prospects second.
You would not seriously expect to be able to get everything you want on a shopping trip in just one place would you?
So why should it be any different when you consider networking to promote “Brand YOU” and find business today?
You really need to include a mix of Online & Offline, a mix of Virtual & 3D, AND a mix of Social & Business Networking sites.
There is NO DOUBT WHATSOEVER that this is the best possible time for all sizes of enterprise, to be evaluating, developing and implementing their plans for a Social Media presence.
After the air escaped from both the economic & political balloons over the last 12 months, everyone was impacted to a greater or lesser degree.
From the sharp intake of breath that went with the demise of Lehman Brothers, to the sigh of relief from the inauguration of Barack Obama, and the rollercoaster ride we have endured ever since, there is one primary lesson we have all learned – there has been far too much complexity and opacity in the business, banking and political worlds. Worlds we previously considered to be the foundations of our society.
Now we all want and expect a far greater degree of transparency coupled with a “back to basics” approach to enable us to regain confidence in our National and Industry leaders.
The knock-on effect is that we will all be seeking reassurance of that transparency in all our commercial dealings from now on. How do we do that? We Search before we buy. Whether we want to buy Locally or Globally, we now Search first.
This is the key area where the Internet, and Social Media in particular, have a major part to play. It is also a part that can be taken up for once by small and large businesses alike – there is currently a levelled playing field, where the vast majority of the Big Boys have not yet fully grasped the nettle.
This offers a distinct Early Movers Advantage to small and medium enterprise who, traditionally, are able to manoeuvre and change course much more quickly than the corporate “supertankers”. Smaller businesses can sell to the World!
Face up to the facts that we all start our research on the net nowadays so the first key is getting found! Your website has a major part to play in enabling an easy transaction experience for the buyer – from giving him/her all the information they need about what goods or services you have to offer through to the benefits of taking YOUR offer, ie. buying Brand You, not someone else.
To be found easily you must be in their comfort zone, not necessarily yours!
You must reach out to them and make yourself approachable. That is the reason you need to be involved in Social Media – but be warned, it is most definitely NOT a place to deliver a hard sell message and expect results! It is a place to present yourself for inspection, to prove you are a knowledgeable and trustworthy purveyor of goods/services, and above all that you are a human being with the answer to their needs, NOT an automaton just trying to SELL them something!
PLEASE get your Social Media presence established NOW.
If you’re in the US, check out here how they’re approaching the subject in Virginia.
If you’re in the UK, you can find me in more than 5 places!…
Here: http://twitter.com/hojomo
Here: http://www.facebook.com/hojomo
Here: http://www.linkedin.com/in/HowardJMoorey
Here: http://hojomo.myplaxo.com/
Here: http://www.ecademy.com/user/howardmoorey
& mail me: howard@pubutopia.com
Don’t you owe it to your business to…
gain the Early Movers high ground in Social Media by getting yourself set up NOW, not in 12 months time, when it will be too late?
Thanks for reading.
Howard J Moorey
20th June 2009
You would not seriously expect to be able to get everything you want on a shopping trip in just one place would you?
So why should it be any different when you consider networking to promote “Brand YOU” and find business today?
You really need to include a mix of Online & Offline, a mix of Virtual & 3D, AND a mix of Social & Business Networking sites.
There is NO DOUBT WHATSOEVER that this is the best possible time for all sizes of enterprise, to be evaluating, developing and implementing their plans for a Social Media presence.
After the air escaped from both the economic & political balloons over the last 12 months, everyone was impacted to a greater or lesser degree.
From the sharp intake of breath that went with the demise of Lehman Brothers, to the sigh of relief from the inauguration of Barack Obama, and the rollercoaster ride we have endured ever since, there is one primary lesson we have all learned – there has been far too much complexity and opacity in the business, banking and political worlds. Worlds we previously considered to be the foundations of our society.
Now we all want and expect a far greater degree of transparency coupled with a “back to basics” approach to enable us to regain confidence in our National and Industry leaders.
The knock-on effect is that we will all be seeking reassurance of that transparency in all our commercial dealings from now on. How do we do that? We Search before we buy. Whether we want to buy Locally or Globally, we now Search first.
This is the key area where the Internet, and Social Media in particular, have a major part to play. It is also a part that can be taken up for once by small and large businesses alike – there is currently a levelled playing field, where the vast majority of the Big Boys have not yet fully grasped the nettle.
This offers a distinct Early Movers Advantage to small and medium enterprise who, traditionally, are able to manoeuvre and change course much more quickly than the corporate “supertankers”. Smaller businesses can sell to the World!
Face up to the facts that we all start our research on the net nowadays so the first key is getting found! Your website has a major part to play in enabling an easy transaction experience for the buyer – from giving him/her all the information they need about what goods or services you have to offer through to the benefits of taking YOUR offer, ie. buying Brand You, not someone else.
To be found easily you must be in their comfort zone, not necessarily yours!
You must reach out to them and make yourself approachable. That is the reason you need to be involved in Social Media – but be warned, it is most definitely NOT a place to deliver a hard sell message and expect results! It is a place to present yourself for inspection, to prove you are a knowledgeable and trustworthy purveyor of goods/services, and above all that you are a human being with the answer to their needs, NOT an automaton just trying to SELL them something!
PLEASE get your Social Media presence established NOW.
If you’re in the US, check out here how they’re approaching the subject in Virginia.
If you’re in the UK, you can find me in more than 5 places!…
Here: http://twitter.com/hojomo
Here: http://www.facebook.com/hojomo
Here: http://www.linkedin.com/in/HowardJMoorey
Here: http://hojomo.myplaxo.com/
Here: http://www.ecademy.com/user/howardmoorey
& mail me: howard@pubutopia.com
Don’t you owe it to your business to…
gain the Early Movers high ground in Social Media by getting yourself set up NOW, not in 12 months time, when it will be too late?
Thanks for reading.
Howard J Moorey
20th June 2009
Saturday 13 June 2009
Where I’ve come from & where I’ve got to...
I have risen through the ranks of the Motor Industry in a variety of Sales, Marketing & Management roles over the last 30 years – all have been customer-facing, because that, and geekery, is what I enjoy most – providing service with a smile and gaining sales as a direct result – Win-Win!!
Progress was from Accounts Adjuster (Collections), thru Office Manager, Zone Manager, Business Manager, Branch Manager, Account Manager, Sales Manager, Regional Sales Manager, Business Development Manager to National Account Manager.
With, at various times, Ford, Renault, DAF, Iveco, ERF & MAN in automotive, and Forward Trust, UFB Humberclyde, General Guarantee & *** in Financial Services.
Whilst being known throughout by both my colleagues & senior management alike, as having a passion for technology & how it can serve us best, both within and outside the realms of business. Enabling efficient data & lead management as well as networking to the benefit of all, in large and small communities alike.
This background leads perfectly to where I am today, still business/customer facing, working to ensure enterprise of every size understands the benefits of Social Media and why they need to be involved in it – targeted lead management, additional sales, lower costs, brand & reputation management, through to customer service & retention, and MORE SALES. That's Win-Win too!
My areas of special interest focus on three business sectors:-
1. Motor & Automotive – Sales, Parts & Aftersales;
2. Financial Services – Asset finance & leasing, property & lifestyle;
3. Hospitality & Events – Pubs, Cafes, Restaurants, Venues, Markets & Regional Attractions.
All based around creating and optimising a sense of community, feeding & cultivating the human need to belong, to be part of something bigger, and believe me Social Media is PERFECT for that!
Now, I’ve ended up in the best possible position I could wish to be in – working with businesses, showing them how new technology (and a slight change of mindset) can
- make them more money;
- save them time;
- reduce their costs (so saving money, as well as making it!);
- ease their pain, by letting me do the stuff that gives them a headache – like setting up their Social Media presence and crafting it around their “raison d’etre”;
- help them feel better about their place in the new local & global market that’s just starting to unfold.
Wow, it really is a wonderful world!
Thanks for reading.
Howard J Moorey
13th June 2009
Aka @hojomo & now http://www.facebook.com/hojomo too!
Friday 29 May 2009
WHAT HAVE I L1RND TODAY?
One of my favorite Web 2.0 sayings came from The Cluetrain Manifesto, as relayed by John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing:-
“Markets are like Conversations – Talk is Cheap and Silence is Fatal!”
But please THINK what you write in 140 characters & how it could be misinterpreted!
In a “conversation” face to face you can correct instantly any misconception.
If it’s a “live” Twitter convo, you can also correct fairly easily.
BUT if it’s time-shifted in any way, so you send something which has to wait till “after tea” or overnight for a response, the person reading may jump to the wrong conclusion about your chosen set of words, or maybe even just one word!
It was a Friday so the regular Twitter practice had begun – under the guise of #followfriday many Tweeple spread a bit of joy, love & kudos by recommending that their own followers consider following others that they have had good interactions with in the past week or more, it may even be just for the great information or insight they provide. It’s a good, fun, particularly “social” practice, and it’s what Social Media is all about!
In my case, I picked up on some recommendations by a wonderful marketer that I hold in very high esteem – virtually hanging on their every word!
I found that one of their suggestions had 16 followers & NO updates!! So I mentioned it in a DM back just in case it was a mistake or maybe the interactions had been offline, ie. face to face, that we would have less knowledge of.
I used the word offline “dealings”, which hindsight shows me, left room for misinterpretation!
This was the classic case where it was left overnight before I discovered my words had been taken in the wrong context. I had never dreamt of anything underhand (call it naivety if you like – I’m one of life’s innocents in that regard, always have been!)
However, my Thought Leader had taken it that I had inferred something dubious – I never meant to, and for that my profuse apologies!
But please take it as a lesson that some things in the Twitterverse need a bit of consideration, if only because of the “delayed reaction” effect!
The global move to greater openness and transparency heralded by the engagement & conversation enabled by Social Media is, I believe, one of the greatest shifts to be experienced by mankind – proving that a connected world is truly a smaller world, bringing us all closer together and able to feel more a part of the “whole” than ever before.
It’s fantastic, and it’s only just beginning, so it’s great to be part of it. Just watch your Ps & Qs a bit!
As a sign off, It also taught me that you seem to be able to delete the offending message completely – I didn’t do it – I know I wrote it (boy, do I know!), but it seems to have disappeared completely from the Twitter system – not retained by my Tweetdeck or Seesmic, or Twitter itself. (Thank you!?)
It has still been a lesson hard L1RND for me!
Have a great week to come, and Think On.
Howard J Moorey
Aka http://twitter/hojomo
www.hojomo.com
May 30th, 2009
“Markets are like Conversations – Talk is Cheap and Silence is Fatal!”
But please THINK what you write in 140 characters & how it could be misinterpreted!
In a “conversation” face to face you can correct instantly any misconception.
If it’s a “live” Twitter convo, you can also correct fairly easily.
BUT if it’s time-shifted in any way, so you send something which has to wait till “after tea” or overnight for a response, the person reading may jump to the wrong conclusion about your chosen set of words, or maybe even just one word!
It was a Friday so the regular Twitter practice had begun – under the guise of #followfriday many Tweeple spread a bit of joy, love & kudos by recommending that their own followers consider following others that they have had good interactions with in the past week or more, it may even be just for the great information or insight they provide. It’s a good, fun, particularly “social” practice, and it’s what Social Media is all about!
In my case, I picked up on some recommendations by a wonderful marketer that I hold in very high esteem – virtually hanging on their every word!
I found that one of their suggestions had 16 followers & NO updates!! So I mentioned it in a DM back just in case it was a mistake or maybe the interactions had been offline, ie. face to face, that we would have less knowledge of.
I used the word offline “dealings”, which hindsight shows me, left room for misinterpretation!
This was the classic case where it was left overnight before I discovered my words had been taken in the wrong context. I had never dreamt of anything underhand (call it naivety if you like – I’m one of life’s innocents in that regard, always have been!)
However, my Thought Leader had taken it that I had inferred something dubious – I never meant to, and for that my profuse apologies!
But please take it as a lesson that some things in the Twitterverse need a bit of consideration, if only because of the “delayed reaction” effect!
The global move to greater openness and transparency heralded by the engagement & conversation enabled by Social Media is, I believe, one of the greatest shifts to be experienced by mankind – proving that a connected world is truly a smaller world, bringing us all closer together and able to feel more a part of the “whole” than ever before.
It’s fantastic, and it’s only just beginning, so it’s great to be part of it. Just watch your Ps & Qs a bit!
As a sign off, It also taught me that you seem to be able to delete the offending message completely – I didn’t do it – I know I wrote it (boy, do I know!), but it seems to have disappeared completely from the Twitter system – not retained by my Tweetdeck or Seesmic, or Twitter itself. (Thank you!?)
It has still been a lesson hard L1RND for me!
Have a great week to come, and Think On.
Howard J Moorey
Aka http://twitter/hojomo
www.hojomo.com
May 30th, 2009
Friday 17 April 2009
From Change 2 Challenge...
Change is not always easy...
And boy are we ALL going through a BIG change right now!
We are moving from a Masculine Economy, where Big was Beautiful, the only way to get on was to get Bigger – Big Corporates and Big Banks had all the answers, and a Big slice of the successes and a Bigger slice of the Profits…
Or did they?
Come 2008 we started to see the chinks in the armour – the Big Bold Bullish Economic model began to come asunder!
All those layers of complexity – impenetrable, incomprehensible complexity – suddenly proved to be covering up a Global Edifice that was built on Quicksand!
All those Bonuses were actually Bs…
All those Bankers were…
And the Motor Industry was in danger of disappearing up it’s own tailpipe!
And We The People Believed them and the messages they span for us!
Well NOT ANY MORE!
Whether they like it or not, we are moving relentlessly into a FEMININE ECONOMY,
where Nurture, Growth, Trust and Transparency are going to be Paramount!
No longer will we accept the message, be it from Advertisers or Governments, without us being able to see more clearly what the objective is.
We must know & understand our Politicians, Business Leaders, and Bankers, better before we blindly accept what they are saying.
With the Change comes the Pain, as the brakes go on and the pace slows down to the level we feel is right,
Dealing with this Change becomes the new Challenge for us ALL.
But be under no misunderstanding whatsoever, this Change will be good for us ALL – we suffer the Pain together and grow closer as a result.
WE will come out BIGGER and STRONGER as a result – able to accept each other, and our differences, because without them we will all be the same – Bland & Boring!
Grow Closer – a Network of Humans, of ALL Creeds and Races, Connected across our wonderful planet – and Move into the next phase of our development – THAT is the Challenge. SMALLER Businesses, Groups and Communities Your Time Has Come!
Bon Voyage!
Howard J Moorey
April 18, 2009
www.hojomo.com
And boy are we ALL going through a BIG change right now!
We are moving from a Masculine Economy, where Big was Beautiful, the only way to get on was to get Bigger – Big Corporates and Big Banks had all the answers, and a Big slice of the successes and a Bigger slice of the Profits…
Or did they?
Come 2008 we started to see the chinks in the armour – the Big Bold Bullish Economic model began to come asunder!
All those layers of complexity – impenetrable, incomprehensible complexity – suddenly proved to be covering up a Global Edifice that was built on Quicksand!
All those Bonuses were actually Bs…
All those Bankers were…
And the Motor Industry was in danger of disappearing up it’s own tailpipe!
And We The People Believed them and the messages they span for us!
Well NOT ANY MORE!
Whether they like it or not, we are moving relentlessly into a FEMININE ECONOMY,
where Nurture, Growth, Trust and Transparency are going to be Paramount!
No longer will we accept the message, be it from Advertisers or Governments, without us being able to see more clearly what the objective is.
We must know & understand our Politicians, Business Leaders, and Bankers, better before we blindly accept what they are saying.
With the Change comes the Pain, as the brakes go on and the pace slows down to the level we feel is right,
Dealing with this Change becomes the new Challenge for us ALL.
But be under no misunderstanding whatsoever, this Change will be good for us ALL – we suffer the Pain together and grow closer as a result.
WE will come out BIGGER and STRONGER as a result – able to accept each other, and our differences, because without them we will all be the same – Bland & Boring!
Grow Closer – a Network of Humans, of ALL Creeds and Races, Connected across our wonderful planet – and Move into the next phase of our development – THAT is the Challenge. SMALLER Businesses, Groups and Communities Your Time Has Come!
Bon Voyage!
Howard J Moorey
April 18, 2009
www.hojomo.com
Saturday 21 February 2009
Repentence
Just feel I should write today about making a silly business mistake!
I didn’t take my own advice (“Don’t Cold Call, Ever”), and paid the price.
Think I was buoyed up by an excess of caffeine and/or adrenaline from my morning networking meeting, and decided to make a cold call into a shop in my local town, for what I thought were all the right reasons! I had tried to catch this particular lady on several previous occasions with no success.
My Marketing4Business venture has been going for some months now, and is finally starting to gain “critical momentum”, and I had decided at the turn of the year that I wanted to be able to help my local community, and maybe contribute my services in some way to the immense efforts of those running our local Farmers Markets and Artists Shop – so that was what I wanted to talk to her about.
However, I blundered in to the shop & caught her serving behind the counter. I introduced myself, and asked if I could have an appointment to come and see her another time. She asked what it was about, wary of the start of a sales pitch! I don’t like sales pitches, so I don’t do sales pitches, and I wasn’t comfortable with launching into any sort of detail in the middle of a shop with a few customers in it!
I tried to explain that I had personally toured the market on a few occasions recently and noticed that there didn’t seem to be any sort of a box scheme which would allow me to buy a number of items from the various stalls – maybe a week’s worth of the various meat, veg, cheese & olive offerings – to collect later in the day. I had a particular type of box in mind, but we never got that far. She jumped in and said they had costed up a box scheme, for delivery to the door, and had decided it wasn’t viable!
I thought at this stage, maybe they didn’t want to cross horns with the local organic veg box scheme organiser, who she already knew, but I thought since the market goods were varied, and not all veg OR organic, and were going to be sold from the stalls anyway, there wasn’t going to be direct competition. However, all this rationale could not come out because I was not aiming to spout it in her shop environment! I made the fatal mistake here of obstructing one of her customers from getting to her at the till, until she looked over my shoulder, and I saw what was intended to occur, and stood aside.
She assured me that the market had been going for over two years now, and they thought they had got it about right (“so buzz off & stop interfering” was the inference). I took this on board, having no intention of trying to sell ice to Eskimos, and decided now was the time to bow out! I added that it was my intention to try to make my local town a truly “connected community”, so hoped we would meet again at some point. I really believe we have an ideal opportunity to increase the use of Twitter in our local area, and am banging that particular drum slowly but surely, whenever I get the opportunity. For this I was rebuked as “talking too much jargon” – again, certainly not going to get into any further interaction with her, I left politely, but she still felt it necessary to have the last word, so I let her!
I was determined after this event, NOT to feel a failure, because I hadn’t got my point across, but to LEARN from the experience, and move on. I was, and still am, convinced that I would be able to simply help local trades-people to Get More Sales in our challenging economy, that’s what Marketing is all about!
I had made the fatal mistake of thinking that because I had become comfortable with preaching my intentions to my (warm & receptive) networking associates, I could somehow help out without it sounding like a sales pitch. FAIL! No, not fail; LEARN!!
I hate Hard Sell and Cold Calls, and am firmly convinced that the time for both has come & gone – we are now in a much more “Feminine” Economy, where nurturing of business relationships is far more important than just “getting a sale”, and where growth comes from “Meet, Like, Trust”, instead of just taking the same message from door to door, or shop to shop, expecting that the law of numbers means that “every 15 calls will lead to 1 sale”.
So, a very big Thank You to the lady for helping me learn a lesson!
What was it?
When you step out of your network, or comfort zone, remember NOT to talk in the jargon you can safely use there – friends, prospects, clients don’t understand until you explain to them IN THEIR LANGUAGE.
In the New World of Relationship Marketing, build the Relationship first!
This post is offered by way of repentance.
Howard J Moorey
February 20, 2009
www.hojomo.com
I didn’t take my own advice (“Don’t Cold Call, Ever”), and paid the price.
Think I was buoyed up by an excess of caffeine and/or adrenaline from my morning networking meeting, and decided to make a cold call into a shop in my local town, for what I thought were all the right reasons! I had tried to catch this particular lady on several previous occasions with no success.
My Marketing4Business venture has been going for some months now, and is finally starting to gain “critical momentum”, and I had decided at the turn of the year that I wanted to be able to help my local community, and maybe contribute my services in some way to the immense efforts of those running our local Farmers Markets and Artists Shop – so that was what I wanted to talk to her about.
However, I blundered in to the shop & caught her serving behind the counter. I introduced myself, and asked if I could have an appointment to come and see her another time. She asked what it was about, wary of the start of a sales pitch! I don’t like sales pitches, so I don’t do sales pitches, and I wasn’t comfortable with launching into any sort of detail in the middle of a shop with a few customers in it!
I tried to explain that I had personally toured the market on a few occasions recently and noticed that there didn’t seem to be any sort of a box scheme which would allow me to buy a number of items from the various stalls – maybe a week’s worth of the various meat, veg, cheese & olive offerings – to collect later in the day. I had a particular type of box in mind, but we never got that far. She jumped in and said they had costed up a box scheme, for delivery to the door, and had decided it wasn’t viable!
I thought at this stage, maybe they didn’t want to cross horns with the local organic veg box scheme organiser, who she already knew, but I thought since the market goods were varied, and not all veg OR organic, and were going to be sold from the stalls anyway, there wasn’t going to be direct competition. However, all this rationale could not come out because I was not aiming to spout it in her shop environment! I made the fatal mistake here of obstructing one of her customers from getting to her at the till, until she looked over my shoulder, and I saw what was intended to occur, and stood aside.
She assured me that the market had been going for over two years now, and they thought they had got it about right (“so buzz off & stop interfering” was the inference). I took this on board, having no intention of trying to sell ice to Eskimos, and decided now was the time to bow out! I added that it was my intention to try to make my local town a truly “connected community”, so hoped we would meet again at some point. I really believe we have an ideal opportunity to increase the use of Twitter in our local area, and am banging that particular drum slowly but surely, whenever I get the opportunity. For this I was rebuked as “talking too much jargon” – again, certainly not going to get into any further interaction with her, I left politely, but she still felt it necessary to have the last word, so I let her!
I was determined after this event, NOT to feel a failure, because I hadn’t got my point across, but to LEARN from the experience, and move on. I was, and still am, convinced that I would be able to simply help local trades-people to Get More Sales in our challenging economy, that’s what Marketing is all about!
I had made the fatal mistake of thinking that because I had become comfortable with preaching my intentions to my (warm & receptive) networking associates, I could somehow help out without it sounding like a sales pitch. FAIL! No, not fail; LEARN!!
I hate Hard Sell and Cold Calls, and am firmly convinced that the time for both has come & gone – we are now in a much more “Feminine” Economy, where nurturing of business relationships is far more important than just “getting a sale”, and where growth comes from “Meet, Like, Trust”, instead of just taking the same message from door to door, or shop to shop, expecting that the law of numbers means that “every 15 calls will lead to 1 sale”.
So, a very big Thank You to the lady for helping me learn a lesson!
What was it?
When you step out of your network, or comfort zone, remember NOT to talk in the jargon you can safely use there – friends, prospects, clients don’t understand until you explain to them IN THEIR LANGUAGE.
In the New World of Relationship Marketing, build the Relationship first!
This post is offered by way of repentance.
Howard J Moorey
February 20, 2009
www.hojomo.com
Saturday 31 January 2009
The Future for Banking & Finance is much more Feminine
By the time of the Davos World Economic Forum, January 27th-31st, the message was finally getting home that We The People have become sick and tired of “complexity for profit”, an unwritten modus operandi in the financial world for most of the last 10 years.
That feature in bank processes led to the dominance of hedge funds & securitisation, and, allowed the emergence of what we now know as “ponzi” schemes – all perfect examples of “houses of cards” which, hindsight shows, were simply waiting for the wind to blow, and making hay until it did.
The Wall Street Journal has reported several key speakers focussing on Transparency and Simplicity as being the essential new cornerstones.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said "We need clear-cut rules world-wide". This would at least go some way to preventing “macho tactics” by one major economy from gaining it a dominance capable of toppling smaller finance systems all around, the World, as happened with the “Sub-Prime Lending” debacle of 2008.
Back-to-basics strategies are now going to be the objective.
"In the end, what we want is a financial industry and banking-sector industry where you have more capital, less debt, more rules and much stronger supervision," said Italian central-bank governor Mario Draghi.
And, most fundamentally, he stressed that “the only thing that would attract investors...was the assurance of safety and transparency”.
Self-interest, greed and manipulation must be eradicated from the global banking system once and for all. And, that “For All” should become the motto of the way forward in finance.
Technological advances over the last 10 years, and the rise of the Internet and Social Networking, now mean that smaller systems, like micro-financing, can be adopted and linked together, much the way that smaller businesses are starting to find they can band together in joint ventures to work as efficiently as big corporates – this will be another growing trend for 2009 onwards, leaner, more flexible craft speeding past lumbering supertankers.
These new moves will lead to “real products that are simple to understand, easy to price and satisfy certain legal conditions" which Mr Draghi said would help to restart the market.
Among the new rules of the game for banks are likely to be simpler models that rely less on off-balance-sheet vehicles and borrowed funds to drive profits. Less complexity, not more. Regulators are also likely to force banks to be clearer and more transparent about the type of risk that exists on their balance sheets.
The WSJ article went on to point out that “within this new banking landscape, hedge-fund operators face their own changes. Eric Mindich, chief of hedge fund Eton Park Capital Management, said funds will be consolidating. He also said funds will be forced to better match assets and liabilities in order to ensure liquidity in times of stress.”
Another consensus was starting to emerge too - one that highlights that making heavy use of debt will no longer be possible to power growth. Martin Senn, chief investment officer at Zurich Financial Services explained "I think the industry will be required to hold more capital, which will lead to less leverage, which will eventually lead to more stable institutions,".
All serving to ensure that the New World will indeed be a better, far less masculine, place.
Howard J Moorey
January 31st, 2009
Wednesday 21 January 2009
The Feminine Economy, Twitter & Networking
Howard J Moorey January 21st, 2009
7 DIRECT Business Benefits to be Gained from Joining & Using Twitter
The principle of a new “Feminine” Economy took a great step forward with the Inauguration of Barack Obama.
One of the fundamental cornerstones is Networking to build business, create new ventures & new jobs.
You can Network Online and Offline, in 2D & 3D you might say.
Social Networking, through Twitter and Facebook, amongst others, is drawing a great deal of attention around the globe, and it can play a part in development of both new and existing small to medium enterprises.
I had a meeting yesterday with a Network Associate, and he asked for some” Twitter Clarity” – “What are the direct small biz benefits to be gained from Twitter?” he asked.
So here they are:-
1.2009 is, without doubt, the Year of Brand YOU! Twitter is a PROMOTIONAL TOOL.
You need to seize a niche and make it your own – publicise yourself AND your business as one in the same. Prove that YOU can be a reliable source of factual, accurate, information about YOUR business topic.
There is no better way to do that than via Twitter!
This promotion MUST be low key (NOT “in yer face”), and remember, it puts you right in the Global Marketplace, not just a localised, 3D, one!
2.Twitter is an immensely valuable NETWORKING TOOL.
Use Twittersearch (just Google it) to find others who are interested in YOUR subject. It will find those who are talking about it right now, or who mention it in their “Bio” (immensely important to complete this when you set up your account, but you can always go back & tweak it later).
When you’ve found them, FOLLOW them – create your own Online network - watch what they’re talking about – you can always Unfollow them later. When you have got a feel for them, feel free to drop in a comment – if it’s sensible, or adds value, they will respect you as knowing something about the subject, and will most likely respond, and draw you into the conversation. Make new friends, inside AND outside the 3D setting, all around the World!
3.Twitter is an immensely valuable RESEARCH TOOL.
At least some of those people you follow may be online much more than you, and will be finding, and broadcasting, blogs/articles/comments/other “Tweeps” (Twitter Folk) that are worth knowing about, and YOU might never have known about!
Plus, you can again use Twittersearch to look for other current topics, or, indeed, a field you want to find out more about, including the people you may want to deal with/sell to!
Once you have your Twitter Network established, you can always put a question out to them, individually or globally, and see if you get a response.
4.Twitter can be a useful 3D COMMUNICATIONS TOOL.
Keep the promotion subtle, just show you enjoy your time in 3D, or it’s an invaluable resource for your business (preferably both!).
Announce meetings, upcoming or just attended, and what you may have learnt there, or, indeed, new Tweeps you have connected with there!
THE BIG PLUS is that when you are following someone, and they are following you, then you can also send them “Direct Messages” which are Private & non-public – if you know someone is online, it can be a much faster/easier way of making a quick comment, asking a question, or booking an event!
5.Twitter can be a great TOOL TO BOOST YOUR CONFIDENCE too!
The more you learn, through points 2 & 3 above, the more you get to keep up to the minute on events and developments in your chosen area – you can find things out NOW, not next week or next month when your find them in newspapers or magazines!
Some of the people you follow could become your “Thought Leaders” – people who Blog about things that are EXACTLY in line with you own interests, and may even be at the cutting edge.
6.Twitter can be a NEW BUSINESS TOOL.
The new connections you make could lead you to new deals, joint ventures, business events, etc that would never have been possible in the “Old Days” (when you were not connected!)
7.Twitter can be FUN too – just like 4N – see it as 50% Business & 50% Social!
You can keep up with the local Gossip & Soap Operas, or maybe even set up your own!
Or you can banter with other Networkers around the country, or in your own group.
MOST IMPORTANT FEATURE is YOU! Use it as part of YOUR Marketing Mix.
It’s up to YOU what you make of it, but I trust the above will help you get the most from this FREE resource.
Use a free tool, TWEETDECK, to keep track of the above.
If you need to know more, or need help with set up,
email me: directcontact@hojomo.com
twitter @hojomo
Our 3D solution in the UK is www.4networking.biz
Most of all keep talking & networking to get yourself a new job, new contract or a new business!
7 DIRECT Business Benefits to be Gained from Joining & Using Twitter
The principle of a new “Feminine” Economy took a great step forward with the Inauguration of Barack Obama.
One of the fundamental cornerstones is Networking to build business, create new ventures & new jobs.
You can Network Online and Offline, in 2D & 3D you might say.
Social Networking, through Twitter and Facebook, amongst others, is drawing a great deal of attention around the globe, and it can play a part in development of both new and existing small to medium enterprises.
I had a meeting yesterday with a Network Associate, and he asked for some” Twitter Clarity” – “What are the direct small biz benefits to be gained from Twitter?” he asked.
So here they are:-
1.2009 is, without doubt, the Year of Brand YOU! Twitter is a PROMOTIONAL TOOL.
You need to seize a niche and make it your own – publicise yourself AND your business as one in the same. Prove that YOU can be a reliable source of factual, accurate, information about YOUR business topic.
There is no better way to do that than via Twitter!
This promotion MUST be low key (NOT “in yer face”), and remember, it puts you right in the Global Marketplace, not just a localised, 3D, one!
2.Twitter is an immensely valuable NETWORKING TOOL.
Use Twittersearch (just Google it) to find others who are interested in YOUR subject. It will find those who are talking about it right now, or who mention it in their “Bio” (immensely important to complete this when you set up your account, but you can always go back & tweak it later).
When you’ve found them, FOLLOW them – create your own Online network - watch what they’re talking about – you can always Unfollow them later. When you have got a feel for them, feel free to drop in a comment – if it’s sensible, or adds value, they will respect you as knowing something about the subject, and will most likely respond, and draw you into the conversation. Make new friends, inside AND outside the 3D setting, all around the World!
3.Twitter is an immensely valuable RESEARCH TOOL.
At least some of those people you follow may be online much more than you, and will be finding, and broadcasting, blogs/articles/comments/other “Tweeps” (Twitter Folk) that are worth knowing about, and YOU might never have known about!
Plus, you can again use Twittersearch to look for other current topics, or, indeed, a field you want to find out more about, including the people you may want to deal with/sell to!
Once you have your Twitter Network established, you can always put a question out to them, individually or globally, and see if you get a response.
4.Twitter can be a useful 3D COMMUNICATIONS TOOL.
Keep the promotion subtle, just show you enjoy your time in 3D, or it’s an invaluable resource for your business (preferably both!).
Announce meetings, upcoming or just attended, and what you may have learnt there, or, indeed, new Tweeps you have connected with there!
THE BIG PLUS is that when you are following someone, and they are following you, then you can also send them “Direct Messages” which are Private & non-public – if you know someone is online, it can be a much faster/easier way of making a quick comment, asking a question, or booking an event!
5.Twitter can be a great TOOL TO BOOST YOUR CONFIDENCE too!
The more you learn, through points 2 & 3 above, the more you get to keep up to the minute on events and developments in your chosen area – you can find things out NOW, not next week or next month when your find them in newspapers or magazines!
Some of the people you follow could become your “Thought Leaders” – people who Blog about things that are EXACTLY in line with you own interests, and may even be at the cutting edge.
6.Twitter can be a NEW BUSINESS TOOL.
The new connections you make could lead you to new deals, joint ventures, business events, etc that would never have been possible in the “Old Days” (when you were not connected!)
7.Twitter can be FUN too – just like 4N – see it as 50% Business & 50% Social!
You can keep up with the local Gossip & Soap Operas, or maybe even set up your own!
Or you can banter with other Networkers around the country, or in your own group.
MOST IMPORTANT FEATURE is YOU! Use it as part of YOUR Marketing Mix.
It’s up to YOU what you make of it, but I trust the above will help you get the most from this FREE resource.
Use a free tool, TWEETDECK, to keep track of the above.
If you need to know more, or need help with set up,
email me: directcontact@hojomo.com
twitter @hojomo
Our 3D solution in the UK is www.4networking.biz
Most of all keep talking & networking to get yourself a new job, new contract or a new business!
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