Forget About The “Leadership Secrets of Attila The Hun”!

If you’re like most small business professionals, you’ve got a stack of business books sitting somewhere near your desk — many of the classics that every smart business manager supposedly needs to read. However, some of these “classics” didn’t became popular because they were particularly insightful but because they reinforced conventional business wisdom of the time.

Many small business books perpetuate the use of harmful myths and, unfortunately, some of these myths have become strongly ingrained in the business lexicon. These myths are harmful because they misapply “established knowledge” and result in many professionals practicing unprofitable business tactics.

In this article I’m not talking about truisms that fail in specific cases but, rather, business phrases that are often false, even though they may seem true on the surface.

For example:

1. A good salesperson can sell anything

Actually, no. A good salesperson in the wrong market or unfamiliar with the needs of their customers can not sell anything. Each industry and regional market is different, and you’re only as good as your knowledge of the prospects’ needs.

2. The customer is always right

This cliché dates back roughly 100 years. Most people call it the “Field Rule”, named after the Marshall Field’s chain, where it was famously put into practice. The Field Rule came from the French phrase “Le client n’a jamais tort” (”The customer is never wrong”) back in 1908. Whoever is responsible, should be smacked in “le bouche.” This is a perfect example of marketing fiction being perceived as fact. In reality, to say that “the customer is always right” implies that the salesperson is always wrong and, thus, does not engender the customer’s trust or respect.

3. Anything 80 percent complete is “good enough”

This myth is just plain crazy and confusing. Does your employer (or client, if you’re self-employed) compensate you 100% for 80% of your effort? No, they require 100% effort for 100% compensation. Anything worth doing is worth doing right — and completely. If we’re talking about launching a product, the same rule applies. It should be no surprise that releasing an “80% functional” (read: incomplete or unstable) product into the market can cost your company its reputation and you a lot of time and money.

Get Real

These few examples of “off-the-shelf” knowledge demonstrate that just because it’s in black-and-white does not necessarily mean it’s true — or relevant.

It’s a sad reality that such business myths are still being perpetuated by modern day professionals — many of whom should know better. Just recently, two of my Conversationalist colleagues overheard an experienced sales exec recite cliché #2 in a client meeting. This just means that it’s even more important for the rest of us to validate the business advice we are given before adding it to our professional repertoire and putting it into practice. Skip the unsubstantiated clichés and the unproven, of-the-moment thinking and the business world will be a better place.

Defining the Digital Handshake

How do you define a handshake?

That’s an easy question to answer, right? I mean, to just about all of us, a handshake is physical ritual. It’s a greeting or conclusion to the exchange of dialogue or ideas; the physical representation of connecting. So how does a handshake translate to the digital world?

That’s a question that may not be so easy to answer. Or maybe it is, because how we behave physically translates to the digital world. So if we think of a handshake as the initial greeting before a conversation, then a digital translation is not out of reach.

It’s still about connecting.

Let’s use the internet phenomenon Twitter, as an example. This is one of the fastest ways you can shake hands digitally. There is already a conversation happening, you just need to make your introduction. Sign up, enter your bio, add a picture, and you’re ready. The application itself is the handshake.

However, like any initial greeting and conversation, it can’t be one sided. The same practices and courtesies that govern our relationships in the physical world, apply online. You still need to give a reason for someone to want to shake your hand back.

How do we accomplish this?

Simple, begin how you would start any conversation, smile and say hello. Provide an atmosphere where a healthy conversation is encouraged. Those you greet should feel their ideas are welcome and that you truly care and want to listen. This is the foundation of community building and the same principles apply on any of the digital applications that are available to you whether you use Facebook, LinkedIn, Blogs, etc.

You can’t expect to walk up to someone, shake their hand or slap them on the back and just walk away. That doesn’t work in the physical world and it won’t work online.

That’s not relationship building.

So as we wrap this up, chew on this thought:

Over the course of your lifetime, think about all hands you’ve shook. How many of those physical handshakes turned into meaningful relationships, which ultimately turned into business opportunities? Now think about all the potential online connections that are waiting for you to extend your hand.

Are you ready to shake hands in the digital world? I thought so.

Amber Naslund Discusses the Importance of Online Community Building at the Module 09 Conference

Say what you will, but it’s clear that online interaction, in one form or another, is here to stay. More and more, people are utilizing social media platforms to communicate with one another every day. As a result, many businesses wonder what social media can do for them and how they can best utilize it.

Amber Naslund, Director of Community for Radian 6, says it’s all about building a sense of community around your brand that is just as strong inside your company as it is outside.

At this year’s Midwest Digital Conference, Amber’s presentation is entitled: Building Internal & External Communities Online.

In it, she’ll be discussing of the different aspects of community building, the skills you need in a community manager, and how social media is driving us to communicate better internally than ever before.

Amber Naslund is a social media and marketing upstart, and the Director of Community for Radian6, where she’s responsible for client engagement, community building, and helping companies tap the potential of online reputation management, customer engagement, and social media monitoring. She’s spent the last decade or so raising over $60mm for non-profit organizations, building brands for companies large and small, and messing with all things online.

Amber blogs at Altitude Branding, focusing on brand building and social media marketing for business. She’s also an author of Radian6’s PowerShift blog, a contributor to the popular Marketing Profs Daily Fix blog, and she keeps her personal blog at Innacurate Reality.

Join Amber as she explains why community management is really a blend of business development, customer service, and the characteristics that communities want to see in the people holding these positions at the Module 09 Midwest Digital Conference, April 10, 2009.

Read more about Amber Naslund and all of this year’s conference presenters here.

Module 09 Digital Conference highlights:
Our goal is to help companies respond to new media communication challenges including:

• Why should I care about the digital landscape in 2009 (and beyond)?
• Which technologies are right for my needs?
• How do I manage communication via the digital space?
• How do I measure my return on investment?

Featured sessions will provide practical approaches to meet these challenges by using readily available digital tools:

• How to evaluate and integrate new technologies and trends for your business
• Selecting the right digital channels to broadcast your message
• Your digital mindset: How to create your online presence
• Digital marketing’s global impact

Social Media Symposium: How to responsibly & effectively broadcast your message over the social media channel

• Relationship management via the social media sphere
• Learning to listen: How to hear your customers and join the discussion
• Making social media work for your brand

For more information about the Module 09 Midwest Digital Conference, please visit the conference web site or contact us.