I was cleaning up my hard drive the other day and I came across a list of tips for cold calling (I think the tips are from Ari Galper of www.unlockthegame.com but I’m not positive. If you are the author please let me know so I give you credit!) .

Everyone hates cold calling because we all hate rejection and cold calling is all about rejection if you’re not good at it. These tips make cold calling much easier and less intimidating.

As I read these tips I realized these tips could be applied to social media. Cold calling and social media are exactly the same. If you try to sell your product or service to someone you just met on Facebook they will probably reject you . When you go out on a first date and ask the woman to marry you, you’ll probably get rejected (unless you’re on a binge with Britney Spears in Las Vegas).

Take a look at these cold calling tips and see if you think they can be applied to social media.

Because the right brain is…

1. Involved in process (not outcome)…

* Before you make a cold call, think to yourself, “My goal is not to make the sale but to create a conversation based on how I can help the other person.”

2. Intuitive (not calculating or manipulative)

* Avoid changing who you are when you make your call. There’s no need to be on “stage” or to sound enthusiastic.  Just be your everyday relaxed self, as if you’re calling a friend.   People know when you’re being genuine, and when you’re not.

3. Flexible (not linear)

* Throw out your linear sales script and generate a spontaneous conversation based on the problems you can help the other person solve.

4. Concrete (not abstract)

* Develop two or three specific problems that you know your product or service solves.

5. Holistic (not compartmentalized)

* Let go of thinking “buyer-seller,” and view the person you’re calling as another person, not as a “prospect.”

6. Open-ended (not rigid)

* Let go of worrying about driving the conversation “forward.” Instead, open your call with a problem statement that generates the response “What do you mean?” or “Tell me more.”

See what I mean? These cold calling tips can be directly applied to starting converstations with strangers on social media sites. You could also use these tips when trying to meet people in person at a social event. The operative word here is “social” which is the same online or offline.

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I found a great new tool that automatically Tweets your new uploads to Flickr. Check out SnapTweet to set up your free account. Simply enter your Twitter login and your Flickr URL and your accounts will be connected. Upload a new picture to Flickr and it will be Tweeted automatically.

How does this help drive traffic to your blog or website? I have my blog connected to my Twitter account using the Twitter Tools plugin. My blog also connected to my Facebook account using the SimplyRSS application in Facebook so every blog post appears on my Facebook page automatically. I also tie my blog posts to many other social media sites using my RSS feed that I created at Feedburner. It’s an automated system that automatically updates many sites once I create a blog post. A quick and easy way to generate traffic to your blog and website.

My copy of Twitter Power: How to Dominate Your Market One Tweet at a Time, by Joel Comm arrived yesterday afternoon and I couldn’t put it down last night. I’ve been Twittering for over  a year and I know the basics. I know the fundamentals of tweeting and retweeting, Twitter etiquette and how to customize by Twitter page (I’m ted_prodromou if you want to follow me). I know there are a ton of Twitter tools that make my Twitter life easier and new Twitter sub-communities poping up everywhere.

Joel’s book didn’t teach me anything I didn’t already know because I’m a techie and I spend at least 10 hours a day online working and playing. I discovered everything I know over a year and a half through trial and error. As I came across new tools and resources I bookmarked them and i use many of the tools today.

I love Twitter Power because Joel created the ultimate A to Z guide for all Twitter users. Whether you are an absolute beginner or you’re a savvy tweeter, this book is for you. As a beginner, you are led step by step from setting up your account to making your first tweet. You’ll learn how to create a profile that attracts followers, how to follow others, how to customize your Twitter background and proper Twitter etiquette so you don’t offend people.

For the more advanced user, you’ll learn how to do market research using Twitter and how to tap into conversations about your product or service. You’ll see how major corporations are using Twitter to connect with their prospects and clients to build lasting relationships. Some major companies are even doing free tech support using Twitter. I guarantee you’ll learn a ton of valuable tips that will enhance your Twitter experience exponentially.

You’ll also learn about the vast array of 3rd party Twitter tools and communities that make Twitter even more powerful. Joel’s compiled a comprehensive list of Twitter tools and resources so you have everthing you ever wanted to know about Twitter at your fingertips.

I highly recommend grabbing your copy of Twitter Power: How to Dominate Your Market One Tweet at a Time today.

I was reading an interesting article in Search Marketing Standard last night about the use of Social Media by the Inc 500 companies. Take a look at this chart of the fastest growing companies compiled by The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Center for Marketing Research.

It’s very clear that social media has been accepted by the masses and has become an integral part of every smart company’s marketing strategy.  Small businesses have been embracing social media for years and the big boys are scrambling to catch up./ 

At the Social Media Strategies Conference last month, it was clear large companies are embracing social media but haven’t figured out the best way to use it. They’re experimenting with it to see how their target audience responds to their presence on sites like Facebook, MySpace, and even Twitter. 

Most large companies haven’t directly funded their social media campaigns and they’re splitting up the blogging, tweeting, and commenting among staff members. Some companies alternate blog posting between different employees while others scour the internet for ongoing conversations about their company. When a negative conversation is found, they jump into the conversation to do damage control and turn it into an opporunity to build a strong relationship with a disgruntled customer. 

It’s clear that social media use is on the rise and will continue to grow as more people embrace it. How are you using social media to promote your business now and how do you plan to use it in 2009? Please comment below and let me know how it’s been working for you and what hasn’t been working for you.

To your online success,

 Ted

It’s true. Social Media is just an excuse for us to justify our aimlessly surfing the internet for hours and hours. I’m convinced its a conspiracy by those who want us to waste as much time as we can so we can go days without accomplishing anything.

I keep hearing from Social Media experts that you build your credibility and find new clients by commenting on other people’s blogs and forums. You start out by doing a Google Blog Search forkeywords related to your niche. Next you dig through the search results to find related blogs. Before you know it you’ve spent an hour sampling other blogs looking for something to comment on.

Finally you find a good blog and make your comment. Then back to the Google search results to find more related sites. You find a good article on one site and make a comment. That article leads you to another great site with relevant content. You spend an hour or so reading articles on that wesite which leads you to more articles on another blog. You make some comments on that blog which leads you to another blog from someone’s comment.

And then you realize you just spent 2 hours reading and commenting on blogs and news sites. Next you log into your Facebook account to see what your friends are up to. Your inbox is filled with messages from your "friends" who posted self promotions on your wall. Facebook is getting worse than the spam in your inbox. You get distracted playing on Facebook for a couple of hours and you realize you forgot to eat lunch.

After lunch you check your email and find more messages from friends. You spend 20 minutes deleting those messages and you’re Google Alert notifies you of a new blog post. You jump on that blog to make the first comment and spend another hour reading other blogs.

Does this sound familiar? It has to be a conspiracy but I haven’t figured out their motive other than to make us waste our time.

I just read a great article in Reuters about the benefit of allowing your employees to access social media sites during work. Click here to take a look at the article here.

Michael Holden makes some compelling points in the article saying its getting hard to separate social networking with traditional networking. Battening down the hatches and blocking all social media sites is not the answer. Allowing people to socialize on social networking sites during work time turns out to be a huge benefit in the long run.

Socializing online is relationship building and many business relationships are now being formed online. People are meeting in cyberspace because they have a common interest which creates an instant bond. Even if the bond isn’t directly related to your company’s products or services, a strong relationship is being formed. The strong connection can eventually lead to new business, referrals or an introduction to highly targeted prospects.

Think about it. Your employees can take time off from work to attend networking events where it can take a long time to see new business or referrals. Attending networking events in person is very time consuming and can be very unproductive. Online networking takes less time, builds strong relationships with like-minded people and is completely free. Isn’t it smarter to let your employees spend a few minutes online to build a huge network than to spend hours in boring, stale networking events?

John Reese is about to raise the bar for internet marketing. A few years ago John was the first person to earn over a million dollars in one day when he released Traffic Secrets, the revolutionary program that taught you how to instantly generate tons of web traffic. Many of the techniques John taught us in Traffic Secrets still work today.

Now John has updated Traffic Secrets to include Web 2.0 traffic techniques. Take a look at this video that gives you a sneak peak of John’s soon to be released Traffic Secrets 2.0

I saw a post on the blog, www.boingboing.net about the Smithsonian releasing royalty free images from it’s vast collection of pictures.

Think about it. The Smithsonian is doing Web 2.0. As Tim Russert’s Dad, Big Russ, says “Ya gotta love this country”

Check out the Smithsonian images on Flickr at http://flickr.com/photos/smithsonian

Are you doing Web 2.0 to promote your business? What the heck are you waiting for? If the Smithsonian is embracing Web 2.0 then you need to get on the train before it leaves the station.

You’re missing out on a tremendous source of free web traffic and an easy way to build lasting relationships with your clients and prospects.

Click here to see how I’m using Web 2.0 to grow my business.

Blogging to one of the hottest trends on the internet. In case you don’t know what blogging is click here for the definition from wikipedia. Writing a blog for your business is a tremendous way to build a lasting relationship with your customers and prospects. A blog lets you demonstrate your expertise in your niche in addition to letting you express your opinions about current trends in your industry. By commenting on other people’s blog you can expand your potential client base exponentially as well as driving tons of free traffic to your blog.

I’ve been teaching a lot of classes on blogging and the biggest complaint I hear is “I don’t have time to write a blog and to find other blogs to comment on” Here’s a typical conversation in one of my classes:

Ted: You should write at least 3 blog posts a week and comment on other blogs at least 3 times a week
Student: I’m already working 60 hours a week and I don’t have time to write a blog
Ted: Is your practice currently full or do you have more clients than you can handle?
Student: No
Ted: Is your business making a profit or are you just getting by?
Student: Just getting by, barely
Ted: How many hours a week do you spend marketing your business?
Student: I don’t have time to market. I’m too busy running my business.
Ted: So you’re working 60 hours a week, just getting by and you don’t have time to market. Are you working with the right clients and are your charging enough for your services?
Student: I guess not.
Ted: You need to be spending at least 10% of your time marketing your business to your ideal clients. Your ideal clients will understand your value and pay you what your worth. By working with the right clients you will be able to work with fewer clients that will pay you more so you’ll be able to work less than 40 hours a week and make a lot more money. Blogging ss a free way to market your business and reach an unlimited audience. By reading and commenting on blogs that are read by your ideal clients you can build a deep relationship with them and demonstrate your expertise. New clients will find you instead of you chasing the wrong clients. By spending as little as 4 hours a week, you can reach thousands of potential clients via the internet. As your popularity on the internet increases and more people start commenting on your blog posts, you’ll forget that you’re actually marketing your business just by interacting with others.

I was having lunch with my mother at Applebee’s the other day and I noticed a flyer on the table. It said Wanna be on TV? We can help.

Check out www.applebees.com/realvideos and you’ll see you can upload your own videos to their website. They want you to upload video of you and your family enjoying themselves at Applebees. They’re going to feature the best  videos on television commercials. What a great idea. They’re using Web 2.0 to create interaction between you and their website. Applebees is inviting you into their community. The only thing they’re missing is letting us see the uploaded videos on the website and make comments on each others videos.

I’m seeing more and more of this community building from large companies and I love it. The large, cold, faceless corporations are reaching out to us!!  Now lets get the oil companies to reach out to us as their profits skyrocket and build a community!!