Skyping & IM'ing - Why Insta-Communication is Your Friend & Foe

I'm a Skype-a-holic Skyper and log into Skype every day. I work with a Texas agency and I live in California - makes communication between us a lot easier. Who doesn't love the modern conveniences of insta-communication? Between phone conferences and instant messaging, my world is a constant stream of phrases that include:"Can you Skype conference call at 4pm PDT? or "I'm sending the website link right now via chat."  Skype works great for international calls. I recently talked to a friend in Australia and another colleague in Argentina - not too shabby for not having to pay a dime to use Skype.

In May, Skype added their app so people can use it on 3G networks - another great idea. Or is it? As a Blackberry user, I became frustrated with learning the in's and out's of my Skype app but I worked through the techie hoopla. 

Are these insta-communication online tools really our friends or possibly our foes? TeleGeography reported that 54 billion minutes international call minutes (out of a total of 406 international call minutes) were Skpe-to-Skype international calls. That's a lot of chattiness happening in the world. How much is used for business and how much for pleasure? How many people use instant messaging for good or for evil?

What's so great about Skype and instant messaging chat programs such as Yahoo Messenger or Gmail's chat feature? Yes, they are fast and convenient and you can chat 24,7 and 365 days a year. As a business professional, these programs have made my life a lot easier.

However, as easy and wonderful as this technology makes our lives, it also carries risk. For companies who use Skype and instant messaging technology, you face security, compliance, inappropriate usage by employees and of course, the biggie - trade secret leaks. Then we have those friendly crackers (black hat hackers) who sneak into Yahoo Messenger and attack with "phishing" (pesky spam and bots that pop out from the cyber ether). Even though "insta-communication" online makes our lives more convenient, be aware of the security risks - make sure your firewalls and virus softwares are up-to-date.

I'm not giving up my instant messaging programs or Skype anytime soon but it makes me think more carefully about what I share and whom I share it with in IM-Land or via Skype call. Now if only Skype could deliver a latte to me in the morning - maybe Starbucks and Skype should team up- hmmmm, that's a thought.

How has Skype and/or instant messaging made your life/business easier, or maybe it hasn't? Happy Skyping & IM'ing!  

Why You Need to Be a Left Brain & Right Brain Entrepreneur

Last week, I shared my insightful interview with my friend and mentor - online marketing guru-ess, Victoria Ipri. After chatting with Victoria, I thought about my own path as a freelancer and entrepreneur.  I realized that dynamic entrepreneurs such as Victoria Ipri are successful because they aren't afraid to dive into unknown waters.

I had the privilege of recently participating in a teleclass by the lovely and energetic SARK called "Magic Management." It was geared towards solo professionals, business owners and anyone who wants to pursue their deepest passions and dreams. She talked with us about our "Inner CEO" (doer) versus our "Inner Spirit" (dreamer) - our left and right brain energies. It made me realize - hmm, have I been truly tapping into these energies and making them work for my business and my clients?

As entrepreneurs, it's imperative that we tap into both our left and right brain energies in order to be successful. Sometimes those tried and true marketing methods that worked in 1995 may not work anymore in 2010. Fear stops us from taking that leap into the unknown - maybe that "unknown" has stopped you from creating a website or writing a blog. That little voice inside your head - your nagging inner critic - tells you "Noooo, I can't write!" We need to stop listening to our inner critics.

Do you realize you could be missing out on HUGE business opportunities if you ignore your creative side? You don't need to reserve your creativity for JUST your personal life. Sometimes it doesn't come easily for us to tap into our creativity and make it work in our business world. However, it's a matter of taking that leap of faith to delve into a place that's uncomfortable. You might be pleasantly surprised at what you find!

My Interview on Leigh Writes Copy - thanks Leigh!

A big thanks to Leigh Muzslay Browne for featuring me on her Leigh Writes Copy blog today. I talk about my non-profit fundraising days and how it led me to my writing and freelance career. I really appreciate the support of all my friends, family, colleagues and clients throughout my freelance journey!

http://leighwritescopy.blogspot.com/2010/09/writer-wednesday-therese-pope-walk.html

The Emmy Awards & The Social Media Red Carpet

Ryan Seacrest is notorious for tweeting every chance he gets - especially when he was chilling out with his celebs on the Academy Awards' red carpet.

Now it was Jimmy Fallon's turn - as he tweeted with the best of them at the Emmy Awards last night. Hollywood was buzzing with social media mania last night as tweeters and Facebookers shot off the latest updates on their social media sites.

NBC was on top of their social media game last night! By the way, big congrats to my favorite show, Mad Men, and actor Jon Hamm (please call me, Mr.  Hamm, if you should end up single or without a publicist!)

The big players are smart - using social media to increase their ratings. The power of social media is definitely making a bit hit on the airwaves these days.

So how many TV celebs did you stalk on Twitter last night?

Twiffienciency Not So Twifficient - Bordering Spammy!

Have you heard about Twifficiency?

Yes, another new Twitter app that calculates your Tweety-ness, or in this case your "Twifficiency."

Since it launched last week, Twitter streams have been bombarded with tweeters' rates. It has been touted as a "rogue" application and has received criticism - that even techno savvy users can be tricked into spamming (it blasts out everyone's score via tweets). It helps to read the fine print.

It turns out it was a young emo-esque lad from Scotland didn't think his app would take off and be this popular - let alone turn into a Spam Fest on Twitter. Even Google execs failed the Twiffiency exam - read the full scoop here.

http://techcrunch.com/2010/08/17/twifficiency/

Check Your Ego at the Door - How Social Media Lost Its Manners

What happened to common courtesy? More specifically, what happened to professionalism and good manners on social media platforms?

I'm not even talking about Facebook (not that I'm excusing anyone who uses Facebook to blast and criticize others!) It's time for people to start checking their ego at the door because there is no room in professional social networking for huge egos and negativity. It's turned into one big slam fest. I've written about this topic before but it seems to have grown worse over the summer months.

Why are these people so bitter? Did they lose their job? Do they hate the economy and give into all the negative hype in our world right now? Do they need a good dose of Deepak Chopra and Tony Robbins? What's up with their bad 'tudes?

It has turned into a "look at me, look at me!" show-down where these supposed business professionals try to one up each other. I've met some amazing people on LinkedIn and have found clients on there so the power of LinkedIn works - when people actually USE it in a positive way and aren't such Debbie and Danny Downers.

Competition is good - don't get me wrong. However, telling people they suck or people's posts are "just sad" (direct quote from a marketing professional on there who shall remain nameless) is beyond rude and unprofessional. As a freelancer, I always try to put my best "face" forward especially when my words represent who I am and my business brand. 

It's not surprising that people are getting fired from their jobs based on what they write on social media sites. If I had employees and saw the horrible things they wrote to other business professionals on LinkedIn, they would be fired - no questions asked.

So for all the egomaniacs who post on professional networking sites such as LinkedIn, I have one question for you: do you talk to your mother like that? I didn't think so!

My advice - skip over groups that don't interest you and keep your negativity to yourself. There's no need to harass, threaten, put down, criticize or chastize others because they don't have the same type of experience you have or GASP, they repeated the same information that someone just posted ten posts ago. 

If some of these egos are checked at the door - maybe just maybe - social media can find its manners again. I'm hopeful.

The Soft Sell Technique - How to Make Lasting Impressions & Relationships

As a fundraiser who met with corporate executives on a regular basis, I learned that going in for the kill (aka the ASK, as we called it in fundraising) was NOT the way to cultivate relationships.

The term "soft sell" was common lingo in my fundraising world. I was selling awareness - bottom line. It wasn't about going in there and asking for a huge chunk of change. Why would these corporate big whigs want to become a corporate sponsor for my golf tournament? What was in it for them? The benefits?

Preparation was the key and research! Lots of research! I dug out my Book of Lists and spent time researching their philanthropy history. I never went into that initial meeting blindly. I learned names - and who made the ultimate decision.

So what can the fundraising "soft sell" technique teach you? It's all about taking the soft approach with your clients and customers. People aren't going to part with their money just like that! They need a reason and a good reason to invest their money and their time into a worthwhile cause. In your case, you want people to find a good reason to invest in your product or service.

I massaged a lot of relationships during my non-profit days and many did not donate right away or they donated something even more valuable - their time and their employees' time (volunteering is worth its weight in gold!)

Traditional sales and marketing tout that the only way to make the sale is that you MUST go in for the KILL. That's the fastest and easiest way to turn off people and lose customers for good. Who wants an aggressive, fire-breathing salesperson in your face or on the phone with you 24,7?

If you want to make a lasting impression and build long-lasting relationships, it's all about cultivation and massaging that relationship - and it may take two months or it might take a year. Be genuine and don't shine on people with a "waste their time" dog and pony show.

People aren't dumb and they can smell a fake a mile away.

So forget any hard sales tactics you've learned along the way and opt for the soft sell. Be consistent and keep it real!