Do you want to build and grow your network or community?

6 years ago Simon Zutshi asked me to work with him to create and grow the online media presence of property investors network ‘pin’.

He’d seen me online and knew I was active within various online communities, as well as hosting my own events - in Property, Business and Internet Marketing.

I’d been doing online marketing for a long time and active on Facebook using paid Advertising (since 2008) before a lot of the big corporates were even aware of online marketing.

I’d also helped at and supported many personal development events, from local YES Groups to bigger Tony Robbins UPW events and similar.

As well as booking speakers for events, it was important for me to provide outstanding customer service to attendees as well, as I’d been to too many events where the organisers lacked integrity and each person was just a 'lead'. Things sometimes do go wrong and we all make mistakes - but when no-one takes actual responsibility for actions, service suffers and so does ‘word of mouth’ (and now social media posts) about your company.

People will remember how you make them feel and if you care enough to provide excellent service, which is more than just ‘good enough’. (Thanks to Graham Hill, Regional Director – Buckinghamshire & Bedfordshire of Shopper Anonymous for that reminder yesterday #FSB)

People are the most important part of any community or business.

Working with pin was a good fit, as one of my biggest values is that people should have a good time and feel valued. I would be able to help create that community online.

When I started with ‘pin’, I took on the task of creating and building the online presence of the property investors network across various online platforms and company websites. This grew from a few meetings to 50+ meetings and I was responsible for maintaining their online presence. Once I’d systemised all this, it became easier to scale and grow the online exposure.
The online marketing was all bootstrapped but has grown to a successful and large presence, had I bigger budget to work with I’d have done an even better job.

I also provided training & support to pin meeting Hosts on how to best use social media effectively, to connect with people and increase exposure for the meetings they ran in their local areas. Another task I took on was to keep on eye on the online reputation of Simon Zutshi, the company and the meetings.

As well as the online social media presence, I supported the Mastermind community by making sure information was easy to find on the forum and help them out with any queries they had, whether it was my ‘department’ or not. Either I’d sort it out myself or find the best person to help them.

All your clients (and team) are important, especially those that have paid for first class support.
This belief is what enabled me to provide the best service I could whilst at pin for many years.

In my spare time (Entrepreneurs don’t take evenings or weekends off, unless they want to take a holiday) I would also support on other events and help other Property education providers, as long as there was no conflict of interest.

After being there for over 5 years, it was time to move on.
So I have now moved to Milton Keynes. Why you ask? Why not?
It is closer and easily accessible to all the places I usually visit, from Birmingham & London being within 1 hour or so drive.  It was also good for a fresh start and to work on some new projects.

I’m now looking for a new challenge.  
Are you in property, personal development or a business related field and want to improve your service and/or reach? 
Or maybe you just want to create a community to share your love or hobby? 
Even if your idea is to start a Nicolas Cage Appreciation Society, get in touch.

If you have a business and no time to do it yourself, then why not give me a call and see how I can help.  My past experience and long-term view will help save you and your team many hours and tens of thousands by setting up things right to start with.
As I did when I advised a new property education startup earlier this month on the best way to set up and move forward.
The digital landscape has changed a lot in the last few years again, so don't think that trying to copy someone else will help you remain ahead anymore.   It's not just what you see at the front end that counts but how it is managed in the background that matters.

You can find out more and contact me on Facebook , Twitter and LinkedIn

I also prefer to work with people I know, so if this is of interest to you, read the mini-CV below and get back to me if I can help you in any way 😀 👍

[full CV available on request]

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Solutions focused Systems & Operations Freelancer looking to contribute extensive experience towards supporting progressive organisations in optimising their performance. Through increased efficiency by systemising, making things simpler by automating frequent processes, serving clients and having happier customers by meeting their needs and over-delivering on expectations.

My background is in Engineering, Property, Systems, Networking and Training Events and Social Media/Digital Marketing.

Engineering has given me an analytical background and project management skills which come in useful with jobs that require attention to detail and planning.

I have been involved in property investment and education since 2001, learning valuable lessons through boom and bust, and know many of the experts and trainers in the UK.

Attended a lot of personal development, business and entrepreneur seminars and paid for high-end coaching over the last 10 years.

As well as attending these events, I've also set-up, organised and hosted networking events, as well as helping out and crewing for many training courses.

Extensive background in social media and online marketing, website design from SEO to funnel creation, including paid marketing and CRM.

I'm more than competent in a lot of fields, although not a self-proclaimed expert or goo-roo. I realise I can always learn more and be better at everything. I'm a polymath (Renaissance man) with curiosity and many hobbies, talents and areas of interest and expertise, therefore I have a wide knowledge base that I can draw on and use in other areas to solve problems and for success.  I can explain what needs to be done in simple language, by removing fluff that some experts use to complicate things to justify their position.  I will listen to your ideas and recommend creative solutions & improvements.  I offer highly professional consulting and honest opinions and feedback, always acting in the client's best interest.

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So if any of that is of interest, contact me today on Facebook , Twitter  and LinkedIn or call if you've got my number and not rung me for a long time anyway. Always happy to meet up and have a chat.

. . .

The Hidden Dynamics That Inspire Leadership and Trust - Simon Sinek

Great lessons on Leadership. How to build trust and connection with people around you.

I felt it was a great video and wanted to share it with you.

Email is great for exchange of information, phoning and meeting people is actually better. It shows you care and prepared to put time and energy into your communication and relationships.  I meet up with friends as often as possible and give people my time.
At times it is quicker/easier to reach a lot of people via email or other mass media.  This connection is weaker but I still hope you value it and take time to watch the video to benefit yourself and those around you.

People feel more comfortable around those they can trust in an organisation/team/family/company and know they've got their back. Do you feel this way around your colleagues? What about companies you deal with? Are they looking out for themselves only or for your interests? Do they give others credit or try to steal credit from them because they don't feel safe?
Groups like this cause stress and cortisol, which makes people self-interested, less empathic and less generous - only caring about themselves.  This has a negative knock-on affect to those around them.

Leadership is not a rank or position in an organisation, it is about a decision to look after the people around you.

Watch the video and meet your Happy chemicals: endorphins, dopamine, seratonin and oxytocin

Remember, I got your back!

Regards,
Bobby :-)

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In this in-depth talk, ethnographer and leadership expert Simon Sinek reveals the hidden dynamics that inspire leadership and trust. In biological terms, leaders get the first pick of food and other spoils, but at a cost. When danger is present, the group expects the leader to mitigate all threats even at the expense of their personal well-being. Understanding this deep-seated expectation is the key difference between someone who is just an "authority" versus a true "leader." 

A trained ethnographer and the author of Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, Simon Sinek has held a life-long curiosity for why people and organizations do the things they do. Studying the leaders and companies that make the greatest impact in the world and achieve a more lasting success than others, he discovered the formula that explains how they do it.

Sinek's amazingly simple idea, The Golden Circle, is grounded in the biology of human decision-making and is changing how leaders and companies think and act.

His innovative views on business and leadership have earned him invitations to meet with an array of leaders and organizations, including Microsoft, Dell, SAP, Intel, Chanel, Members of the United States Congress, and the Ambassadors of Bahrain and Iraq.Sinek recently became an adjunct staff member of the RAND Corporation, one of the most highly regarded think tanks in the world. He also works with the non-profit Education for Employment Foundation to help create opportunities for young men and women in the Middle East region. He lives in New York, where he teaches graduate level strategic communications at Columbia University.

For more on this topic, check out Sinek's latest book Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't.

Take That to The Bank - Seniors Banking

Ever been frustrated or felt ripped off by your bank? Yep thought so.
Maybe this letter will make you feel better and give you some ideas next time you contact them... shortly before closing your account and banking with a Co-Operative Bank instead!

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Dear Sir:

I am writing to thank you for bouncing my cheque with which I endeavoured to pay my plumber last month.

By my calculations, three nanoseconds must have elapsed between his presenting the cheque and the arrival in my account of the funds needed to honour it..

I refer, of course, to the automatic monthly deposit of my entire pension, an arrangement which, I admit, has been in place for only eight years.

You are to be commended for seizing that brief window of opportunity, and also for debiting my account £30 by way of penalty for the inconvenience caused to your bank.

My thankfulness springs from the manner in which this incident has caused me to rethink my errant financial ways. I noticed that whereas I personally answer your telephone calls and letters, --- when I try to contact you, I am confronted by the impersonal, overcharging, pre-recorded, faceless entity which your bank has become.

From now on, I, like you, choose only to deal with a flesh-and-blood person.

My mortgage and loan repayments will therefore and hereafter no longer be automatic, but will arrive at your bank, by cheque, addressed personally and confidentially to an employee at your bank whom you must nominate.

Be aware that it is an OFFENCE under the Postal Act for any other person to open such an envelope.

Please find attached an Application Contact which I require your chosen employee to complete.

I am sorry it runs to eight pages, but in order that I know as much about him or her as your bank knows about me, there is no alternative.

Please note that all copies of his or her medical history must be countersigned by a Notary Public figure, and the mandatory details of his/her financial situation (income, debts, assets and liabilities) must be accompanied by documented proof.

In due course, at MY convenience, I will issue your employee with a PIN number which he/she must quote in dealings with me.

I regret that it cannot be shorter than 28 digits but, again, I have modelled it on the number of button presses required of me to access my account balance on your phone bank service.

As they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Let me level the playing field even further.

When you call me, press buttons as follows:

IMMEDIATELY AFTER DIALLING, PRESS THE STAR (*) BUTTON FOR ENGLISH

#1. To make an appointment to see me

#2. To query a missing payment.

#3. To transfer the call to my living room in case I am there.

#4 To transfer the call to my bedroom in case I am sleeping.

#5. To transfer the call to my toilet in case I am attending to nature.

#6. To transfer the call to my mobile phone if I am not at home.

#7. To leave a message on my computer, a password to access my computer is required.

Password will be communicated to you at a later date to that Authorized Contact mentioned earlier.

#8. To return to the main menu and to listen to options 1 to 9

#9. To make a general complaint or inquiry.

The contact will then be put on hold, pending the attention of my automated answering service.

While this may, on occasion, involve a lengthy wait, uplifting music will play for the duration of the call.

Regrettably, but again following your example, I must also levy an establishment fee to cover the setting up of this new arrangement.

May I wish you a happy, if ever so slightly less prosperous New Year?

Your Humble Client


And remember:  Don't make old people mad. We don't like being old in the first place, so it doesn't take much to piss us off.


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Original Source: Peter Wear. "You Can Bank on My Account, Old Chap."  
[Queensland] Courier Mail. 7 January 1999   (p. 11)

Updated and revised on the internet to include modern banking and a new era of corporate ignorance and malpractice.

Where does great service come from?

Do you know where great service comes from? If you found out today, would you make a change?
You may be surprised at how a simple truth can change your life and/or your business.
Dare to be inspired by the true story of Johnny.

Bobby

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Barbara Glanz is a speaker and author. A few years ago, she spoke at a convention for a large grocery chain with over 3,000 people attending. Her talk was on creating memories for the customers so they would want to come back. At the end of her speech, she gave out her email address and phone number, and said, “If you have any great service stories, I’d like to hear them.”

Well, about a month later, Barbara gets a call from a young man who introduces himself as Johnny. He said,

“Barbara, I heard what you had to say about service, and I like it! I’m just a bagger in the store and I have Down syndrome, but I wanted to think of a way I could make a difference. I decided that I like sayings, so each day I’m going to pick out one that I like, and my dad and I will print it out on the computer. I’ll cut out the quote in strips and sign my name on the back of each one. The next day when customers come through, I’ll just drop a strip right in their bags and say, ‘I hope you enjoy my quote of the day.’ What do you think, Barbara?”

Barbara said, “Johnny, I think that’s a wonderful idea!”

A few weeks later, Barbara gets another call…this time from the store manager. He says,

“Barbara, you won’t believe what’s happened at our store. I went out into the store and noticed that one line was three times longer than the others. I went to the back of the line and suggested that customers move to another checkout, and they wouldn’t budge—they wanted to see Johnny’s quote of the day! In fact, one lady said, ‘I used to come here once a week, but now I come 2-3 times just to see the smile on Johnny’s face when he drops in his favorite quote.’

So the next day, I round up my team and tell them what Johnny has done to give our customers more than they expected. That afternoon, I see the lady in the floral department cutting off her broken flowers and pinning them on the elderly women in our store. Our guy in the meat department loves Snoopy, so he was putting his favorite Snoopy stickers on the packages, and talking to his customers.

In fact, everybody in our store is finding creative ways to put their mark on service. We’re having the time of our lives, and it seems like everyone in town is talking about us! And you know what, Barbara? It happened for one reason…Johnny decided to do something!”

When it comes to service, we all have our unique gifts to give; however we’ll never make the emotional connection with the customer unless it begins in our heart.

Source: http://www.stservicemovie.com/