A few weeks ago a card arrived in the mail. You remember mail. It’s the stuff delivered by the post office with bills and flyers for $5.99 pizzas. But here was a real, live thank-you card, with actual hand-writing and a gift enclosed. Who would send us such a thing?
The card said:
“You recently tweeted about your ReadyTalk experience and even used the word ‘Awesome.” We appreciate your feedback and for sharing & spreading the word about ReadyTalk. Enclosed is a hard drive as a token of our appreciation.
With Regards, April.”
Wow. Just wow. That’s all we could say.
ReadyTalk.com is a Denver-based, online meeting services company. Think WebEx and GoToMeeting, only without the hassle. ReadyTalk is actually easy to use, doesn’t crash your computer and allows you to hold a webinar without the usual attendant brain damage.
We’ve conducted ReadyTalk.com webinars for the Colorado Society of Association Executives (CSAE). We’ve done a couple others for their Web Seminar Series. But, oddly we’ve never written about them on our blog.
Sure, we’ve gotten online Twitter thank-you messages back for a “tweet,” but we’ve never, ever gotten a card (and gift!) for a “tweet.” Makes you think about your online strategies, doesn’t it?!
Eat, Drink and Be Married
What do you do if you’re pretty much a 100% online company? That describes MyWedding.com. They’re an online local wedding resource, as well as a total management site for the happy couple (RSVP, email, registry, blog, etc).
They already do a great job of creating relationships online, but last week they blew it all out and invited everyone in the Denver/Colorado Springs area to show up at their new offices in Castle Rock, Colorado.
And, boy did they ever provide offline goodies – wines from Castle Rock Winery, superbly neat little gift boxes from Keltoy.com, food and excellent service from Occasions by Sandy, and on and on.
The place was packed! Photographers, florists, DJ’s, caterers, brides, grooms and every other type of wedding hob-nobber, rubbing elbows with Woody Pastorius and the rest of his welcoming crew at MyWedding.com.
Get Off of It
It made us think about online businesses. When was the last time you took your online business – and got off of it?
These days, when it comes to social media everyone wants to pitch its money making power. They tell you that if you just twerp your web site, use the right keywords and tweet 20 times a day you’ll be a success at the online game.
Ever stop to think that perhaps the real power of social media is to keep the “social” in it?
8 comments ↓
Way to go, Michael and Sheryl! This is SO right on. Playing on social networks and then expecting revenues is akin to going to networking breakfasts expecting contracts! Social media are tools to support all that you do to grow your business, not instead of those things. Business still does, and always will, move at the speed of relationships. Real human to human relationships. Great book out now that says it best is Go-Givers Sell More by Bob Burg and John David Mann.
Thanks for the comment Suzi,
You are certainly right and thanks for the link to the book that you like. Always nice to have something to staunch the flow of the constant “look at me” and “make millions” folks who are polluting the social media landscape.
Good stuff, Michael.
It’s all too easy to get caught up in the hype of social media, to the point that it’s *about* the tools themselves, rather than being about the connections / relationships / value that the tools help to foster.
The reality is that we’re still human. It still means more to be winked at in person than with a
. . . and it still means more to get a real pat on the shoulder than a “Thanks for the RT, buddy” tweet.
Smart businesspeople forget this at their peril.
Thanks Tim,
When you go to someone’s Twitter stream – always remember to look to see if all they do is link to their own articles, rehash old quotations, blather their own stuff. Or, do they connect, converse and comment on what others are doing on Twitter. If you check @TWalk (Tim Walker) you’ll see that he’s always out there connecting with other folks.
What’s amazing is how many “Social Media Experts” never do this. I could name names……
Ahhhhh…I love you guys! YES…face-to-face connection will never replace online! I love Facebook and I find it really provides a nice way for me to reach out to my network and connect instantly anytime of the day. However, I use my social online networks as PART of my network outreach-as a way to enhance it but not replace the face-to-face human connection. In the end of the day, people want to do busness with people they have met, know and trust. Also thanks for plugging the lost art of the handwritten thank you card!
Ah Sarah Michel,
We’d likely have never gotten anywhere with our speaking business if it weren’t for her inspiration and help. There still are people like Sarah out there teaching networking – so don’t let the bogus frauds convince you that it’s all “Broadcast Networking.” It ain’t – it’s still “Social Networking,” and Sarah knows it better than anyone.
totally true! with the influx of social media, snail mail has become even more memorable. While you might forget someone who tweeted about you once or twice, you are going to remember the business that send you a handwritten thank you note in the mail…
Thanks Kevin,
l often wonder if real live business greeting cards didn’t begin to disappear when those online fake greeting card companies began selling their wares. Perhaps everyone just thinks that their personal, handwritten message efforts will be mistaken for those fake computer-generated ones. Just thinkin’.
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