You Have a Friend in the Facebook Business

Honestly, I don’t really know Mark Zuckerberg all that well. I mean, we’re not “Friends,” or anything (for those of you without a scorecard, he’s the head guy over at Facebook).

I do know that trusting Mark to fix privacy controls is like trusting BP’s Tony Hayward to insist upon safe oil drilling procedures in the Gulf. Not really his strong suit.

In the past few weeks, Mark and his cronies have yet again gotten themselves mired in deep, squishy cow-flop by making more raucously stupid decisions about your safety and privacy.

Oh, you mean just like the one where they thought broadcasting what you buy online to all your friends was a good idea? Yup.

Oh, you mean like when they declared that all your photos and stuff on Facebook belonged to them if you leave? Yup.

Now, here we are again. Another firestorm of protest as Facebook decides to spread your stuff all over the Internet. And, one more time, Zuckerberg is sweating it out and re-thinking his position (was there ever any thinking in the first place?!)

Here’s what I’m thinking. It’s impossible to calculate how just how grave the danger is when corporate America is run by video game-playing snots like this guy.

Sing along, then, with me (and Eric), as we move on:

I don’t care what you do at night oh
I don’t care how you get your delights
We’ll leave it alone
We’ll just let it be
I don’t love you and you don’t love me.

Back to Those Fan Pages

Yes, I’ve became a “Fan” on Facebook of a few of my friends and business acquaintances. These were called “Fan Pages.” (Clever, huh?) Then, in the blink of an eye, I guess I started to “Like” them. Who knew?!

Now? I’ve decided not to “Like” anyone or be a “Fan” of anyone, period.

The “Like Button” nonsense has gotten totally out of hand. It’s all one big giant morass of marketing voodoo and privacy violations.

Wired Magazine’s Ryan Singel (”Facebook’s Gone Rogue)” says:

“Then there’s the new Facebook “Like” button littering the internet. It’s a great idea, in theory — but it’s completely tied to your Facebook account, and you have no control over how it is used. (No, you can’t like something and not have it be totally public.)”

And, as Singel points out, there’s a Facebook Fan Page (Facebook Like Page?!) for every word and phrase in the universe. Whether it’s “My Boss is Crazy,” “existentialism,” “putrid” or “cursive,” there’s a page for it.

How Could We Know that Promises End?

It makes me feel just like The Blogger Also Known as @Snipeyhead. Recently she commented back on one of her own blog posts about Facebook Fan Pages:

Every time I try to sit down and write about the privacy crap they’ve recently pulled, I feel physically tired.

Which is exactly how I feel. I’m tired of trying to keep up with the changes on Facebook. I’m tired of people I don’t know suggesting that I should “Like” their twaddle. I’m tired of the exploitation that Facebook wrangles out of my private likes and dislikes. I’m just plain tired.

So, it comes down to this. I still like all of you. I really do. I just don’t “Like” any of you, anymore. Especially you, Zuckerberg.

Want to find out how to keep up with what’s being said about you? Head straight to a cool new Internet resource called Filtrbox.com. But first, we’d like to tell you the story behind the Filtrbox story, and why you should care.

Broadcast News

The Internet has brought vast change at lightning speed to the business world. But, perhaps the biggest and least understood is the change from “broadcast” to “conversation.”

Without going all philosophical on you, whether you like it or not, you and your business are now part of an ongoing conversation. This conversation is multifaceted and it’s happening in a multitude of online locations.

The conversation is about the changes in your industry and the latest developments in the kinds of products you sell. But, it’s more than that. Now, folks are “conversing” about you, your brand and even your own (and your employees’) performance.

This new conversation also has a dark side. Whether you are famous for your inventions, ideas, products or services more and more people want to steal them from you – or just “borrow” them for a while without your knowledge. People want your trademark, your newest product release and even your turn of phrase. Increasingly, they don’t even think of it as stealing.

Location, Location, Location

Where is all of this going on? They’re writing web articles and blogs that use your own thoughts, ideas and exact words. They’re selling rip-offs of your stuff on their web sites and copying your good ideas on their blogs. And, they’re often slamming and damning your customer service on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

How can you keep track of all this? And do you even need to? For an answer to that, just ask any company who has ignored the bloggers and Twitterers. As they can testify, conversations can grow, get out of hand and turn into firestorms.

Are the Solutions Worse than the Problem?

But, how can you keep up? How can you tune in to the first whispers of discontent? How can you know that someone is using your trademarked phrase? How can you track your competitor so closely you’ll know when they burp? Will you see them hawking your products on their web site?

Well, let’s see, you could cobble together some Google News alerts,  a sprinkling of RSS feeds, dozens of blog subscriptions, a few web site change alarms, and top it off with a smattering of newsletters. If you do this, however, you’ll have a control panel about as complex as a fighter jet. And, you’ll spend more time manning the controls than you will evaluating the information you gather.

But, what if there was one solution? And, what if the controls for all of this were simple and accessible?

1 if by Air, 2 if by Land, 3 if by Sea

The place to try out that “one-stop Internet information shop” is at Filtrbox.com. What these guys can do with their Internet listening devices should make the FBI and the CIA a little green with envy.

Unlike a lot of other forms of web and news alerts, Filtrbox covers virtually all the bases AND acts as both a search resource and an alert tool.

You can receive Filtrbox alerts in your favorite RSS reader or in your email. Or, you can ignore these types of constant notifications, go on vacation for a month, and then fiddle with the Filtrbox controls so that you quickly catch up on only the most important stuff you missed.

Tracking your company name and intellectual property? You’ll probably want to monitor all sources – mainstream news, the blog world and Twitter. Tracking a topic in your industry? You may just want to keep up with the mainstream news sources.

At the Controls

So, why is Filtrbox different? Because in one place, you can view and adjust your different topics, time frames, sources and the relative importance of those conversations in one place.

Here’s what I mean. When it comes to your company name, your own name and your trademarked phrases, I’m sure you’d like to know whenever someone says anything – both good and bad.

When it comes to keeping up on your industry’s hot topics and issues, you likely might want to know only when more important or trusted sources have something to say. In the screen shot below we’re only picking up mainstream press articles for a very, very popular term, “information overload“:

And, for all of your terms and phrases you can adjust the amount of time you’re looking at – longer for obscure topics and shorter for popular ones:

Here’s the thing, though. You’ve got to try this. There’s a free version and a free trial – giving you a chance to kick the tires and look under the hood of this remarkable tool.

Why do you even need to try? Because, as the Rolling Stones sang way back in 1965, people really are “talkin’ about you.”

Editors Note: We do not accept referral fees or payments for any sites mentioned in our blogs, speeches or workshops. We do accept “review copies” and “press passes” in order to be able to demonstrate resources and sites.

How big a hit? Well in just one year Bishop,the Director of the Ellensburg Downtown Association, tells us that the Ellensburg MySpace page has grown to over 1,500 followers. Many of those are students from nearby Central Washington University who were not “finding” the downtown merchants before. (They also host an Ellensburg Facebook page). Now, student welcome bags at CWU include a key chain with EDA’s MySpace address. Bishop told us:

In the past the students would finally discover downtown in their junior or senior year. Now we build relationships with them from Day One.

And, those relationships work both ways. Tallee.com, a software developer, had just re-located to downtown Ellensburg. They advertised for employees in student newspapers and talked their jobs up to professors, but they didn’t get enough applicants. However, after posting their jobs on Ellensburg’s MySpace page they got an instantaneous response – and hired 5 new employees from the college!

Timothy also noted EDA’s new partnership with the nearby university’s chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) “and for the next 8 months they’ll be working with us to help tell Downtown Ellensburg’s success stories.”

Bishop has been described as an arsonist of ideas. Now he’s reaching out getting students and many other folks to start publicity and networking fires for him.

“Timothy Bishop doesn’t go out and rebuild downtowns. He is an arson who lights fires in the hearts and minds of downtown citizens.” – Pug Ostling

How else are downtowns revitalizing their communities by working the social media side of the street? Well, look for the Asheville Downtown Association on Facebook – or better yet, check out @SpudBros on Twitter. Spud Brothers sells “just maybe the world’s greatest fries” – no easy task in health conscious downtown Boulder, Colorado. How are they doing it? Well, one way is by giving discounts to their nearby University of Colorado Twitter followers.

Downtown associations and businesses all over the country are revitalizing by using social networks. Yes, there are a million stories in the “Networked City.” These have been just a few of them. Just ask Timothy. Our money’s still on The Bishop.

Editor’s Note: We’ve written several other articles about the Ellensburg Downtown Association on this blog. Do a search for “Ellensburg” or click here and read the next most recent, “My Money’s on the Bishop.”

ZoomInfo.com is one of the most important online business resources on the Internet. You’ve likely run across this site without realizing it when you search for almost anyone.

They use sophisticated web mining technology to find the latest contact information about people. But, that’s also why folks with a common name, a varied work history or very little web presence might find their information in need of more than just a face.

And, that’s why it is crucial for you to check your contact information on ZoomInfo.com.

SO STOP! Yes, stop reading this article right now and look yourself up. It’s likely that the information ZoomInfo lists about you could use some grooming. Just be sure you are in the “Find People” tab when you look yourself up:

Are you back? Yup, I thought so. Your picture looks just like the knobby little man below, doesn’t it?

So, you’d better put your face on! Ian did – and now his photo looks like the one at the beginning of this article.

But, that’s not the least of it. Ian Griffin also corrected his work history, added his association relationships (he’s president of his National Speakers Association chapter this year) and made sure that the other information about him was correct.

He also added a professional biography to further clarify his credentials. Totally legal:

If you don’t correct your own ZoomInformation, how will anyone know which “you” is “you.” Big deal, I hear you saying. Well, that’s a big mistake.

Think about it. So far we’ve left out a little secret. We’ve only introduced you to the free version of ZoomInfo.

But, they also offer reasonably priced, but robust tools like PowerSearch, ZoomExec, PowerSell, ZoomLists and more. These allow their subscribers incredible power to identify prospects by zip code radius, job title, company name and about 47,000 other cool criteria. We’ve written about this aspect of ZoomInfo in “The Butch Cassidy Approach to Sales Calls.”

Now, one last clarification before you hurry away to fix your ZoomInfo profile. Who do you think shells out for sophisticated contact databases like this?

I’ll give you a minute….

Yes, you’re right!! – human resource departments, sales directors, top executives, recruiters, meeting planners, speaker agencies and, well, you get the picture.

So, this is the last question, class. Do you want Mr. Knobby Figure to represent you with the folks who have the money, make the hiring decisions and might just provide you with your next big break? Or, do you want your profile to be groomed and looking its best, like Ian’s?

And, if you’re still not convinced, even by doing your own vanity search, consider reading what Meridith Levinson had to say January 9th in CIO Magazine: “The Two Websites Every Job Seeker Needs to Join.”

To be clear, Ian Griffin is not looking for a job. He already has several, thank you. But, as someone very wise once said – you should start your job search as soon as your get your new one. And, in this economy, who can argue with that?

So, before you head back out into the online world, for goodness sakes, remember my mother and put your face on!

Reason #1 – Everyone in One Place

All the conference attendees are listed in one place (with mercifully short bios) and, most importantly, photos. Better yet, for each person, you get their web site, blog, LinkedIn profile, Facebook profile, Twitter page and their NFL game day predictions. Well, maybe not that last one.

Reason #2 – You Have the Right to Remain Private

We would have listed this above, but it’s too important. In addition to all the links in Reason #1, you can send any person a message, without having to know their email address. Or, you can just say “keep away from me.”

Reason #3 – Sort, Straighten, Sweep, Standardize, Sustain

If you haven’t heard of 5S, don’t worry. But, it’s remarkable how much Eventvue helps you “5S” your convention. The list of attendees, for instance, is sortable by company, last name, first name, last updated and latte preference.

Reason #4 – Bye, Bye Homepages, RSS and Bookmarks

I don’t know about you, but 90% of the relationships we make at conventions are, well, fleeting. After all, many of these bozos look good in the first flush of the meeting light, but after you take them home to meet your parents,…

Still, I appreciate being able to get a feel for folks by reading some of their blog posts, checking their Twitter page, even YouTubing a video. Eventvue puts all this stuff in one place, easily scanned. That way only the bozos that survive the first bright blush of the convention go into bookmarks or RSS feeds.

Reason #5 – Automatic for the People

I almost forgot to mention that much of this is done without you having to fill anything out. Eventvue works with convention organizers to upload their registration lists and basic information. Yes, you do get to fill in your own bio and interests, but – and this is cool – it fills in your blog, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter info automatically.

And, yes, since we are attending the Defrag convention, their magic carpet software will shoot this blog post automatically to the blog page of Eventvue.

Reason #6 – Reach Out and Touch Someone

Just don’t get any ideas! I’ve only sent out maybe 7 or 8 messages, but by serendipity, fate or the hand of the creator – I found what I call the Minnesota Mafia of Steve Kickert, Graeme Thickins, Rich Hoeg and Connie Benson. It works – give fate a chance.

Reason #7 – So Good for the Ego

I gotta’ admit that I like it when people say, “I think we should know each other.” Happens very occasionally at conferences to us – maybe it happens all the time to you.

Think about it – with your name, face, blog and other online shenanigans out in front of all the attendees – it increases the chance that someone you don’t know from Adam will say “hi.”

Reason #8 – Bonus Reason

And you know what? The search tool on Eventvue actually works! We thought we better say that after taking Twitter to task for having a broken down search mechanism.

One Stop

These and any number of other things make Eventvue the one-stop shopping, holding, yakking, and hanging out place to manage your next convention experience.

If you read this blog very much, you know that we rarely flip over much of the over-hyped and over-sold social web. We’re flipping now, and we’re printing out our favorite people page so we can identify them at the conference. Gotta’ go!

Editors Note: We do not accept referral fees or payments for any sites mentioned in our blogs, speeches or workshops. We call them exactly like we see them. We do accept “review copies” and “press passes” in order to be able to demonstrate various softwares and sites.

Joining the Twitter Army

Sheryl and I are heading to the Defrag conference in Denver this week. A high percentage of conference attendees have Twitter accounts – and they “tweet” regularly (often incessantly).

So, to get in step with the convention faithful, we are both signing on the dotted line and have already started Twittering away.

We think there’s a disconnect, though. When we attend a normal business conference – like the Florida Healthcare Association, the Washington State Department of Community, Trade & Economic Development or any of the conferences we’ve been to recently – almost no one has a Twitter account.

It sometimes seems that technology folks think normal people are just like them. But really, the difference between a business convention and a technology convention these days is vast.

Now, don’t get your undies in a bundle! We know that many of you think Twitter is going to take over the world and that soon we’ll all be checking our cell phones to find out that @DopeyDan is “tired and now going to bed,” and that @CrazyMomma is “wondering what Twitter users think about the election.”

And, perhaps, that’s true. But, more likely, in our opinion, many of these cool technologies will never make it beyond their early adopters. And, too often it’s because they’re just not that easy to use.

Google Opens Twitter’s Window

As we said in the opening paragraph, we think we ought to be able to plunk in the name of our friends – and get the scoop on whether we can follow them on Twitter.

It appears to us that the Twitter search function is currently dysfunctional – at least it has been for the past 24 hours. When we look for our friends to see if they have accounts – we get the result you see above.

As Snoopy would say, “Arrrrrgggghhhhh!”

Not to worry, though, we could still find some of our friends by using Google to nose its way into the Twitter site.

Are You There, Gina?

I knew right away that if I was going to play the Twitter game, I needed Mike Keliher and Gina Schreck by my side. Mike we already wrote about – but Gina, from Synapse3Di, is something else again.

For one thing, she’s way more optimistic about new technologies than I am. For another, she’s the antithesis of someone who is stuck in a rut.

Gina is always learning and trying something new. One of our favorite sayings comes from Steve Lishansky:

“The hardest people to work with are those who have been reasonably successful doing unsustainable things.”

That’s something you could never say that about Gina.

So to find Gina, type in the Google search box (or Yahoo, Live, Ask) exactly this (or the photo above):

GinaSchreck site:twitter.com

And, like so many things on computers, here’s another way. Click on the advanced tab – and then fill in the site you want to search – instead of searching the whole freaking universe. Either way, you’ll often get what you’re looking for:

Even though Twitter was on the fritzer, we were able to add a few more folks to follow.

By the way, the number one way Twitter suggests you find your friends is to surrender your entire email database to them. Doesn’t anyone care about online privacy anymore?! Have the folks in your email address book signed a release?!

Facebook recently… well, let’s not even go there…… Online privacy is a different article.

Bottom line is we’re Twittering now – and we’ll follow you – and you can follow us. Unless, that is, you have something better to do.

You don’t get that kind of smart writing in most blogs about Twitter. But, ours is not an article about Harvey Mackay – or maybe even about Mike Keliher. It’s an article about networking – at your next conference.

This weekend, we’re getting ready to go to the Defrag Conference here in Denver.

Yes, early this coming week, when we should be voting (we’ll get up early on Tuesday and vote, OK!), we’ll be hanging out with technology types at a two-day conference about “discovering, assembling, organizing, acting on and gathering feedback from online data.” Hey, it’s what we do.

And, in order to prompt all Defrag attendees to hook-up with each other (for serious business purposes, mind you), they are using Eventvue software – which creates an online community of the conference attendees.

Eventvue makes it simpler and more likely that Sheryl and I will actually connect and engage with other folks at Defrag who have similar interests to our own.

And, a rather important component of our Eventvue profiles is our Twitter connection. Now, we’ve written about Eventvue before – in “The Wall Street Journal Weighs in on our Blog.”

But, this isn’t an article about Eventvue, either. It’s actually about the fact that Sheryl and I still don’t have Twitter accounts. Notice how I buried the lead?

Which is where Mike Keliher comes in. If we trust anyone to help us start frittering our time away on instant message sites, it’s Mike.

By the way, Mike Keliher would be the first to acknowledge that he owes a lot to his sidekick, Albert Maruggi. We’ve written about Albert (and Twitter) in “The Search Power of a 4-Letter Word.”

For that matter, Keliher also makes an appearance via screen shot and comment in “Target to Blogger: You Don’t Count.”

(Note to uninitiated readers of blogs: This is how blogs work. If you want to get the most out of this article – and make sense of our view of the online world – you have to “click and read.”)

Just one final comment. Notice that I wrote that Mr. Maruggi was Mike Keliher’s “sidekick” – not boss. After all, it’s all about relationships. Didn’t that chocolate chip cookie guy, Harvey, teach us that?!!

Today, we tip our hats to an entrepreneur of staggering inventiveness. And, his solution is so clever, and so obvious, that we just had to ask ourselves, “Why didn’t we think of this?!!”

Yes, we just got an email that is sure to change your business – and your lives – forever. I know it will change ours.

The Foolproof Answer to Email Overload

This email is so inventive, that we’ve broken it into parts to better show you just how smart it really is. We’ve only slightly edited it – the names have been changed to protect, well… us.

Here’s how the email begins:

“Hello from Jason Fuzzi and the Fuzzi Corporation. At some point, you emailed me or the main mailbox at my company. Thanks for reaching out!”

Yeah, “at some point.” Actually, I emailed Jason exactly three months and one day ago. But, it’s ok, I do understand. He’d probably just read that new book about the four-hour work week and now has very little time to respond.

His email went on:

I hope your interest means you might like to be learn more about our company. We can give you access  to our valuable… yadda, yadda…  Join us here!

Actually, I had written him a pretty clear email about a mutual friend. I wondered how we might get some buzz going for our friend’s new book (although after 3 months the book is not so new anymore).

So, how did Jason respond? Well, he said nothing about my questions – but he did make this additional offer:

If you’re not interested at this time but want to stay in touch,  please sign up for my weekly Tip of the Week.

We checked his web site. Wanna’ know what his expertise is? Relationship building.

Yes, Jason Fuzzi’s email says that success is “powered by relationships.” Who needs Dave Barry when your own email is this entertaining?

Never Write Back Again

Just think of the time you’d save if you took Jason’s approach to your inbox!!

So, next time you write to us, look for our response (after an appropriate delay of, say, a half year or so):

Hello from Michael & Sheryl – somewhere in the Netherlands Antilles,

At some point you emailed us with a question, said hello or let us know of the sad passing of a favorite aunt or uncle. Thanks for connecting!

We’re hoping that your email means that you’d like to hire us, buy some of our products or join our exclusive members-only network.

If you’re not interested in any of the above, but would simply like to stay in touch, please sign up here for our automated auto-response responder, right here. That’s right here.

If you do happen to be bringing us news of friends or family (happy or sad), please realize that we are with you in spirit and encourage you to always put family first.

Warmest island breezes,

Michael & Sheryl

Our idea is this – don’t wait to give out those awards. Give out your biggest and most coveted honors early and often. And, furthermore, give them out to employees just starting out, to members who barely qualify for your professional designations and to all those daft and dewy-eyed dopes who keep dreaming up impossible hopes (thank you again, Rodgers and Hammerstein).

What?! Well, hear us out.

In essence, that’s what The Boulder County Business Report does when it presents its Annual IQ Awards. For nine years now, this event has honored start-up companies who do new, innovative and risky things.

Yes, it is true that long-term employees, associates and members might also be doing new, innovative and even risky things – but, think about it. Think about that venerable icon that won your last Lifetime Achievement Award. Ask yourself, “Did they get the award for doing something new?”

You know the answer.

Ask yourself if they are doing anything new and innovative like:

Creating new and simpler ways for people to buy things on your web site? (ClickBank.com)

Providing new ways to sift through and manage critical news about your competition and customers? (FiltrBox.com)

Offering a luxury travel club where you only stay in homes worth several million dollars (Quintess.com)

Coordinating non-profits to assure students in need have backpacks of school supplies (CrayonsToCalculators.org)

These are just a handful of the 30 or so incredible nominees for this year’s IQ Awards.

(By the way, our friends over at Eventvue.com have been nominated in the “Internet/Software – Business” category. We wrote about them recently in “The Wall Street Journal Weighs in on Our Blog.”)

Most all of the candidates in the 10 categories are just starting out on their journey to a lifetime of achievement. Each winner will get a huge boost in morale, attention and cold hard cash.

Think about it. Who needs the time in the spotlight and those calls from investors the most? In your organization, do you give your recognition to the folks with the grey hair or the folks with the great ideas? Do you highlight the achievements of the past or the visions of the future? Will your membership grow because you look back or because you are moving forward?

These IQ Awards are on to something big. Go see them and take notes. Oh, and also say hello to some of the most innovative thinkers in the country. Not a bad way to spend an evening.

Editor’s Note: You can catch the action this Thursday, Aug. 14, at the Stadium Club at Folsum Field on the University of Colorado campus in Boulder. 5:30 PM so don’t be late. (Register online at www.IQAwards.com or call the Boulder County Business Report at 303-440-4950)

We may be nuts, but we tell you about Sam’s book because the world of information is transforming your business. Yup, the vast explosion of information that is now available on the Internet is radically changing how you sell, how you network, how you motivate employees – and it’s even transforming the very idea of competition.

We’re not talking about collusion or cartels – and we’re not even talking about what is called “affiliate” or “referral” marketing. Instead, we’re talking about the guy you used to think was your main competition and how he might just be turning into something that looks a lot more like a partner.

How can that be?

How can it be that the growing access to information can have such a dramatic (and mostly still unappreciated) affect on your business?

In our business, most people think they already know how to search the Internet effectively. Studies prove that people think they have nothing to learn about Internet research – and 9 out of 10 people are completely satisfied with their skills in this area.

Because of this, we benefit when anyone helps people realize that online research skills are not only desirable, but are quickly becoming critical to their business success.

Sam Richter calls these skills “The Fourth R” and insists that in today’s information society “Research” may even be more important than Readin’, Ritin’ and ‘Rithmetic.

Amazing Fact #1 – The Education of a Sales Leader

Back in late 2006, we wrote a blog article called “The Selling Power without the Search Power.” In it, we took Selling Power magazine to task for not teaching anything about the topic of Internet research for the sales professionals. Editor and publisher Gerhard Gschwandtner took exception to our observations and commented on our blog in part:

“Any Tom, Dick and Mary can log on and search the Internet, that doesn’t require much of a brain.”

Sam Richter was quick to counter with this rather sobering observation, from his own personal experience:

“I’ve trained thousands of sales people and executives over the past year on how to effectively use online search programs to locate information on prospects and 95% have no clue how to effectively use even popular search engines, much less the Invisible Web and other premium data sources.”

18 months later, Gerhard’s magazine has changed quite a lot. As we point out in a recent blog article, “The Selling Power that Now Features Search Power,” “They’re beginning to educate their readers, not just in sales skills and strategies, but in the online skills that can support those efforts.”

From that article, we know now that Gerhard has changed, too. He wrote this rather colorful comment:

“Google is no match for the trillion web pages we create every year, it’s just a little advertising suckerfish on a big white shark.”

It seems as though books like Sam’s Take the Cold Out of Cold Calling have had their impact on Gerhard – and quite a number of other professional sales organizations and corporate sales teams.

I’d say that Sam Richter’s book will likely end the argument about the need for Internet search skills for sales teams – which is, of course good for our own training business.

Amazing Fact #2 – Partnering Trumps Pitching

Most people who are creating new companies these days are creating new ideas, new products, new approaches and new strategies. Very few of us are Coca-Cola battling with Pepsi for market share.

We’re trying to expand our markets – or even establish new markets, not invade an already established market. In order to do this, we have to look for help from the kinds of people who best understand our products, our services and, indeed, our passion.

And those people, I hate to break it to you, are your “competitors.” As your competitors achieve their own success, they’re helping you establish yours.

The giants in the topic of Internet research are folks like Sam Richter, Gary Price, Chris Sherman and Tara Calishain, just to name a few. We regularly tell our customers about their books and web sites. They make us more believable, not less.

Amazing Fact #3 – No Referral Fees

Sheryl and I do not accept affiliate marketing fees, referral fees or under the table kickbacks from Sam Richter.

We like his book. We’ve learned from his book. We provide the links to buy his book because we believe it’s worth your attention – not because he is paying us.

And, we’re tickled that Sam’s offering his book for sale at the reasonable price of $34.95 ($19.95 for just the PDF). He’s not offering it along with a vast package of other goodies valued at $1,295 – (I’m not kidding, I just saw such an offer).

Because of his topic, Sam Richter certainly knows how to do every one of those various Internet marketing tricks and scams – and it’s refreshing and ennobling to think that he said, “Naw, that’s not for me.”

This is a great book at a very good price – and anyone who reads it will not only benefit, but also want to learn more.

And, when they do read the book, some of them will want to learn more from Sam. But, some will want to learn more from us.

Which is why long ago we kissed goodbye to the idea of Sam Richter as a competitor. Look around you – it’s a new world of competition out there – and see if you can’t find some new partners among your old competitors.