MIS Group client base under attack on Twitter

July 7, 2009 by Wayne Schulz

Social Media to the rescue!

In prior years we might have seen firms take out expensive Google Adwords to solicit the clients of a failed competitor. Right now we’re seeing the free social media service Twitter being used by competitors seeking to woo clients of the former Sage Business Partner of The Year The MIS Group.

As you may know, MIS Group suddenly shut their doors on July 6, 2009 leaving their clients and employees to fend for themselves. There was no advance notice given of this shutdown and many of the clients are enrolled in MIS Group support and maintenance plans which they rely on to keep their businesses running.

Here’s a small sample of a few Tweets I noticed openly advertising for MIS Group clients.

New York based Net@Work chimes in:

As well as Microsoft reseller Simcrest out of Texas:

West Reading, PA Keystone Software Solutions:

CRM VAR Harris Technology – Houston Texas

Sage Insights 2009 Tip: You Do Have A Better Web Strategy Than THIS – Right?

April 23, 2009 by Wayne Schulz

Is buying expensive Google Adwords your only web strategy?

I probably should keep my mouth shut and let the competition keep wasting their money.

It’s sad to see companies so lost in a lack of any web strategy that their only apparent online plan is to finance a bunch of random Google AdWords hoping that a big lead randomly lands in their lap.

If you’ve ever tried to sell to a raw Web lead then you know they are almost always using you for a discount, third bid or free advice can be some of the least qualified (and most expensive) types of potential customers.

Of course, done right, a web lead doesn’t have to be difficult to close. Many of them can turn into a $50,000 project. The key is to know the right way to market on the web so as to attract the quality leads – and repel the discount seekers, quick question askers and tire kickers.

Let me ask you this first – because maybe I’m making some incorrect assumptions…

You do have a better strategy than buying Google AdWords – or waiting for someone like a software publisher to deliver free leads to you. Right?

There’s nothing wrong with Google Adwords. They’re a great way to supplement an online strategy.

There’s also nothing wrong with free leads from a software publisher (assuming you can get them). These supplement any marketing strategy quite well.

Notice I’ve used the word “supplement”. It means “in addition to”

What’s your strategy online?

Have you developed any of the new tactics that people are talking about?

Twitter
Facebook
Friendfeed
Social Media Sites
Blogging

Or are you still talking with those in your office about how you “don’t get” some of these new tools?

How most of these new uncomfortable marketing tactics are huge wastes of time. You haven’t tried any of them for more than a day – but you’re pretty sure that they’re a waste of time.

Here’s another question.

How are TRADITIONAL marketing efforts such as: Direct Mail, Telemarketing, Lead Buying (Findaccountingsoftware, et al) working for you?

If you have not become involved in other methods of marketing (many of them free) and you are located in the Connecticut area – then I advise and hope that you stay home from the Insights 2009 conference. Insights is expensive and there’s no big announcements expected. The economy is crappy. Stay home and plug away at a more productive marketing activity like telemarketing because if you just put more effort (and a lot more money) into these old school tactics you’ll surely turn better results. If that doesn’t work just buy AdWords against my company name on Google.

For those NOT in Connecticut – the choice is yours.

If you’re interested in some of the new marketing methods (many totally free) that people are using to get business – be sure to attend Beyond The Hype – Social Media Marketing for B2B on Wednesday May 13 from 1:30 to 3:oo pm.

Here’s the Agenda:

The way to reach business decision makers is migrating from traditional marketing efforts to the Web. More and more consumers are researching their next purchases online using search engines and social media sites. This session will explore how you can use social media to grow traffic to your Web site, make real connections, and join the conversations already happening on social networking sites. Find out which social media sites work best for business, how to develop a strategy for success, how to measure your campaign’s effectiveness, and where this rapidly evolving medium may be taking us next.

I’m planning on attending to answer questions that may come up during the session from a Sage Business Partner point of view. Note that I’m not leading this session – but after it’s over I plan to stick around and answer any questions. Unless of course you’re from Connecticut.

Seesmic releases Seesmic Desktop Twitter client

April 8, 2009 by Wayne Schulz

If you’ve caught the Twitter bug then you already know all about Twitter. It’s a short messaging service where users send up to 140 character messages telling their friends – and the world – what it is they’re doing.

The reason that Twitter has caught on so quickly is that it’s simple to use, free, and many celebrities and public figures have started to recognize the public relations value of sending out quick promo messages.

To use Twitter you can sign into their web site here. This works pretty well generally but you are limited in a lot of ways by the web interface. For example you cannot easily paste links, photos or search for keywords that people are Twittering about.

In order to do some of the more advanced things such as search and paste photos you need to use a standalone Twitter client. The two most popular ones are Tweetdeck and Twhirl.

Both of these programs automate the sending of receiving of Twitter messages (called tweets). They add features such as automatically shortening links you post within messages, supporting multiple Twitter accounts, saved searches, and real time updates.

Just last night Seesmic (who is the publisher of Twhirl) released a Seesmic Desktop client which expands upon their Twhirl program in several ways.

Seesmic Desktop (shown above) – Visit Seesmic for more information and download link

What’s interesting about Seesmic Desktop is the interface is much cleaner and easier to read than their similar Twhirl product. You also can create multiple windows that expand off the right side of the screen (very similar to how Tweetdeck works). You can just as easily remove those extra screens if you prefer working in a narrow view as the screen above shows.

What’s missing?

There’s presently no support for trending twitter topics and I’ve had trouble copying URLs into the message bar and having the program auto-shorten them for me. Integration to Facebook is a feature that is missing but promised for a future release. Seesmic’s Twhirl product includes integration to Friendfeed while this client does not — and it seems such integration may never be included

Seesmic Desktop runs on Adobe Air which means you can be either a MAC or PC and runs this program with the exact same feature set.

Link: Seesmic Desktop

Don’t believe the hype – Twitter and CRM is not your cure all for poor customer service

March 24, 2009 by Wayne Schulz

Just recently Salesforce.com announced that the popular Twitter service would be integrated to their CRM software. On the surface this allows their customer service department to monitor the constant stream of
Twitter messages (known informally as tweets) for mentions of displeasure with the company’s product(s).

There are several things wrong with using Twitter as a primary approach to improving customer service.

Mistake #1: Using Twitter to catch disgruntled customers encourages the cell phone model of only giving the best deals to those who gripe loudest

There’s a whole subset of consumers who are onto the model employed by the cell phone companies. The drill goes like this – at the end of a cellular contract some customers have wised up to the fact that there’s a customer retentions department that can offer all manner of promotions to entice a customer to stay.

The problem with the “retentions” approach is that it places all the customer service focus on the back end business of saving a customer relationship – and not on the front end of nurturing and growing that relationship.

If you’ve noticed, there’s an ever increasing stream of complaints from current cell phone customers that only new customers or those threatening to leave are offered the best deals.

That’s one hell of a way to promote high customer satisfaction – make customers threaten to quit before you reward them!

Mistake #2 – Fishing for Twitter complaints is time that could be better served improving the service in the first place

Spending time improving customer service so that there aren’t people complaining in the first place is a better use of your time.

Why only react when the problems reach “I’m going to tell everyone” proportion? Instead – focus on improving the customer experience from start to finish.

Here’s an idea (and one that I’ve used for the last 10 years).

Instead of laying back – waiting for customers to come to you with complaints – how about a proactive marketing approach that reaches out via emails, web seminars, and newsletters (I use constantcontact.com which charges only $25 per month for me to email over 2,000 customers).

Pushing out news and tips that helps customers work with your product fosters goodwill during the relationship – and I think is a much better (and more profitable) business model than trying to salvage a relationship by waiting for disgruntled tweets to appear.

Mistake #3 – Monitoring and reacting to Twitter complaints — only encourages more Twitter complaints

Some (but certainly not all) Twitter complainers, like children who learn that if they beg long (and loud) enough for a new toy they’ll get it, will eventually become an overwhelming resource hog.

Instead of fielding true complaints – your company could be lulled into being “gamed” by those Twitter users who figure out that if they complain long enough they’ll get your company’s equivalent of a free toy.

Observation

Twitter has a place in your customer service arsenal. In my experience it is no better tool than reading and responding to old fashioned complaint letters.

Twitter is also a noisy place — and it’s only going to get noisier and noisier.

My recommendation?

Focus your primary customer service efforts on building bonds with your customers BEFORE they become disgruntled enough that they’re logging onto Twitter (or a personal blog or message board) and blast your company’s good name.

If you’re doing customer service the right way – you should not be providing customers with a reason to get onto a soap box in the first place.