Archive for February, 2009

When you are out speaking  at an event or doing face-to-fact networking, timely follow up is extremely important if you want to convert contacts into relationships.  Leads grow colder by the minute.   

I come back from every conference and speaking gig with a stack of business cards that I have to sift through and add to my contact list.  Solutions like Plaxo, LinkedIn, GMail, Salesforce.com, ACT and Outlook have all made desktop and online address books  fairly easy to update – once they’re in the system.  But it’s the adding of new contacts that’s time consuming.  That’s why I was so excited to find this new FREE solution DubMeNow that allows people the ability to text or email their contact info directly into your mobile device.  (There’s also a paid Pro solution for corporate users.)

How does DubMeNow work? 

Users of DubMeNow can email or text their contact info to you.  Once you accept the message, it moves into your phone database. Depending upon your particular set-up, the contact info can sync with your desktop CRM or contact management software when you perform the next sync.  Its usefulness will grow with adoption, but DUB already syncs contacts and updates with Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Siebel On-Demand and SugarCRM.   Facebook and LinkedIn integration are in the works.

And here’s the super cool part – anytime someone that’s given you their contact info via dub makes a change, it’s automatically updated on your phone.

You can also create DUBIDs to make the process that much easier.  Send me an invite using my DUBID, which is  TORNADO.  I will be sending my contact list DubMeNow invites shortly!

One final thought – You still have to have business cards!   They tell me a lot about you, and no matter how cool this technology is, not everyone will adopt it.  So bring your business cards AND show everyone how technically savvy you are by being an early adopter on this too-cool-for-school whiz-bang technology.  DubMeNow, I’m IN!

Microsoft Convergence is right around the corner!   Microsoft Convergence is the big customer conference for Microsoft Dynamics, and gives the Microsoft Dynamics VARs and Microsoft Dynamics ISVs a chance to connect and do business together.  

Networking is a fabulous recession-busting tactic.  Remember to bring LOTS of business cards!

While I’m sure that much of your focus is in helping your customers have a great time and learn about their Microsoft Dynamics options, you are also probably going to help improve your own business.

I know that times are tough right now.  Some Microsoft Dynamics partners are seeing deals stalled, and they don’t have enough new business in the pipeline to keep them going.  If that sounds like a problem that you’re facing, and you want to do something about it, I have a limited number of 45-minute appointments available.  Not a sales pitch.  I’m willing to help you work through any tough marketing issue you are trying to tackle.   

Interested? Just drop me an email at amachina@tornadomktg.com.  Looking forward to seeing you in New Orleans at another fabulous Microsoft Convergence Conference!  Look out New Orleans, here we come…

I wanted to make sure you heard about Make A Referral Week, which is happening March 9-13, 2009. We all know the best leads come from referrals, right?  By coming together as entrepreneurs, we can take charge and stimulate the economy on our own.  The goal of Make A Referral Week  is to generate 1000 referred leads to 1000 deserving small businesses, which could potentially blossom into millions of dollars in new business.  Small businesses are the lifeblood and job-creating engine of the economy.

No money is exchanging hands. No sponsors are being hit up.  The referral week concept is completely a grass-roots, boot-strap effort.  How can you get involved?

• Visit the Make a Referral Pledge page and submit your intention now to make at least one referral during the March 9-13 event. (Take this step and you are automatically eligible to receive audio recordings of the entire expert series)
• Post the Make A Referral event to your FaceBook page. (You can re-post the link from my posted items.)
• Promote this event to your partners and clients through email, newsletter and blog.

This week-long virtual event will also feature daily education programs focused on teaching small business owners and other marketers how to tap the power of referral marketing. The featured session includes a live web conference with Ivan Misner, founder of BNI and author Masters of Networking, Bob Burg , author of Endless Referrals and the Go-Giver, Bill Cates , author of Get More Referrals Now. (Here’s the full list of education planned for the week)

During the week of March 9-13 we will activate the Referral-o-meter to track the march to 1000 referrals as small business owners visit and describe who they referred a lead to and why.

This is every small business person’s chance to be a part of the economic recovery solution!

 You know the road I’m talking about – it’s the one paved with good intentions.

 Remember how before the New Year you promised yourself you’d commit to growing your business in 2009?   You’d start an email newsletter.  You’d start a blog.  You’d do monthly mailings. You’d start calling 5 customers every Friday.  Whatever your promises were, are you doing them?

 It’s February now. 

The truth it’s oh-so-easy to be well-intentioned, but lack the structure and commitment to achieve your goals. 

How can you get that grow-your-business marketing structure?  You need to create a marketing system and hold yourself accountable for executing to plan.  How can you do that?  You can:  

• Hire a marketing coach/consultant. 


• Buy the Duct Tape Marketing System. 


• Buy Marketing Plan Pro. 


• Put a big calendar whiteboard on your wall. 


• Write your tasks in your day planner. 


• Put your daily tasks in Microsoft Outlook.

There are lots ways to get structure – you just need to figure out what will work for you.  Because – without structure – you will never be consistent with your marketing.  It’s just too easy to put off  marketing tasks and focus on the other 99 aspects of your business.  A structured marketing system tells you exactly what you need to do every day, every week and every month to bring in a steady stream of clients.

I don’t want to see you on the road to business hell.  That’s an awful place where creditors are calling, payroll is late, and you have to make hard choices.  It’s not too late.  It’s never too late.  I’m sure you’ll agree with me that the road to riches – or even just a smooth and steady predictable road – is a lot more fun!

WOW, that Superbowl was exciting!  I’m not much of a sports fan, but I really watch because  I love to watch the Superbowl advertisements (and OK, I love an excuse for a party too!)  Normally my Tivo zaps all ads for me, but for this one day, I eagerly anticipate the advertsing.

My first impressions are that I:

• Hated the GoDaddy ad
• Doubly hated the NBCLA ads that were SO LOUD
• Was grossed out and vaguely annoyed by the Careerbuilder.com ad with the naked guy touching his toes
• Loved the Bud ads – clever use of their iconic clydesdales
• Thought the Coca-cola morphing avatars ad was just downright strange
• Loved the eTrade babies ad – very cute and clever
• Thought Denny’s will get the best bang for their buck due to their strong offer, and their appeal to the frugal buyer.  Get them in once and they’ll probably come back again.

What did you like or hate about the Superbowl ads? Did you learn anything from the Superbowl ads that you can apply to your own marketing?