It was Vegas, Summer of 2008.....
I was sitting in a persuasion and marketing conference hosted by Dave Lakhani. Dave is one of my favorite marketing persuasions teachers. In fact, I credit him for starting this blog. The first of its kind in the real estate space. The event changed not only my business view, but I dare say my life view. The thing was meat and potatoes and none of the typical conference hype. It was called Renegades of Persuasion.
This is another talk than Renegades of PersuasionThere was a couple sessions that extolled the virtues of the social or new media. Now IMHO this is the ** next to there was no hype. There were a few self appointed experts on the issue that was in the audience. They pitched Twitter hard and in fact were Tweeting the entire time. They were chatting about what the teacher was teaching. I thought it akin to the digital equivalent of passing notes back and forth in the 3rd grade.
I remember chatting with a guy who is a pharmaceutical salesman who was bumming big time that he wasn't hep to Twitter and all its virtues. He was literally having an anxiety attack.
I told him to relax. And not to buy into the hype. I asked him to tell me who his is his typical client? He told me that he sells to Doctors but usually that is through their office managers. "Exactly"! I told him. "Do you seriously think that an office manager, let alone a Doctor is online doing the social thing?"
Its Called Social Networking
But is it really social? There are four prevailing models for most business people on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook.
1. Socialize Model- This model demands interaction and is true to why is it called social networking. What I dare say most socializer's do is well, socialize too much. The new media has become a way to hide behind the computer instead of doing real prospecting.Additionally, many potential prospects are online during working hours.
I can tell you with certainty that every business in America is seeking efficiency. If your workers are on their cell phone talking, texting or Facebooking, they are not making your company money. Unless of course they are marketing the company. Which of course they are not. In businesses across America cell phones are being left in the locker upon clocking into work. Computer access is being monitored and limited.
2. Broadcast Model-Instead for many "socializer's" the new media has become broadcast mechanisms. Hardly a 2.0 type of endeavor. Not really chatting with anyone online, but actually listing cool new stories that they have read to new blog posts and listings. Like many endeavors online some might call this spam 2.0. And instead of getting a complain the reader simply unfriends you or takes you off their main screen.Some purists might call this spam 2.0. Basically this is whereby folks will put up links or thoughts up on their account without much invitation for conversation. The most obvious example is a Realtor placing listings.
This noise is what has caused some marketing Gurus like John Reese to recently announce he is delisting from Twitter. Claiming that it is not worth the time expenditure. Saying that there is so much noise that it makes it difficult to interact.
Meanwhile at about the same time copywriting legend Michel Fortin recently killed the comments in his blog and is having everyone chat through Twitter, Facebook, and Google Buzz. As another example of non conversation is the father of Permission Marketing, Seth Godin. Go to his Twitter account and it is locked for only his chosen recipients to see. How un-transparent.
Call it what you will but people do this all the time. It is the default method that businesses fall into in order to scale their socializing. Nothing new, just rehashed digital billboards of a listing or latest blog post. Little if any social interaction. And you know what? This works to a degree. But then people start to hide your posts because they want to talk with their peeps and not read your noise.
3. Meet Virtually & Really Greet Model- As Amy Lynn Carroll said in our interview about Succeeding on Facebook, the secret to success on Facebook is getting off Facebook. She didn't say it that way but she did say you need to personally call these folks that you are connecting with. Yah pick up the phone.
4. The Recruiting Model - Many brokers are using the new media to connect with brokers that they otherwise would not dare approach in the real world. The new tools allow them to naturally connect with agents that otherwise would be awkward off line.
I know of one office that has filled their ranks with 6 top notch agents within a few months of using this technique.
So Should You Be In The Social Media?
Yes, at least have a presence. You never know when a friend from high school might need what you are selling. However, you must develop a strategy that dictates what you will and will not do. Often times doing your networking at a real networking event just may be better than all this virtual stuff.
I once posited to a new media guru that it may be more effective to actually prospect by using lead generation methods by cold calling than hanging out on Twitter all day. He said, "that wouldn't be very fun". I guess prospecting should be fun. I just do not know how much prospecting is going on within the social net.
