http://www.flickr.com/photos/34053291@N05/

I’m sitting in my office, Sunday afternoon. Listening to Brian Clark (@copyblogger on Twitter) in conversation with Lee Odden.

[These guys are American.  I've met them - via the internet.]

I’m hooked, can’t turn the interview off – even though I have a list of stuff I need to do before going on holidays. They have me glued to my seat on the topic of how to do PR – how to do on-line PR.  There is so much I’d like to learn because I could be better.  These two are heavy hitters in USA – a place where internet experience is deep. I’d like to introduce them to Ireland.

Distracting thoughts…
But I’m not really concentrating fully on them.  At the same time, I have a conversation going on in my head.  I’m thinking how lucky I am to have contacts.  People who’ve inspired me.  Others who’ve got different experience from me. People who help me stay open-minded.

I found Chris Brogan by accident.  Someone mentioned his name and I got curious.  I did a bit of digging, discovered Chris Brogan was really well known & successful.  No one I knew face-to-face had ever mentioned him to me. But he turns out to be really generous and helpful to others. So I picked up a star.

It was @chrisbrogan who introduced me to what I’m hearing  now.  Third Tribe is playing.  I’m listening an audio podcast of Brian Clark & Lee Odden giving instructions on what to do – if you want to get your message out to journalists.  This is teaching me how to get noticed by traditional media – how to communicate my clients’ messages.

Where would I be if I had to do my learning in isolation?

More inspiration:
Another collection of inspiration is Twitter. A flood of tweets threaten to overwhelm me.  There is so much good stuff being shared.  How can anyone cope with it?

Here’s my trick.  I put all the stuff I think looks good – too good to be taken in quickly – too complex to be absorbed now – I put those tweets into a folder – my favourites.  I now have 480 favourite tweets.

My sharing plan:
I’m now going to start sharing my favourite favourites.  I’m going to put up blogposts which are lists of  links I value. I’m going to provide that service – here.  Soon you’ll find a little fund of great stuff here – you may ever find exactly what you’re looking for.

But better that any links you might get from me – you might contact people directly and discover there are many Chris Brogans out there – meaning  there are others who are also fabulous at sharing their world with you.

I went to the official launch of CorkMeet 2010 yesterday.

In Cork County Hall, 17th floor of what must be the tallest live building in Cork, at 5.30pm.   There were about 150 people there for the event (15% women).  I stood alongside Conor Keane, business editor Irish Independent – media partner to CorkMeet.

Jim Daly, new Cork County Mayor, introduced the launch.  Martin Riordan, county manager, Ciara Crossan WeddingDates.ie, Conor Healy, Cork Chamber, and Micheál Martin, Irish minister for foreign affairs also spoke.

I was surprised Cork City Council was not there.

At CorkMeet 2009, this business made many excellent contacts – and subsequently gained  new clients.  I was very impressed with the first year of CorkMeet – and 2010 it may even improve.

George Hook & Newstalk Radio are behind it – supporting it as media partner.

After the speeches I met Kathy O’Dwyer of Internsinternational.ie & Yvonne Coughlan RSVP - among others.  There was a good buzz in the room.  I also met one of the Polish embassy staff whom I’d met in 2009.  It looks as if there will be businesses from France, Rumania, UK, Belgium, Spain, Czech Republic – at least – at 2010.

The new feature for 2010 is a “Meet the buyers” session.  About 25 multinational buyers will meet SMEs for a facilitated round table discussion.  This is designed to get the people from big corporates closer to small business entrepreneurs – for the benefit of both, I’d say.

CorkMeet 2010 will target all Ireland – hopefully get people from Northern Ireland down too.

Maeve Bowen is the overall project manager – and I hope to meet her in the Enterprise Park in Macroom soon –  for a bit of the inside story behind this enterprising business development.

Anther business partner to CorkMeet 2010 is B2B Print.

Ran out of time now – but I have notes on what was said by the speakers – hope to add those later…

"Dominating" - by tedxjlibraries (Flickr Creative Commons)

I’m going to France in about 40 hours.  I’ll be there for five days.  I want to use my iPhone while there.  That’s my problem.

I live in Cork City Ireland, and I’m a customer of O2 – the mobile phone operator.  I’ve limited funds.  My  business is not rich – it needs to be shit-hot at cost control & cash-flow.  As a micro-entrepreneur, sole-trader, small partnership, SME – I can’t afford to waste any money roaming in France.

I’m afraid of being ripped-off.  Scared I’ll run up a huge bill while abroad.  I feel that collectively the mobile phone operators have constructed a system that’s so complex I can’t understand it.

A system that swims in small print, in conditions I’ll never read, let alone understand.

There may well be a simple way to roam in France – a tariff that’s not extortionate – a predictable procedure.  But I feel exposed to risk of coming home poorer.  I’m deeply suspicious that if I use my iPhone to tweet from Lourdes, I’ll get a horrid bill – each tweet might cost me as much as a glass of wine.

In other words, I’m a customer of the mobile phone industry, and feel at the mercy of my supplier.

This is crazy.
I’m the one paying, the one who deserves to feel in charge, is entitled to feel clear & confident. The boot is on the wrong foot.

As soon as possible, I’ll change all this.  I’ll have my revenge on O2, on Vodafone, and everyone of the companies that seem as if they are colluding to put me in this unpleasant position.  I’ll remain an O2 customer for now.  But some day, without warning, I’ll jump ship – I’ll abandon the whole industry.

Technology develops, all the time.  Out there somewhere, there’s someone working on a solution to my problem. Millions of ordinary people are in a similar position.  Everyone’s screwed right now. We’re all struggling to cope when we go abroad.  Roaming is tough for everyone who has to pay their own bills.

This experience happened yesterday…

I tweeted [as @omaniblog ] to say I was going to France &  needed help & advice: how could I tweet at  lowest efficient price?  I asked my Twitter followers to help me.

I sent several tweets about my problem.  I got several replies.  I’ve  followers who’re willing to help others.  The replies I got offered suggestions & comments:

“Try Vodafone “pay-as-you-go” SIM card…  Try “unlocking” your iPhone…  Try ringing O2… “

These ideas were all great to get – I felt connected, part of a community of people who have to find a solution to this roaming problem.

Did I hear from O2, Vodafone, or any mobile phone operator?
No.  Do mobile phone operators work on Saturdays? Yes.  Do O2 monitor their reputation?  Does O2 keep an eye on what their customers & potential customers are saying about them on-line?

Social Media Monitoring… I know a bit about this art.  I’ve had contact with several companies that offer software to corporates, offer corporates & SMEs the ability to track customers with problems.

Not a single mobile phone operator chipped into the conversations I had about roaming.  I felt they couldn’t give a damn about me – I’m too small to count?  You can imagine what it’s like to have both a “roaming” problem and also a problem of being “ignored” by my so-called supplier. You can imagine because this has happened to you.  This is not a one-off.  This is what it’s often like for customers: an operational difficulty compounded by a ‘personal’ problem. No one like to be ignored, abandoned & neglected – left to sink or swim alone.

One company got in touch with me.
One single, singular company in the whole world wide web.  One person, the director of products & innovation of MAXroam. I didn’t contact MAXroam.  The direcctor of MAXroam, Pat Phelan, found me.  He sent me a tweet.

MAXroam isn’t even a mobile phone operator.  It’s a company I’ve no contract with.  I’ve never even left a cookie on their website. One of my followers suggested I try MAXroam, recommended this by tweet.  A director of MAXroam noticed.  He sent me a tweet saying MAxroam would sort me out. “Ring me on Monday” said Pat Phelan.

I don’t know yet whether my requirements will be met by MAXroam – but I’ll never forget they were the only company to offer me a solution.  Even if it turns out my O2-contracted iPhone can’t be used in France at a price I’m willing to pay, I’ll still tell hundreds of people this story.  I’ll talk to people over dinner, in cafés & pubs – I will use this experience to link with others who share this problem.  I’ll even write a blogpost + tweet about this today – before any solution is in the bag.

The very fact that MAXroam was listening to the chatter on Twitter, and got in touch with an offer to help – while O2, Vodafone ignored me – is enough for me.

Maybe I’m making a meal of this
… but I think this story is typical of our times.  It features the market leaders, dominant forces, using their muscle to take unfair advantage of their customers. Market leaders dominate, & establish a system that excludes customers. [At least I know this to be true for mobile telecoms.] Thankfully there’s a minnow, an outsider, who’s seen an opportunity to solve a problem.

Thanks again MAXroam, thanks Pat Phelan.  I’ll be phoning you on Monday morning.

Facebook Network - by Marc Smith

BNI is big.  It’s a worldwide organisation  with branches in many countries including Ireland.  It was founded by Ivan Misner (chairman) who’s here now in the Clontarf Castle Hotel in Dublin.  He’s keynote speaker today.

I’m a Visitor to BNI Ireland Conference today.  I know many members of BNI in Cork city & during the last year they’ve given me great help with my business.  This includes lots of moral support during the ups & downs of keeping going during tough times in a damaged economy.  I count some BNI members among my best business friends.

So it’s good to see at close quarters what Ivan Misner has sparked.

There are about 100 delegates here – the conference registration for Visitors is at 11.00. The theme is “Networking Like a Pro” – and this is the 25th anniversary of BNI.

Marian Finucane is a speaker. I’ve never met her but admire her RTE radio programme.

Rob Brown came to Cork a few months ago and spoke on “Reputation Management” to a BNI breakfast at Rochestown Park Hotel.  He’s here today to speak. He also spent three hours with Irish BNI leaders yesterday. I met Rob briefly after his Cork bash.  Yesterday I wrote a testimonial for him. I’m sure he won’t mind me sharing it.

“It’s three months since I first heard Rob Brown speak to a crowded hotel room in Cork Ireland.  Usually, after that long, I’d have forgotten the speaker.  Maybe some of their ideas would have stuck – but the personality behind the words would have faded.

Rob Brown walked from the back of the room, right up the centre.  His voice strong and punchy, his words arresting – by the time I saw him pass me I was hooked.  I’ve heard many good speakers in a long life of listening to corporate voices.  Rob is up there with the really good ones.

The man was a bundle of energy, a powerhouse of content, a confidence that infected me. Rob Brown gave the BNI audience so  much content on “Reputation Management” that I felt I needed nothing more for the next few years.  There was so much compressed experience in his presentation, I was almost overwhelmed with the excitement of it all.

But there was something human about Rob Brown – something that made it possible to find my own space and my own decisions on priorities.  I came away well able to decide for myself how I would grow my reputation in a sensible way.

I’d go back to Rob Brown again.  Next time I’d want to hear him on another topic because his style suited me – and it’s still vivid after much competition from other interests.”

Brian Moore is also speaking here today.
I’ve met Brian a couple of times at BNI meetings when I was “subbing” for a BNI member. He lives in Limerick and is a trainer with the Referral Institute. I wonder what he’ll be talking about today?  You can follow him on Twitter @brianmoore007.

Photograph by Shikeroku

I’m suspicious of business Newsletters.  I suspect they’re fraudulent.  They appear as if they are offering me News – they really hope to sell me something.  In other words, they are a dressed-up bit of advertising.  That’s my difficulty.

For a long time I’ve been thinking about publishing a Newsletter.  I get them all the time – many are stunning in design. Many come from people whom I respect &  want to support. But I still delete them all, most of the time.  Business Newsletters irritate me.

The fact that I have this difficulty with Newsletters is not a reason to stop producing your Newsletter.  I am only one voice, one consumer – I am no authority.  The fact that I don’t like Newsletters should not stop me publishing one: the Newsletter is for others, not for me.

The problem is Advertising.
I hate it.  I resent it.  I have to put up with it.  It is everywhere.  I am thrilled to see it decline.  But it’ll be around for a long time yet.  Brands want to be recognised: they need to keep reminding people that they exist.  In the global market, with so many companies producing similar products & services, your brand is your difference – it is hard to get it to stay in the consciousness of others.

Advertising interrupts.  It breaks into my world.  It sorta shouts: Notice Me, See Me …. and often more Buy Me.

I began with Newsletters because I’ve been tweeting with @IrishSmiley(Frederique Murphy) –  a business that publishes a blog and a Newsletter.  The blog contained a promise that there is extra stuff in the Newsletter, different in tone, more personal.  I got interested, I almost signed up for the Newsletter.  But my suspicion held me back.   “I bet it’s all spoof designed to send me ads” said the voice within.

My gut tells me that News is good.  Personal is great.  A Newsletter that’s personal, very personal,  really gritty, incredibly human and messy… a Newsletter that short, that’s all new… that might work.

What’s your view?
Do you have a Newsletter you love?  One you’d love to share in a comment here ?  Let’s see if we can gather a few examples of superb Newsletters that are not sophisticated tricks?

PS After publishing this post, I found this excellent stream of discussion about Newsletters (led by@whatswhat_sian, thanks to @irishsmiley.)  This gives you different views to consider.

Last Tuesday, I joined them in the Café that Denis built on Washington Street, downtown Cork City. It was my first meeting with Lisa & Denis.  We got together to discuss Cork. I guess we all have vested interests in the future of Cork.

I’d already written my dissatisfaction with the image of this place where I live (and am growing to love). I’m disgruntled you could say.  I’m also committed to changing its reputation, so that I can relax and be proud of the place where my child will grow up.

But alone I’m useless.
A solitary voice bleating away into a vacuum.  Collaborators matter so much that nothing decent will be done by me without the active co-operation of others.  ”Collaborating Cork” – I hope.

The meeting was wonderful: we got on well.  We found an shared interest in the future of Cork and all we had to do was buy into the idea of doing our best to transform Cork.  All four of us are big networkers; we use Twitter and other tools to link people, to build little communities of like interests.  As we chatted about what Cork is like, how difficult many Irish people find collaborating, how lots stay in their silos – a stranger interrupted.  She butted in and told us she we collaborating with at least 40 pubs in Cork.  She was interested in our conversation.  A new link was made.  A ball began to roll in my head.  I began to sense that the notion of re-branding Cork was a mover.

The next thing that happened was on Twitter. #TransformCork began to be used.  You can see a few of the recent tweets here.

I’m going to continue this story here.  I’ll add new material when I have time.  The most important thing is to do this now.  Transform Cork is going to become a movement…  Citizen Branding lives…

Certainly my business is surrounded by too many opportunities for business development.  There may be an economic depression, downturn.  But in the middle of the worst collapse ever, there are opportunities all over the place.

Here’s a true story that happened by accident yesterday.  I went to my local garden centre –  intended to buy a few small pots & plants. I was also looking for advice from Peter Dowdall on what to do with my garden.  That’s all I had on my mind.  In front of Dunsland Nursery was a small stall, a couple of people selling something. It caught my eye, I got curious.  The stall looked like a remnant from a Farmers’ Market. Before going in for garden stuff, I paused to check out the stall.

Two young people (Ger & Francesca) selling salt.  They were selling other goods but I have a special interest in salt. Recently I’ve been collecting different types of salt. (From Ummera, from Flor De Sal D’Es Trenc ….) I struck up a conversation about the salts they were selling; this led on to chat about the rest of their business, including the organic herbs they offer.

On Bachelor’s Quay, near North Main Street Cork City, they are based.  Happy Herbs, organic herbs & spices, Francesca showed me salts I never imagined.

Black lava salt… imagine salt connected with volcanos.  Salt from Himalayas: I found out the Himalayas were once under water.  Mindblown, I got their business card.  Found out they didn’t even have a website (“Mothersnaturesrecipes” under construction).  I asked if they had a blog?  Because in front of me was so much content, so much information that others would like to know about.

The point I’d like to offer about business development is  …
This little business has rich content at its fingertips.  It’s in a position to share knowledge & experience with curious people.  If they wish,  they can develop their business in this way:

1 Continue trading, source new products for their local market

2 Sell the goods

3 Be very good at conversation with customers

4 Build reputation on-line by blogging about what they are doing, and the products they find

5 Use Facebook, Twitter, even MySpace & Flicr to attract interest and become a hub for people

6 Grow their business to unimagined proportions and in unexpected direction…

There are great books, like Gary Vaynerchuk’s “Crush It” , which focus on how to build a business like this.  [Read my comments here.] There are YouTube videos on how to develop your business.  There is no shortage of inspiration even coaching available.

Thinking about this afterwards, I realise I’ve been lucky.  I stumbled into a business opportunity.  I’m now taking this opportunity to build my business by writing about the salt merchants in Glanmire. I wandered over to that stall when I could have stuck to my plan.  I could have walked by, I could have missed the story.  I could have come away satisfied with plants.  I might have overlooked the chance to do something I love, talking to strangers about their interests.

Yesterday, there was an opportunity to “sell” my wares:
“I could write you a website, I could advise you on your marketing strategy, I could help with your business development, I could introduce you to other business.”
- But no, that would have been a form of spamming. That’s not my style.  I stuck to my passion, my curiosity for business – the people, products & punch.  I offered no service; I stayed focussed on their business.

Some one may read this piece and say to themselves ” this guy might be interested in my business, I might like his style, let’s make contact.”  That might be the start of another story, to everyone’s advantage.  Who knows?

“Call to action“:
While you look for plants in your local gardening centre (on your ‘day- off’), there may be an interesting business opportunity in front of you.  Go for it.

Thus spoke Greg Canty of Fuzion Communications (Cork & Dublin).  It was a free gift, out of the blue.  Greg listened to me voicing some thoughts about my business vision.  He knows a small bit about my approach, but he has lots of experience. We were working together led by Aodan Enright.

I was delighted to get unsolicited advice from a professional Marketing & PR person.  You don’t ignore such generous support.

Problem is: I’m not an experienced LinkedIn user.  It’s the tool I’ve never really explored.  My profile is up on LinkedIn: I even have some contacts.  But that’s it.  I’ve not yet used it properly.

“LinkedIn Groups are where it’s at on LinkedIn.  Go there.”  That’s the call to action.  So this morning I joined two Groups: “Ghostwriters” & “Poets Corner”.  I begin with established interests: I should be comfortable there.  As a member of those groups, I’ll become active and see how I find it.  I’ll learn.  It’ll be a while before I think about setting up & managing  a LinkedIn Group.

Do you use LinkedIn Groups? Any tips for me?  Thanks again Greg Canty Fuzion Communications: you are a #smarteregg.

This is my Action List (in no particular order): I’ll take it to discuss with #SmarterEgg tomorrow.

1.  Try Google Trends

2. Try Facebook Lexicon

3. Google search to see all websites that link to me

4. Set up Technorati

5. Restart my RSS Reader

6. Create video podcast

7. Call my clients/blog commenters by a consistent name

8. Use Website Checklist from p.52 of “Six Pixels of Separation”

9. Write my “Why List” (see p. 50)

10. Pull out all the blog advice for my corporate client

11. One good photograph (to represent me)

12  Keep track on regular blog posting

13.  Audit me  - including % of twitter contact I meet face-to-face

I must improve our presence on-line.  MarketingWriteNow.com is not good enough on-line, yet. No longer do I have this vague feeling that things could be better. I’ve found a way to systematically improve.  I’ve invested in change…

That’s the bottom line. The background is  I’ve joined a group led by Aodan Enright from SmarterEgg. This is a group dedicated to business improvement. We are on a programme: 5 face-to-face workshops, and as much on-line virtual contact as we care to make ourselves in between meetings.

This is where Mitch Joel comes in.
His book “Six Pixels of Separation” is our first text.  We’re using this ‘platform’ to start our effort. We’ve never worked together before.  We are an inexperienced group of experienced individuals. We need to coalesce around something solid and inspiring.  Aodan did the research to find us a starting point.

SmarterEgg is a business that helps other businesses review and think ahead.  It works around books, collective reading and good conversation. We’ve all read chapters 1-3 from Mitch, President of Twist Image. My copy is now full of markings, margin notes, highlighted phrases and resolutions to self.

Phrases like:  “Me too!”, “WOW!” “Me an authority??” They’re some of my jottings.

My Action Plan…
At the end of chapter 3, the text leaves plenty of space.  I’ve written my Action Plan: 13 action  points for me to do now. (There’s another SmarterEgg programme for Procrastinators.  I’m skipping that one, but it inspires me – like a conscience.)

Write short blogposts: another resolution.  I’ll put up my action plan later in a separate post.

Call to action = Isn’t it time you too had a good look at your on-line presence?

[ps: Thank you Kevin Dooley for your image.]