Category Archives: Social media

B2C & B2B Social Marketing (Facebook, Twitter, etc) Universe Revealed [INFOGRAPHIC]

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Over the last several years, online networking  sites such as  Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, etc have continued to flourish in both business to consumer (B2C) and business to business (B2B) environments, which has allowed people and companies of all sizes to communicate more effectively, while driving additional traffic that can generate more leads and certainly more sales. However, social media networking can be rather tricky and often fails if you or your company do/does not plan properly or if you do not have a solid social strategy in place to market yourself or brand for communication and monitoring of all B2C and B2B activities.

Not to worry because if you don’t have a lot of time to figure things out our friends at Marketo have put together a detailed Infographic, which can help you understand the B2C/B2B social media universe detailed below.
Of course, we also help businesses understand this unique beast, so if you have questions, please drop us a line or contact us through any of our social media networks and we will be glad to help. Otherwise, thanks for stopping by and happy networking!

(Source: Marketo. B2B image via Shutterstock)

Things to Remember When Tagging People, Businesses, Products, and/or Services on Social Media Sites

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Over the last several weeks, we have been experimenting and talking with customers/businesses about “Tagging” with social media sites such as Instagram, FourSqaure, and Facebook, which allow people or businesses to share photos with one another while tagging other people or businesses with you or them. What fun huh? This can be even more fun if you are looking to meet new people or even looking for or selling new products/services, as people and companies can tag you in them if you so choose.
Well, let’s think about that? People and companies can tag you in them if you so choose, as this is extremely important and if you do not change your settings sooner or later in these social network spaces, you will get violated and perhaps even pissed off at your friends, acquaintances, or favorite brands. So, while some social media sites such as Twitter still allow you to @username (much like tagging), which you can’t control, if you are using Instagram, FourSqaure, and Facebook, make sure you make it a point to set your personal or business accounts to private or change your settings to approve tags, communicators, and followers first. That way if you are using or with people or companies that want to display something on one of your social profiles, you dictate what it is or what it is not “APPROVAL” and/or who, what, when, or where you have been.
Here are some other things to remember when using Instagram, FourSqaure, and Facebook tagging :
1.   On FourSqaureyou can now tag location and people by using a person or businesses Twitter namespace. This is NEW, so you may not have tried it but FourSqaurewill even do an auto complete during your check-in, so if you use this make sure you are checking in with the right person just like with Facebook (ANOTHER reason to set this to approval)
2.   On Instagram you can use GeoTagging, which uses a version of “Tagging” powered by FourSqaure for location or the #Hashtag for popularity (Public Posts) in the caption field or a #Hashtag in the comment field for photos you already uploaded through Instagram 
3.   If you want a more target audience (friends, family, businesses) on Twitter make sure to set your feed to private that way those people and companies can’t @mention or @reply directly to you (essentially TAGGING you), which will cut down on direct messages and @connects

While tagging has been around for quite some time, with all the different/new social media sites, people and companies are/will continue to look for ways to communicate with you. “Tagging” or @username @mention @replies @connect are a couple of those ways. Long story short and if you use any of these sites, make sure you continue to check your settings and monitor your pages for tags of people, places, and things (sometimes you are even incorrectly tagged by accident), that way you can dictate what you want or do not want to see and/or promote. Also remember that if you want to promote someone or something to properly tag,  @username, or #Hashtag the other person or business that way they know you are thinking about them.
We sure hope this post helps some of you keep your social media privacy, while sharing with others (make sure they are the right ones) things you are doing, places you are at, and products, and services you love. Now get out there visit some people/businesses, snap some pictures, connect with others, and enjoy. Otherwise, and like usual play nice and don’t forget to keep smiling, as it really does look good on YOU!

David Dandaneau is a Consultant at [SevenTimesSeven]. He specializes in helping business owners “manage their business and not their processes!” For more connect with him via Twitter @ddandaneau or any of the other social platforms you may find him on.



My Top 5 Must Have(s) for LinkedIn Success!

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May 15th, 2012 will mark my five-year anniversary on the social media site LinkedIn, which is the professional social networking medium that allows you to connect with friends, co-workers, and other professionals that at one time would have been impossible, Yes- I am talking about those days before we had computers. Nonetheless and since there are still many people out there that do not have a LinkedIn profile, I thought I would create a post on our Seven Times Seven blog to relay some of the do’s and do not’s of this giant social media platform. Here are the TOP 5 rules of the road!
(1) LinkedIn is Your Online Resume… so treat it as such –– Whether you use LinkedIn for business or pleasure, make sure to update your profile with regularity just like you would your Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest accounts, as this is the first place most people head to in order to check out your credentials. The difference between LinkedIn and other social media sites is that this site is a true representation yourself, views, and of some of the important things you have accomplished, so treat it as such, or just like you would your resume… DO NOT misrepresent yourself or your company! 
(2) Join Interesting (Business or Personal) Groups –– It amazes me how few people know about LinkedIn groups, as they have been around for as long as I can remember. In order to network with other same minded individuals, make sure you join some local, regional, and global groups in order to connect, share, and converse with others about important things happening in yours or another industry. Most importantly with any group or these groups in particular is to participate! Whatever you do… DO NOT join groups just to join groups, join groups to show others you are willing to help them, not just looking for handouts.
(3) Follow Interesting Organizations –– Just like the group format, make sure you are following and interacting with companies. Almost every organization out there has created a company profile on LinkedIn, so make sure you find the ones that you can help, connect with others that work there (you can connect with people through group affiliations), and remember to be found, you have to make yourself found, which following companies will do for you! Just like with the groups, DO NOT just follow companies to follow companies instead follow those you are truly interested in!
(4) Personalize & Tailor your Message(s) –– It often surprises me at how simple this is but how many people fail at this. Instead of reaching out and connecting to others with the generic LinkedIn message to those that belong to the same groups, work at old or like companies, and/or have some of the same interests as you; instead, make sure that you tailor your message to them and give a brief reason for connecting… DO NOT just connect with people and companies to connect with them… do you see a pattern here?
(5) Inform, Revise, and Update –– The most important part of LinkedIn is to inform people of what you think is important. Whether you use this site for business or personal reasons make sure to inform your contacts of important industry trends, news, or things happening in your career or life. Revise these accordingly to those you are trying to reach and most importantly, make sure to update your profile (articles, books, presentation you given, etc) that way more people will want to connect with you and listen to things you are talking about. Whatever you do, DO NOT just set-up your profile and leave it idle, as this like most other social media sites is a social site, hence why you need to interact with others, not just set it and forget it.
Obviously, these five rules of the LinkedIn road are just a few things that you should consider if you have not already and are serious about sharing, connecting, and being a person others turn to for honest advice. Just like with other social media sites, LinkedIn is a vehicle that allows you to connect with people and companies, while engaging them, heck it evens allows you to collect pertinent real-world research (i.e. surveys), as I am doing on the behalf of my Doctoral work. We (I) don’t use LinkedIn for prospecting but many people and companies do, so if you chose to prospect here, just make sure to respect others time, as you would in person or any other site… leave the junk mail at home, as nobody likes to be pestered! Lastly, if you have other accounts connected to your LinkedIn profile, make sure that the information you are relying is information suited for your audience, as this will go a long way in other views of you. I think if you take a little time to understand how this medium works that it can do wonders for you and others you will meet here, as it has for me. I warmly welcome all LinkedIn requests, so if you are alike minded individual and would like to talk or interact, drop me a line and let’s connect. Otherwise, I hope this post helps you achieve some of your personal and business goals. Now get out there and connect, engage, and enjoy your time with others. Until next week, play nice and don’t forget to keep smiling, as it really does look good on YOU!

David Dandaneau is a Consultant at [SevenTimesSeven]. He specializes in helping business owners “manage their business and not their processes!” For more connect with him via Twitter @ddandaneau or any of the other social platforms you may find him on.



Social Customer Relationship Management (CRM) or (a.k.a Social Media CRM) Can Produce or Increase Sales by 12%. How so?

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As many of you already know Seven Times Seven headed by David Dandaneau is (are) dedicated to bringing answers to questions in our weekly tip each week that we come across. This week is no different, as we continue to navigate (7) difficult but extremely important segments for an organizations long-term growth and survival. This week in particular, we have had a tremendous amount of inquirers into Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and it’s (the systems) effect(s) on business performance & sales, which just happen to be some of the things David Dandaneau has been researching over the last 3+ years, as part of his Doctoral work. What is crazy to think about is that every day we ask clients and individuals if they are familiar with CRM? They usually respond with the answer Yes! So, why the inquires now? Next question… what system are you using and/or what are you doing with the data you collect? Much to our surprise, many of you are still using the basic CRM systems such as ACT, Capsule, etc. Why is it that more of you have not moved yet to Sugar, Salesforce, Zoho, etc. so you can collect more data and sales leads integrated with your website of blog? Well, if you are like most people a CRM system is something you probably bought or subscribed to in order to help you remain better organized and track issues (contact manager)… Yes? Well, if so let’s take a minute to look at some of the latest research trends and “statistics” in order to see if we might be able to make CRM (whatever system you use) work for you “more sales & retention”… not against you in order to produce some sort of Return On Investment (ROI).
So… What Needs are YOU looking for?
When a person or organization begins to look for a CRM provider or system, you will soon realize that there are tons “thousands it seems” of solutions available to fit almost any need, just like with Professional Employer Organizations (PEO), Mobile Solutions, or Social Media (SM). However, the one question you must ask yourself first with CRM much like the others, is what are you trying to accomplish with it (CRM) and how can you pull everything together? If you are like any normal person or organization, you should also be asking yourself what ROI will whatever system I (you) chose produce for me? The answer is simple… pick a system that allows you to retrieve information (i.e. offer white papers in exchange for contact information) and store it, so you can turn this information into leads and a resource, just like with social media… use the data to convert more inquires into sales, Yes? Also, let’s not forget to ask ourselves how can you (we) share information or help your (our) customers with the information and/or analyze the data we (you) collect with a CRM system to produce ROI?
A CRM Implementation is the most Effective way to Maintain Relationships

Just like social media or wireless device innovations (iPhone, iPad, Droid, etc), CRM (bringing systems together) should not be about what other people/businesses are doing but instead about what you and/or your personal or business needs are or in other words “what the customer wants.” With almost any PERFECT CRM implementation (on the behalf of the customer & organization), you should see customer retention and sales COSTs continue to decline overtime and organizational or personal profits increase over that extended period of time if utilized correctly. In a recent study it was found that “social” CRM or in other words social media or mobile CRM can help an organization or more importantly its sales force increase productivity and benefit by as little as +12% if used correctly. What’s more, is that this same study produced by Nucleus Research found that on average 21% of those people (organizations) or sales forces that use(d) social CRM, seen sales increases as much as 20%. Furthermore, this statistic equates to approximately 4 out of 5 companies that use/subscribe to a social CRM approach and integrate external sources such as Facebook, Twitter, FourSqaure, EmpireAvenue, etc with their CRM application(s) could expect returns (ROI) as high as 47%… crazy huh? What is even more shocking is that this particular course of action does not even take into account your mobile campaigns (25% increases), or RSS feeds through Pinterest, Tumblr, StumbleUpon, Etc (additional 22% increases).
So, What are you Waiting FOR?
Since the research and data points to increases in response, interaction, retention, and sales why are so many people (organizations) still reluctant to use and/or subscribe to a “Social CRM” solution? Or more importantly why are you (your team) not using mobile CRM applications “especially on your mobile” to convert leads into sales? The fact is and from our conversations, there are that still many people that still do not understand how all these systems work together or how to put all the pieces together or leave a footprint behind when meeting or following up with someone. In the Nucleus study, it was clear why; as only 16% of the 223 executives actually knew that, this was a total approach to business evolution, retention, and additional sales, which is hard to believe. Perhaps as more people turn to social media to solve customer issues left on sites such as Yelp, Google, Yahoo, etc. and by participating more in sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. more people will understand that CRM (especially mobile, as this has shown to increase productivity by +20%) should/will be an important part of their overall long-term strategy of conversing, linking, and connecting the dots (i.e. or at least a part of the solution) to increase sales.
From this short but direct post, we hope that you (your organization) realize the benefits that CRM, social media, and mobile campaigns can/will have on your overall success. As we continue to move further away from websites and more towards mobile phones, blogs, and social media for interaction, we will continue to rely upon CRM to help us stay connected to our friends, followers, and clients. If you have not yet made a decision on a social media, CRM, or mobile strategy don’t worry, as you still have time to make a decision. The important part is that you now start to think about it and about how all these systems work or can work together to help you and your team excel. Not only are these systems important to you but also to David Dandaneau, as these are large components to his research and the results that will be reported in his dissertation over the next several months. Therefore, if you would like more information or to participate in his study, please feel free to drop us a line or contact him directly by posting a comment. Otherwise, and like usual we will look forward to seeing you right back here next week with another Q&A session brought to you… well, by YOU! Cheers!

David Dandaneau is a Consultant at [SevenTimesSeven]. He specializes in helping business owners “manage their business and not their processes!” For more connect with him via Twitter @ddandaneau or any of the other social platforms you may find him on.


Why you Need to Identify your Social Media Influencers and Competition!

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As many of you know we (Seven Times Seven, LLC) help small business owners navigate seven (i.e. Payroll, Workers’ Compensation, Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs), Wireless Devices, Social Media, CRM, and Website Design & Integration) distinct (sometimes challenging) segments required for any long-term business venture/success, regardless of the industry that you compete in. Needless to say, these seven segments most or the time make business owners want to vomit, as the commitment (time) they all require are more times than not… having you asking yourself if or how you can measure any return on your investment(s) in these things. Well, we are here to tell you that in order to produce greater profits, you need to document, make people/businesses aware of what you offer, and communicate effectively. Communication is key in all these and other segments but none more important than with social media. Before, you say you have tried it and it didn’t work for you, we want you to take a step back, and think of why or why not, as these new mediums are well worth your time and commitment(s). Here’s why!
Who is Using Social Media and What Networks are they?
The first thing you must ask about social media is who in your circle of influence (personally or professionally) is/are using these new tools effectively? Next, what mediums (Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, EmpireAvenue, FourSquare, Quora, Redditt, Digg, Pinterest, Tumblr, etc) are they and what are they doing to communicate with their established networks? Once you have found similar (people or businesses) join these networks and start conversing with your influencers and competition to see if they respond to you. If they do, then you know that they are having success and understand the networks they are operating on and if they don’t respond, it’s probably because they too don’t understand how to use these medians to drive ROI and communicate effectively. Either you respond, like, or follow in return or you don’t it’s that easy to tell who is using these mediums effectively. Really, by scouring the landscape and finding others (networks they are using), will help you determine what networks you also need to be involved in… Really it is that simple!
Now What?
After you have found your influencers and competition online, now all you have to do is put together a few time slots during the week to develop, engage, and communicate with others (literally think about a few times either in the morning or evening to do this, 30minutes-1hr daily). Seriously, with almost any social media site they only take a few minutes to set up and most of the time you can also import your information from sites such as Twitter and Facebook to get going. Therefore, whether you think Twitter and Facebook (work or do not), set them up anyway, as these will make your life easier once you find out what sites you want to participate in… heck if you are like us, go for all of them! After all what do you have to lose… increases/increasing in your knowledge and/or Google search rankings?
Get Customers and ROI!
The most important part about social media is producing new customers, acquaintances, and/or ROI. If you stick to your daily or weekly updates (new material, new posts, blog posts, reposts, shares, tweets, retweets, or curated material), you should notice after a couple of weeks (our 90-day rule) whether your material is being accepted or not. Obviously, new friends, likes, followers, direct messages are just some of the ways to judge your success but also remember to watch your Kred, Klout, PeerIndex,and Share Prices to also judge success and potential new customers. Perhaps the most important thing to remember regardless of the mediums you use online is try not to post to much or too little. Instead, you need to focus on providing “VALUE” (daily or weekly industry, academic, or personal postings) to your network and competition, which will ultimately end up building your credibility and endorsements that eventually result(s) in even more friends, ROI, and new customers.   
So, what are you doing with social media online that is helping you grow your business locally, regionally, or nationally? Have you tried these methods in your business? We would love to hear more about how you use social media, CRM, or wireless devices to communicate effectively. So please feel free to connect with us here, any of our other networks (Google Seven Times Seven, LLC), or with David Dandaneau directly through his 25+ social networks, so we can all connect, share, and grow together to provide even more influence. Until next week, keep smiling and we will look forward to hearing, sharing, and engaging online with everyone soon to achieve even more extraordinary results. Cheers

David Dandaneau is a Consultant at [SevenTimesSeven]. He specializes in helping business owners “manage their business and not their processes!” For more connect with him via Twitter @ddandaneau or any of the other social platforms you may find him on.


How YOU can Measure your Social Media & In-Person Engagement FREE of Charge?

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Within business and our personal lives, we are continually looking for ways to educate people through things such as email, social media, blog posts, associations, etc in order to show our expertise and/or leadership in the fields we consider ourselves experts in. However, even our best tips, practices, case studies, questions and answers, etc often end up leaving us with no real way to measure our successes. Or maybe not?  
 

Since our agency consults on things such as these, we thought this week we would share a few tips on some of the items, which are out now that could help you measure your online and in-person networking efforts. If you use social media to produce, content (personally or professionally) then you may or may not know about the program referred to as HootSuite. Regardless of the reasons people or companies use HootSuite the most important thing to remember about this tool is that it allows you to control, manage, and analyze multiple online social media mediums such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, FourSquare, etc. The best part of this is that you can add up to five accounts for FREE or subscribe to another plan that starts around $5.99 a month and gives you access (even the FREE accounts do) to analytics such as those found in other programs like Google Analytics or Facebook Page Insights. Please study, learn, and use these analytics if you are not already, as you may be surprised at what you might find out about how your message(s) are being received by your friends, followers, and acquaintances online.
Another must have and know how in the social media or blogosphere realm, which will help you measure your social media engagement that you must learn and utilize are three very similar programs (1) Klout (2) PeerIndex, and(3) EmpireAvenue. Klout, PeerIndex, and EmpireAvenue use data from various networks such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, WordPress, Blogspot, Tumblr, Flickr, Google+, etc to measure the different amounts of influence you have on your networks or other networks that are tied to you somehow (i.e. ReTweets, Mentions, Likes, Share Purchases, etc), while giving a user and/or company a number based from 1-100. These mediums should leave a person or company with little ambiguity, as to whether their messages are being received well or not regardless of the mediums, they are using to send the message(s). In other words the higher your Klout, PeerIndex Score, or Share Price the more likely your messages are being received by your network or not.
Lastly, if you are scared on the new ways (analytics) to measure your online effectiveness or engagement of friends, followers, or acquaintances than you can use the old way(s) to judge your material and that is by looking deep into your senses and motivations for engaging users to begin with. OK, so you are asking how can you do that? Easy, if you are like us and strapped for time carry around a little notebook. When you expose something either online (social media) or in-person (personally or professionally) jot down a note when you feel something was received well and other notes when you think the opposite. At the end of a day, week, month, or year review these notes and decide what days, weeks, or months you were most successful and what exactly pleased or displeased your audience and/or audiences. This is old school but still effective even in this new digital age we find ourselves in.
Needless to say, each week we use a variety of these methods (online and in-person) to help determine what others are asking and/or might have questions about, so we can one day become the source you turn to for the advice you seek. Although this week’s tip only tips the iceberg, we can all continue to analyze and melt the ice, along with our works online or in-person in order to tailor our messages to meet the needs of those who seek our advice. Thanks for stopping by, don’t be afraid to speak out to us anytime from anywhere, and we will look forward to seeing you right back here next week with another tip, brought to you… well… by YOU! Until then and as usual, KEEP SMILING

David Dandaneau is a Consultant at [SevenTimesSeven]. He specializes in helping business owners “manage their business and not their processes!” For more connect with him via Twitter @ddandaneau or any of the other social platforms you may find him on.


Simplify your Time & Processes with a Google Gmail Account

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Over the last few months, we have continued to preach the importance to our clients of staying up-to-date with all the industry trends either by using social media, networking, subscribing to industry newsletters, or by being the industry news letter. However, we also understand that this can be a very time-consuming process, so we wanted to provide our readers and clients with a few easy to understand and implemental tips online in order to save you time and more importantly money, while reaching even more people.

  • If you haven’t figured this out yet, Google is slowly emerging as the industry leader in several different (working together) segments, which should/will allow you more access to data, find people, services, and businesses and/or better yet them to find YOU easier! Needless to say, if you haven’t already… you should take the time to set up a Google (Gmail account) to start your own Blog (Blogspot), subscribe to Google Alerts, AdSence, Google+, etc, which will allow you to track trends and competition, while reaching everyone else who is already using these tools and/or social mediums.
  • With your Gmail address, (if you haven’t already… start a Blog), while subscribing to other social media sites such as Digg, Delicious, Reddit, StumbleUpon, etc, in order to submit your posts and to reach more people and/or business through RSS feeds. What is good about this method is that all correspondence(s) will be going to one email (personal or company) address yourcompany@gmail.com.
  • Most importantly after you find industry or personal specific news sources, link these directly to your smartphone (that’s if you have one) through apps such as TipB, Pulse, Blogspot, etc. so you consistently train yourself to relay/share important information (i.e. position you/yourself/company as the Industry Leader).
Of course, this is only the TIP of the iceberg, albeit an important one. Therefore, if you would like additional tips, make sure to join us back here next week or if you cannot wait another seven days for Seven Times Seven Tip of the Week, make sure to reach out to us directly via phone, email, or social media and we would be happy to try and guide you in the right direction. Until next time… keep smiling, as it really does look good on YOU!

David Dandaneau is a Consultant at [SevenTimesSeven]. He specializes in helping business owners “manage their business and not their processes!” For more connect with him via Twitter @ddandaneau or any of the other social platforms you may find him on.


How do you decide on the Right Company and/or Professional to assist in a Buying or Outsourcing Decision?

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As a person or business owner, you may often find yourself asking difficult questions and often coming up with little to know answers. Does this sound like you? If so, how do you know who to trust or how to evaluate a company and/or their credentials in order to decide if they can actually serve you and/or your business needs?
Regardless of the industry and/or business professional, that you may be dealing with most industries have standards that you can use to evaluate not only the staff but the entire business and industry, which may be as easy as performing a Google search. However, the fact is most people and businesses do not actually have the required time to invest and/or research a particular industry (even so called Googling), so they often call on third party facilitators to oversee a particular business or personal purchase decision. These people whom you rely on and  often referred to as consultants, brokers, advisers, etc maybe the solution that you are looking for or are they? The question still remains… and that is how do you really know whom you are dealing with?
Here are some questions you should ask yourself when deciding on the right professional or company to help facilitate any buying decision. Can anyone be a doctor? The answer to this question is simply no, as there is schooling and there are requirements that all doctors must go through before they can actually advise you or prescribe a remedy. And yes, this includes doctors, other than those doctors you go to see for medical illnesses. Can anyone be an attorney? Again, the answer to this question is no and again there are many years of schooling and tests that a person must go through in order to represent you in court, help you start a business, or help you fight for justice. Can anyone be banker? Well, this is a tricky one. There are many good bankers out there that can help facilitate a loan or advise you on a good investment. However, if you want a well-respected and reputable banker (Financial Consultant) then more times then not you would be looking to deal with someone who yet again has had extensive training and/or education; otherwise, their advisements may end up costing you your life or business savings, just ask all those who trusted Bernie Madoff or ENRON with their money.
All too often, even after asking yourself or evaluating a business or professionals credentials or answering the aforementioned questions many people and/or organizations will still move forward with a purchase or outsourcing decision without understanding the real danger that these decisions may pose over the long-term. Much too often these decisions maybe influenced by price, friends, and/or other companies that have done business with these people or organizations in the past. However, rest assured that in this new age of digital communication, well respected businesses and people are here to help advise you on almost any personal or business purchase decision. 
For instance, here at Seven Times Seven, we advise people, organizations, and communities on some of the difficult decisions facing you and/or your business in regards to workers compensation, payroll, Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs), wireless devices, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) technologies, website development, and social media. Since we believe in helping our clients make sound buying decisions, we thought we would provide a few insights to our readers and followers, as to what you should be asking yourself before making any purchase decision in these respected segments. 
Workers Compensation, Payroll, and Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs)
Wireless Devices
  • Is the carrier regional, national, or worldwide?
  • Is the device(s) locked or unlocked? Can the device be unlocked if currently locked?
  • Is the device compatible with your other personal or business devices (i.e. computer, tablet, landline, etc?)
  • Will you be locked into a long-term agreement and if so what are the terms if you cannot honor the agreement?
Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
  • Is the CRM solution (HOSTED) external to the company such as SalesForce, NetSuite, or Oracle, etc?
  • Is the CRM solution (ON-PREMISE) and runs at your home or place of business such as SugarCRM, Microsoft, Seibel, ACT, etc?
  • Is the CRM solution (HYBRID), which is a combination of hosted and on-premise solutions?
  • How will the CRM company or you protect your confidential data?
  • What are the back-up systems used and where are they located in case of an emergency?
  • Does or will the CRM solution you choose provide customer support?
Website Development and Social Media
  • Is the company and/or person reputable and how long have they been in the business?
  • How compatible is the platform you will be developing with other developmental mediums?
  • What are the true costs associated with maintenance, upgrades, new designs, etc?
  • Are the mediums that you want geared towards your personal or business goals and/or target markets?
  • How do you get questions answered (i.e. are there charges for tech support and if so are they hourly, weekly, or monthly fees?) 
  • Will the chosen mediums increase your Google search rankings and if so how will this be measured? 

As with any service offering there are a lot of questions that go into deciding what service you may ultimately decide on but if not asked prior more times than not you may find yourself using people, systems, or companies that are not part of your long-term goals. Albeit, many time we as consumers make purchasing decisions based on emotion, if you take the emotions out and ask yourself  a few simple questions, in the long-run you will be glad you did even if it turned out to be the wrong decision. The thing to remember is consider a person or businesses experience, credentials, education, and take the extra time needed to look under the hood before making any irrational purchase decision, as we are sure you will be glad that you did. Obviously, the questions stated are only a start, so if we can help you or your company come up with answers that you may have in regards to one of our consulting segments please do not hesitate to reach out or contact us via Phone, Email, Social Media, or connect with David Dandaneaudirectly. After all and as our motto goes, we help you manage your life and business, so you don’t have to manage your processes!

David Dandaneau is a Consultant at [SevenTimesSeven]. He specializes in helping business owners “manage their business and not their processes!” For more connect with him via Twitter @ddandaneau or any of the other social platforms you may find him on.


Seven Times Seven- Tip of the Week! Make Sure YOU Make Time for Online & Social Media Activities!

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It seems like each and every day we continue to preach about the importance of social media in our own practice and those we serve, as this is a great way to market services for little to no money! So, remember that you also need to remain dedicated, while investing your time wisely to reap any type of reward(s)… don’t think you can set your networks on auto-pilot and walk away because this could be no further from the truth. Research, engage, and listen to your audience regularly, while being consistent in your interactions to achieve greater success. Remember the more time you allot or the more you do online or with social media, the more likely people will be to trust your opinions and purchase or recommend you or your products or services to others. Perhaps, the old adage and our motto that everyone accomplishes more together should be what you or your company applies directly, so you and/or your online campaign will turn into a real success story. This is the first of our weekly tips for success and long-term growth that we will continue to provide. Please let us know what you think or how we can help and until next week… Keep Smiling

Is Social Media & Curation the New Searches? Yes, Here is WHY!

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This piece is an expansion of an article written by Matthew Ingram on Gigaom
“With new changes that offer personalized search results — most of which are being taken from its own Google+ social network — Google has just made social connections and links the new search-engine optimization strategy”
This is a good analysis presented to readers by Mathew Ingram where he describes how Google recently changed their search results to include their new social networking site Google+. The impacts this change may have on the media industry and in particular “social media,” is great, as Google loves to throw their weight around now that they are trying their luck at the social side of things.
For all of you out there who are not at all familiar with the new changes, Mr Ingram does a great job at explaining them and here is another article that describes even further how Google has and/or is changing Google+ into an essential social network for any search marketer.
To expand upon Mathew’s point… the time where Media Specialists could use tools such as Twitter like RSS feeds is over and now people and companies must engage their audiences through +1’s, comments, likes, or curation. 
Let’s face it, social media companies along Google will continue to innovate, so we all have a better chance of finding others or being found. It is not the innovation’s themselves that matter, rather how we work together as a whole to achieve more. 

Selected by Seven Times Seven covering “Consulting Advice for Small Business Owners”

Curated by David Dandaneau
Read full article here: Media memo: Google just upped the ante on being social

David Dandaneau is a Consultant at [SevenTimesSeven]. He specializes in helping business owners “manage their business and not their processes!” For more connect with him via Twitter @ddandaneau or any of the other social platforms you may find him on.