Social Media and Devastation make IMPACT!


 

"We’re Calgarians. We’re going to make it work.  The show will go on."

Calgary Mayor Nenshi
@MayorNenshi

 


It is hard to believe that just two short weeks ago, my family and the entire nation were glued to the tube watching our wonderful city in a state of emergency, evacuation and devastation while #ABFloods took over social media.  Unbelievable, likely.  I was texting my best friend continuously after her and her family had to be evacuated from their home for 5 days and camped at Canada Olympic Park in their tent trailer which was reserved for memorable family summer vacations.  Memorable, certainly.
 
 

 
In the midst of downtown and many other areas in the city’s power shut down, a hero was emerging from a political figure who was not a first before – Mayor Nenshi, 41-- a first-term mayor who gained national attention when his civic  campaign was orchestrated heavily by social media to beat the perceived front-runners and international acclaim when he became the first Muslim leader of a major Canadian city.

Superman status was solidified for Nenshi who worked tirelessly for 43 hours straight as the Bow and Elbow rivers that run through Calgary surged over their banks and swamped the downtown and low-lying neighbourhoods – damaging the homes and livelihoods of thousands of his citizens.  Add to that:  cheerleader, director, benevolent scolder:   “Help your neighbours,”  he exhorted, “be it with a shovel or a ride. Hug your emergency providers”

Nenshi communicated with his citizens and championed his team of firemen, police and volunteers by tweeting, imploring, directing, assisting, cheering on and cheering up residents who saw homes ruined and possessions literally float away.  Community spirit, definitely.  Recovery, eventually.

How befitting that the 101st Calgary Stampede’s Parade marshal after such devastation, a symbol for Canadian pride, would be Chris Hadfield.  Hatfield was the first Canadian astronaut to live aboard the International Space Station.  Born August 29, 1959, in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, Hadfield enthralled novice space enthusiasts with his Twitter feed, offering insight into his life aboard the station while also taking and sharing stunning images of the universe around him.  He inspired youngsters around the world to be curious, think about science and dream big.  Canadians and Calgarians especially were thrilled that the official invite would be navigated through Twitter:

@Cmdr_Hadfield Parade Marshall, Stampede 2013
@calgarystampede : Hey @Cmdr_Hadfield, that’s a great looking pic of Calgary you took in April, but we think Calgary’s at its best in July. #Stampede101

Chris Hadfield        ✔ @Cmdr_Hadfield .@calgarystampede Calgary in July sounds lovely! Anything worth coming to see that time of year? #Stampede101

 Calgary Stampede @calgarystampede  Well @Cmdr_Hadfield you will just have to come visit to find out. What do you think about sitting in a horse saddle at full gravity?
Chris Hadfield        ✔ @Cmdr_Hadfield  @calgarystampede Space suit, white hat, cowboy boots – I’ll be ready to ride anything that stays below 8km a second.
Calgary Stampede @calgarystampede  Yahoo! @Cmdr_Hadfield we’d love you to be parade commander at The Greatest Outdoor Show On EARTH!
Chris Hadfield        ✔ @Cmdr_Hadfield  @calgarystampede I would be THRILLED to be the Stampede Parade Marshall! A great reason to come back to Earth!
 
Chris Hadfield’s celebrity took another leap shortly before returning to Earth, when, with the help of his web-savvy son, Evan, Hadfield performed and produced a music-video tribute to David Bowie's "Space Oddity" aboard the Space Station. The video http://youtu.be/KaOC9danxNo was posted on YouTube, garnering more than 7 million views within just a few days.

 
"When a person of Shatner’s stature puts the time in to learn and live social media, his opinions there matter."
Forbes

Not to be outdone, another well-known Canadian and famous space captain edged into the action.  William Shatner, 82,  born March 22, 1931 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T. Kirk, captain of the USS Enterprise, in the science fiction television series, Star Trek, from 1966 to 1969 and in seven of the subsequent Star Trek feature films from 1979 to 1994.



 
@WilliamShatner

 William Shatner@WilliamShatner: @Cmdr_Hadfield Are you tweeting from space?
Chris Hadfield@Cmdr_Hadfield to @WilliamShatner Yes, Standard Orbit, Captain. And we're detecting signs of life on the surface.

Naysayers on Social Media aside, the importance of Social Media, has an important role in informing, teaching, engaging, and sharing  …. from earth and beyond.

Yes, the show did go on for the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth!



@CalgaryStampede

A hero or a Cowboy or maybe Superman?  Nah .... simply a mayor with a huge heart who lead a city with civic pride.

Come Hell or High Water … The Greatest Show on Earth did go on!
 
In order to aid in the relief efforts to our fellow Albertans, proceeds from each “Hell or High Water” t-shirt sold will be donated to the Canadian Red Cross Alberta Floods Fund, which is actively providing relief to flood victims.  Available at http://store.calgarystampede.com/products/hell-or-high-water #ABFloods #YYC #Calgary
 
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THREE TRAITS THAT TREND TO THE TOP


“There is no short cut to achievement.  Life requires thorough preparation…”
George Washington Carver

 
There are a lot of training programs out there that fill gaps in training techniques. However, I would say that the most successful sales professionals have inbred characteristics and habits that consistently get results from forming successful behaviours.  The following three are recommended to create maximum results:


 

1)  START AT THE TOP: Top achievers want to know who the decision maker is and start from there. Far too many reps have a comfort zone on hanging out with admin or middle managers – the folks that ask so many questions, stray reps think they are getting somewhere, when all they are doing is answering questions, researching to answer those questions, asking their boss how to find the answer. In other words, wasting everyone's time.  Speaking of wasting time, those that venture to the top typically have a compelling business issue they see that needs solving or a trend that would impact that prospect’s bottom line, attract investors, create matters outside their control.  One of the best question tip I was given was to ask “what keeps you awake at night?” to this VIP (very important person).  You should have lots of credible testimonials and examples of how you have solved similar problems with other clients (without divulging who or confidential specifics) by percentages or dollars on how it helped them that will trigger attention by the top decision maker.  After all, he or she is too busy to give you the time of day because they are swamped with these matters … alas, comes along someone who has ideas that may work to solve it!


                    “NEVER mistake activity for achievement"
                                                                                                        John Wooden


2)  ASK GREAT QUESTIONS:  Easier said than done.  The most competent sales professionals have developed the skill to ask great questions.  Guidance from responses from business issues surfacing uncovers real needs or opportunities. Great questions even helps those stuck in the middle to have themselves elevated to a higher decision maker if crafted artfully.   You may just want to know when a decision is being made, how it is being made, and by whom. At the very least, good questioning skills allows the rep permission to accept the fact that they may be spinning wheels and move on to greener pastures (more opportunities).  They can help create red flags that point to avoiding this prospect for now or forever.  They also notify when the occasion may be better in the future and provide a roadmap on how best to keep in touch for when that happens (articles, etc.)


3)  FINISH HOMEWORK: Research, research, research. These savvy pros know how to uncover information from Press Releases, Annual Reports, Business Periodicals and newspapers that allows them to have “business to business” discussions. If you want to look, think and act like you are more about solving needs or problems based on expertise, there are no short cuts. Here are some areas you can look at that should help understand a prospect betther:


         i.    Industry trends

         ii.   Governing regulations

         iii.  Who their customers are

         iv.  What the media is saying

         v.   Financial picture




Bare minimum, before a rep approaches a prospect, whether it be the decision maker or administrator (by phone, scheduled meeting), they should have a strong understanding of the company, its competitors, customers, industry, governing regulations before taking that first step.


 “Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement and success have no meaning.”
Benjamin Franklin
 
 

The Say it, Share it, Do it BUSINESS PLAN


I was recently asked what CRM system I would recommend for motivating and holding sales accountable.  My answer is simple.  Sometimes you have to revert to tried and true methodologies that have worked for years and there is nothing slick about it.   It is called a Business Plan.
1.  I recommend a business plan tailored to what you are asking for. There are zillions of BP templates out there...... however, give your team breadth to be innovative.




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