For most of us the New Year usually means resolutions. These promises can take the form of going to the gym or shedding some pounds added during the holidays. Or we can look at how we manage our business and try to discover new ways to improve. Cutting costs and increasing sales are likely at the top of everyone’s list. So we may go to Google, Twitter, LinkedIn, Salesforce or your favorite blog and try to find a new insight or perspective. If you are like most of us we are determined to identify that magic formula or bullet. We insist on quick fixes. Some work, most do not. So what’s the answer? The answer is really quite simple and you likely know the answer- at least part of the answer.
Begin by looking at how you currently manage your business. Our strengths and weaknesses must be inventoried. Make a list with two columns. I know this sounds old fashioned but some things cannot be cured by technology alone. This process is called a business or needs analysis. You and your team can begin this systematic evaluation or you can engage a consultant for a fresh perspective. This is the most important aspect to any improvement initiative. Simply, we must know where we are if we are to implement sustainable change. Look for one of our next posts discussing alignment with technology and long term adoption. Happy New Year!
Drupal is a leading open source content management system (CMS). It is being implemented by a growing number of businesses and organizations as the platform of choice. Benefits include powerful architecture that enables improved search indexing by Google, Bing, and Yahoo as well as modular add-ons for extended functionality. Drupal is also amazingly stable and fast.
Check out the Beta New York Public Library site built on Drupal. The site is elegant and functional with exceptional workflows. What do you think?
Many think that IF they are on Twitter or some other Social Network sites, all is well. Well maybe. We must get beyond the hype of the respective brands and not just place the icons on our home page like a fashion accessory. Social Media is a communication channel. Market segmentation and targeting can be effectively implemented if we just use common business sense. We must speak directly to our audience. This means that our message should match the interests of our followers. Salesforce.com does an excellent job segmenting and targeting.
Imagine the same strategy for Toyota having a Prius, Camry, Corolla, Service, Parts, Future Cars Channels… Messages match the interest and we are speaking more directly and more one to one. Traditional business rules don’t get lost with Social Commerce they get amplified.
Google just released in preview, Wave, to 100,000 users. What is Wave? Wave is a new collaboration tool. It allows for live sharing via voice, text, photos, videos and maps. Features include real-time editing as the discussion evolves. Google itself does not know where this new technology is going and how it will evolve. What we do know is that it is open source so that many apps can be built on the platform.
Here is a customer service and support piece from salesforce.com:
In the salesforce.com example the integration allows for automated help via a robot then live support from a customer service rep (CSR). Client specific profile information is shared in real-time.
Beyond customer service, one can easily imagine, Google Wave connecting with Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Skype users with a single logon. This has tremendous implications for cross platform collaboration and uninterrupted productivity. Share without leaving your space.
Drupal is an open source content management system (CMS) focused on dynamic web services. With Drupal you free yourself from paying for proprietary software. Businesses can lower costs dramatically compared to proprietary systems. Engage customers and build your brand. What you get is a platform that is ideal for social publishing, search engine optimization, and lead acquisition. With Drupal, businesses can quickly have their content found and published in a collaborative environment. Share information on forums and blogs, connected with Drupal. Having a truly interactive site brings people back to share ideas and experiences thereby building long term relationships and sales. Lead acquisition is integrated with salesforce.com. See our featured site http://www.signaturebuildingsystems.com
Begin by looking at how you currently manage your business. Our strengths and weaknesses must be inventoried. Make a list with two columns. I know this sounds old fashioned but some things cannot be cured by technology alone. This process is called a business or needs analysis. You and your team can begin this systematic evaluation or you can engage a consultant for a fresh perspective. This is the most important aspect to any improvement initiative. Simply, we must know where we are if we are to implement sustainable change. Look for one of our next posts discussing alignment with technology and long term adoption. Happy New Year!
