February
2010
In this issue
►Welcome
►Online
Networking
►Smile
- You're on the Phone
►Managers
Beware
►Meet
the Team
►Quote
& Cartoon
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Welcome
It's a busy month
ahead for Amnet as we ramp up our Social Media Marketing
program. Join us at 8:30am on Wednesday, February 24th at
the Antlers Hilton for a B2B Facebook class- RSVP to
webmaster@amnet.net
please. This is a continuation of our Social Media classes
which started with an overview of Twitter, and will cover
Linked In next. If computer networking isn't your cup
of tea, then join us for some social networking on Thursday,
February 25th starting at 4pm with the Peak Venture Group's
Pink & Red Party. Interested?
Learn more and
RSVP--we'll see you there!
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Business value of Social
Media part 1: online networking
reprinted with permission
from the HP Small Business Center
 If you could
connect to the world's business professionals, in the time
it takes to check your email, wouldn't you? Welcome to the
world of online networking, where valuable business
connections are made every day on social and professional
networking sites like Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin.
Social and
professional networking simply refers to the interaction
between a community of people who share a common interest.
Through these personal connections you make with an
otherwise impersonal medium, you can give your business a
personality, build brand awareness, and equally importantly,
tune in to what people are saying about you.
The ability to
create your own online networks through sites like Ning, has
made it difficult to distinguish which online communities
will help you reach your business goals. We did the leg work
for you, by exploring the difference between social and
professional networking and the business value of both,
analyzing which sites work best, and providing tips to help
you make the most of the free networking resources that
already exist.
Social or
Professional: What's the difference? |
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Smile - You're on the Phone
Used with permission of Joel H. Weldon &
Associates, Inc.
http://www.SuccessComesInCans.com
 Forget the
research evidence, the dozens of pages of documentation and
the years of prodding by communications consultants. Do your
own survey right now. Pick up your telephone and call ten
companies or businesses in your area that provide some sort
of customer service, such as banks, brokerage firms,
business equipment or insurance companies. Ask to speak to
a manager. If you get through, explain that you called to
evaluate their telephone techniques. Then give the manager a
brief report, hang up, and record your findings.
Chances are your
research will prove that the most common errors you
encounter in telephone answering are among the dirty
dozen. Here they are:
1.
Letting the phone ring too long.
2. Not identifying the company name or department.
3. Inability to transfer calls properly.
4. Disconnecting calls.
5. Asking the caller to repeat requests more than
once.
6. Leaving the line without an explanation.
Read more |
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Managers Beware - Your
Employees Are Watching you
by Debra J. Schmidt
used with permission
 Is walking the
talk a tired old cliché or a bold new concept? Very few
managers today are receiving formal management training. As
a result, many are poor communicators and weak in their
delegation and leadership skills.
According to a
Gallup poll, 25% of U.S. employees would fire their bosses
if they could. Why? Because many managers set high service
standards for their employees, yet fail to abide by those
same standards.
If you are a
manager, you are in an excellent position to lead by
example. Your employees will only respect your authority if
they observe your excellent customer service skills on a
daily basis. Customer loyalty must be a top-down initiative.
Here are five ways
you can earn greater respect and increase employee loyalty:
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