Today’s list is below – give these folks a follow and let me know who you think I should get to know as well.

Dan Harris @8101- Harris  Dan is a natural connector.  He’s the man behind TasteCasting.The service combines socially networked people and social media platforms to bring exposure and publicity to restaurants.  He’s also pitched in to plan and organize local tweetups in central Ohio.  And then there’s his full time gig at Neustar.   Dan is a great resource – he’s likely to be promoting the efforts of others and always has something interesting to say.

Sandy Jenny @OrganizerSandy- Sandy is a true social media expert.  She’s has several blogs of her own, guest posts for many others has been interviewed on Oprah radio to just name a few things she’s got going on.   She is an organizer (naturally) and is the mom/step mom to 8 children!  She’s just an amazing woman to know and follow and you’ll be glad you did. 

Yvette Alexander Slate @YvetteAlexSlate -  Yvette is a business coach, mom, advocate, speaker and a genuinely nice person.  She’s so authentic online you can’t help but feel she’s a friend from the start.  She inspires me with her energy and thoughtful info she shares on twitter. 

Enjoy yhour weekend, stay cool and let me know who you think I should follow!

I mentioned in another post that I’m in an exercise class that’s “boot-camp” style.  The goal is to really push yourself physically, and see results quickly.  It’s also meant to be diverse and mix things up so you are always working different muscles, balance, flexibility and core strength all at once.  

  It’s hard.  But I love it. 

  The best part is that I just show up.  Yes, once I’m there I do the work – but I don’t have to plan it, or figure it out or keep track of upper body/lower body/strength training/cardio… you get the idea.  Someone else does.  They provide the plan of action and I execute – as best I can. 

   I’ve decided to put my sales training modules into a concentrated “Back to Business Boot Camp” that will start in a few weeks.  Let me know if you’d like info.  I’m excited to put everything together and I know you’ll love the step by step instructions that you can implement for your own quick results.

 I’ve been thinking about former friends and co-workers today.   I’ve also been thinking about how everyday kind of things can end up making an impact that isn’t always expected.  Some of the lessons I learned were like that.    There’s a long, long story about my mentors that I want to write someday, but for today – here are a few things that I learned that have served me well and help me all the time.

Do It Yourself  – Or at least be willing to.  One of the owners of a company I worked for taught me this.  He was a self-made man who worked harder than anyone I knew.  He taught me how to do many things by showing me how he did it himself. 

Take Responsibility Alone – Share the Credit -  This was something I saw another owner do many times.  A big deal was lost?  He stood up and said, “My bad – I didn’t position us correctly, but we’ll learn from it and win the next one.”  A big deal landed?  “Everyone was helpful and deserved part of the credit”.   Selling is competitive and somewhat individual, but if you are a sales leader – this must be part of your leadership method.

Work Hard and Have Fun – They don’t have to be exclusive.  People who are passionate about thier work don’t always understand that a break here and there will help you and your staff blow off some steam and come back recharged.  Don’t be afraid to step back and have a good time.

Learning Never Ends – Again, in my early sales career, the owners of the company knew that regular training was critical to the success and development of the sales staff.  They encouraged it and led by example by regularly attending training and development seminars themselves. 

There are other lessons I learned along the way as well but these simple concepts have helped me to succeed.  Sometimes the most basic rules can be the foundation for guiding you through your decisions. 

What basic lessons do you refer to? 
How did you learn them?
Do you teach them at your company?

 This isn’t about the USPS.  It’s about the message.  It’s direct.  To the point. No doubt about what you are supposed to do. Clarity is good.  While waiting for my turn, behind the sign as requested, I started thinking why can’t websites be this clear?  You know what I mean.  You’ve seen the sites with lengthy copy that really doesn’t tell you much.  Or a site with cool graphics and music with no real content.
And then there is the contact me, contact us, stuff.  What is up with the obscurity here?  Don’t you want people to contact you?  Isn’t a ringing phone and full in box the whole idea?  Every page should have your name, phone number, email address, twitter link, Facebook link; the whole package.  
And while you’re updating things give me a reason to contact you.  In the sales and marketing industry, it’s aptly named a call to action.  Sums it up nicely don’t you think?  Tell me what you want me to do.  Somehow, for some reason I am on your website, so let me know what to do next! 

Here are a few suggestions to get you started: 

Bloggers – ask questions if you want me to comment.  Actively seek input and continue the conversation.    

Shopping Site – pretty obvious here, but make it easy for me to browse and put things in a shopping cart.  Don’t ask me to register, fill out a profile form or give you my credit card info until I’m ready to buy.  But DO encourage me to check out the cool stuff you offer and make it as easy as you can to search for items. 

Services/Consulting Sites – Give me an easy way to opt in for info.  It’s great to offer free stuff – remind me on every page how nice you are to give things away and make it easy to get.  Tell me how I can reach you.  If I can’t find a phone number or an email address to reach out with questions I’m certainly not going to fill out a detailed profile so you can send me a formal quote.

   Look at your site with a critical eye.  If you can’t be objective, ask a friend or trusted business associate to do it for you.  I’d be happy to check it out and provide some feedback.  You can reach me here:

Email me at pnichols@soundadvicesales.com

Call me at 614 726 3126

What other tips do you have?  Any pet peeves when navigating web sites?  Want to share a site that does things really well?