“CloserQ, I am a direct sales guy and I keep hearing about web2.0, what is it and how I can use it?” Marc D.
Marc, good question and I will start with my definition. I like simple answers before going into the details, my definition: “Web 2.0 is interaction and having a voice.” Web2.0 is the evolution from reading content on the web to transacting on the web to interacting/voice (Web2.0) on the web. The heart of Web2.0 is social networking (blogs, videos, groups, surveys, forums, listservs, rss, etc.). At the bottom is Wikipedia’s definition.
Now onto the more important question, how can you use Web2.0 to increase your sales? There are two options, yourself and your organization. I will start with organizations. Many folks think of social networking as a B2C opportunity but social networking is a great opportunity for B2B. I am going to focus on B2B opps. Blogs: Have your CEO, VP of Development, Senior Leaders, Industry experts, write a blog. At my company one of our sr. vps writes an industry blog and I am encouraging an associate who knows our product inside and out to write a tips and tricks blog. Note, bloggers need to make a commitment to update their blogs on a regular basis (I personally update my blog every Wednesday). Videos are a great way to show your solutions on the web. I personally like commoncraft, In addition to your website, post your B2B videos on ,yes, youtube. Then you can send your prospects and clients your links on youtube. Surveys: You can setup surveys and polls on your website. Have your clients do ratings and reviews of your products. Lastly, you can set up a traditional social network for you clients. If your senior leadership thinks social networking is for teenagers, I recommend the term ‘Enterprise Collaboration’. Your company has multiple options for creating their social network: build their own; buy a white label socnet; or go with a free one ex. Ning. The social network (Enterprise Collaboration) can be secure (only for clients), open (clients, prospects, partners, competitors, etc.) or a combination of the two.
For yourself, in your question you stated you are a direct sales guy, so I am going to assume you can influence your company on social networking but that you are not a decision maker. There are many ways you can use Web2.0. You can start your own industry blog. There are hundreds of free blog services, I uses google’s blogspot. Join a professional social network, I recommend joining linkedin. With linkedin you can find networked colleagues and leverage their contacts. Depending on your industry and clients, you could setup a group of clients to share information. I have used google groups.
My last comment is 2.0. Web2.0 has gotten a lot press, so the latest marketing trend is to add 2.0 to your offering: Web2.0, Business2.0, Detroit2.0, Library2.0, etc. As with any hype (hype2.0), you need to look under the covers to see what is real and what is just ole hype. A lot of companies are redesigning their website and calling it web2.0 with no additional interactivitiy.
Web 2.0 Definition from Wikipedia: Web 2.0 is a term describing the trend in the use of World Wide Web technology and web design that aims to enhance creativity, information sharing, and, most notably, collaboration among users. These concepts have led to the development and evolution of web-based communities and hosted services, such as social-networking sites, wikis, blogs, and folksonomies. The term became notable after the first O'Reilly Media Web 2.0 conference in 2004.[2] [3] Although the term suggests a new version of the World Wide Web, it does not refer to an update to any technical specifications, but to changes in the ways software developers and end-users use the Web. According to Tim O'Reilly: “Web 2.0 is the business revolution in the computer industry caused by the move to the Internet as platform, and an attempt to understand the rules for success on that new platform.[4]” Some technology experts, notably Tim Berners-Lee, have questioned whether one can use the term in a meaningful way, since many of the technology components of "Web 2.0" have existed since the early days of the Web.[5][6]
Good Web2.0ing and let us know how it goes! Reader Feedback, please click the comments below to give Marc additional information on 'Web2.0’ and I want your feedback on my response. Shaun P aka CloserQ
Marc, good question and I will start with my definition. I like simple answers before going into the details, my definition: “Web 2.0 is interaction and having a voice.” Web2.0 is the evolution from reading content on the web to transacting on the web to interacting/voice (Web2.0) on the web. The heart of Web2.0 is social networking (blogs, videos, groups, surveys, forums, listservs, rss, etc.). At the bottom is Wikipedia’s definition.
Now onto the more important question, how can you use Web2.0 to increase your sales? There are two options, yourself and your organization. I will start with organizations. Many folks think of social networking as a B2C opportunity but social networking is a great opportunity for B2B. I am going to focus on B2B opps. Blogs: Have your CEO, VP of Development, Senior Leaders, Industry experts, write a blog. At my company one of our sr. vps writes an industry blog and I am encouraging an associate who knows our product inside and out to write a tips and tricks blog. Note, bloggers need to make a commitment to update their blogs on a regular basis (I personally update my blog every Wednesday). Videos are a great way to show your solutions on the web. I personally like commoncraft, In addition to your website, post your B2B videos on ,yes, youtube. Then you can send your prospects and clients your links on youtube. Surveys: You can setup surveys and polls on your website. Have your clients do ratings and reviews of your products. Lastly, you can set up a traditional social network for you clients. If your senior leadership thinks social networking is for teenagers, I recommend the term ‘Enterprise Collaboration’. Your company has multiple options for creating their social network: build their own; buy a white label socnet; or go with a free one ex. Ning. The social network (Enterprise Collaboration) can be secure (only for clients), open (clients, prospects, partners, competitors, etc.) or a combination of the two.
For yourself, in your question you stated you are a direct sales guy, so I am going to assume you can influence your company on social networking but that you are not a decision maker. There are many ways you can use Web2.0. You can start your own industry blog. There are hundreds of free blog services, I uses google’s blogspot. Join a professional social network, I recommend joining linkedin. With linkedin you can find networked colleagues and leverage their contacts. Depending on your industry and clients, you could setup a group of clients to share information. I have used google groups.
My last comment is 2.0. Web2.0 has gotten a lot press, so the latest marketing trend is to add 2.0 to your offering: Web2.0, Business2.0, Detroit2.0, Library2.0, etc. As with any hype (hype2.0), you need to look under the covers to see what is real and what is just ole hype. A lot of companies are redesigning their website and calling it web2.0 with no additional interactivitiy.
Web 2.0 Definition from Wikipedia: Web 2.0 is a term describing the trend in the use of World Wide Web technology and web design that aims to enhance creativity, information sharing, and, most notably, collaboration among users. These concepts have led to the development and evolution of web-based communities and hosted services, such as social-networking sites, wikis, blogs, and folksonomies. The term became notable after the first O'Reilly Media Web 2.0 conference in 2004.[2] [3] Although the term suggests a new version of the World Wide Web, it does not refer to an update to any technical specifications, but to changes in the ways software developers and end-users use the Web. According to Tim O'Reilly: “Web 2.0 is the business revolution in the computer industry caused by the move to the Internet as platform, and an attempt to understand the rules for success on that new platform.[4]” Some technology experts, notably Tim Berners-Lee, have questioned whether one can use the term in a meaningful way, since many of the technology components of "Web 2.0" have existed since the early days of the Web.[5][6]
Good Web2.0ing and let us know how it goes! Reader Feedback, please click the comments below to give Marc additional information on 'Web2.0’ and I want your feedback on my response. Shaun P aka CloserQ
Comments
I like the response. For this person and her situation I would heavily use LinkedIn and any networking possible to hire quickly. In addition, employee referral networks work well too as you mentioned. There is a company in Cambridge, MA, H3 (www.H3.com) that specializes in internal and external referral networking and has a unique technology that enables the process. Check it out.
Moreover, I understand her stance on the general boards like Monster and Career Builder, but I agree with you that she should not discount them as they do offer screening technology to get to the right candidates quicker via postings and resume search. Craigslist would also be a great source and in most cases it's free.
You talked about industry trade shows which are good. I would direct her to industry blogs, industry periodicals/websites and local industry groups to network and advertise with too.
Lastly, money is always an issue but think of the opportunity cost/lost sales days of not having sales people. For this, I would use recruiters from multiple agencies on a contingency basis. It can prove to be a quick solution. It doesn't cost anything unless they make a hire.
Ryan