With Jonathan Christian

So glad to be back after a brief summer recess. One of the highlights of my summer is to attend the two day Leadership Summit hosted at Willow Creek in Chicago (http://www.willowcreek.com/events/leadership/2010/). It’s happening later this week by simulcast across 50 countries to 120,000 leaders (now that’s media!).  During a summit a couple of years back I had the privilege of watching Carly Fiorina (former CEO of Hewlett-Packard) being interviewed, and today I want to tell you part of her story.

What? Barak Obama proved that you can use social media to win elections (why not customers?). And now it’s Carly’s turn. While she is best known as the former Chair and Chief Executive Officer at HP, what is not as well known is that Carly worked her way through undergraduate and graduate school. A self-made woman, she started her business career as a secretary and went on to become the first, and to date, the only woman to lead a Fortune 20 company.

Carly served as the Chair and CEO of HP from 1999 to 2005, leading the reinvention of the legendary company, successfully steering it through the dot-com bust and the worst technology recession in 25 years. During her tenure, HP’s revenues doubled, from $44 billion to $88 billion, with improved profitability in every product category. Today, HP is the largest technology company in the world.

How? Today Carly is on another path to victory as she runs for a seat in the US Senate. And she’s doing it using social media like an absolute pro. Her website is well worth a view (http://carlyforca.com/). Her Facebook is always current and relevant. Her blog is brilliant. Her tweets are to the point and her Youtube videos are a real call to action. She’s even using Flickr to showcase all of her photo opportunities. In fact, I have never seen a better example of using social media to leverage a campaign – either in politics or business.

Why? Whether its politics or business (is there a difference?) the same principals apply:

1. Know your audience
2. Stay current
3. Be relevant
4. Create momentum I have no doubt that she’ll win. Her stats (that we can easily follow) show her neck and neck and edging forward – with four months to go before polling.

Tipzntricks: We need to watch and learn from examples like this one. Like advertising in business, traditional political campaigns cost a fortune – but social media is almost free. So, like the politicians, we now have a choice: Invest time and effort in social media – or stay in the dark ages and let our competitors own the stage.

Special note: Come and learn more at our f*re-e social media Meetup gathering this coming Saturday in Langley, BC. (http://www.meetup.com/The-Marketing-Dangerously-Social-Media-Challenge/), and hear what Neil and I have learned in our first 45 days of the social media challenge — and how you can expand your use of social media to build your business. Oh, and here’s a new phrase for you: MIMO (miss it – miss out!)

Special request: Would you please let your business friends know about the Challenge – and about Saturday’s Meetup?

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Next Social Media Challenge Meetup gathering: This Saturday in Langley, BC

This is your invitation to attend our next Social Media Meetup Gathering.

Special Note: This Meetup marks the half-way point in our 90-Day “Marketing Dangerously Social Media Challenge”

What: Our live Meetup gatherings are all designed to answer this question: “How can you use social media to build your business?”
Why: Because we’ve all got to learn this brand new language – if we want to grow our sales without spending money on old fashioned advertising.
When: Saturday, August 7, 2010.
Where: The Hampton Hotel, Langley Bypass (West of 200 Street, on the south side).
Time: 10:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (But you’re invited to come at 9 a.m. for a f*re-e additional presentation by image makeover expert Debbie Reynolds).
Speaker: Neil Godin, Author of ‘Selling in the (Comfort) Zone,’ and Publisher of Marketing Dangerously.
Registration fee: No charge.
Note: We are challenging you to help us double attendance at this month’s Meetup. Please read all the details below.
Door prizes: Join the fun and participate in door prizes worth over $1000

About your speaker:

Neil Godin (a.k.a. The Turnaround Guy ^Ò ) is publisher of “Marketing Dangerously,” the marketing and sales coaching and “idea” service for business builders, and author of “Selling in the (Comfort) Zone” (available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other outlets). As a speaker Neil has presented to more than 300,000 business people from coast to coast in Canada and the United States. While his client list includes majors like Shell, Ford, The Royal Bank, Telus, Dun & Bradstreet, Subway and McDonalds, Neil works mainly with independent  businesses, and specializes in turnaround marketing work with small to mid-size companies in crisis. In these turnaround cases, sales always have to be doubled or tripled — immediately — and at minimal cost — and in his presentations, Neil shares ideas from his turnaround work that can help any company – in any condition – to ramp up their sales – now!

In this special presentation, Neil will share what he and colleague Jonathan Christian have learned (so far) about using social media to drive business – and how you can use social media marketing to build your business as well.

Key point: Like the internet itself, social media is here to stay – and – you’re missing a huge opportunity if you stay on the sidelines. Why not RSVP right now at  http://www.meetup.com/The-Marketing-Dangerously-Social-Media-Challenge/and we’ll see you on August 7.

Announcing a brand new partnership: “The Vancouver Business Builders Forum”

Starting with this Meetup gathering on Saturday, August 7, Marketing Dangerously is joining forces with three powerful business coaches – Shane Morgan, Steve Keough (aka “Coach Steve”), and Debbie Reynolds – to form The Vancouver Business Builders Forum. For now, the group will continue to meet once a month in Langley (Metro Vancouver), BC.  This month the forum will feature Debbie Reynolds at 9:30 a.m. followed by the Marketing Dangerously Social Media Challenge Meetup at 11 a.m., with Neil Godin. Important note: Registration opens at 9 a.m. and you are invited to attend the entire morning event “at no charge.” And we encourage you to invite your business friends to attend at no charge as well.

Here’s our August 7 Social Media Challenge to “you”

We have had a consistent turnout of about 40+ people at each monthly Meetup Gathering. This month, we want to double that number to 80+ – even though we’re competing with beautiful weather on a summer weekend. Can we do it? Yes, but only with your help. Here’s what we’re asking you to do:

1. Forward this email to every business colleague in your address book. (Your friends will thank you for alerting them to this totally f*re-e business building opportunity.)
2. Post messages on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn (etc.), letting people in your network know about our event.
3. Personally ask at least one business colleague to attend the Meetup event with you (why not two?)
4. RSVP for the event – why not do it now? – at http://www.meetup.com/The-Marketing-Dangerously-Social-Media-Challenge/

Thank you!

Neil, Jonathan and the Marketing Dangerously Tribe.