Michael Reynolds
Marketing/Technology/Productivity Speaker, ROWE Facilitator, and President/CEO of SpinWeb
Don’t Throw Your Business Card
In: Marketing
1 Jul 2009I had a meeting with someone today and was turned off by a behavior that I sometimes see from people as they are networking. We had chatted for a few minutes and the conversation was progressing normally. When we got to the part where we exchange business cards, he pulled out his card and casually tossed it across the table to me. It was very dismissive and it gave me an unfavorable impression of him and his business. I thought to myself, “wow… he doesn’t think much of his business.”
In Japan, where improper business card etiquette can kill a business deal, they show respect for the process of exchanging business cards and take great care to give this ceremony the attention is deserves. I often wish we were quicker to show that kind of respect in this country.
Whether you think about it or not, how you treat your business card says a lot to other people. Your business card is part of your brand. At the same time, similar respect should be shown to the other person’s business card.
Take a cue from the Japanese and think about this next time you exchange business cards. How you treat it reflects how you represent your business. Don’t throw it.
The Best Sushi in Indianapolis
In: Lifestyle
29 Jun 2009I thought I would take a break today from the business world and write about one of my passions in life: sushi! I love sushi. I could eat it just about every day. And lucky for me, Indianapolis is full of great sushi restaurants. I frequently get asked what my favorites are, and I don’t really have one favorite that stands out above all others, but I can certainly comment on the ones I really prefer. Here is my list of favorites.
Naked Tchopstix
North Side / Broad Ripple
http://www.tchopstix.com/
This is at the top of my list. Both the Broad Ripple and North side locations are outstanding. The atmosphere is classy and the sushi is always excellent. The Broad Ripple location gets very crowded on the weekends so be warned if it’s a Friday or Saturday night. They also have a great mango fizz and a variety of ice cream flavors. My favorite roll here is the sunset roll.
Miyagi’s
North Side
http://indymiyagi.com/
This is one of Indy’s newer sushi places and has a very classy atmosphere. Miyagi’s seems to specialize in the artistic presentation of sushi. Great service, although a little pricier than some. My favorite roll here is the Special Saporro roll – it is freaking awesome.
Benihana
North Side
http://www.benihana.com/locations/indianapolis-in-in
I was surprised when I discovered that the Benihana in Indianapolis serves excellent sushi! It is recently remodeled and has a great atmosphere. The prices are pretty average and the service is good. They also have a nice assortment of smoothies for those (like me) who like that sort of thing. My favorite roll here is the Alaskan Roll.
Kona Grill
Carmel
http://www.konagrill.com/
I would vote this as Carmel’s best sushi. Not only is the atmosphere very classy and comfortable, but the sushi is outstanding. The outdoor seating is also very nice and it seats plenty. The prices are a little high but it’s worth it. I don’t have a favorite roll here but everything is good. A nice bonus of Kona Grill is the dessert – they have some incredible stuff on the dessert menu. I’m a big fan of the Ultimate Fudge Brownie.
Ichiban
South Side
http://www.indy.com/streetcred/location/1949
Ichiban is an incredible value. The sushi is first-class and the price is lower than any other place I have ever been. It’s fairly small and intimate and they also have some recessed-seating booths, which is kind of cool. I loved the Ichiban Roll when I went there.
Bistro Tchopstix
Downtown
http://cityguide.aol.com/indianapolis/restaurants/bistro-tchopstix/v-118008543
If you find yourself downtown, I recommend Bistro Tchopstix. It is a small, intimate sushi place in the heart of downtown and it serves up excellent sushi at a reasonable price. I know that some people enjoy The Mikado for a downtown sushi experience but Bistro Tchopstix provides quality that is on par or better at a much lower price. I don’t have a favorite roll here, as I usually get nigiri when I’m at Bistro Tchopstix. Service is also friendly.
While I’m sure others have their own preferences on the best sushi, these are my top picks for consistently high-quality sushi and a great atmosphere. I welcome your comments below if you would like to add any experiences of your own. Itadakimasu!
Overcoming Social Media Paranoia
In: Lifestyle| Marketing| Technology
15 Jun 2009I’ve been having some great conversations lately with people who ask me about social media. Some of my favorite conversations start with the other party saying something to the effect of “Facebook is creepy… I don’t want everyone knowing what I’m doing.” These are great conversations because I have the opportunity to (hopefully) clear up some misconceptions about social media.
“I don’t want everyone knowing what I’m doing.”
This is typically objection #1. For some reason, some people think that joining Facebook (or Twitter, etc.) automatically means that everything they do will magically be broadcast the whole world and privacy will disappear. Not so. Social networks let you control what is distributed. Do you constantly call or email people with all your private life details? No… and it’s no different in social media. You decide what gets posted.
“I don’t want my personal information (address, photos, etc.) posted online for everyone to see.”
When you decorate your house, do you hang your family photos on the exterior walls for everyone to see? Do you make copies of your house key for everyone in your neigborhood and hand them out at the July 4th cookout? No? Then follow the same rules on your social networks. Facebook, for example, lets you selectively show and hide photos and albums so that only certain groups of people can see them. You also have control over what people see and who you allow into your network.
“I don’t care what my friends had for breakfast.”
I usually hear this objection when talking about Twitter. While it’s true that some people will tell you all the mundane things going on throughout the day, including what they had for breakfast, there is a simple solution to this: don’t follow them. Keep in mind that you are in control. You can choose to follow people who interest you. If you want to see quality content, then follow people and organizations that offer content that interests you.
After a few minutes of conversation, I am usually able to clear up some of the misconceptions around social media. I enjoy this because I feel very strongly that when used correctly, this new generation of online tools has the potential to enhance our qualities of life and help business grow.
What are you scared of?
I Don’t Have Time for That Computer Stuff
In: Marketing| Technology
7 Jun 2009I had a great weekend at the AMTA National Board Meeting in Park City, Utah. As usual, I thoroughly enjoyed networking with other AMTA volunteers and got to spend time with old friends.
As I tend to do, I also posted updates from the board meeting via Twitter so that my chapter members could follow along. When I do this, I inevitably get asked about it with curious questions. After I explain what I am doing, whether it’s using Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, my web site, or some other tool, the typical response is “I don’t have time for that”, or “I’m not interested in spending that much time in front of the computer”, or my favorite: “I’m too old for that.”
It’s frustrating to me when viable marketing and networking tools get marginalized just because they are “new” and unfamiliar.
So what you’re saying is that you don’t have time to build your business? You don’t have time to find new clients? You are too old to connect with a growing base of potential clients who are listening for your message online?
I continue to collect stories from businesses (including my own) who are giving and receiving referrals using Twitter, finding new clients on Facebook, and finding valuable networking partners on LinkedIn. These businesses are also investing in a great web site to properly promote their businesses.
Take a second look. Do you have time to invest in your business? Or do you not have time for that “computer stuff”?
Process Email Offline to Improve Productivity
In: Productivity
6 Jun 2009I have been traveling this week and since I have not yet been lucky enough to find myself on a plane with WiFi, I have been able to catch up on replying to emails in my “Action Required” folder while on the plane.
If you don’t know what an Action Required folder is, read up on Inbox Zero.
The lack of Internet access combined with the lack of anything else to do means that I am able to quickly blow through replies and queue up a nice batch of outgoing messages that get sent merrily on their way once I get online again with a satisfying whoosh! A nice effect of being stuck offline is that I am not distracted by incoming messages while I process, which enhances my focus on the messages I am writing.
As I was doing this, it occurred to me that I could easily simulate this environment any time. Why not replicate the conditions found on a plane and enjoy enhanced email productivity while online? Well, I gave it a try and it’s quite effective!
To simulate being on a plane, all I did was take my email program offline and then started processing my Action Required folder. In Apple Mail, I simply go to “Mailbox -> Take All Accounts Offline” (Outlook has a similar setting) and voila! I am now immune to any new incoming messages and my attention is 100% on my already-processed email requiring further attention. The nice thing about doing this while connected to the Internet is that I can still visit web sites and otherwise utilize online tools and information while still enjoying the benefits of freezing incoming mail.
When I’m ready to process, I take Apple Mail online again and process my inbox to zero. Then, before closing it, I go offline so that I am not bombarded by incoming mail if I want to process existing mail first.
Give it a try… you may also enjoy increased productivity by drawing a firmer line between the context of processing and replying or acting on email.
Websites: Ask Me What I Want, Not Who I Am
In: Design
1 Jun 2009Your website navigation is a critical structural component of your website. A well-designed site navigation can create a comfortable and effortless user experience, while a poorly-design navigation can frustrate and chase away your website visitors.
One trend that I dislike is the philosophy of asking me to define “who I am” with website navigation. University websites do this all the time. Instead of providing me a logical path to find what I want, they instead present me with a decision tree that forces me to put myself into a box. I have to choose between being a student, alumnus, community member, instructor, prospective student, etc. What if I’m an alumnus, a community member, and a prospective student? What if I’m looking for something relevant to students but I fall into another group?
Don’t force me to choose a label! Present me with a clear and logical site navigation that allow me to find what I want. Asking website visitors to fit themselves into boxes only serves to raise anxiety levels and increase the chance of frustration.
Does Your Commute Suck? Go ROWE!
In: Lifestyle| Productivity
29 May 2009Today’s blog from Cali and Jody was awesome. It is titled “Does Your Commute Suck?” and touches on some things that are extremely broken about today’s traditional workplace. We migrated to a ROWE at SpinWeb last year and we have been very happy with the results. We no longer talk about hours or work schedules or “making up time”. We focus on the work. We focus on making our clients happy. We focus on the things that are important.
After some recent meetings with Cali and Jody and some great discussions about bringing ROWE to the masses, I am now authorized to facilitate ROWE migrations for businesses that would like to take the plunge. So many companies and their employees could benefit from this adaptive change and it’s a wonderful thing to be able to help others through a migration.
ROWE is not telecommuting, flex hours, or working from home. ROWE is an adaptive, cultural change. Did I mention that ROWE increases productivity?
If you are interested in migrating your business to a ROWE and enjoying the benefits it brings, I would love to hear from you.
Social Media Will Not Fix Your Marketing Strategy
In: Marketing| Technology
21 May 2009I had a great group of people in my Twitter class yesterday and we had some awesome discussion about how to use it for business. One theme that was recurring was how it leads to sales. It’s a great topic and I think there are some misconceptions out there.
Social media will not fix your marketing strategy. It should not replace your current efforts or cause you to shift all of your time onto Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. If your marketing strategy is broken, you must fix that first – social media will not save it. At the same time, it is a mistake to ignore it and continue the status quo.
Social media is a set of tools that augment, supplement, and assist as a component of your marketing strategy. It can give you a competitive edge. Social media can give you more effective ways to build relationships with your customers, prospective customers, and networking partners.
Remember that social media is not a magic bullet. However, ignoring it is also a mistake. Find the most appropriate ways to augment and supplement your marketing strategy with social media and enjoy the benefits of a more full-featured marketing toolbox.
12 Tips for a Great Chamber / Economic Development Alliance Website
In: Design| Lifestyle| Marketing| Productivity| Technology
18 May 2009At SpinWeb, we have a particular interest in helping local communities thrive and flourish using the Internet. For this reason, we love working with municipalities and agencies within, which includes chambers and economic development alliances. I have been researching both chambers and economic development alliances recently in preparation for an upcoming project and I’ve noticed that though they have different objectives, the two entities can often co-exist in the same website and be very complementary. So what are some ways a website for a chamber and economic development alliance can serve the community?
1. Publish a user-friendly online sites and buildings database. Make sure it is easy for interested businesses to research locations in your community via your website. You want to attract new business, so be easy to work with by giving businesses the tools they need to get information fast and allow them to search on detailed attributes.
2. Invest in a high-quality image. Your website represents your community and should be attractive and modern. Chambers and economic development alliances with beautiful websites make the community look like an attractive place to live and do business.
3. Offer educational and networking events with online registration. By offering events and classes, you not only promote networking in your community, but also increase the skill level of your local work force. Be sure your website clearly lists your calendar of events and offers online registration, which increases attendance.
4. Offer an online Chamber Marketplace to promote commerce. Allow chamber members to create online profiles and place projects out for bit to other chamber members. Then, allow members to submit bids on those projects via your website. This encourages commerce between chamber members, as well as increases the value of a chamber membership.
5. Include social media links to make information sharing easy. Make sure that your sites and buildings, jobs, news, projects for bid, and events all include a “share” option to make it easy for site visitors to post your web site information to Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other social networks. The easier it is to distribute your content, the more likely it is to be seen.
6. Publish an online employment database. Stimulating employment in the community sh0uld be a strong objective for your website and one great way to do this is to offer an online employment database. Allow chamber and/or community members to post job openings on your employment database and offer candidates the ability to apply online for those jobs. This creates an easier way to connect jobs with candidates and increases the value of your site. Don’t forget to include a “share” button to make it easy for site visitors to post jobs to their social networks.
7. Invest in search engine marketing to attract businesses. A great chamber and/or economic development alliance website is only useful when someone finds it. Be sure your community is found by creating targeted keyword campaigns that attract the right visitors to your site.
8. Promote notable local businesses via an active press room. Recognize your local businesses via your website by publishing regular articles that feature local businesses. This keeps your website full of fresh content which has a positive impact on your search engine rankings and helps your local businesses get more visibility.
9. Publish a video podcast featuring local businesses. A podcast is easy and inexpensive to set up and is a great way to promote members of your community. Send an intern from your local university out with a video camera once a week to a local business to do a 5-minute “spotlight”. This gives local businesses a chance to get exposure when they might not otherwise be able to afford advertising. It’s also a recruiting tool to help attract businesses to your community since it shows that you are committed to supporting them once they arrive.
10. Sell products online. Many businesses in your community would like to sell their products online but don’t have the resources to do so. Help them out by offering to sell their products online for them via your website. Additionally, you can also sell city/community-branded merchandise online, such as clothing and other items. Build your community’s brand while adding revenue!
11. Auto-bill your members via self-serve online tools. Make it easier for chamber members to renew and submit payments by allowing them to log in and manage their accounts via your website. Be sure you accept credit cards and e-checks. This not only reduces barriers to renewals, but reduces administrative expenses in your office.
12. Publish a great e-mail newsletter. Send out your email newsletter on a regular schedule and highlight community events to increase attendance.
Whether your chamber and economic development alliances are using separate web sites or integrated into one site, these tips will help add value to your online presence, attract new businesses to the community, and help local businesses grow and flourish.
Top 10 Information Architecture Mistakes (Jakob Nielsen)
In: Design
11 May 2009Every now and then, Jakob Nielsen publishes a great article that really hits home and embodies all the rules we are trying to explain every day as we create web sites for our clients. Take a moment to read this one:
Top 10 Information Architecture Mistakes
It’s a great review of some of the little details that can make the difference between a mediocre web site and a great web site.
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- Michael Reynolds: Toni, Sure! Click on the link in the blog post and it will lead you here: http://boingboing.ne [...]
- Toni Roberts: Michael, you mentioned a protocol the Japanese use to exchange business cards. Could you elaborate [...]
- Jenn Baron: I agree that we need to be mindful of how we present ourselves and our businesses to others includin [...]
- Lorri Markum: I couldn't agree more, Michael. I too have been negatively effected by those that toss, throw or no [...]
- Laura Allen: SO TRUE! And even worse are the people who don't even carry them. I am always appalled at networking [...]
- Don’t Throw Your Business Card
- The Best Sushi in Indianapolis
- Overcoming Social Media Paranoia
- I Don’t Have Time for That Computer Stuff
- Process Email Offline to Improve Productivity
- Websites: Ask Me What I Want, Not Who I Am
- Does Your Commute Suck? Go ROWE!
- Social Media Will Not Fix Your Marketing Strategy
- 12 Tips for a Great Chamber / Economic Development Alliance Website
- Top 10 Information Architecture Mistakes (Jakob Nielsen)
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