By Clemens Rettich, on January 11th, 2012 
Thinking from the back of the envelope…
Sometimes It’s Not Enough to be Unique
Sometimes the value we offer just doesn’t match a need in our market or community. As the common wisdom once went, “There’s no selling coal in Newcastle.” They’ve already got lots, thank you!
We call that a market without white space. It’s all filled with lots of shapes and colours already, and doesn’t need any more.
It’s also a sponge. When a sponge is full, shy of wringing it out, nothing you can do is going to make room for more. Changing up your . . . → Read More: Find a New Sponge
By Clemens Rettich, on November 15th, 2011 
What are you selling?
If nothing, then you are not in business. If only commodities, then you won’t be in business for long.
“But wait,” you say “I am a service provider. I don’t sell commodities. So I guess I’m safe.”
Sorry. A service alone is still a commodity. In the brave new world of social business, anything is a commodity to the extent to which it is a) a transaction that consists only of the exchange of a good or service for money, and b) reproducible in every important way.
So a service which is repeated over . . . → Read More: The Social Market: Relationships, Stories, and Desire
By Clemens Rettich, on October 26th, 2011 
The Goods
Xobni is add-on software for Microsoft Outlook (and other platforms). After installing Xobni, connecting it with your various social accounts, and letting it do its data-gathering thing, it sits to the side of your Outlook window.
Xobni can store all of your data in the cloud where you have syncing capability with almost every device and platform you use (Pro version). It puts any other form of contact data syncing to shame.
When you click on an email in your inbox, in a sidebar Xobni shows you:
The social media accounts that person has (including their most . . . → Read More: My Favourite Social Tool: Xobni
By Clemens Rettich, on October 11th, 2011 
This morning, (October 11, 2011) IBM (TSX: IBM:US) released a valuable study into the pressures, stresses, and some successes of corporate Chief Marketing Officers trying to come to terms with the rapidly shifting ground-rules in their worlds.
IBM conducted face to face interviews with more than 1,700 chief marketing officers from 64 countries and 19 industries. This study, entitled From Stretched to Strengthened is part of an ongoing work called the C-Suite research program, interviewing 15,000 CEOs, CFOs, CIOs, CHROs and CSCOs.
Over the next few days I will be exploring different facets of the CMO study; it has . . . → Read More: 2011 IBM Study: What Keeps Your CMO Awake At Night?
By Clemens Rettich, on September 23rd, 2011 
Facebook is experiencing seismic shocks as it tries one more time to find the perfect fit between our lives and desires, and the larger social (and social business) community.
Unlike various software platforms, Facebook has never really adopted the public version number (beta, 1.0, 1.x, 2.0…) game. It has been more organic and idiosyncratic than that. Certain changes do seem to have been on the ‘new model’ level however: news feeds (that introduction was interesting), fan pages, Facebook chat, the appearance and disappearance of tabbed profiles (Facebook ‘beta’), all might have been seen as new version numbers.
What about . . . → Read More: Facebook 3.0? New Feature Round-Up
By Clemens Rettich, on August 30th, 2011 
There is a constant flow of new tools to support the challenging work of managing your social media work. Managing the lists, posts, schedules, and conversations that create an effective social media presence for a business is a huge time and organizational commitment. Some of the tools created to support that work are wonderful, others not so much.
Over the next few weeks I’ll be writing about some of my favourite social media power tips and tools. These are all things that make it possible for someone like me, with a family and a thriving business with flesh-and-blood . . . → Read More: Nitro Pack 1: 4 Social Media Power Tips and Tools
By Clemens Rettich, on August 14th, 2011 
In this humorous and revealing short article (The Klout Death Spiral) on Social Media Today, Leigh Dow explores the weird and wacky world of Klout.
Klout is a web site that purports to track your social influence on sites like Twitter and Facebook.
Here are some of my thoughts on Klout:
It doesn’t measure clout in any way that means anything to most independent professionals. What matters most to us is how engaged and valuable we are with and to our clients and potential clients. Case in point: in June, I was over the top supporting and acquiring clients. . . . → Read More: Klout and Clout. They are NOT The Same Thing!
By Clemens Rettich, on July 19th, 2011 Each week I bring together a few articles that add value to our work of becoming better communicators in business. Short on time? Watch for the *Must Read* where I think you’ll get the best bang for your reading buck!
What Employees Say Behind Your Back
Surprise, surprise, surprise. The big finding in a new survey about how employees feel about middle and senior management? You don’t listen enough. Are you having regular scheduled meetings and taking notes of peoples’ input and feedback? No? Then read this article 10 times for homework. Read more…
Is This Why Employees Don’t . . . → Read More: On Message:The Best of Business Communication – July 19
By Clemens Rettich, on June 6th, 2011 
Each week I bring together a few articles that add value to our work of becoming better communicators in business. Short on time? Watch for the *Must Read* where I think you’ll get the best bang for your reading buck!
Think You Know How Others See You? Think Again *Must Read*
Who do you know that knows you well, and from whom you will except the unvarnished truth about your actions and decisions? If you can’t provide a name, you are asking for trouble. Not everyone has access to a professional coach, but find someone to play that coaching . . . → Read More: On Message:The Best of Business Communication – June 6
By Clemens Rettich, on May 25th, 2011 
When you are in the business of connecting with others, understanding the tools that are available to you is important.
Here is a rather informal list of communication ‘tools’ that I try to keep at my fingertips and in good order. One thing you will notice is that while I am on virtually every social media channel there is, many of the tools here are pretty low-tech. Don’t fix what isn’t broke. Let me know if I have missed any that you find useful!
1. Dialogue: the basic act of building mutual understanding. Best done in person. Email works . . . → Read More: Communication Tools That Matter
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