Do you get our newsletter? If you're not signed up to get it, you might want to think about it.

See, we spend our days thinking about insurance agencies from sales to operations to results and the behaviors that get you where you are and can take you where you want to go.

All that thinking and discussing gets turned into a lot of ideas and resources we like to share. One way we share our ideas is here, through our blog. Another is through a newsletter we send out about once a month.

Mainly what we do with our newsletters is focus them around specific topics. We include a variety of information about each topic like articles explaining a new way of thinking about an old topic, specific how-to articles, ideas for creating structures or processes, exercises to practice new behaviors, and sometimes we include download tools to help you get more in-depth.

We have raving fans who never miss an issue, and tell us they wait with anxious anticipation for the next issue. And, in fact, we have enough of these fans that Constant Contact gave us this nifty award for being an "All Star".

Are you curious to learn more about what we share in our newsletter?

Do you appreciate focused information delivered to you one topic at a time to inspire you to spend some quality focus time working "on" your business? If yes, then the newsletter might be a great fit for you.

We've just sent out our February issue about rethinking traditional views on Customer Service. Previous issues have included Networking/Centers of Influence, Sales Process, and Agency Culture. If you'd like to see what's included, you'll find them all in our Newsletter Archive. Take a look around: read some articles; download some resources; sign up to have it sent directly to you.

And if you've got a topic you'd like to know more about – let us know! Have some feedback you'd like to share? Let us know that too. The more we know about what you like, the more targeted we can be when we create our materials.

Always be learning!

@wendykeneipp

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As a consumer, do you ever see a business that is in such obvious need of fixing, or see a huge opportunity for improvement, that you just shake your head and wonder what in the world is the owner doing? How can they possibly miss this?!

If they would just offer (this feature) I would pay a premium!

Or

How in the world can they continue to let that person be their front line representative?! They are losing business as a result and don't even know it.

Or

Why doesn't the coffee shop have someplace to pour out the excess/leftover coffee? Why have it poured in the trashcan only to leak all over the floor? (Admittedly this is a personal frustration that comes from not taking care of the details or not taking the time to experience your own business as a customer does.)

Or

Do they have any idea how antiquated their model is? If I started competing with them tomorrow, they would be out of business by the end of the year.

It's all about perspective

The thing is, from the distance of a consumer or outsider, it is often much easier to see the vulnerabilities or missed opportunities of someone else's business. Sometimes those vulnerabilities and missed opportunities seem to apply to an entire industry. This last point was reinforced recently through a conversation I had with someone brand new to the insurance industry.

This gentlemen had spent 20 years in another industry and was brought in to an independent agency with the task of "making them relevant again". After just a few months in our industry, and 400 hours of analysis (believe me, he analyzed every aspect of our industry thoroughly), here is a partial summary of his analysis.

• The brokers who are chasing individual and small group business are "dead men walking".
• The industry is rapidly aging and filled with (primarily) men who had an amazing run of luck over the past 20+ years.
• Most brokers know little to nothing about how to truly run a business.
• Most owners are "rugged individuals" who are not going to be able to meet the consultative, technological and cultural changes demanded by the changes resulting from healthcare reform.
• Providing quotes and answering your own phones and calling that customer services isn't gonna cut it.
• Because most owners don't really have a "business owner" mindset, they will be slow and cheap to execute any real and meaningful change that the marketplace will demand (i.e. human capital, technology platforms, cultural change, structure/systems, mentorship and accountability) thereby making them...well, like the dinosaurs...extinct.

Is that an overly harsh assessment? I don't think so. I think it fairly and accurately describes some of the fundamental vulnerabilities we have as an industry.

With the exception of the coffee question, I think every one of the questions I ask above could be applied to almost every agency's business model. In particular, the last question/observation I mention above should scare the hell out of you.

Do they have any idea how antiquated their model is? If I started competing with them tomorrow, they would be out of business by the end of the year.

Who is asking this question and making this observation of your business? Is it one of your own employees who could go out on their own tomorrow? Is it a forward thinking competitor? Or, is it somebody you can't even see? It's safe to assume that somewhere there is someone (intentionally or by accidental observation) evaluating this industry and your business. And what they see may have a bright neon sign above it flashing "OPPORTUNITY!!" And with such obvious opportunity, they may now be plotting to take over. Kind of a scary thought isn't it?

Well, instead of being paralyzed by that fear, capitalize on the vulnerability of the industry yourself. As best you can, step back and analyze your agency, and this industry, with the eyes of an outsider (I would also include asking clients/prospects to offer a critique). Do so and you can be the one putting your competitors out of business by the end of the year.

Photo by North West Air Ambulance.

@kevintrokey

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I had the great opportunity to attend, and speak at, the recent Employee Benefit Adviser Summit in Phoenix. For those of you who may not be familiar with this event, you really are missing out on a great opportunity. Not only do they bring together the agency/brokerage/consulting side of the industry, there is also a conference track for HR professionals.

Many of the benefits of attending these types of conferences are obvious: education, networking with your peers, realizing you're not alone in your challenges, personal/professional growth, gaining new perspectives, and bringing home actionable ideas. However, many of the most compelling reasons for attending may not be immediately obvious. They actually have very little to do with session topics but very much have to do with the opportunity to make new personal connections, learning from the perspective of others, and building relationships which last long after the conference is over.

Here are a few of the reasons I will continue to participate in these types of conferences and the EBA Summit in particular.

The Summit is put on by Employee Benefit Adviser magazine. For those of you who read the magazine on a regular basis, you will recognize the names Elizabeth Galentine (Editor-in-Chief), Brian Kalish (Managing Editor), and Marli Riggs (Associate Editor). As you might expect, these three dynamic professionals are very engaged in the conference. Connecting with "voices of the industry" is an opportunity not to be overlooked.

As a result of meeting Marli, Brian, and Elizabeth at last year's event, we have had the opportunity to contribute to both their print magazine as well as to their website content over this past year. That exposure has definitely helped us increase our brand recognition within the industry and helped introduce us to many people/organizations we likely would not have met otherwise. It is always flattering when one of the three is working on an article and contacts us for our opinion on the subject. Of course, the press that comes along with that is a nice additional benefit.

Our relationship with EBA continued to build at this year's conference, and we have some great opportunities for Benefits Growth Network, as well as for some of our friends, as a result.

Marli attended my session "Leading Your Clients and Your Agency to Exceptional Performance". Within a couple days of the conference she wrote a great article about my session and the ideas we are promoting.

Brian stopped me in the exhibit hall to discuss a feature they are working on which will focus on powerful "up and comers" (rising all-stars under the age of 40). Not only was I able to give him the names of a couple of worthy candidates, one was right there in the exhibit hall, and I was able to make an immediate introduction.

On the last day of the conference, Brian stopped me again along with one of our network members, Tanya Boyd of Tanya Boyd and Associates. This time he was working on a video project and was wanting to interview Tanya and myself on camera to get our perspectives on what industry challenges agencies will be facing over the next 12 months. While it wasn't something either of us had a chance to prepare for, Tanya immediately saw it for the opportunity it was and eagerly agreed to participate.

I promise you that Tanya's prospects/clients will find further confidence in her and her ability to help them as a result of this opportunity. Seeing her as a thought leader within the industry is what will fuel that confidence. To state the obvious, she wouldn't have had that opportunity if she didn't attend the conference or hadn't been willing to go "all in" when approached by Brian. By the way, watch for that video to be posted on the EBA website in the next couple of months.

The conference also offered me the opportunity to attend sessions led by some of the industry's thought leaders you see contributing to the magazine on a regular basis. People like Nelson Griswold, Jack Kwicien, Sam Fleet, and Robert Lieblein to name a few. Not only did I walk away with some new perspectives, it was a great opportunity to network with these session leaders.

It's amazing how opportunities seized tend to create more opportunities. Not only was I able to make introductions that created opportunities for others, I benefitted from the same.

• As a result of seeing some of my articles published by EBA, one of the gentlemen mentioned above approached me, complimented me on what we are doing at Benefits Growth Network and asked about the possibility of collaborating on a project.
• Tanya Boyd introduced me to the Managing Editor of another industry magazine who was there in attendance. As a result, there is a very real possibility that I will now be speaking at that magazine's conference next spring and perhaps even contributing content to their readers.
• Once I returned to my office I received an email from a well-known online enrollment company whose both President and CEO attended my session. They have now invited me to speak at their event in March.

And of course, there are the business growth opportunities that come from attending and participating in these conferences. After I spoke at last year's conference, I was tracked down in the hall by one of the young women, Jennifer Lencicum of Fickewirth and Associates, who sat in on my session. She loved our message, wanted to learn more about BGN, and, as a result, she and her firm are now members of BGN.

In Jennifer, we have had the pleasure of watching her, and her agency, achieve amazing results over the past year. She was back at this year's conference and this time she was joined by her agency's President as well as four other team members. By the way, Jennifer is the same young lady I mentioned above who I recommended as a "rising all star". Again, you think that will earn her credibility and confidence in the eyes of her prospects and clients? I guarantee it will!

Sure it takes an investment of time and money, but it's a small price to pay for the opportunity to grow, to grow your business and to grow as a professional. Don't base a decision to attend such an event based on what you think it will deliver to you. Instead base your decision on the opportunities you will be able to create for yourself through the connections, perspectives, and relationships to be built with other attendees. If you are willing to go "all in" like Tanya did, the return on your time and money invested will be huge!

I don't yet know the dates for next year's EBA Summit, but I was told it will be held in New Orleans. You can bet I will "save the date" as soon as I hear. I hope you will do the same. See you in 'Nawlins!

@kevintrokey

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Before I started Benefits Growth Network, I spent 18 years in the independent agency system, the last 14 at the same agency. Most of my time there was spent helping to develop the benefits practice.

It was a great experience, one that came with significant growth, both personal and departmental, through both successes and mistakes.

Knowing that many of you are in agencies that look a lot like my old agency, I thought I would share some of the highlights of that "road trip." As you look to grow your own benefits department, my hope is that you can get there faster by learning from some of my experiences.

Let me first set the scene for the situation I walked into.

• I was the sixth benefits department manager in the 16-year history of the agency and the fourth within three years.
• The P-C producers had no confidence in the department and were not eager to place their client relationships at "risk."
• There were virtually no relationships with the insurance carriers; we were an unknown entity to them.
• There wasn't enough benefits revenue to justify the two of us now working in the department, and certainly not enough to make the department profitable.

Mile Marker 1—Establish relationships.

Needless to say, I had a lot to prove. The first thing I had to do was connect with three groups of people: P-C producers, insurance carriers, and our existing clients.

Lesson 1—Whether you have someone new or a long-term practice leader, make sure they regularly communicate to each of these groups: their goals for the department, how they will achieve those goals, and how each group will benefit from the effort.

Mile Marker 2—Be able to drive the car yourself.

Sure, my business card identified me as the benefits department manager, but the greatest need of the department was growth. There was no one else to do it; I had to get out there and generate revenue. Proving that I would and could do the hard work of prospecting and selling was a major step in building credibility and momentum.

Lesson 2—As you build a benefits practice, you have to put someone in place who can sell. Just putting in a support person and assuming the other producers will do the selling won't work.

Mile Marker 3—Prove your value to others.

It would have been tempting to just demand that the P-C producers cross-sell every account, but it would have never worked long term. I had to help every P-C producer see me and my department as a valuable resource that not only wouldn't put their client relationships at risk but would actually enhance those relationships.

Lesson 3—Treat the other departments as your "internal clients." Spend time with the P-C producers one on one; educate them on the benefits and HR issues facing their clients; and explain how you can help uncover, and then address, those issues.

Revenue report: About three years in, our revenues were up 250%, our revenue per employee had also more than doubled, and we had gone from losing money to making a 16.7% operating profit.

Mile Marker 4—Factory built isn't enough: Customize.

By this point, we had assembled some great tools and resources to offer our clients. We had online resources, actuarial services, and seminars, to name a few. However, we also had to realize that many of our competitors had similar resources.

Lesson 4—If you are going to succeed in the benefits business, you have to make an investment in the resources your clients and prospects expect and need. To achieve an acceptable return on the investment, you have to take the time to determine how you can add value to the process by customizing the solution to meet the unique needs of each client.

Revenue report: Four years since the last revenue report, we had grown by an additional 43%, but our revenue per employee had dropped (there were two additions to the department), we actually had red ink, and our revenue per client was only $7,133. Remember, I told you I made mistakes along the way.

Mile Marker 5—If you want to keep driving, you have to buy gas.

I finally realized that this was an endurance race. In an endurance race, not only do you need the best pit crew, you also need more than one driver.

Looking at the numbers, I had to admit that it wasn't all about me and my ability to sell. It had become obvious that to continue growing profitably, a strong, viable benefits department had to be a destination of its own. Up to this point, we had mainly been there to support growth on the P-C side and help protect its interests.

Lesson 5—Build your benefits department as if it were a business of its own. Make the necessary investments, staff it with the best talent available, run it profitably, and plan strategically for its growth.

Mile Marker 6—How do you keep a convoy moving in the same direction?

For us, we knew we needed a consistent approach that could easily be replicated:

• Sales Leadership is difficult, but necessary—As the leader, my job was to hire the right people, set clear goals, provide the right resources, hold them accountable, and keep the road in front of them clear.
• Consistent Sales Approach—We defined a consistent message and process.
• Cohesive Team—We had a unified team, and we made selling a department function in which everyone had a well-defined role.

Lesson 6—Run the benefits practice with discipline and as a department rather than a group of producers. Put a leader in place who can create the departmental vision, plan for the successful execution of the vision, use the talents of each team member, and establish successful processes that can be repeated consistently.

Mile Marker 7—If you drive a high-performance car, you have to buy high-octane fuel.

If you want to attract the "A" talent in your market, you have to be seen as an "A" agency/department. Investing time in building resources and creating the structure was worth it. Hiring great talent, both producers and support staff, is expensive, but they also deliver an unbelievable ROI.

Lesson 7—This one is pretty straightforward. If you want the best results, you have to be willing to spend for the best talent. Of course, you first have to create an environment that is attractive to the best talent, or they won't even listen to your offer.

Mile Marker 8—Profitability matters.

Growing the top line isn't enough. It's the bottom line that matters most. Benefits departments in predominantly P-C agencies will inevitably end up with a lot of small accounts that are likely to be "loss leaders." For us, the answer was to outsource the smallest accounts to a service center and focus our attention on those accounts we knew could be profitable. You can offer and support only what you can deliver profitably.

Lesson 8—Profitable ______ should never have to subsidize unprofitable ______. You can fill in the blanks with "departments," "producers," or "clients." I suggest you use all three.

Mile Marker 9—Carpooling makes the journey easier.

Having the right tools in the hands of the right producers isn't enough; what matters is how those tools are used and to whom they are offered. We aligned ourselves with other organizations that helped introduce us to the right prospects. We also aligned ourselves with other like-minded agencies around the country that were willing to share their best ideas. I referred to this as my "R and D Department" (Rob and Duplicate).

Lesson 9—There are too many great ideas and relationships out there to not expose yourself to them on a regular basis.

Mile Marker 10—Sometimes you need a travel agent.

Have you ever noticed that as you got older, your parents got wiser? The same is true for those of us who lead departments or agencies: there is more knowledge out there than you could ever acquire on your own. We aligned ourselves with a consulting practice that enabled us to go further than we would have ever been able to do on our own.

Lesson 10—The best performers in every field have coaches and advisors who help make them better. Find that trusted advisor who is able to make you better at what you do by introducing new ideas, challenging your way of thinking and operating, and holding you accountable for doing whatever is necessary for your success.

Revenue report: It's been another four years since our last report and 10 years since the road trip began. Revenue has doubled over the past four years and is 670% higher than when we started. Revenue per employee is now at $417,835. Revenue per client relationship (not including service center clients) is $39,285, and operating profit is just over 20%.

Mile Marker 11—Been there, done that.

It doesn't matter; you have to do it again (and again and again). You have to constantly reinvent yourself. Change is the one constant, and either you will lead it or your competitors will.

Lesson 11—The road trip never ends; there is always another turn in the road. Remember, what was exceptional yesterday is acceptable today but will be inadequate tomorrow.

Mile Marker 12—Who knows?

While it is critical to have a vision of what you will become, it is impossible to know exactly where it will take you. However, I'm certain it will be somewhere that you haven't been before.

Lesson 12—Someone will be the disruptor in your market. Make sure it's you.

For me, my role in the agency did eventually take me beyond the benefits department and into overall agency leadership. And now, my personal road trip has taken me out of the agency entirely and on a new road trip that has me helping other departments and agencies navigate their own road trips.

I hope you enjoy your journey as much as I'm enjoying mine.

Photo by Victoria Reay.

Continuing the topic of integrating social media tools into business operations, here we take a look at how to begin thinking about what that might look like.

If you’re looking at social media as a sales channel, you’re going to be very disappointed and give up, rightfully so. Instead, take the time to explore what it could mean to each of the functional areas within your company. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Sales team: Connect with clients, prospects, centers of influence. Share relevant articles and ideas with them, promote their activities, help them make necessary business connections with people you know. (Social makes amazing relationship management tools!)

Customer service: Answer client questions (obviously some things need to be off-line for privacy, but there are plenty of generic issues that arise), conduct employee communications for your clients (host a benefits communication platform for all client employees or feed that information for clients to post on their own platform), provide information on local issues that people need or might want to be aware – like risks and hazards, or health related events.

HR: Search the platforms for talent – find people who fit the profile for your ideal staff. Connect with them and keep a running pipeline of potential future employees. Find out what they like in an employer and in a job. Watch their interactions and see how they handle themselves. Be sure they know what’s happening in your company that makes it a great place to work.

Marketing: If you have a marketing person, they should be scouring the airwaves for any company mentions, industry trend discussions, conversations that are happening about any relevant topics – not necessarily about your agency (e.g., company benefits, open enrollment, wellness programs, hazard risk, business risk, etc.). Watch these conversations for trends, and gather ideas from the complaints and praises you hear.

CEO: This is a biggie. The CEO should definitely be participating online. In fact, if no one else does, it should be this person. The head of your company is the name, the face, the person most closely associated with the company. It’s such a great opportunity to have your top person talking online because your clients and prospects are able to make the direct connection with him/her, and from that, the CEO can then perform the most important role for your sales organization – rainmaker. They set the tone, share the company ideas, philosophy, values, culture and promote people within the company who are making it the great organization that it is.

Social media tools should be integrated into the big picture of what you're trying to accomplish. They should be tools you use as tactics to help you accomplish your strategic objectives, rather than "social" being the end game itself. There are as many ways to use these platforms as you can envision. And that’s a great place to start. Even if you’re already on Facebook or blogging or Tweeting, it would be beneficial to think about this, and have some team discussions for (new) ideas on how to connect with your audience instead of just talking at them.

I’d love to hear some ideas you’ve got on how to use social media effectively for your organization – feel free to share with the rest of us.

Coming up next in this series will be some ideas for getting a team together to tackle this business evolution.

Photo by Lenore Edman.

@wendykeneipp

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As you probably saw in a previous post, Kevin recently spoke at the 6th Annual Employee Benefit Adviser Summit in Dallas, TX. His message was about making changes in the broker model due to current and coming industry challenges.

Brian Kalish, with Employee Benefit Adviser, attended Kevin’s session and wrote up a great synopsis of the message. Follow the link below to read the full article.

Advisers must move ‘faster and stronger’

DALLAS – It is time for brokers and consultants to face the much talked-about upcoming challenges head on and move forward “first, faster and stronger” than their competitors. The goal is to make clients understand that the cost of doing nothing might be the “most expensive, more detrimental thing to a business,” a former adviser said Monday.

Click here to read full article at Employee Benefit Adviser.

Photo by ptooey.

@wendykeneipp

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Independent insurance and benefits agencies face pressures from changes brought about by healthcare reform.

September 21, 2011 - St. Louis, MO - Kevin Trokey, President & CEO of Benefits Growth Network, has been selected to speak at the 6th Annual Employee Benefit Adviser Summit. He will present on the pressures benefits and insurance agencies are facing as a result of healthcare reform and what they can do to successfully navigate the transition.

Trokey believes that the current changes facing the industry may look familiar, but are actually quite different than the challenges the industry has seen in the past decades. He will explain the differences, explore the challenges, and offer ideas on how to modify the agency business model in order to compete in a new environment.

“There are unprecedented opportunities for growth in the benefits industry as a result of the healthcare reform changes being forced on agency businesses. However, without a purposeful plan of how to make a successful transition, many brokers and agencies will find themselves victims and casualties of reform,” says Trokey.

In the session, brokers will get an idea of how to create a new vision and strategy for their agency that takes a different marketing approach and value proposition to clients. Through this new model, agencies focus on helping clients build more successful businesses by improving the investment employers make into their staff.

The 6th Annual Employee Benefit Adviser Summit will be held in Dallas, TX September 25 – 27, 2011. The conference is focused on building businesses by providing the basics for broker/adviser staff, as well as advanced marketing and management techniques.

About Benefits Growth Network
Benefits Growth Network, based out of St. Louis, MO, is an international membership-based consulting firm specializing in growth strategies for independently owned employee benefits agencies and brokerages. Through the exclusive Benefits Growth System™, members get individualized planning, coaching, training, use of proprietary systems and access to a network of thriving benefits agencies. For more information about Benefits Growth Network, visit www.benefitsgrowthnetwork.com.

Kevin has been selected to present at the 6th Annual Employee Benefit Adviser Summit in Dallas, TX. The conference starts this coming Sunday, September 25 and runs through Tuesday, September 27. 

His topic is about the pressures that benefits and insurance agencies are facing as a result of healthcare reform and what they can do to successfully navigate the transition.

While the current changes facing the industry may look familiar, there are significant differences from the challenges the industry has seen in the past decades. He will explain the differences, explore the challenges, and offer ideas on how to modify the agency business model in order to compete in a new environment.

Are you attending the conference? If so, be sure to connect with Kevin in person. He’ll be presenting Monday afternoon in the track Health Reform Impact on Brokers. Want to get in touch? This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Also of note, one of our BGN partners, Jen Benz, Chief Strategist & Founder of Benz Communications, will be a Key Note speaker on Monday morning. If you’re there, be sure to attend that session, as well.

@wendykeneipp

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Broker of the Year. That’s quite a title to achieve. There are thousands of licensed independent benefits agents, and to be selected as THE one that is considered a stand-out takes a pretty different twist on the usual in order to be selected.

This year, Benefits Selling magazine selected Mark Lacher, partner with Lacher & Associates, as their 2011 Benefits Selling Broker of the Year. There has been a lot of excitement generated about this: an on-stage presentation at 7th Annual Benefits Selling Expo in Nashville, TN, press releases, Tweets shared, and a great spread in the Benefits Selling magazine with fun photos of Mark looking quite snappy.

Now, before going any further, I need to let you know that Lacher & Associates is one of our BGN members. So, am I a bit biased? Definitely. But is he deserving of this award aside from my bias? If you believe that businesses need to evolve with the changing needs of clients and the marketplace, then yes, he is.

So what was it that got him to this place of recognition?

Thinking differently. Not being bound by the confines of the business model given to him by the traditions of the broker/agent system. Sure, it’s been a good business model for them for 53 years, but as he and his brother took over the business from their father in 2007, they brought with it a new perspective. That all businesses need help – everyone needs a coach, a mentor, an advisor, a sounding board, someone to listen and help them think through things. Good as we may be individually, thinking alone and solving all of our own issues will just not yield the same results as having some additional trusted ideas and help along the way.

That’s what Lacher is doing for clients.

He knew the benefits industry would be changing, and he knew he had to start doing things differently - and a small tweak here and there isn’t enough to save a business or an industry under attack.

Mark took the leap to radically think about his business and his clients’ businesses from a completely different perspective.

Instead of thinking,

“How can I find more clients or sell more products to make up for lost commissions resulting from healthcare reform?”,

he started asking,

“What challenges are my clients facing? What changes are they experiencing as a result of health care reform? Or the economy?”

The answers are many and varied, and they are the same challenges that Lacher himself was facing in his own business.

He had been seeking help to take his firm to a new level and drew from that same concept to use with his clients. If he needed help navigating through changes, plateaus, and being an innovator and leader, didn’t everyone else? Well, the obvious answer is Yes. And he decided to take what he had and what he knew and build upon it to grow into something that is beginning to look very different from the typical insurance broker.

So yes, Lacher’s vision for what he could do for his clients is worthy of note. But an even bigger lesson to take away from Mark’s story is the focus and speed with which they embraced the changes to their business model.

Instead of thinking about making these changes, or dabbling in a few trials here and there while waiting to see what happens as health care reform unfolds over a span of four years, he jumped in and made it happen now.

Regardless of what happens with exchanges and commissions, Lacher has squarely positioned himself and his firm to be a valuable resource to clients – medical policies & benefits packages aside. His clients turn to him for advice to help better manage the performance of their businesses.

I applaud Mark and the entire Lacher team for their foresight, tenacity, and courage to take a good business and turn it into a great business by thinking and acting differently and becoming a stand-out player in their industry!

@wendykeneipp

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Making connections with people is by far the most motivating and rewarding part of what we do – “we” meaning BGN. Making an impact on someone else and the way they think about their business is the key to our job, and I believe it’s why I was put on this lovely Earth. I surround myself with people who want to challenge themselves and want to challenge others.

We’ve recently made some connections through a new member agency, Lanier Upshaw – a group of folks engaging in social media who are not only open to being challenged, but are challenging us as well.

Does social media scare the pants off you?

Bill Dorman is one of our new friends. He is openly and sincerely documenting his social media journey through a blog where every day he is challenging himself and others, and asking others to do the same for him, as well.

I’m a much more keep-to-myself person than Bill, but I have had many of the same thoughts, and challenges as he’s experiencing. One of those ideas is making the connections – knowing how far to take a conversation, how deep and wide to go, and knowing how it fits into your goals (personal, business, combination, fun, entertainment, education, etc).

To continue with the idea that Kevin brought up in his Voyeurism post, I think the idea of interacting with other people – strangers in many cases - scares the pants off many people. It’s so much easier to be a voyeur and just read what other people write, take away an idea or two, and maybe tweak it to fit your own situation.

The problem with that way of not interacting with the people who post the information, and a layer deeper, the people who comment, is that we’re not taking the opportunity to challenge and educate others with our own ideas.

And we’re not stretching ourselves to take advantage of this amazing new way of

• educating ourselves
• building relationships
• developing innovative ideas for our own businesses and for our clients

All of these things lead to an opportunity for increased business success. It may not be someone buying from you directly, but remember - the cornerstone of building a business is through the connections you make and the education you provide.

By not interacting and simply watching, you're not taking the opportunity to make the idea better, and you’re not letting other people know what you think about and how you might be a valuable contributor to their team. And you’ve completely missed the chance to get to know new people who may enrich your life and challenge you to be a better person.

Now, I’m not saying that you need to comment and interact all the time, but by not venturing out and at least trying it, how do you know if it’s going to hurt? Or not work for you?

Everyone has their own reason for not commenting. Here’s just a few I hear regularly:

I don’t have time. Really? If you’ve got time to read articles, I’m sure you can take another 2 or 3 minutes to compose a thought once in a while.

Comments are just left by ranters and spammers. Well, if you read articles on Yahoo, this is true. Just like there are certain coffee shops I avoid, I also avoid those blogs. There are many, many intelligent, insightful people who regularly participate in discussions. Go there instead.

I don’t know what I could add that hasn’t already been said. You know that little voice talking while you’re reading? The one that calls BS or nods vigorously or conjures up an image or asks a question? That’s what you comment about.

There have been many articles written, and a plethora of discussions following these articles (and links to other similar articles) about the value of commenting. If you’d like to check some of them out, you might be amazed at the quality of conversation and debate – while you’re there, think about how this might translate to your business. Would you like to have ongoing discussions with your clients and prospects about topics near and dear to your business? Yeah, me too!

Mark Harai – Not Commenting or Answering Comments on Blogs is Lame

{grow} by Mark Schaefer – The silent majority: Why people don’t comment on your blog

SpinSucks  - Five Ways to Lose Your Commenting Virginity

It starts by digging in deep and getting involved in the discussions and becoming a regular reader and commenter. If you don’t, people don’t know you’re there and can’t help you except by happenstance of a relevant blog post. Bill has proven it can be done and has developed amazing relationships along the way. I’m taking his advice and following his lead – so if you see me around in your neighborhood a lot, feel free to blame Bill for that!

How are you making online interactions work for you and helping you build a better business?

Photo by Joi Ito.

@wendykeneipp

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