Anyway, there are a million articles every day about how to harness social media for your business, but here’s a really good primer on specific tools that can help small business owners like you:  http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/the-world/article/the-5-social-media-tools-small-businesses-need-right-now-amber-macarthur.

And for all you RDs out there wondering how to use social media (notice I didn’t say ‘if’) for your business, Skelly Publishing just launched a new CPE program on social media and the RD.  It was written by Jenny Westerkamp and RD who, for those of you who don’t know, launched All Access Internships with Katie Hamm (a dietetic intern), primarily marketed via Facebook.  It’s also filled with tips and ideas from other RDs who have used social media successfully.  It’s a great read that’ll leave you with lots of new ideas and tools to start using social media to your advantage!

I met Megrette Fletcher a few months ago when she helped us out with a continuing education program we were working on.  She’s an RD, a Buddhist and a founder of The Center for Mindful Eating.   She draws on her unique background to offer teleconferences and supervision groups for RDs, and is offering a teleconference on Feb 2nd at 1 PM EST called ‘Capturing in Words, the Essence of Mindful Eating.’  You can attend for free simply by joining TCME–for a mere $20 a year (it’s a great deal, trust me.)  In addition, Skelly Publishing will be offering Mindful Eating webinars with Megrette come March/April timeframe.  We’re really excited about them, and, if you work with diabetes or weight loss clients, we think they’ll immediately change your practice forever–and for the better.

Customer service has been on my mind recently.   Maybe it’s because I’m a business owner or maybe it because, as a busy parent, I appreciate so much more when I’m given great customer service and will go out of my way to patronize brands that treat me well.

Case in point: the website where I buy my skin care has a competitor who often offers coupons that would enable me to get the same products for cheaper.  Who do I continue to buy from my site (fyi, it’s www.skincarerx.com)?  Because my order has always (8 years and running) arrived within 2 days, and the customer service is exceptional.  More than once, they have emailed me to follow up on orders and products and they are great to deal with.  Their website is one of the most user-friendly I’ve encountered, and they always offer free shipping.   Bottom line: they’ve thought extensively about the consumer experience–in all facets of their business–and it shows.

Contrast this with the (very expensive) diaper bag I bought from a well-known ‘eco-friendly’ company (I won’t trash them here) along with rubber rings to hang the diaper bag from my stroller.  Within 2 weeks, one of the rubber rings had snapped and I emailed the company to ask for a replacement (I wrote a VERY nice email about how much I love my diaper bag (I do) but that I was disappointed the ring didn’t seem to last).  I received a snide email from them stating that ‘I must have overloaded my diaper bag’, and that it was my fault the ring snapped, but that they would send me ONE (in all caps) replacement ring and that after that I would need to buy my own.  I mean, these rings must cost them .50 cents to make in China.   I had several friends who were about to give birth and had planned to get them gift certificates to this company as shower gifts.  Of course I didn’t, and the next diaper bag I bought was from another company.  I also opted out of their e-newsletter as well.  They probably lost about $500 in sales from me.  All for 50 cents.

I think about this a lot with Skelly Publishing.  Over and over, I’m struck by how happy our customers are that we respond promptly to their emails, go out of our way to help them resolve any issues, and ask for feedback to improve our programs.  Well, that’s why we’re here!  It’s sad how surprised and happy they are that someone actually seems to care about them as a customer.  I’m also amazed how many of them report referring others to us, simply because of our customer service.  (I was hoping it was because our continuing ed programs were really good!)

Thinking about my experience as a customer and business owner, here are my three rules to provide a great user experience and help drive future sales for your company.  They may seem obvious, but take a look at your business and see if you’re doing these consistently–with every customer:

1. answer emails promptly.  Even if you are your own CS department, in this age of ever-connectedness, there’s really no excuse for not responding to a customer within a day (we target a less than 6 hour turnaround time).  If you don’t have the answer, reply to the email and say so, then follow-up with the information asap.  If a potential client emails you and asks about your consulting packages and you’re out of the office or don’t have the info at your fingertips, acknowledge their email, say you are busy with another client/project, and that you will send it along in X hours.

2. follow-through. If, for example, you tell a client you’ll send him/her a list of gluten-free breads, do it!  That evening!  I’m constantly amazed at how many people/businesses don’t follow through with information they’ve promised.  It makes a customer question how you run the rest of your business.

3. set expectations appropriately.  Don’t make promises you can’t keep.  We offer free webinars on Skelly Publishing, and we initially said we would send CPE certificates within 3 business days.  That proved impossible, and so we adjusted it to 5 days.  Now it’s 10.  Guess what?  People don’t care how long it takes, as long as you get it to them when you say you will!  If you say you’ll provide something within 3 days, don’t make it 4.   If you do send it in 4, include an apology note for the delay.

It all boils down to the Golden Rule.  Think about how you would like to be treated, then offer the same to your clients.  You’ll be amazed at how what it does to your reputation, brand and future sales.

Speaking of sales, here’s a great list of sales tips that all put the customer front and center.  Great customer service = more customers–keep it in mind!

1. It’s effective: created well and promoted effectively using SEO, websites are the #1 most effective way small businesses can compete w/ huge, better-capitalized brands.  Don’t take it from me: this is what a recent survey of small business owners said.

2. It’s international: with the advent of telehealth, RDs and CDEs can now provide coaching and education to clients and groups all over the world.  The starting point?  your website.

3. it’s cheap!  As part of our Web Skills continuing education program revamp, I tested a number of off-the-shelf website builders.  For $4.99 a month, you can create a professional looking website from Homestead (Intuit).  How can you possibly justify NOT having one?

You can read the post about this study from the Entrepreneur Daily Dose blog–it’s got even more reasons you should get your website 1) up and 2) optimized to bring more clients in your door.  (My favorite quote from the post:  “In the Discover study, 46 percent of respondents said it’s a myth that every company needs a website.And they’re right–companies that don’t want to be successful certainly shouldn’t spend the time and money to develop a company site. So every company doesn’t need one.”

Funny–and so true.

My entrepreneurial colleagues discuss at length the various tactics they use to bring clients in the door, most of which involve significant time and money, with inconsistent or suboptimal results.  That’s why I love finding resources that make dietitians and CDEs more efficient and effective at business-building, without tapping into their limited financial resources.   Jessica Setnick, a private practice RD in Texas, has created a great webinar that shows you EXACTLY how to vastly expand your referrals–for FREE and without even leaving the house!  Skelly Publishing is now offering her webinar for 1.5 CPEs, and I’m telling you, every RD in private practice should listen to this webinar.  She even provides downloadable SCRIPTS and forms you can use when you contact an MD, even one you don’t know, and she divulges secrets she’s used to create a thriving private practice for herself.  But don’t take it from me, read some of the testimonials from private practice RDs who have listened to the webinar.

Check it out, if it sounds interesting.  And if you’re looking for other ways to get business-building ideas, here are a few:

–Join Nutrition Entrepreneurs–a Dietetic Practice Group of the ADA.  Definitely the most valuable $20 I spend every year, hands down.

–Join the Registered Dietitian Business Owners group on LinkedIn–it’s a great resource of dynamic professionals.

RDs not feeling comfortable communicating their achievements, skills, and businesses has always been a big sticking point with me, and (as you may know) is a key reason I started Skelly Publishing.  But the recent NE listserv debate has me wondering: what constitutes effective self-promotion?  And what is it about self-promotion that turns off a certain segment of RDs on the NE listserv?

To help solve this question, I’ve tried to reframe it so that it’s not about the RD doing the self-promoting, but rather about the consumer–the one hearing the message.   I think the answer to this lies in the answer to the following question: Does the consumer feel used?

Here are two examples, pulled from the recent listserv debate:

Example 1:

–someone posts an email asking for info on wt mgt programs for kids.

–an RD who owns and licenses a wt mgt program responds and offers her program

According to strictly-interpreted listserv guidelines, this is inappropriate self-promotion.  But, does the consumer feel used?  No, because she’s looking for a wt mgt program for kids!  And, since listserv guidelines state that you should reply to the entire listserv unless the query asks for private responses only, posting this response to the listserv is entirely appropriate.

Example 2:

–Someone sends an email looking for a source to help her incorporate her business.

–An RD who has published a book on getting started in business provides some info about incorporating and then promotes her book so the RD can get ‘other business-related skills’

In this instance, I would say the consumer does feel used.  The point of her post was to get specific sources for incorporation.  If she additionally wanted to obtain business skills, she would have asked for that.

Case in point: I’m sitting in the lounge of my gym right now (my office away from my home office) and there’s a guy I met here who started chatting me up a few months ago.  Turns out he sells an online fitness program and was trying to get me to sell it under him (not sure but sounds a bit pyramidal).  In the course of this, he asked for my cell phone number, saying ‘we need to get you and your husband down to my restaurant (yes, he also owns a restaurant in my town), for a free steak dinner.’  I wasn’t thrilled about giving out my cell phone, but at my gym (it’s more like a club) it’s really not cool to seem unfriendly.  Sure enough, I started getting endless texts from him (text blasts) inviting me to see this band they were having, or some other event.  No free steak dinner, though .  As you can imagine, when I see this guy, I literally run in the other direction.  He’s relentless about pushing his agenda.  Result?  I feel used.

I give this example because I think some RDs overcompensate for what they perceive as a ‘shrinking violet’ issue in our profession by being overly promotional and salesy.  What they don’t realize is that their consumer feels used. I think they mistakenly believe that in the business world, people are promoting themselves in this way all the time, so it’s ok.  The truth is that in the business world, people do promote themselves, but by stepping up and claiming what’s theirs, not by annoying people with endless–ineffective, by the way–salesy tactics.

I also think many RDs believe ‘everyone knows how to promote themselves but us.’ By giving this example, I want to show that–although others may feel more comfortable being salesy–it doesn’t mean it works! In fact, it’s a detriment: had this guy simply been friendly and conversational, I probably would have patronized his restaurant because I thought he was a nice guy.  But you can imagine I’m never stepping foot in there now (unless it’s a really good free steak).

It’s a major problem, because RDs risk turning off potential clients by either being too timid, or overly blowhard.  What’s hte happy medium? Given my background in marketing, I would suggest asking these two questions before I open my mouth:  How do I uncover the needs my consumer has, and–once I’ve done that–what products/services/knowledge do I have that will help meet those needs?   If I don’t have any products/services/knowledge to meet those needs, then perhaps I should continue asking questions and getting to know my consumer, rather than relentlessly plugging myself or my product.

And since I know you’re reading this because you’re interested in self-promotion (hey, it was in the title), Skelly Publishing offers a free 1-CPE webinar on effective self-promotion with RD career coach Jean Caton.  Check it out (if you don’t feel used).

(I promise I’m getting to my point.)   I talked in a previous post about how Skelly Publishing is all about empowerment.  To me, empowerment is a key generator of happiness, because it leaves you with a sense of control over your destiny.   To feel powerless is not a happy feeling, as we all know.  Over the years, I’ve spent a lot of time talking to dietitians and other health care professionals, and they’ve poured out their frustrations with their jobs, incomes, opportunities, and the frustrations with the health care industry in general.   Which led me to try to distill the things I think dietitians and other health care professionals need to be happy–at least professionally: 1) a sense of making a difference–a real difference–in a patient’s or client’s health and well-being, 2) feeling respected and appreciated for the skills we have and what we bring to the table and 3) appropriate compensation, and the ability to continue to be fairly compensated as skills and responsibilities increase.

It’s pretty simple.  But it’s not happening.  I talk to a lot of RDs who are missing one or more of the above, and it shows.  If you are an RD and are reading this, you know that, by and large, RDs are about the nicest and most positive people you’ll ever meet.  I absolutely love working with them.  But it makes me sad to see them struggling with jobs and careers that aren’t working as well as they could.  They tend to put on a happy face, and soldier forward, but they deserve more.

Back to the point of my post: last night got me thinking about Skelly Publishing’s New Year’s resolution, and here it is: we promise to continue creating CPE opportunities that help you achieve the three things listed above–that will help make you professionally happy and fulfilled.   It’s something we try to keep top of mind when we develop CPE programs–that is, will they meaningfully enhance PRACTICAL skills that RDs can use right away?  Will they increase job and career satisfaction?  Will they leave RDs empowered to pursue the opportunities and compensation they deserve, and that move the profession forward?  We really hope so…because if not, what’s the point in providing CPEs at all?

This isn’t a sales pitch.  There are lots of great CPE providers out there, and if you get your continuing education from them, and it helps your practice, that’s all I care about.  But respect yourself, and your needs.  Figure out how to achieve professional happiness–however you define it–and don’t settle for less.  You deserve it.

I love finding organizations whose goals are aligned with mine. One of these is Women for Women International. Their mission is to help women survivors of war rebuild their lives. This is actually a very modest description of what they do, though. In helping women in war-torn societies, they in effect are changing the very societies in which they live. Their ‘Theory of Change’ maintains that when women are well, sustain an income, are decision-makers, and have strong social networks and safety-nets, they are in a much stronger position to advocate for their rights. All of this, obviously, equals real empowerment.

I’ve been involved with this organization since 2004. I saw its founder, Zainab Salbi, on a talk show and was utterly captivated by her and her story. (Her book ‘Between Two Worlds’ remains one of the best I’ve ever read.) Upon learning that her organization was in Afghanistan, the Sudan, and Congo (among many others)–places where many charities who have been around for far longer, and do similar work, don’t dare to go–I thought ‘this girl is a serious badass.’ My second thought was ‘I have to meet her!’ Friends of ours were getting married and had requested a donation to charity in lieu of gifts, and on the spot, I went to her website and sponsored a woman as a wedding gift to my friends.

That was just the beginning of an amazing experience with W4W. In addition to sponsorship and other volunteering, I was a organizer and founder of the NYC Run for Congo Women, which raised almost $20,000 in our first run in 2007. Since then, Skelly Publishing has relocated to the LA-area, but we continue to sponsor the NYC run each year. Actually, I should say, YOU sponsor the run each year, as a portion of the proceeds from Skelly Publishing continuing education programs goes to support Women for Women and the Run for Congo Women.

Here’s why I love Women for Women:

–As a dietitian: Part of the education and training programs Women for Women provide give women participants education on health and nutrition, and how to grow and use local foods to feed their families better. It’s sustainability at its best.

–As an entrepreneur: W4W is committed to helping its women participants learn business and marketing skills, and how to be a leader in the community. By training women in skills that can be applied successfully in the local economy, and giving them seed money and support to start their own businesses, they ensure that these women are able to provide for their families (often, husbands and fathers have been killed in war, leaving the women with no means of support), as well as employ other women in their communities.

–As a data lover: yes, you know how I love it. Well, W4W does their research. They have legions of data showing that what they do works. Here are a few choice statistics: after graduating from the Women for Women International Program, globally, graduates report higher rights awareness (87%); self-confidence and decision-making abilities (52%); and community involvement (52%). In addition, 87% of participants in Rwanda reported health improvement, and there is a 99% repayment rate for the W4W microcredit program, which operates in Bosnia/Herzegovina.

So, if you’re looking for a charity to support this holiday season, please consider Women for Women. Also, if you choose to purchase a Skelly Publishing product, just know we’re doing some giving for you, too!

Happy Holidays everyone!

Case in point: email marketing. More than a few times I’ve been spammed by RDs who (apparently) harvested my email from a listserv and then started sending me their e-newsletters. (I never give out my primary email when signing up for e-newsletters so I know when I get one that I did *not* opt-in.) It’s a practice that reflects so poorly on your reputation and brand. (Your customers do know when they gave you permission to email them, and when they did not.) I can’t emphasize enough the importance of permission-based email marketing–make sure your contact officially opts-in before you start sending him or her your e-newsletter. Of course, you must give them the option to easily ‘unsubscribe’ as well–there were a couple e-newsletters I couldn’t unsubscribe from, and ended up having to contact the RD personally to ask to be removed…(yikes)

Of course, the flip side of this are businesses that have an e-newsletter sign-up box but then never send one! I’ve signed up for a few of these phantom e-newsletters. I’m genuinely interested in learning more about their products and services, but wonder if there’s really anyone behind the website when I never hear from them again. Bottom line: if you’re not sure you can send out a newsletter, don’t offer one. Or, if you don’t think you can manage to send it out on a regular basis, use language that clearly conveys this (‘from time to time we will send you special sales and new product information’) so that the user isn’t expecting a regular e-newsletter. Of course, when you do get to a point when you want to send out a regular (weekly, monthly, etc.) e-newsletter, make sure your contacts know this, and give you permission to email them more frequently. Believe me, their impression of you and your services will skyrocket if you do this. Respect your users’ time and inbox size–you would want the same, right?

(Quick case study:) Flagrant violation of both of the above scenarios recently happened to me with, of all companies, magnets.com. I bought magnets for Skelly Publishing back in summer, 2007, did not opt-in to their e-newsletter (I bought enough magnets to last us 5 years)–in fact, I’m not even sure they offered an e-newsletter. Sure enough, about a month ago, they started sending me the magnets.com e-newsletter…weekly. Apart from the snoozefest that is a weekly e-newsletter devoted entirely to…magnets, I was shocked that they would suddenly start sending me their e-newsletter after zero contact for 2 1/2 years. If, however, they had sent me a simple email saying “we have your email address in our database from a previous order, and are planning to start sending a weekly magnets.com e-newsletter. Please click the ‘subscribe’ button below to begin receiving it. If you do not click this button, you will not receive the magnets.com e-newsletter.’ (Ok, I still wouldn’t have subscribed, but I probably would have replied and said it was fine to send me a quarterly e-newsletter if that were ever an option, just not weekly.) I would have done this mainly because I felt cared-for as a customer and thus more likely to buy their products, and to recommend them to others. But you can imagine that’s not how I feel about them now. (Ditto for the Char-Broil Grill e-newsletter I started getting when the starter on our grill broke and I requested a new one. Apparently, ‘we need an email to send an order confirmation’ = ‘unsolicited and lame emails on the importance of using ketchup on your Char-Broiled burger (sponsored by Heinz)’.

I digress. There are many RDs using email marketing best practices and sending out stellar e-newsletters (I get quite a few of them)–far more than the rogue email practitioner. And as we all know, the New Year is a great time to have your e-newsletter campaign tight and flawless–you want to capitalize on all those New Year’s resolutions for better health. So, as you’re getting geared up, here’s a great blog post on 7 tips for great email marketing from the Young Entrepreneur blog. It’s not your standard run-of-the-mill advice–everyone from the newbie to veteran email marketer should read it, especially now.