Tales from The Brant Cave (Volume One in The Brant Cave series)

Tales from
The Brant Cave
Second Edition
by
Robert Lavigne,
Your Social Business Mentor

Volume One
in The Brant Cave Series

Dedicated to Karen,
Therese and Marcel

Table of Contents
Introduction
Robert Lavigne, Your Social
Business Mentor
Chapter One
How do you define Value in the Age
of Freemium and Prosumerism?
Chapter Two
Enrich your Insights. Expand your
Influence. Enhance your Exposure.
Chapter Three
Do you feel like you are the Rodney
Dangerfield of Social Media?
Chapter Four
The Age of the Yes Men is Dead.
Stop Enabling. Start Engaging. The
Emperor is in Need of a New Tailor.
Chapter Five
Roses are Red. Violets are Blue. It's
about your Shareholders. It's not
about You.

Table of Contents
Chapter Six
Recycled Ideas. What is Old is New.
What is New is Old. The Pendulum
of Commerce Often Requires a
Nudge of Innovation.
Chapter Seven
Your Key Inbound Marketing
Strategy is Re-Purposed In-Flow
Content. Having a Strong Engaged
Tribe Doesn't Hurt Either.
Chapter Eight
A New Economy for a Brave New
World. A World based on Prosperity
and Commerce on a Global Plane.
Chapter Nine
What is your Password? Social
Infringement on your Privacy is the
latest HR Scam perpetuated by
Traditional Businesses.

Table of Contents
Chapter Ten
What does The Six Million Dollar
Man and Knight Rider have to do
with Social Business?
Chapter Eleven
To Blog or Not To Blog? It is not a
Question, but an Answer to your
Fundamental Identity as a Human
Being.
Chapter Twelve
Land the Sale! Why a "Content
Spiral Engagement Strategy" will
convert your Sales Funnel into a
Sales Tornado.
Chapter Thirteen
The Doubting Thomas. How an
Agilistic Operational Model can
Convert the Unbelievers into
Disciples and Saints.

Table of Contents
Chapter Fourteen
Titanic Social Business Lessons.
What has 100 years taught us about
Silos, Class Hierarchy, and Icebergs.
Chapter Fifteen
Don't let that Needle Burst your
Bubble. How to Ensure that your
Tagged Drunken Picture becomes a
Needle in a Haystack.
Social Media 101
A Social Business Hangout with
Therese and Marcel Lavigne.
We Love Brantford
A Social Business Hangout with Jeff
and Jaime Thibodeau.
Downtown Brantford
John Bradford.

Are you struggling to
formulate your Social
Media Strategy?

Do you wish to
understand how to
become a Social Business?

Would a personal one-on-
one mentoring session
Help You Succeed?

Contact @RLavigne42.com
Business Mentor, is available
for online mentoring sessions
u s i n g S k y p e , G o o g l e
Hangout, and even your
Phone.
I n p e r s o n , L i f e @ 4 2
Workshops featuring Robert
L av i g n e, c a n a l s o b e
scheduled for any group size
and topics.
11

Return to Table of Contents
Chapter
One
How do you define Value in the
Age of Freemium and
Prosumerism?

What is value?
How is it defined?
Is value something that is
earned or established?

Robert Lavigne (@RLavigne42.com), Your SocialBusinessMentor.com
Chapter One
In the Age of Freemium Economics and
Producer/Consumer Markets, the definition of
value is often variant based on our own immersion
and exposure to the Digital and Social Era.
14

Chapter One
If we are flooded by freemium alternatives, the
value we place on sparse physical goods is often
devalued by the infinite supply of digital goods.
15

Chapter One
Similarly, if we are both producing and
consuming as Prosumers, we often degrade our
level of dependence and acknowledgement of the
once high valued Professional.
16

Chapter One
In the Age of Freemium and Prosumerism, the
concept of value is in a state of flux ravaged by
the concurrent state of collapse felt across all
aspects of economical, social, and political eco-
systems.
17

Chapter
Two
Enrich your Insights. Expand
your Influence. Enhance your
Exposure.

What is the point of
Social Networking?
Why would you want to
surround yourself with
Weak Ties?

Chapter Two
Much has been said about the value of a
Facebook Friend, a Twitter Follower, a LinkedIn
Connection, an Empire Avenue Shareholder, or a
Google+ Engager. You caught that right? I used
the word Engager to describe those I socially
network with on Google+.
20

Chapter Two
That was not always the case and I want to share
with you a brief story to explain why.
21

Chapter Two
I was one of the very few people to receive an
invitation on Google+. There were between 2,000
and 5,000 people on the network when I
joined. But then something happened, the
members grew larger, grew wider, and grew more
diverse everyday. No longer was Google+ just a
place for the "Google Fan Boys", "Tech Geeks",
and "Early Adopters".
22

Chapter Two
Many came, many left, and many became
dormant during that growth. As a result of my
early forage into Google+, I quickly hit the 5,000
maximum number of people I could have in my
combined Circles. I would struggle weekly to
remove a few dead accounts to make way for new
live accounts.
23

Chapter Two
And then something happened that would forever
change how I viewed my 5,000 limit.
24

Chapter Two
Someone curated a group of Empire Avenue
members on Google+ and proceeded to share that
Circle so that others could benefit from it. I
attempted to add that much valued Circle and was
halted yet again with the Google+ 5,000 Limit.
25

Chapter Two
Now for those unaware about Empire Avenue, let
me tell you this in no uncertain terms. Empire
Avenue is the most engaging Social Network I
have come across. The gaming dynamics reward
engagement and has been the source of the
majority of my Likes, ReTweet, Shares,
Comments and most importantly new
connections.
26

Chapter Two
So on that day I weighed my options. What was
more important, 5,000 Strangers or 500
Engagers?
27

Chapter Two
The answer was clear, for my Google+ Network to
have meaning for me, it required an infusion of
engagement. So I purged my Following Circle and
only kept those in my Recent Interactions,
Collaborators, Acquaintances and Friends Circles.
I then proudly added this new shared Empire
Avenue Circle to my fold.
28

Chapter Two
For a Social Network to have value, it needs to
have a high engagement factor. To achieve this,
you need to constantly widen your horizons and
bring in new voices, opinions and insights. You
need to constantly identify the Engagers and
purge the Strangers. For only by engaging will you
ever be able to collaborate, and collaboration is
the ultimate goal of Social Networking.
29

Chapter
Three
Do you feel like you are the
Rodney Dangerfield of Social
Media?

Do you get no respect?
Does your hard work go
unnoticed?
Do you fail to get your just
desserts?

Chapter Three
All the world is a stage and we are merely players.
Whether this makes you think of Rush or William
Shakespeare, the end goal remains the same. Both
became masters of their art through diligent hard
work, constant experimentation, and an undying
passion for what they held true.
32

Chapter Three
We all start as infants and traverse clumsily
through childhood. Demanding respect during
these years is often responded to with contempt
and ridicule. Social Media is still young and many
are wielding it like a toy expecting immediate
parental attention.
33

Chapter Three
Those who carry forward have love for what they
do and soldier on past disillusionment and
repeated failures. During these stages, they acquire
a personal brand solidifying their true persona
and actual accomplishments. Social Media cannot
be viewed as a lone animal amongst the fold.
34

Chapter Three
For respect comes with the justice of wisdom.
Steadfast experience in ones field accomplishes
much power and position. The world is made up
of firm institutions and constructs powered by
those clinging to their last vestige of isolation.
Social Media must flow through the cracks of
these factory silos.
35

Chapter Three
For with every age of man, the cycle must either
come to an end or be reborn anew. Those who fail
to adapt and learn will quickly lose the respect
earned after their initial 10,000 hours. Social
Media is in an ongoing state of evolution
requiring adaptable spirits leading the charge.
36

Chapter Three
The world is your stage. While the script may not
be under your control, how you act and portray
your role is entirely under your direction. Social
Media has opened up the world to your business.
How will you choose to showcase your talent and
passion? How will you choose to leverage your
respect and position of influence?
37

Chapter
Four
The Age of the Yes Men is Dead.
Stop Enabling. Start Engaging.
The Emperor is in Need of a
New Tailor.

Do you surround yourself
with Yes Men?
Do you forsake those who
would actually Engage?

Chapter Four
Many once respected brands have fallen into
disrepute due to hubris. Many once innovative
organizations have fallen into mediocrity due
to echo chambers. Many once valued idols have
fallen into the afterlife due to enablers.
40

Chapter Four
What did they all have in common? What was the
cause of their downfall? What went so terribly
wrong? They all surrounded themselves with "Yes
Men" at the expense of those willing to express
the truth. When you surround yourself with
enablers, you give up the single source of
sustainment - FEEDBACK.
41

Chapter Four
What is that magical element that will keep you
young, volatile, charismatic, and influential? What
is that success formula that will bring you
prosperity, growth, innovation and market share?
The answer is clear to anyone willing to listen to a
child pointing out the obvious - FEEDBACK.
42

Chapter Four
Much like the child proclaiming that the Emperor
was in need of a new tailor, those who fail to listen
are doomed to walk the streets exposed and
unaware. Engagement outside of one’s comfort
zone and circle of influence is the only way to
avoid falling prey to the promise weavers. To
model your business on hierarchy and silos will
only bring you the disillusionment that your are a
social business.
43

Chapter Four
A modern organization cannot be led by those
unwilling to listen to the wisdom of the crowd.
Nor can an organization prosper in these social
times when they are unwilling to listen to their
customers and employees. To simply isolate
yourself from reality in the hope of maintaining
your cone of silence is an invitation for failure.
44

Chapter
Five
Roses are Red. Violets are Blue.
It's about your Shareholders. It's
not about You.

What is on your mind?
What's happening?
What's new?
YOU DECIDE!

Chapter Five
Shareholders are your best source for dialogue.
Unlike casual customers, they have a long term
investment in your growth and success. How you
interact with your shareholders says as much
about your company as it does about them.
47

Chapter Five
If you broadcast and they merely consume, you
have a disengaged relationship. If you inquire and
they opt to ignore, you have a disengaged
relationship. If you get them involved and they
respond in kind, you have an engaged
relationship.
48

Chapter Five
Most shareholder mail provides insight to your
shareholders on the status of your company and
the direction it is going. In a recent shareholder
mail, I opted to throw a twist into the mix. The
message was simple and to the point. Send a tweet
and carbon copy me so I could see it. The topic of
said tweet you may ask? It was for them to decide.
49

Chapter Five
They could tell me what they were eating
(cashews) or drinking (beer). They could promote
their Facebook fan page or their cause. They
could let me know where they were in the world
and how beautiful of a day it was (Adelaide. 25
degree C). They could tell me a joke about the
dyslexic Satanist, who sold his soul to Santa.
50

Chapter Five
They could offer up a few quotes about "...
worrying is as effective as trying to solve an
algebra equation by chewing bubblegum." They
could remind me to make today count and let the
generosity flow. They could simply share, share,
and share what was important to them with me.
51

Chapter Five
It cost me currency to send this request. It cost me
nothing to focus on my shareholders instead of
myself. The gain was a night long discussion
across multiple tweets. The purpose was to reach
out and engage with those who choose to engage
with me. The end result, I got to know them
better and in the end that is what Customer
Service is all about.
52

Chapter
Six
Recycled Ideas. What is Old is
New. What is New is Old. The
Pendulum of Commerce Often
Requires a Nudge of Innovation.

What is Innovation?
What makes an Idea
Great?
What is your Eureka
Moment?

Chapter Six
We are always looking for that next big wave. The
one that will sweep in the rush of financial
success. The one that will wash away the remnants
of past failures. We are always looking for
something new to replace the old.
55

Chapter Six
The reality in life is that very few things are truly
new. We are a society built upon recycled ideas,
thoughts, mannerisms and expressions.
Organizations do not tend to radically innovate.
Marketing has a tendency to enhance previous
concepts. Commerce tends to reward tweaks to
existing business models.
56

Chapter Six
While we have seen massive changes in our
generational growth, most of what surrounds us is
more evolutionary in nature than revolutionary.
While technology has masked what we once held
as gospel, the core behind it all still retains the
purity of production, distribution, and
communication.
57

Chapter Six
You see an idea is like the mass (bob) of a
pendulum. It is attached to a string of thought
influenced by the strength of its gravity. It moves
from one extreme to the next. As the concept gets
too complex, we find ways to make it simpler. As
the fashion becomes bland, we dress it up and
make it flashy again.
58

Chapter Six
We are constantly adjusting to account for the
shift of the pendulum. Those who are able to
account for the direction and amplitude are best
positioned for mass adoption.
59

Chapter Six
In time, the pendulum will come to rest if left to
its mechanical expression (Q factor). That time
has come for organizations who have made a
bu s i n e s s o u t o f re c yc l e d i d e a s. Fo r
the pendulum to remain in motion, an external
influence is required. A secondary mechanism
must exist to keep the business from becoming
dormant. Consider this your nudge.
60

Chapter
Seven
Your Key Inbound Marketing
Strategy is Re-Purposed In-Flow
Content. Having a Strong
Engaged Tribe Doesn't Hurt
Either.

What is Marketing?
Who controls the Funnel?
What drives the Flow?

Chapter Seven
I have said it before and I am making it clear
again. The KEY to a successful Inbound
Marketing strategy is Re-Purposed In-Flow
Content.
63

Chapter Seven
Yes, consistency, quality, value, and addressing
"What's in it for me?" are all important elements
to your marketing strategy. These elements have
been in place in Traditional Marketing since the
dawn of time. But in the Digital Age, the key, the
element that makes it all work, is Re-Purposed In-
Flow Content.
64

Chapter Seven
The Digital Age allows for us to fully integrate
what we do during our "in-flow" activities and
incorporate it into a much wider spectrum that is
Inbound Marketing. Once re-purposed, the
content is allowed to spread through your network
tiers to those who will be drawn to your business.
65

Chapter Seven
I have heard great things about HubSpot from
people who use it. As for myself, I do not use it. I
have opted to leverage Empire Avenue for my
tribe to "prime the pump" on my content.
Fundamentally, that is what sites like HubSpot,
Triberr, etc are all about. They are prepackaged
"tribes" to use the Seth Godin analogy.
66

Chapter Seven
At the end of the day, anytime you can leverage
an existing community to spread the first round of
your word, the better. If the content is worthy, the
second tier and third tier will pick it up and run
with in.
67

Chapter Seven
That pretty much sums up the traffic equation of
Inbound Marketing. On the content side, I have
always been partial to video as a key element to
any Inbound Marketing efforts. The nice thing
with video, is that it can also be extracted as audio
(two birds as it were). Go one step further and you
can transcribe it as a blog entry (third bird, same
stone).
68

Chapter Seven
The key here is consistent re-purposed in-flow
content that targets what is on the mind of your
audience.
69

Chapter Seven
The days of static websites with high link back
schemes are over. The key is for any website to
have consistently updated content that allows for
social interactions, which at the end of the day
meets the new SEO algorithms, as well as provides
a reason for people to consistently come back to
your website.
70

Chapter Seven
For my own company, I make use of a weekly
podcast as the Inbound Marketing strategy for my
studio website. This site is 100% tumblr, has zero
HTML coding, has full capacity to have fresh
content on the left pane while providing for static
call to action content on the right pane. The new
model for Inbound Marketing and website
development in my opinion.
71

Chapter Seven
To prove my point about the key to Inbound
Marketing being Re-Purposed In-Flow Content,
80% of this chapter is a direct copy of a reply to
an e-mail I wrote this morning. When are you
going to stop thinking as Marketing as a division,
and start thinking of your entire business as a
means of generating buzz for your company?
72

Chapter
Eight
A New Economy for a Brave
New World. A World based on
Prosperity and Commerce on a
Global Plane.

Who is your Customer?
Where are they Located?
What is their Demand?
How will you Supply it?

Chapter Eight
The world as we know it, is not new. It is made up
of elements of our fathers, grand-fathers, and
fore-fathers. It is the culmination of values
imparted upon us by our mothers, matriarchs, and
the earth who is mother to us all. While the past
has defined our present, the future is ours to
define.
75

Chapter Eight
The basic building blocks of a successful economy
has a known formula. The equation for profit is to
sell a product or service at a higher cost than what
it costs to produce. This profit is reinvested back
into society to ensure that new elements are
formulated to drive commerce.
76

Chapter Eight
Commerce seeks to match those who demand
with those who wish to supply. When demand
exceeds supply, new players emerge in the market
driving down prices and restricting profit margins.
77

Chapter Eight
Those who succeed shift their business models to
lower expenses or create new demands for higher
revenues. The ebbs and flows of commerce
require keen insight of future trends and historical
patterns. For every winner there is often many
losers, but "the spice must flow" to ensure the
survival of the fragile ecosystem that inhabits this
planet.
78

Chapter Eight
While some regions lay barren to waste, others are
flush with the green of capitalistic wealth. This
model, often flawed by the index of greed that
corrupts it, has been a mainstay of society since
the age of man. Very little has changed other than
those who would claim King of the Mountain.
UNTIL NOW!
79

Chapter Eight
We now live in a world, where the once powerful
elite are hampered by inefficiencies of scale. What
was once considered an economy of scale, no
longer equates. Office Politics, Disengaged
Cultures, and Organic Distrust now plague their
well adorned towers.
80

Chapter Eight
They are unable to innovate to meet new demand
and prefer to litigate to hamper competitive
supply. They are incapable of retaining the bright
minds that once gave vision to darkened futures.
81

Chapter Eight
We are shifting to an age of micro-engagements,
of a tele-commuting workforce, of freemium-
based information technology, and of social
profiles based on transparency of action, insights,
and intentions.
82

Chapter Eight
The cost savings models have shifted from full
time, part time, consulting, outsourced, near
shore, offshore, to a model that embraces all of
these elements as one. A model that is based on
the expenses of a human being working out of
their basement studio incurring the revenues that
a global market can present to one meeting the
unique character they exhibit.
83

Chapter
Nine
What is your Password? Social
Infringement on your Privacy is
the latest HR Scam perpetuated
by Traditional Businesses.

What is your Sexual
Orientation?
What is your Religious
Belief?
What is your Facebook
Password?

Chapter Nine
Imagine this if you will. You are unemployed in a
downturn economy. You have a spouse, 3 kids, 2
dogs and a ballooning mortgage. You come across
a job listing you are qualified for. You are asked to
log into the job site using Facebook for easy
access. You submit your resume and await the call
while the system scans your social profile.
86

Chapter Nine
A few days later, the phone rings and you set up
an interview for the following week. You arrive for
the interview in your fanciest suit with a new
haircut that could have put food on the table and
gas in your car. You are excited and thrilled to be
considered for a position in a company that you
highly value.
87

Chapter Nine
The interview goes well. You responded to all
their questions honestly and accurately. You added
in some insights that would earmark you as a
unique and preferred candidate. You think it went
well and that the job is almost yours. Your
financial woes are soon to be over and life will
return to normal.
88

Chapter Nine
The HR manager, who legally could not ask you
about your sexual orientation or religious beliefs,
does the unthinkable. They ask you to hand over
your Facebook account and password for further
screening. Faced with the thought of continued
unemployment, you agree out of fear and
cohersion.
89

Chapter Nine
As they scan your friends, uploaded pictures,
status updates both public and private, you sit
there is complete disbelief at what is happening.
90

Chapter Nine
Upon review you are deemed to not be a
pedophile, a state terrorist, an escaped felon or a
soapbox lunatic. You are handed an offer letter
with firm contractual obligations.
91

Chapter Nine
You are required to friend your immediate
supervisor and the head of HR on Facebook. You
are not to post any negative status updates about
your lengthy commute, your work habits, your
corporate concerns, or your annoying co-workers.
You must like the company's Facebook page. You
must share PR material issued by the company on
your personal profile.
92

Chapter Nine
Upon termination, you must unfriend any current
employees and cease communicating with them.
93

Chapter Nine
Sounds farfetched, but this is happening right
now. These HR policies and corporate mindsets
go against everything that is Social Business. Most
job seekers unfortunately will simply accept these
new terms without any resort or retort. Well, I am
making it clear right here and now. I will not work
for any company who would promote or allow this
form of social privacy invasion and social profile
hijacking.
94

Chapter Nine
A Social Business is one that recognizes that
successful relationships are based on implied trust.
A Social Business is one that values the opinions of
its employees and customers whether positive or
negative.
95

Chapter Nine
A Social Business is one that understands that
focussing on being a great company will make
people want to spread the word across their social
graph. A Social Business respects your privacy and
embraces your transparency. A Social Business
would never ask you for your Facebook password.
96

Chapter
Ten
What does The Six Million
Dollar Man and Knight Rider
have to do with Social Business?

You have the Money!
You have the Technology!
You have the Means!
Do you have the Culture?

Chapter Ten
In the opening segment of the popular 1974-1978
TV Series, The Six Million Dollar Man, Oscar
Goldman recites these famous words.
"Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the
technology. We have the capability to make the
world's first bionic man. Steve Austin will be that
man. Better than he was before.
Better...stronger...faster."
99

Chapter Ten
For those of you born later, allow me to use
another example. In the opening segment of the
popular 1982-1986 TV Series, Knight Rider, we
are introduced to a man who does not exist. The
crusading organization needed a man to pair with
the Knight Industries Two Thousand (KITT),
Michael Knight would become that man.
100

Chapter Ten
What do these two shows have in common. They
are both examples of organizations who put their
faith behind the pairing of technology and a
human being.
101

Chapter Ten
In The Six Billion Dollar Man, the Office of
Scientific Intelligence (OSI) invested millions to
rebuild a former astronaut with bionic implants.
In Knight Rider, the Foundation for Law and
G ov e r n m e n t ( F L AG ) g av e a m a n a
new identity and paired him with a high-
tech Pontiac Trans Am controlled by a computer
with artificial intelligence.
102

Chapter Ten
Both shows dealt with the introduction of state of
the art technology of their era. Both shows went
on to become pop culture icons spawning
numerous copy cat shows, spin offs, and
merchandize gold mines.
103

Chapter Ten
Both shows also understood what many
organizations fail to comprehend when it comes to
the latest gizmo, gadget, tool, platform, or Social
Media Enterprise Collaboration and Community
Wonderkit (aka Sharepoint, Jive, Salesforce, etc).
104

Chapter Ten
In 1966, Abraham Maslow was quoted as saying,
"I suppose it is tempting, if the only tool you have
is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a
nail." Sadly, for most, this is exactly how they react
t o n e w t e c h n o l o g y a n d n e w
operational paradigms.
105

Chapter Ten
An organization spends millions of dollars
investing in a new collaboration platform, simply
to see its users still using it as a file storage
mechanism. A company invests in brand new
tablets with real time capabilities, only to finds its
employees still sending e-mails and attaching
documents in a reply-all apocalypse.
106

Chapter Ten
The organizations that become successful at
integrating new technology, do exactly that, they
integrate it. These organizations realize that the
most sophisticated car needs the human element
to interact and gauge the subtleties of the
environment. These companies realize that the
keenest eyesight, fastest legs, and strongest arms
are not an advantage without the insight to
determine friend or foe, and flee or fight.
107

Chapter Ten
Organizations who wish to invest in technologies
to enhance their competitive advantage, need to
realize that this investment requires a human
element. They must ensure that the right people
are chosen to wield the power that have been
awarded to them. They must provide them with
the autonomy to reach out and test the limits of
their new found devices.
108

Chapter Ten
They must outline the goal of the technology and
not just the operational elements outlined in the
manual.
109

Chapter Ten
These companies should remember that all the
successful examples of technological advancement
came with the pairing of human beings. The
human element must share the mission, embrace
the ideals, and comprehend the technology they
now possess. Technology that is not integrated
with the human element is destined to fall apart at
the seams, rust in a scrap yard, or suffer an early
cancellation.
110

Chapter
Eleven
To Blog or Not To Blog? It is not
a Question, but an Answer to
your Fundamental Identity as a
Human Being.

Why should you Blog?
What will you write
About?
Who do you want to
Become?

Chapter Eleven
Some days I stare at this blank canvas and wonder
what text I will contribute to the Google
repository. The question is never should I blog or
should I not. The answer is clear, blogging has
become a core element of my Digital Footprint. I
have no less than ten blogs that I contribute
content to.
113

Chapter Eleven
The concept of writer's block is not foreign to
anybody who has decided to put thoughts to
words. What cures this ill is the act of writing
itself.
114

Chapter Eleven
The very act of putting thoughts to words allows
words to inspire new thoughts. Some refer to this
as free writing or stream-of-consciousness writing.
The very act of writing will allow you to formulate
what you are struggling to take form in the first
place. You may have an idea in your mind as to
where you wish to go, but the goal is to allow
yourself to go where your fingers take you.
115

Chapter Eleven
Which brings me to a famous quote by Douglas
Adams.
“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but
I think I have ended up where I intended to be.”
116

Chapter Eleven
Those of you who also follow my writings at
Life@42: A Leadership Social Novel are already
aware of the importance of 42 to my philosophy
of life and business. The very nature of my quote
"Content is Free. Context is where the Value is."
stems from the inner study of the great equation
of life, the universe, and everything.
117

Chapter Eleven
So it should not be a surprise that another quote
by Douglas Adams should manifest itself in this
blog post on the very nature of blogging itself.
The ability to outline your thoughts for the world
to see is a very powerful thing. The very act of
writing them out is not only therapeutic, but also
one of identity.
118

Chapter Eleven
Most organizations and individuals keep their
thoughts to themselves. It is not that they are
unable to write. This very post is proof that simply
typing without concern can lead to a core artifact
and perhaps inspirational call to arms. The
problem stems in their fear of being public or
transparent in a society which often frowns upon
those who seek to break the mold and display their
uniqueness.
119

Chapter Eleven
It is mindsets like this that have caused most
organizations to be filled with mindless
automatons better suited for the factory floor of
robotics and well timed execution of repetitive
tasks. The problem of course is that as more and
more elements become automated, we lose track
of the human element that make our products
and services desirable in the first place.
120

Chapter Eleven
We have spent the better part of the last century
coding systems and proceduralizing processes.
This has left us with stale cultures and risk-adverse
Luddites. As systems become more and more
foreign to the human dimensions, we simply
disconnect from ourselves and our compatriots.
121

Chapter Eleven
While technology is at the very foundation of this
blog, its thoughts, expressions, sentiments are very
human. At the end of the day, our businesses need
to become more human and blogging is a core
element in ensuring that those who choose to
engage do so with another human.
122

Chapter
Twelve
Land the Sale! Why a "Content
Spiral Engagement Strategy" will
convert your Sales Funnel into a
Sales Tornado.

What is your Inbound
Marketing Strategy?
What platforms does it
Target?
What customers does it
Support?

Chapter Twelve
We have all been there. A thought leader
announces that they will be participating in a
webinar on a topic you are passionate about. You
follow the link and register for the event. At the
appointed date and time, you log in and enjoy
their insights after a brief intro by the sponsor. An
hour later, you resume your daily grind fueled by
newly acquired wisdom.
125

Chapter Twelve
A week later the phone rings daily, multiple
messages are left, and your inbox is flooded by
sales requests. You don't even recall who the
sponsor was, let alone why you would be
interested in their product and services. Simply
put, you arrived, you listened, and you left satisfied
with the intent of your purpose. Mistakingly, the
act of attending the webinar deemed you a
"qualified lead" for the sponsor's sales funnel.
126

Chapter Twelve
The biggest problem facing most organizations is
the gap between a lead and a sale. All marketing
efforts and CRM campaigns are geared towards
narrowing this gap. However, the gap exists for a
reason as does the process of lead qualification.
127

Chapter Twelve
To simply compress the sales funnel by auto-
qualifying leads is an all too common
practice. The end result is a disgruntled potential
customer, a frustrated sales agent and another
scheduled webinar to backfill the now depleted
sales funnel.
128

Chapter Twelve
Organizations who adopt a "Content Spiral
Engagement Strategy" understand that the sales
funnel has evolved in the Social Era. The very
nature of Inbound Marketing is to pre-qualify
your leads before you start engaging the sales
department.
129

Chapter Twelve
The purpose of the Content Spiral is to allow
your content to self-navigate the lead through the
sales funnel. Each piece of content is cross linked
across platforms and draws the lead further into
the engagement process.
130

Chapter Twelve
Digital content distributed in a spiral pattern not
only layers downwards but also propagates
outwards. As the lead self-navigates down the
funnel, the content is shared across their
landscape. It is the very dual nature of the
Content Spiral that allows the funnel to touch the
ground and become a tornado.
131

Chapter Twelve
The intensity of intent becomes far reaching. The
intent of action becomes absolute. The action of
transaction become status worthy. The sales funnel
re-populates itself with self-qualifying leads.
132

Chapter
Thirteen
The Doubting Thomas. How an
Agilistic Operational Model can
Convert the Unbelievers into
Disciples and Saints.

Does your anger fuel your
Belief?
Does your belief fuel your
Anger?
Can you simply Believe?

Chapter Thirteen
At the gates of Heaven, the mortal was asking
admittance to his eternal life. When asked of his
past deeds and future aspirations, their admittance
was denied outright. When the mortal asked why,
the response was brisk and blunt. "It is my belief
that you would be the most loyal of my followers,
if you believed in me. It is also my belief that you
would be my strongest opponent, if you did not
believe in me."
135

Chapter Thirteen
Every organization has them. They often sit in
their office with their door open and their mind
shut. They feel the change all around them and
yet cannot imagine the possibilities. Their
imagination is curtailed by their inability to
envision a manifested outcome. Every
organization has The Doubting Thomas.
136

Chapter Thirteen
They are the ones who demand proof before
taking action. They tender others to formalize
their beliefs through RFPs, RFQs, RFIs, and
RFHs. They model extensive ROI equations
based on false numbers only they choose to
believe in. They prefer to spend millions on what
others do not want in fear of believing in the
vision of others. They are the ones who fail to
trust until they see it with their own eyes.
137

Chapter Thirteen
In their mind, they are the gatekeepers of truth,
equality, logic, and wisdom. To change their
beliefs often requires a miracle founded on
crushed ideals and diluted principles. To them,
you are the embodiment of something that cannot
be and your proposal less so. They are often the
bottleneck of progress and the dead end of
inspiration. They can bury an organization under
rubble of distrust and inaction.
138

Chapter Thirteen
While every organization has The Doubting
Thomas, not every organization is hampered by
them. The ability to generate proof of concept
and actionable results dispels their mistrust. By
adopting an Agilistic Operational Model, an
organization can find success through incremental
results.
139

Chapter Thirteen
Only through proof of outcome will progress be
made in their eyes. The Doubting Thomas can
eventually become a believer and as a result your
strongest proponent.
140

Chapter
Fourteen
Titanic Social Business Lessons.
What has 100 years taught us
about Silos, Class Hierarchy, and
Icebergs.

Is your business Sinking?
Are you navigating
commercial Hazards?
Is your hierarchy poorly
Engineered?

Chapter Fourteen
To many Generation Y, Titanic was a movie based
on fictional characters and a tragic tale of lost
lives and lost love (now in 3D). If you don't believe
me, simply search the word Titanic on Twitter to
see some of the surreal statements being made on
the 100th anniversary of its sinking. For those who
know better, it was a milestone in engineering and
a chapter in our history that should never be
forgotten.
143

Chapter Fourteen
There is an old saying that states that history is
doomed to repeat itself if we don't learn from it.
Education and awareness play a large role in
ensuring that this does not happen. Re-
engineering and re-tooling play a far larger role in
ensuring that we learn and adapt from those
lessons.
144

Chapter Fourteen
So what have we learned in the last 100 years
from the sinking of Titanic? More importantly,
how can your business implement changes based
on those lessons that will ensure that it will live to
tell the tale another day.
145

Chapter Fourteen
A lot will be said about the unsinkable design of
the Titanic. It was engineered to seal off water
across verticals silos. It would stay afloat if the
damage was limited to the four silos in the front or
two silos in the rear. The sheer bulk of the Titanic
would balance the added weight in those
compartments and stay afloat.
146

Chapter Fourteen
History will remember that more than four silos
were flooded causing the ship to dip forward, snap
in half, and sink to the depth at an alarming pace.
147

Chapter Fourteen
A lot will be said about the historical class
structure of the era. The very fabric of society
ensured that only the richest and fairest would
benefit from the perks the Titanic offered. Woman
and children first and the Captain will sink with
the ship were popular mantras of the era.
148

Chapter Fourteen
What was also very popular was the
compartmentalization of classes. While the
misconception is that the classes were structured
horizontally across the Titanic, they were actually
vertical silos spread across multiple decks. Even
though different classes shared the same deck,
they never intermingled or communicated until
disaster struck.
149

Chapter Fourteen
A lot will be said about the Iceberg that the
Titanic failed to navigate successfully. The Titanic
was a massive ship, but the Iceberg that sunk it
was 80% larger in size than what was visible. The
Titanic was a fast ship, but the propellers suddenly
put into reverse made it a sitting duck.
150

Chapter Fourteen
The Titanic was an extravagant cruise liner, but it
d i d n ' t h a v e t h e l u x u r y o f t i m e
or maneuverability that cold night. The Titanic
had shifted from open waters to treacherous alleys
requiring foresight, insight, and communication to
navigate the hazards.
151

Chapter Fourteen
The Titanic sunk because of multiple
failures cumulating in what was a perfect storm on
a clear night. The spotters didn't have the
binoculars needed to see the details awaiting
them. The Captain used reaction techniques far
more in line with smaller vessels.
152

Chapter Fourteen
The new Marconi radio was not fully integrated
into the framework of the command structure.
Chaos ensued when multiple class structures broke
down their gates and flailed to survive. While
engineered to handle the rush of water, the ship
was not designed to spread the load across the
vessel causing a disastrous silo effect.
153

Chapter Fourteen
Your business is currently in dangerous waters.
The economic reality requires you to re-examine
what is a luxury. The growth of Social Media
re q u i re s yo u t o re - e nv i s i o n wh at i s
communication. The bureaucracy of Office
Politics requires you to re-model what is an
organization. The speed of change requires you
to re-think what is standard procedure.
154

Chapter Fourteen
The unseen portion of the Iceberg can doom you
to the depths of a watery grave, or be the missing
element that will re-define what it means to be an
Agile Organization.
155

Chapter
Fifteen
Don't let that Needle Burst your
Bubble. How to Ensure that your
Tagged Drunken Picture becomes
a Needle in a Haystack.

Are you Anonymous?
Are you Infamous?
Are you Mysterious?
Are you a Needle in a
Haystack?

Chapter Fifteen
I have a friend. Let's call him Nick. Nick went
partying last month. Some would call it a bender,
other would call it legen...wait for it...dary. Nick is
often the life of the party. After a few drinks, Nick
becomes the center of his own universe and yours.
Nick is, well, Nick is Nick.
158

Chapter Fifteen
Last week, I got a call from Nick. You could hear
the fear in his voice. The sheer pleas of
desperation were quite familiar to me. Nick
became the latest victim of a well known
phenomena in the Social Era. Nick's high spirited
party antics were captured and tagged for all to
see. When you searched for Nick, that night's
drunken picture graced the top results. Nick was
forever branded as a drunken fool for all to see.
159

Chapter Fifteen
"You gotta help me bro", Nick was pleading, "I
am applying for a new job and if they search my
name, this is the only thing they will find." Nick's
drunken photo represents what I often refer to as
the needle of your Digital Footprint. The needle
in this case is not something you wish people to
find. This needle will quite literally burst your
bubble.
160

Chapter Fifteen
Nick desperately wanted to have that picture
removed from the Internet. While he removed the
original image, the reference to his legendary
night would not disappear. It had been shared,
cached, copied, and tagged beyond his control.
No matter what Nick did, he could not escape the
imagery of that night. Or so that is what Nick
thought.
161

Chapter Fifteen
There are many services that will help you deal
with your reputation management. They will
scour the Internet and remove anything that can
be damaging to your personal brand. If Nick was
to reach out to them, they could "fix" his problem.
I am sure that when people searched for him
online, they would no longer see that picture.
They would actually see nothing at all, and that is
the problem that Nick really has.
162

Chapter Fifteen
The issue is not that this image comes up when
you search for Nick. The issue is that this image is
the ONLY thing that comes up when you search
for Nick. This is the case with the vast majority of
individuals who fear having their instances of joy
become moments of infamy.
163

Chapter Fifteen
In the Social Era, we are all potential victims of
the paparazzi, aka our friends tagging us on
Facebook. To combat this new transparency,
requires even more transparency.
164

Chapter Fifteen
What Nick needs to do is build a haystack to
compliment his existing needle. The goal is not as
much to hide the needle, but to provide additional
content to further define who he is.
165

Chapter Fifteen
Nick didn't have a Linkedin profile extolling his
accomplishments and experience. Nick didn't have
a blog providing context for his views on business
leadership. Nick didn't have a YouTube channel
capturing insightful moments from the many
conferences he attended. Nick didn't have a
Twitter account engaging with those who shared
his ideals and aspirations. Nick didn't have a
website curating his haystack.
166

Chapter Fifteen
Nick only had a needle.
167

Social
Media 101
Robert Lavigne, Therese Lavigne,
and Marcel Lavigne.

Social Media 101
#StayTuned
169

We Love
Brantford
Robert Lavigne, Jeff Thibodeau,
and Jaime Thibodeau.

We Love Brantford
#StayTuned
171

Downtown
Brantford
Robert Lavigne and
John Bradford.

Downtown Brantford
#StayTuned
173

Social Business Mentor
SocialBusinessMentor.com
facebook.com/SocialBusinessMentor

Lessons from
The Brant Cave
Special Edition
by
Robert Lavigne,
Your Social Business Mentor

Volume Two
in The Brant Cave Series

Contact @RLavigne42.com
Business Mentor, is available
for online mentoring sessions
u s i n g S k y p e , G o o g l e
Hangout, and even your
Phone.
I n p e r s o n , L i f e @ 4 2
Workshops featuring Robert
L av i g n e, c a n a l s o b e
scheduled for any group size
and topics.

Tales from The Brant Cave (Volume One in The Brant Cave series)

Empfohlen

Empfohlen

Weitere ähnliche Inhalte

Kürzlich hochgeladen

Kürzlich hochgeladen (20)

Empfohlen

Empfohlen (20)

Tales from The Brant Cave (Volume One in The Brant Cave series)