Business managers and entrepreneurs must not only drive bottom line business results by leveraging social networks but they must also stand out in the crowd in today’s competition-intense business environment, according to supply chain expert Lisa Anderson, founder and President of LMA Consulting Group, Inc.

“Those executives who stay on top of the latest trends and also find ways to utilize them in their business are far more successful than their counterparts,” said Anderson, who works with executive leaders and management teams to transform people and process into profit. “Leveraging social networks is an underutilized strategic opportunity in many companies. Why not optimize your operational performance and deliver superior customer service, shorten lead times, increase profit and accelerate cash flow?”

Anderson, an in-demand speaker and author of Leverage Social Networks to Drive Business Results offers these tactics:

  1. Don’t think you’re in the product or service business: “You are in the relationship business,” said Anderson, a board certified supply chain consultant. How do you gain your next customer? How do you get service from your supplier when they are overwhelmed? Do you have your employee’s loyalty? The answer depends on whether you prioritize relationships.
  2. Your relationship isn’t with a company; it’s with a person: “It’s quite the challenge to have a relationship with a company yet we all try to pursue it,” Anderson said. My customer or client is Boeing or GM. My supplier is Cardinal Healthcare. No. To be successful, your relationship is with Fred Andrews, COO of Acme.
  3. Don’t shout about your products & services: “No one has time to listen with all the chaos in today’s information overload workplace,” said Anderson. “The way to stand out in the crowd is to create a conversation – in person and on-line.”
  4. Don’t tweet or status more noise into the atmosphere: “No professional cares about your latest bell, whistle or feat; instead, they care what’s in it for them,” said Anderson. Provide value and folks will be interested.
  5. Don’t be singular in communication: According to Anderson, “Variety is your friend. With all the stimuli available in the business environment, each person is only interested in what’s meaningful to him/her.” You must use varying modes of communication to reach your audience. Tweet, post statuses, develop a video, download an audio file, and pick up the phone.
  6. Don’t just talk: “Talk is cheap. Listening is critical success factor to succeeding with social networks and social media,” said Anderson. How will you modify your conversation to fit the person if you don’t know what he/she needs?
  7. Don’t be mundane: “To stand out in the crowd in the business environment, you must be an object of interest,” said Anderson. What will make your customers think “I must do business with Fred!”? What will make your employees proud to work at your company? What will make investors think your company is worth considering?
  8. Don’t be complex: “There is too much noise in today’s environment to be confusing in your requests and messages,” said Anderson. Short and simple stands out from the crowd. Clarity wins the day.

Anderson summarizes, “Think about how these simple don’ts can be leveraged to accelerate business results. Those who think differently and understand the power of relationships and social networks will thrive. Will you jump on this opportunity?”

About Lisa Anderson

Lisa Anderson is an Operations Strategist and founder and President of LMA Consulting Group, Inc. She partners with her clients to synthesize and develop strategies and rapidly identify, prioritize and execute plans to increase profitability. She had been a VP of Operations of a leading absorbent products manufacturer.

She is the author of Leverage Social Networks to Drive Business Results, has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, ABC News, and the Los Angeles Times, and has published articles for the American Management Association’s MWorld, Industry Week and Corp! Magazine. She has also been a guest lecturer at the University of Southern California’s Entrepreneurial Studies Program and has been a featured speaker at The Association of Operations Management (APICS) International Conference, the Global Supply Chain & Logistics Summit Conference and U Connect Conference.

Lisa is Board approved in Supply Chain strategy by the Society for Advancement in Consulting, an advisory board member for the Advanced Supply Chain Certification program at California State University Fullerton’s Extended Education and President of the Inland Empire Chapter of APICS. For more information, go to https://www.lma-consultinggroup.com and to sign up for her newsletter with articles and tips on achieving profit through people, go to https://www.lma-consultinggroup.com/newsletter.php.

 

Originally published on PR Newswire on January 8, 2013