This is the presentation I gave at BlogOrlando on 29sep2007. There are 3 main sections, where I show why business is personal through my relationship with Kris Krug, where I talk about how social media is tearing down the walls that keep people inside organizations from the people outside and finally how people learn and the importance of conversation. In each stage, I discuss important points to consider for interacting with the market today...

1. So what’s really going on?
Chris Heuer, Market Catalyst

2. Scott Becker
Meet my best friend
photo by Kris Krug

3. Kristie Wells
say hello to my wife Kristie
photo by Kris Krug

4. Kris Krug
President of Bryght
Friend
Source of Referrals
One of my vendors
Our Wedding Photographer
photo by
Chris Heuer

5. Business is Personal Again

6. It’s nothing personal, it’s just business.
• For a very long time, we have tried to separate our emotions from our work life,
but the world is evolving towards greater and greater personal expression -
think about what the MySpace generation will do when it enters the workforce
• Have you ever tried to ‘manage’ a relationship with a spouse or loved one?
Perhaps that is why it doesn’t work with customers either
• Abstract terms like audiences and targets are designed to remove our
humanity from business, but more and more people are tiring of being called
users and audiences and are demanding their humanity be respected
• Do you want to work with anyone you personally don’t like or respect?
Me neither.

7. In the beginning
the baker sold directly to his customer

8. Then we started to organize companies
companies sold directly to customers

9. As the market evolved, ‘middle-men’ optimized trade
the company sold to customers and
also through intermediaries

10. This ‘industrialization’ grew with ‘broadcast media’
the company broadcast its messages through
media companies to reach customers

11. The DotCom era brought “disintermediation”
but there were still those who provided
added value and they continued

12. The Web lets you go direct with your story - 1 to 1
but the perspective of editors are still
very valuable, with social media
there are simply more of them

13. But Social Media does something more important
Social Media is tearing
down the walls that keep us
apart and changing the rules
that have kept us from being
human inside our
companies.

14. People, having conversations
we can connect to each other directly,
as humans talking with other humans
as it was in the beginning...

15. Some Rules for Human Organizations
• Start with the presumption of trust
• Make clear your intentions
• Give people a chance
• Provide power for people’s passions
• “Live the life, love the life” (as Jake McKee said earlier)
• Participate in your market’s conversations
• Personal Pronouns are ok!
• Social Media creates opportunities to be found and to connect
• Trust the conversation

16. How we learn and develop understanding
Experience Conversation
Media

17. In the beginning...
Fire is hot Grunts
Meat is good
Caves are shelter
Cave Paintings
=
Sex makes babies Storytelling

18. In the broadcast era...
Free Trials Sales ++
The Product Support --
Push messages at people through tv, radio and print

19. In the conversation era...
Relationships Matter
The Experience
Trust
Transparency
Authenticity
Intentions
Create media to connect
with your market and
serve your community

20. Changing the Marketing Perspective
• Help people buy, don’t sell
• Stop spending marketing dollars only to the point of sale, invest in getting to
the point of satisfaction
• “Customer service is the new marketing” Thor Muller
• “The brands with the best story tellers win” CEO of iProspect
• Participate in the community, give without expectations of getting
• 50% of all advertising doesn’t work, more often then not, the other 50%
doesn’t either
• Help people save time, make money, get more done, be happy, find meaning,
connect with others, and find greater satisfaction

21. Chris Heuer
Discussion http://www.chrisheuer.com/