If the media had not been made aware of the story, would it have played out differently? Did the fact that it was highly-publicized "force" the hospital into a business decision it would have rather not made? Or would the hospital have taken the details of the situation into account and waived the bill anyway?

It made me stop and think of businesses in general. Do we do the right thing just because it's the right thing - or do we do the right thing only when it threatens our business in some way? Or both at times?

I'd love to hear your comments. Do you think the hospital would have waived the bill without all the attention drawn to it? What business situations have you encountered where you did the right thing just because it was right? On the flip side, have you ever been forced into making an uncomfortable business decision because not doing so would have hurt your business in some way?

A popular trending topic on Twitter recently - #therewasatimewhen - had us pausing to think of a past that was quite different from today. While we could go on and on listing our own personal reflections of say, 80's fashion horrors (think: leg warmers, neon colors, and MC Hammer pants), we've elected to note the advances we've seen in business and technology over time. Following we present, our collection of #therewasatimewhen's...

Tina's List:

#therewasatimewhen - Sales people had to find a pay phone to make their calls throughout the day (like in the rain, snow, hail - waiting in a possible line - with pocket change).
#therewasatimewhen - Contact information was stored on an index card in something called a rolodex (what? Thank you Sage ACT! for making our life easier).
#therewasatimewhen - The web was something you cleared from your screaming child's bedroom ceiling, along with the creature that lived on it.
#therewasatimewhen - A laptop for college course note-taking? Try a pen and paper, and white-out.

Dani's List:

#therewasatimewhen - Files were kept in cabinets (not drives) and the contents of the files were created on typewriters.
#therewasatimewhen - The word “bookkeeping” was a literal term.
#therewasatimewhen - When you left work, work didn’t hitch a ride on mobile devices and follow you home.

We know there are a lot more business advances to be discussed. Let's keep the memories rolling. We want to read your thoughts on #therewasatimewhen - so please comment below!

Photo credit:ajmexico

Today's Chicago Tribune[i] had a provocative article about doctors who are sometimes so focused on medicine that they fail to catch socio-economic issues that are contributing factors or possible complications for treatment. According to the Chicago Tribune article, actors portraying elderly men with unexplained weight loss were sent for expensive cancer testing, and doctors in 78% of the cases failed to acknowledge or question his disheveled appearance and other cues that he was homeless. The article reminded me of a conversation I had with clients yesterday, about managing successful sales meetings and discovery sessions...

How often do we, as professional service providers, fail to acknowledge clues from our clients that there are underlying causes or potential complications lurking? Imagine that you have a prospect that has a five-year-old version of software. The business owner complains of performance issues - do you immediately begin discussing an upgrade, or do you stop and ask about the server and network infrastructure?

When a sales manager says that he is looking for new customer relationship management software because the sales people won't use their current product; let's not dive in to a presentation about the usability of our solution. Instead - ask why? I often find that the issue is a combination of technical and management causes. Sales reps that are not asked to provide activity reports, are not held accountable for their pipelines, or are bitter about management issues may not be inclined to use any CRM application - no matter how user-friendly it is.

It can be challenging (and perhaps a bit frightening) to stop and question the red flags that appear during a sales meeting; particularly so if the issues raised are not easily solvable with your products and services. However, if there are underlying issues or complications that will impact the success of your proposed project, they need to be understood and addressed. It's far better to have a dead prospect than a miserable current client.

As the Chicago Tribune article illustrates, patients whose doctors take a more holistic approach toward their treatment are better serving their patients. Likewise, if we make a thorough investigation of our prospects' challenges, we will be better suited to meet their needs. This approach also fosters trust and demonstrates a sincere desire to help solve problems, not sell services.

What red flags have you uncovered and addressed successfully?

[i] Chicago Tribune, "'Mystery patients' help to uncover medical errors" http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/ct-met-mystery-patient-20100719,0,2581267.story

YouTube - it's not just for goofballs anymore. Like Facebook, it has crossed into the business and marketing world, which for some (those naturally creative-types) is enormously exciting and for others (those that are not) is downright daunting. On the plus side, it opens a whole new marketing arena where anything you do is fresh and exciting; and on the flip side, it opens a whole new marketing arena... sigh.

As a marketer, I often think of a line from the movie The Shawshank Redemption, in which a man, released from prison in the 1950's after 40 years, observes, "I can't believe how fast things move on the outside... The world went and got itself in a big darn hurry."

It often seems like just when we are rockin' and rollin' with today's "best" marketing tactics, something new comes along that throws a rock into our roll. As marketing dynamics continue to evolve with the growth of technology, smart businesses are having to explore more innovative ways to connect with their target audiences. Social media networking, while still popular, is beginning to seem "so last season". What's next? From the buzz they are generating, it seems that the next hottest marketing tools on the horizon are QR-codes (which was last week's blog) and the ever-popular, YouTube.

Today, I am going to share some ways you can use YouTube in your marketing to engage your target audience, and I'll give you some tips on creating a strong title...

First, here are some YouTube facts you should keep in mind as you plan your videos:

According to YouTube's website, "People are watching 2 billion videos a day on YouTube and uploading hundreds of thousands of videos daily. In fact, every minute, 24 hours of video is uploaded to YouTube.

Our user base is broad in age range, 18-55, evenly divided between males and females, and spanning all geographies. Fifty-one percent of our users go to YouTube weekly or more often, and 52 percent of 18-34 year-olds share videos often with friends and colleagues. With such a large and diverse user base, YouTube offers something for everyone." Well, I guess that last sentence says it all. Without further ado, here are some ways you can use YouTube in your business to capture that large and diverse user base:In your marketing plan:

• Build your brand by creating your very own YouTube Channel.
• Create a "day-in-the-life" video of your business to showcase your staff and your daily operations.
• Launch new products/services with a video.
• Create a video that shows your products in action.
• Promote your events - before and after.
• Include client testimonial videos.
• Hold a contest.
• Invest in video advertising on YouTube.
• Take advantage of YouTube Insight, which is a free tool that allows you to view detailed statistics about the videos being uploaded to the site.

To establish credibility and earn customer loyalty:

• Create a video that shows unique ways to use your products that the audience may not have realized.
• Upload a video that answers (and even demonstrates) your most FAQs.
• Record and share your public speaking engagements.
• Upload slides from a presentation or webinar.
• Upload interviews with industry leaders or power partners.
• View other business-related videos and engage the YouTube community by posting comments.

So, you've selected a platform and your video is done. Now what? You need to upload it, give it a title and send it into the world hoping it goes viral. In order to create a strong title, I suggest the following:

• Use the word "video" in your title. Most searchers include the word at the end of their query, ex. Shawshank Redemption video. Adding "video" to your title will increase it's relevancy and lead to higher search result placement.
• Be creative and know your target audience. Make sure your title addresses what they might be searching for, not what you are trying to sell; which leads to...
• Conduct keyword research to identify the search phrases being used when people are looking for a video such as yours.
• View what others have done before you. Look for similar videos and analyze the title's of the most viewed and the least viewed. Then compare content.

As we busily prepare for our own leap into the YouTube business world, we'd love to know...

How have you used YouTube in your business? What have you found that works; and what doesn't?

NEXT WEEK: We have a very special VIP blogger! BDG Co-Founder and Guru, Kristi Smith, will share with you how she built her first successful business, our sister company KSC, and how that lead into the January launch of Business Development Gurus.

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/people/whiteafrican/

There's a new(er) kid on the block in the world of marketing - the QR (quick response) code.The QR code is a small square barcode that many smartphone cameras can scan to reveal videos, coupons, text, music and more. Its purpose is in its name - to encourage a quick response from the people receiving it. QR codes originated in Japan, where they have become increasingly popular over the last few years, and where now all mobile phones sold contain QR code reader software. Large U.S. companies such as Pepsi, Coca Cola, and McDonald's have been using QR codes overseas to offer discounts and freebies, and with great success.

Not surprisingly, the cutting-edge television network, HBO recently decided to give the QR code a whirl. In May, the network-giant cleverly embedded a QR code in a "True Blood" commercial that allowed scanners to access an exclusive preview of its Season 3 hit. This in itself is smart, but placing the commercial during the series finale of "Lost" (in select locations) was ingenius. It became a puzzle in a puzzle. Arguably, you had to have recorded the show to pause and capture the code, and a lot of people are still unaware of the exisence of QR codes, but kudos to HBO for possibly kicking off the U.S. craze.

So as a growing number of U.S. companies begin to consider this new marketing trend, the question becomes what are some quick and easy ways you can successfully incorporate QR codes into your marketing plans? For starters, you can...

• Add a code to your marketing materials - Hosting an event or seminar? Include a QR code on your evites and direct mailings that direct people to your registration page or allow them to view the agenda, location map, etc. Getting ready to launch a new product or service? Include a code that directs people to a sneak peek page or offers them a discount.
• Add a QR code to your business cards that leads people to your LinkedIn or Facebook page, to your website or to a white paper. Be creative - the sky's the limit.
• "Borrow" HBO's idea of adding a fun surprise or secret message to a QR code.
• A newer concept is to add a QR code to your store-front window. People can scan a decal to receive a freebie upon entering. For example, restaurants are using the window decal codes to offer free sodas with the purchase of a sandwich when they show the cashier their code reader message.

And when creating QR codes for your marketing, please remember to do the following for greater success:

• Make sure your message and the action required is clear to your recipients. QR codes are still new to many people in the U.S., so please don't assume they'll know what to do when they see it.
• Know your targeted audience. Know their interests and what motivates them to act. Are they 18-year-old extreme sports fanatics, or 50-year-old quilters? Your message behind the code would, obviously, need to be quite different. 
• Make your offer valuable, and mix it up. People like to receive something of value, and that doesn't always mean free or discounted. Give your recipients a mix of discounts and plain-old important information that would help them in some way.
• Beware of over-kill. Not every marketing piece you put into the world needs to contain a QR code. Just a nice call-to-action works well too.

Now that you've got the Do's and Dont's of QR codes, how do you implement it? As a business looking to create codes for your marketing, you'll need a QR code generator. All of them are easy to use. The main differences lie in their tracking capabilities. Some of the most popular include:

• Kaywa QR Code Generator
• Create QR Code
• Zxing QR Code Generator (pronounced Zebra Crossing)
• QR Stuff
• QReate & Track
• ScanLife

In order to access the info behind the code, smartphone users need a QR Code Reader program. Once installed on their device, users simply open the app and take a snaphot of the code. The program reads and launches the info attached to it. I use QuickMark on my iphone and it works great, but there are plenty of others:

• i-nigma
• Kaywa Reader
• ScanLife
• BeeTagg

Considering that most people are never too far from their mobile device, it makes sense to add QR codes to your marketing; and I imagine that their use will gain wide-spread popularity throughout the U.S. But I'd be interested to hear what you think.

Are you or will you use QR codes in your marketing? What are some creative ways you've come up with or seen?

Have you ever driven to a new destination? How did you find your way? If you're like me, you took the "old-school" approach and printed directions from Mapquest; or perhaps, as a modern thinker, you know "there's an app for that" or at least a GPS device. The point is, in order to successfully and efficiently get from point A to point B, you needed a road map of some sort.

In business, owners often need to focus on the urgencies right in front of them, which in basic survival mode means bringing in money to pay the staff and vendors, and hopefully, a bit extra for a hotdog. They can forget to examine (and re-examine) the bigger business picture...

In doing so, they often fail to chart their company's "roadmap", or business goals. It's no wonder studies have shown that most people agree that goals are important to success, but less than 10 percent of people have specific, well-defined goals written down and have action plans for achieving them.

One area that the BDGurus have been instrumental in helping other business owners achieve greater success is the area of goal setting and goal getting. The Gurus help business owners develop well-defined, smart goals. They then work with the owners as they design and implement realistic, achievable action plans for achieving those goals.

Furthermore, they meet with owners periodically to re-examine their goals and actions so they can prepare for any potential changes. In car travel, you never know when your path from A to B will need to be altered due to unexpected road closings, construction delays, etc. Likewise, changes happen in business that need to be acknowledged and planned for accordingly.

The BDGurus are extremely knowledgeable and passionate about helping others succeed. If you are interested in learning more about successful goal setting and goal getting, please join the BDGurus webinar today from 3:00pm to 4:00pm Central.

Go to https://my.dimdim.com/BizDevGurus
at 3:00pm Central to attend to this free webinar titled, Goal Setting and Goal Getting!

What have you found to be your biggest challenges or successes in goal setting and getting?

Late breaking news for business owners everywhere! Summer business burnout has been spotted. Be on the look out for gloriously sunny days, the "itch" to play golf or lay at the beach, vacation "fever", and other summertime blues. Trust us, you'll know it when you feel it. Haven't we all have at some point? For most companies, the summer months tend to be slower. Now is the time to re-examine your business and overcome your business challenges. At BDG, we focus on the 'Ten Essentials of Business Success' to help us keep our business growing and find more time to indulge in summer's various "uncomforts". Want to know more?

Sign up today to receive our 'Ten Essentials of Business Success' white paper, available on July 12, 2010. (And because we appreciate your patience, you will receive a free marketing white paper immediately after signing up!)

In the meantime, how do you stay focused on your company when the (golf course) "greens" have you feeling the "blues"?

BDG integrates mentoring, co-operative implementation and ongoing accountability to achieve business success. At the BDG Trade Show booth, the BDG consultants will help business owners see how different approaches to their usual problems will help them trade their business worries for business wisdom. Attendees will also have the opportunity to win prizes at the Business Development Gurus Prize Wheel.

Kristi Smith will be speaking at the event with Sage's own Alex Taylor to share her approach to running successful "Sneak Peek" events for Sage's ACT! software. Kristi will share how her unique approach to event planning and marketing led to an increase in sales, clients, and credibility in the ACT! community.

Contact us for more information on how BDG can help your business reach its peak.