I want to pass along a story today from the Boston Globe ‘Tweets’ on the menu are a sweet deal about restaurants using Twitter to increase business.  In the story a restaurant used Twitter to let everyone know of their progress of building and opening a new restaurant.  On opening night the place was packed and at least half the patrons from Twitter.

Since my last post I have received emails from followers doubting social networking can help to inprove their business.  Take a look at this article and leave me a comment on your thoughts about LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.   Tell me how you use them or why you don’t feel they are effective to market your business.

I know you’ve heard about this internet thing called:

1. It’s a way to stay connected with your customers. 
2. It’s a way to meet new contacts that may become customers.
3. It’s inexpensive.

So is it worth it?

In the last couple of months we have been using social media to reach out to other potential customers from outside our immediate market.  We have seen an increase in activity and interest in our services and products.  Using social media is becoming the new way for prospects 
that are looking for information on products and services you offer.  

It should be one of your tools in your sales tool box.

If you would like to learn more about social media give us a call to discuss how you can grow your business through social media at 508-226-4565. 

Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JoeNorcott

Recently I read an article in The Boston Globe about Xobni Software.

Xobni (inbox spelled backwards) was originally designed as a plug-in for Outlook that makes searching your email easier. After frustrating searches for a particular email I practically gave up searching all together because Outlook lacks any kind of logic for searching.

Xobni really shines as a search engine for Outlook. I’ve tried others but found them clunky and not efficient. After the initial indexing it runs in the background and doesn’t hamper my Outlook performance.

Using the search box will give you surprising results. As the creators would tell you it adds an “intelligent filter” that not only searches more efficiently but can display the sender’s telephone number if it’s in their signature of the email. It also shows you all the correspondence between you and that person and any attachments are listed separately.

Since I have been using it, I have also found that it creates a social network within Outlook of related contacts from emails received.

For example: Bob, Mary, Jack, Carole and Isaac all know me and know each other. As email correspondence is captured and indexed for future search by Xobni it relates the contacts together by reviewing how emails are addressed between each other. It looks for multiple To:’s , CC:’s and Fwd’s to relate people to one another.

When you search for one of the emails of the people you know it shows you who that person is networked with in your Outlook.

But here is how it becomes a sales tool as well!

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