Dont Post That

Do you remember the saying, Would you do that if your mother was watching?  It should be, Would you post that if you knew your boss was watching... because he/she is.

Social media allows us to connect, share, comment, rant, discuss, etc. for free, in real-time. The trade off is that its available for virtually anyone to see and share. And once it's there, it doesn't go away (without A TON of work) .

We hear stories on a daily basis of people making inappropriate, or perceived inappropriate posts and getting in trouble at work. We also hear stories about people not getting jobs because of what they have posted online.

There is no reasonable expectation of privacy once you hit the enter button and "publish" something online.

Do the bosses and hiring managers have a right to hire or not hire you based on what you've posted online? Do they have the right to fire you?

Lets start with hiring. Yes, of course they have the right to not hire you. And the vast majority of hiring managers are looking. If we were looking to hire an intern or full-time staffer the first thing we will do is Google/Facebook and Twitter them. Do you really think we would hire someone with pictures posted of them hanging off a balcony, hitting a beer bong?

In regards to firing... that's touchy.  It depends on exactly what you post and what your companies official policy is.

Many business do not yet have a social media code of conduct in place. We get calls daily from companies requesting we assist them with developing a social media policy. So, if your company doesn't already have one, they soon will.

In closing, don't post the picture of you at spring break trying out for Girls With Low Self Esteem or  the picture of your bachelor party when you went streaking.

You should assume everything you post is being viewed not only by the people you work with but by your current and future employer as well. Because it is.

Lionel Rainey
3Lions Media

What to do about negative online reviews or comments

Not replying to, ignoring or deleting negative comments or reviews online can be a big mistake. I've spoken to numerous small business owners who will not setup a Facebook page because they are afraid that someone will say something negative about them, their product or their company. Guess what...people are talking about you and your business. If you choose to simply ignore it, it doesn't go away. It's just a one sided story: Their side of the story.

Here's the deal. Neither you or your company is perfect.

So, what do we do about negative comments or reviews?

If negative posts are made with malicious intent, are posted purely to harm or have no legitimate basis, delete them (and the user).

If a comment is negative, but legitimate, do not delete it. Address the complaint and describe what is being done to remedy it.

Everyone makes mistakes and people know that. What will set you apart is that you address the mistake and detail how you have or are fixing it, rather than ignoring it.

Not all negative comments are posted on your Facebook page. In fact, a small percentage of them are. Its up to you to seek out these comments and address them. Both negative and positive as well. Find positive reviews online and share. Find negative comments and give your side of the story. Be aware that people are (mostly) not stupid and can sense a sincere post vs. a fluff piece.

If you do not have the capabilities to manage your reputation online (ORM), find a reputable company to assist.

- Lionel Rainey 

Martin Luther King Day - What would he say?

I was asked today what I thought Dr. Martin Luther King would have to say about the United Sates today:

I think he would see the steps we've taken as a Nation and be very impressed. In 1963 when he gave the famous "I Have a Dream" speech, many black people couldn't even use the same restroom as white people. Today we have... a black President. So, yea, I think he would be very pleased in the progress we've taken.

I believe that Dr. King spoke as much about personal responsibility as he did equality. To be honest, they go hand in hand. In that regard I think there would be many aspects of the black and white community today that he would not be happy with.

He never spoke about entitlement. He just wanted the playing field to be equal. He dreamed of a time that we could "sit down together at a table of brotherhood", "to lift our nation from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood", "to make justice a reality for all of God's children".

Much of what comes from a small vocal leadership today in the black community is exactly the opposite. It's a divisive message by design. Leaders like Jessee Jackson & Al Sharpton constantly promote separation by color. They, in my opinion, prey on the black community.

Would Dr. King be happy if a black person was awarded a job over a more qualified white person simply because of the color of his skin? I doubt it. I think he would be as appalled by it as he would if a white person got a job over a more qualified black person due to race.

I think the strides we have made are tremendous and I think we have a long way to go. It's about us working together as "people" and as American's... not as African Americans or Caucasian Americans or white people and black people. Just as people. "...to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of BROTHERHOOD".

 - Lionel Rainey III

The Second of November

Passive and still as change swept the land
Silent we stood, not raising a hand
 
Our contempt increased and our anger grew
With each liberty taken, with each right removed
 
The flags came out and a party was born
To reverse a tide; To mend a Charter torn
 
The time is upon you; your voice will be heard
Today you scream out loud; without saying a word

To all those whom govern, I advise you remember
What happens this day, the second of November

- Lionel E Rainey III November 2, 2010

Stop turning your head & stop saying your sorry

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." (Edmund Burke)

From the beginning of time the constant struggle between good and evil can be explained by Mr. Burke's observation. Pick any century, civilization or empire and you will find time and time again the number of good people greatly outweighing the number of evil people. But more often than not the numbers don't determine the outcome. What does make a difference, however, is whether those who claim to be good men are willing to stand up and fight for what they know to be right.

How does this happen? Is it a crowd mentality or are people really that easily lead or mislead?

I don’t know what the answer is, but I see it happening right now, this second in the United States of America. I don’t know when it started. Maybe Roe v Wade. Maybe the so-called separation of Church & State. I don’t know. What I do know is that the Constitution, the conservative ideals this Nation was founded on and even our God given rights are under a vicious attack. And ‘good men’ are silently standing by and watching it happen.

We turn our heads because we are afraid. Were afraid of what they will say about us. We criticize the President and we’re racist. We attend a Tea Party rally and we’re ultra conservative right wing nuts. We bear arms and we’re potential domestic terrorists. We support the institution of marriage and we’re bigots.  We support a pro-active war on terror and we’re warmongers. We worship in public and we’re criminals. We try and guard our borders and remove those here illegally and we’re Nazis.

Don’t kid yourself. Battle lines have been drawn. Think that’s over the top? Think again. One day you might wake up and not recognize where you are. I guarantee you our Founding Fathers wouldn’t recognize it today. Could you even imagine what John Adams or George Washington would say? They would be put in jail for it, I promise you that.

So what do you do? Its simple; Stop turning your head and stop apologizing.  Take a stand whenever the opportunity arises. Speak out. Don’t be afraid of what people will say. Support conservative leaders. Open your eyes and ears and spread the word. Stay informed. Never shut up. More is at stake that you could ever imagine.

I’m done turning my head. I’m done apologizing. So should you.

Merry Christmas

I want to publicly commend my boss, Bizzuka Inc CEO John Munsell for instructing us to refer to Christmas as Christmas and not the Holiday. Its sad that's a big deal. I'm sick and tired of being dictated to by the vocal  liberal minority. What about my rights as a Christian? Maybe it’s offensive to me to be told I can’t say Merry Christmas. How many of the enlightened class who don’t believe in Christ take the day off?  If it’s not your thing, show up for work on the 25th of December. How would African Americans react if they were told they couldn’t call MLK Day by its name, and to refer to it as ‘non-violence day’? If I was told I couldn’t say Veterans Day and had to call it ‘a holiday’ because it would offend the anti war crowd…well, we would have a problem. I challenge the 72% of Americans who do believe in Christ to proudly wish everyone a Merry Christmas and not a happy holiday. If your work dictates you not to say Christmas, do it anyway. If you are reprimanded or mistreated in anyway, fight back. File a law suit for having your First Amendment rights suppressed! Its funny how liberals often leave out the second sentence of the first amendment stating: "Congress shall make no law prohibiting the exercise of religion". We have been pushed around  for long enough.Stand proudly and be counted! Have a Merry Christmas!

The Salty Seller

Keep your friends close and your manager closer.

I know that sometimes we think our managers suck. Maybe they do, maybe they don’t. I've had managers in the past that I wanted to place under citizen’s arrest for being complete idiots. I've wondered how some even managed to get dressed in the morning? I'm going to guess they had a spread sheet with detailed instructions. Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto.

Some managers have no business being where they are. Get over it.

The fact is, they are where they are and we are where we are. There's nothing we can do about that, no matter how much we may want to. What we can do is sell the hell out of our product. When you're out selling, not only do you make more money...you keep your job!

No one has a perfect work environment. If you do, please forward me your hiring manager’s phone number.

If things aren't perfect where you work, I am sure that you have a group of passive protesters lurking around. A sly group, these passive protesters . Do not fret. They are easily identified. At the beginning of the day they will be hanging out around the coffee pot, bitching about their morning commute, the husband, wife, children, even the coffee. More times the not, the complaints about the coffee are completely justified. During the morning meeting they will keep a straight face , but come 9:31, they're the first to give a passionate speech about how poorly everyone is treated, how terrible the corporate structure is, and how life just isn’t fair.

I know this because I've have been that guy. Sometimes rightfully so... Sometimes not.

If you're that guy or girl... Stop. If you're around that guy or girl... Walk away. All they will get you is fired.

Like it or not, we are influenced by the people with whom we surround ourselves. If you’re a golfer, you know exactly what I mean. You will often play to your competition. Meaning if you play with someone better than you, you will play better than normal. If however, you play with someone really bad, odds are you'll end up breaking a club or two.

As for the passive protesters, do you really want to be like them? I’ll go out on a limb and guess you don't. Misery loves company. And her parties suck!

I want to see everyone happy and doing well. I see the miserable people and wish they weren't. Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to see in others." Forget that! Be the change you want to see in YOURSELF!!! If you wallow in your own pity, you’ll become just that… Pitiful.

You know where you want to go. Go there. Don’t let a manager get in your way. Don’t let anyone get in your way. Stand up and be counted.

It’s a cold, cold winter outside. Jobs are tough to come by. If you have one, try and keep it. One sure fire way to do that is to close deals. Sell baby, sell! It’s hard to fire someone that makes you money. Even the worst of managers understands that. Or maybe they don't. Either way, don't waste your time crying about it or writing a blog in a coffee shop. No one cares. Just go sell something.

Pick up the phone.

I received an email yesterday from someone who was sitting about 15 feet from my office. My answer to the question in the email required a yes or no answer. After I sent my reply I wondered why they didn’t just walk over and ask me, or easier yet, just pick up the phone. It took about 10 minutes for them to write the email, send it, have me read it and send a reply. It would have taken 15 seconds or less if they had picked up the phone.

No one can argue that e-mail is a bad thing. It would be detrimental to my current success if I didn’t have it. But should it replace an actual conversation? When should you pick up the phone and call? I guess that depends on each situation and if you really want to talk to the person or not.

It seems like we are becoming a society of non-communicators. Text messaging is replacing phone calls. Online social networks are replacing happy hour. Blogging is replacing coffee pot rants… It’s just easier, I guess. But when did the easy way become the best way?

My Grandfather never sent an e-mail and is one of the most successful people I know of. He never had a cell phone either. How many of us feel like we couldn’t live without our cell phones. I had lunch with a colleague the other day and he never put his iPhone down. Neither did I, but you see where I’m going.

We are afraid that if we are not constantly connected we are going to miss something. We aren’t! If its important, they will leave a message. The next time you are about to send an e-mail to a client, consider calling them instead. They might actually like to hear from you.

Dress the part!

Do the clothes make the man? No, but they sure speak loudly.

Walk into a coffee shop and look around. See the guy with Birkenstocks, cut off shorts, hemp necklace and a huge smile? I wouldn’t have him do my taxes, but I bet he could score some great pot.

What about the guy in work boots, blue jeans, a flannel shirt with a tool belt on? I doubt he’s an authority on social networks, but I bet he can build one hell of deck.

The kid in the Birkenstocks could very well be the head of Students Against Marijuana and the guy in boots could be a webmaster...but I doubt it. You can’t always judge a book by it's cover...but it will usually give you an idea of what it’s about.

Romance novels have a picture of a shirtless guy with really long hair fighting a dragon. Mystery novels will have yellow crime scene tape and empty bullet casings on the pavement. Fantasy novels will have a picture of Barack Obama. Sorry...couldn’t resist (please don’t shut down my blog Big Brother).

The point is that your appearance says a lot about you. It's your first, first impression. When you walk into someones office, before you even open your mouth, you have been sized up by the potential client. It takes about 5 seconds.

Take advantage! Don’t spend the meeting trying to change their mind about you because you wore ratty shoes or because your shirt has a coffee stains on it from last week. This is when you should be selling your product or service.(This is one of the primary reasons I would avoid having tattoo's on your neck if you deal with decision makers on a daily basis.)

You don’t have to buy a $1,500 suit. Sometimes a 'big boy' suit can be a bad thing. It can be intimidating. Especially if you are calling on a local blue collar client. For eaxmple, I would never wear a tie during a first meeting with a local tire dealer. Half the staff might run out because they think you’re a cop, or even worse, the IRS.


Do you know that feeling you get when you drive a new car? You sit a little higher in the seat. When you look sharp and feel good about yourself, you just seem to walk a little bit taller. Strangely enough self confidence builds upon itself.


Give yourself an unfair advantage. Buy a three button black suit. Pick up a nice pair of shoes. I would suggest staying away from alligator skin and multi colors. Put on a freshly pressed white shirt with a sharp tie and hit the streets. I bet you sell something...

*** If you are a woman in sales, I have no advice whatsoever. I am no more qualified to give tips on ladies fashion that I am on giving sales advice…

Sell ME

My initial thoughts of a salesman (even now) is of a greasy haired, middle aged man...slightly over weight. A white dress shirt with a slight permanent sweat ring around the collar.

I imagine him knocking on my door on a sunny Saturday morning. He has a faded brown leather briefcase in his left hand. His smile when I open the door reminds me of the smile I give when I run into someone I really don't want to talk to. Basically as insincere as it gets.

With an outstretched hand he introduces himself as John from Johns Widgets Inc. Before I have the opportunity to tell him I have as many widgets as I can handle, he's started into his pre-scripted and well rehearsed speech of just exactly why I need his widget.

After 5 minutes of completely ignoring my obvious body language (screaming go-away) he asks if he can sit down and show me a brochure detailing the levels of widgetary he has available.He has that look on his face. You know the one... like a lost child, or a hungry dog begging for a treat.

You feel so bad telling him no. But you do anyway.I am a salesman... I am not John.

What makes me different from John and his widgets? For starters my widgets are invisible. I sell air. Radio advertising actually. News Talk, AM radio advertising to be precise.But that's not what makes me different from John...or any other salesman. What makes me different is that I have found the secret to sales. That's right. Its all right here for you in the next several paragraphs...and its free. (Another difference would also be that I wash my shirts and my hair.)

Here you go.

The secret to sales is simply believing in what you sell. Well, that's the first part of it anyway. You see, when you believe in what you sell, you don't need a pre-designed script. You don't have to start your conversation with "Hello, my name is ______________ and I have the solution to all your needs". That makes me want to throw up in my mouth. When you believe in what you sell, you can simply look someone in the eye, shake his or her hand and enthusiastically engage them in a CONVERSATION about how your product will enhance their life.

Notice I said conversation. Not talking at someone. That's what a scripted salesman sounds like. It sounds like someone is talking at me...not to me.

People buy from who they like. Correct? Who likes someone with a canned speech about the roto-wizard 3000? Well, that actually sounds interesting...but you get my drift. Especially in the economic state we live in today, people are wary of anyone or anything attempting to remove money from their hands and into someones pocket.

Now, more than ever, the relationship is vital. You don't have to close someone the first time you meet them. Slow and steady wins the race.Someone told me that I needed to slow down to speed up. I now know what that means.

So...If you are going on a sales call today, try this. Don't bring a pamphlet, don't bring a package. Just bring yourself. Sit down with your prospect and talk TO them. Get to know them. Find out what they need. Find out what they want. See if you have any tools that will help them get said wants and desires...and go from there.