Spence Smith

When I was in high school my basketball coach, Bruce Davenport, told us something I have never forgotten. He said, Boys…this is how the play works, stick to the play…and if the play isn’t working…play the game and remember…don’t let the play get in the way of the game, because no matter what… we are here to win the game.

I have used that analogy so many times. I can’t tell you how many times this situation comes up in everyday life experiences and in relationships… especially in the work place.

In our fast changing culture of new media and new ideas…if you always stick to the play book or the rules or guidelines or whatever you want to call it…you will loose the game at some point.

One of the things as a marketer I know is you MUST have the ability to change and adapt quickly and go with your gut for what the situation dictates.

When we were playing basketball, we could execute a play over and over and over again and it would work every time…until that one time where it was not working…as soon as we would see the play wasn’t working we stopped the play and just played the game…time to focus on the basket and go for the best shot, the best way you know how. It’s that simple.

If you always play by the rules without knowing how to play outside the rules then you or you business will be viewed as old fashion, obsolete, not up with the changing market, etc…you will get passed by, over looked and the little guy in the corner that is flexible in his approach will win every time. But remember, it helps to know the play or rules in order to change at a moments notice.

Does it mean you abandon the play or rules every time? No…you have to have a foundation that you know works. I’m saying that it might not work every time. You have to know when to change and adapt so that you can play the game in order to get the desired result.

Experience and maturity help in knowing the bigger picture of how your game is supposed to be played. Just don’t forget to play with lots of energy. Experience and maturity combined with energy leads to powerful knowledge that will get you through your game of business in the best way possible.

Where do you sit in the game? Are you so ridged that you ALWAYS follow the play or are you flexible enough to change to get the desired end result?

If you are brand new to the internet and have no idea what it means to have a presence online or maybe you already have a presence online but you haven’t figured out how to make it really work for yourself or you business, then come spend the day with Randy Elrod and I at LifeWork 2.0 Seminar on Saturday, January 9,2010.

We will show you how to start a blog, use social networking sites like Facebook, build a following on Twitter and make it all work together in a way that doesn’t take up every minute of every day of your life, but just becomes one part of life while driving traffic to your brand and increasing loyalty among your clients, customers and fans.

If you are a CEO and you want to learn how to bring employees into your world, put a better face on your company and lead the charge into the new business model of the digital world, then come let us show you how to build a better experience for everyone in your sphere of influence.

If you are a business looking to build a more loyal customer base, we will teach you how to create a conversation with them and get the kind of feedback that gives you the ability to go to the next level in your business.

If you are an artist or author looking to build a larger fan base that is truly interacting with you, we will show you the how to build a strong fan base through authenticity, transparency and conversation.

If you are a leader in the church and you want to learn who to grow your congregation though the internet, we will show you how use blogging and social networking to create an atmosphere that brings people into the life of the church.

If you are a mom who has something to share and wants to be more involved in the mom blog community, we will show you how to get started and build a fun network around you.

We will also give you the behind-the-scenes tools to use Search Engine Optimization to bring traffic to your site without having to pay a dime for a sponsored link or ad.

All of this in one day as we show you how to manage your online reputation. Did you know you have a reputation online? The question is Who is leading the conversation? You or someone else? We will show you how to lead the conversation and rule your online world.

Its a fun day and it’s packed full of useful information. We hope you will join us.

So if you want to sign up… just click HERE for registration and more info or click on the LifeWork banner in my side bar.

I haven’t posted all week do to being really busy, so I want to leave you with this quick thought on relationships.

Business is built on the back of relationship. Trust is built on relationship. Life is made precious by relationship. The way we all get along in relationship speaks volumes to those who want to do business with you.

I network and build what is around me based on the relationships I have with people and how their ability to do great work plays into that relationship. When a relationship is sync’d up. business and life function smoothly allowing for tough decisions and tough times to be worked out with more ease.

In a nut shell… relationships make it all happen. Are your relationships in sync? Are you easy to get along with? Do people trust you?

Just a thought as I continuely see the importance of relationships all around me.