If you’d like insight on how I would employ similar techniques for your small business feel free to shoot me an e-mail at ryanstephensmarketing (at) gmail (dot) com.

Enjoy!

1. Let’s assume you just opened a martial arts studio. You’re ready to begin classes. You have no students. What are the top three things you’re going to do to get the first fifty?

The problem with this question is the assumption that you should open a martial arts studio prior to acquiring any students. I think the first thing you’d want to do is start having conversations with other martial arts influencers and people wanting to learn the practice. Begin developing a reputation as someone who is knowledgeable about martial arts and then start providing value and building a community. Whether it’s offline, online, or both, the key is to get a handful of true fans that want to learn from you, and are willing to spread the word about your brand. Then you open the studio.

2. Do you think Twitter is a good tool for martial arts schools to be using? What do you think would be the best way for them to utilize it?

That depends. Are people who are interested in martial arts participating and having conversations about the discipline on the platform? A quick glance at http://search.twitter.com/ reveals quite a few people talking about martial arts so yes, it’s probably a sound tool. The important thing (unless you have a tiny niche) is to go where people are already talking and join the conversation – WHEREVER that is.

There’s countless ways to utilize Twitter. The BEST way is probably to engage people interested in martial arts that could potentially become your customers. You could also build Twitter lists of martial arts influencers, students, students by geographic location, etc. You can share links to good articles, videos, etc. I won’t inundate readers with examples, but there’s hundreds of ways to utilize Twitter provided it’s a medium your audience responds to.

3. Do you have any insight into how instructors could take your advice on building their personal brand, but not on what others want/think/expect?

All I mean by that is that people shouldn’t let others influence the path they want to take. So many people follow this unwritten protocol where they insist on being politically correct and ridiculously agreeable because they don’t want their personal brand to suffer. The problem with that is you become ordinary, and you don’t stand out to anybody. A lot of people think Dane Cook is hilarious. Plenty others think the guy is a total douche. The key is to be whoever you are without worrying about what others think. Define your brand on your terms and you’ll earn your true niche of fans.

4. Tell us about the tagline of your site: Building Intimate Business Relationships.

I think relationships (and ideas) are the foundation of good business so I’ve tried to create a platform where I can wax poetic about how important relationships are. People don’t associate with a logo the way they can a person, and people want to do business with people they like. Nobody wants to push 1 for the menu and the automated voice. I’m probably oversimplifying it, but that’s what it boils down to for me. Being genuine, helping people, and cultivating reciprocal relationships that ultimately help both parties achieve their goals.

5. Martial arts competes a lot with soccer, baseball, football, and other youth sports. What would you do to hold the competing sports at bay and retain more students?

I don’t think I’d actively try to hold other sports back. I think I’d do my best to tell compelling stories about martial arts. I’d try to highlight the benefits and unique selling propositions both for the sport and for my particularly school/studio. In lieu of competing with other sports, you might even try marketing martial arts as a supplement to other sports. Increase your concentration for baseball, discipline for football, quickness for soccer, etc.

6. Where would you place your focus more in 2010: Print Ads, Online advertising, or Other? Explain?

Again, it’s really dependent on the audience you’re trying to reach. Where are they? What do they respond to? There’s something to be said for a company, big or small, that can bring people together and engage in personalized and meaningful way. Personally, I’ve found this to be easier online. I don’t think it’s a coincidence a lot of money is shifting away from traditional advertising methods and towards the online stratosphere. I think it’s all about evaluating what you’re trying to accomplish and using the tools, mediums, channels, etc. to connect with your target audience in a way that makes sense (to them).

7. We like unconventional. What’s your top unconventional marketing tip?

Being yourself. Too many people, companies, brands, etc. want to follow others, to imitate rather than innovate, and to stick with what’s work for others, what’s worked in the past. I have a lot of respect for companies like Crispin Porter + Bogusky that aren’t afraid to take risks.

The truth is that I’m not the most creative person in the world. I like executing the simple things at a very high level. Put it this way: If I were a chef I wouldn’t use really fancy techniques. I would try to cook simple flavors better than everyone else.

If that’s not your approach, try to use the element of surprise to do things nobody else is doing. If it’s been done before, chances are it’s not that unconventional. Andy Nulman is the master of leveraging surprise.

8. Online video is getting big and will probably overtake many other forms of advertising in 2010. How do you use online video in your hypothetical martial arts school?

I would probably just show them the wise ways of the West Virgina Ninja.

Kidding aside. I would test a variety of different segments and see what people were responsive to. You could host very short videos where you demonstrated a move, discussed a mental aspect of martial arts, gave a tour of your studio, showcased student sparring matches, etc. The possibilities are endless.

I suspect there’s plenty of proud parents that would love to go online and watch little Johnny perform his moves on YouTube. It would give them something they could send to their friends, who could show their kids, who could become interested in your studio as well.

9. Lots of martial arts schools have trouble differentiating themselves from the other schools in their area. Facing this reality, what do you decide to do to make sure your school is the purple cow?

Pick out one thing (or a couple of things) that you want to be the fabric of why you do business. Execute relentlessly. Maybe it’s some of the strategies and/or tactics mentioned in this interview, and maybe it’s something totally different, but find something you can be the best at it. Then do that everyday with as much passion and as much respect for your students as possible and the rest usually takes care of itself. It sounds simple, but it’s the truth.

10. What is your first reaction regarding martial arts or the martial arts industry?

I know virtually nothing about martial arts aside from a few bloopers I’ve watched on You Tube, but I have great respect for people that have the discipline to hone a craft that has the ability to positive influence both their mind and body. That said, I’m pretty sure I could take Chuck Norris is a street fight.

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What’s a fool proof way to showcase your laziness?

Thinking one solution works for everyone, for every client.

I get that you want to have a consistent entrée of services. That’s a good thing, especially when reinventing the wheel isn’t necessary.

It’s when you insist that what worked for IBM will work for Hewlett Packard that you fully illustrate your incompetence.

I don’t walk into Dillards and buy a size large Polo without trying it on just because that’s the same size t-shirt that I wear from Urban Outfitters. That’s lazy, and there’s enough of that to go around without your business participating in that sick cycle carousel.

Business is usually a simple proposition. People make it hard. It’s easy to see dollar signs and think that a one size fits all mentality will increase scalability, but typically it decreases retention.

Your clients want a form-fitting solution. And they sure as hell don’t want to see a competitor wearing the same prom dress.

If you do the hard work upfront, determine your client’s style and take precise measurements chances are they’ll be satisfied with your offering. Not only will they return, but they’ll also tell other people.

See how easy that is?

Photo Credit: Zen

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You are DEFINITELY getting lucky tonight. You’re wearing your sexiest lingerie, or your lucky boxers. You did your make-up perfect tonight, or you’re wearing the best smelling cologne ever. You’re having a great skin day, or an awesome hair night. You’re on a mission and you won’t be successful if you come home alone.

Presuming you don’t look like Jennifer Aniston or Brad Pitt how’d that one work out for you?

[Stop lying and just tell the truth.]

That’s what I thought. You tried entirely too hard, sounded like a desperate floozy or a timid creeper and came home to a carton of ice cream and Friends re-runs.

You will NOT get lucky if you’re trying too hard.

You will NOT sell your product or service if you’re trying too hard.

WAIT. Before you get discouraged you still have to go out, you just don’t have to wear that ridiculous Affliction T-shirt. Part of selling yourself or any product or service you’re affiliated with is letting people know about your product. If you’re sitting at home playing The Sims you won’t get lucky.

The key is finding the happy medium where you’re not acting desperate and trying too hard, but where you’re still showcasing your best aspects, your own unique selling proposition.

How many times have you been pitched by a salesperson claiming, “We’re really, really prepared to go the extra mile for you. We feel confident that we can provide value starting today. We can even package our services into this extra special discount for you.”

How many times have you been on the receiving end of the 7th e-mail after you politely declined the first one, and haven’t responded to the next five?

How many times have you said, “I really appreciate you showing me your product, but it’s not a good fit for me,” only for the salesperson to come back with, “But, let me just tell you abouthow we worked with… … who is a lot like your brand.”

We’ve all been there; many of you are probably guilty of at least one of these, if not all three.

Think about it from a potential client’s perspective. They’re thinking to themselves, if they are this desperate to sell their product, if they’re already coming off the price, then obviously it’s a sub-par service that we can probably get elsewhere.

Ladies, how many guys have you dated that just would not take a hint and leave you alone?

Gentleman, how many stage-five clingers have you tolerated for more than a few days?

So what’s the solution?

Here, so you don’t have to scroll back up:

The key is finding the happy medium where you’re not acting desperate and trying too hard, but where you’re still showcasing your best aspects, your own unique selling proposition.

If you’re a guy and you have a muscular frame, and wearing schmediums is your thing, do that. (Or maybe not.)

If you’re a woman and jokes aren’t your thing, don’t dress like Sarah Silverman and act like Kathy Griffin. Hit up the dance floor.

Understand what your best features are, and then do your best to demonstrate those to the people you’re trying to “get lucky,” with.

It’s the same with your product or service.

Stuart wrote a great post today on direct marketing vs. inbound marketing. If you’ve read any of my other posts on sales you know which one I’m a proponent of. (Hint: Stu and I think a lot alike.)

You have to leave the house, but you don’t have to follow someone around all night. And you don’t have to shove your product down anyone’s throat.

Find out what your potential target wants and see if you have something of value you can provide. Better yet, just demonstrate all the great things about your product and/or service, and the potential targets will form a line waiting to talk with you.

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One such idea is something that I’ve had on my mind for quite some time now. I’ve witnessed people do some great (see: charitable) things with social media. David Armano helping Daniela and her family comes to mind, Chris Brogan encouraging his community to help out one charity a month, and many, many more. Well, my community pales in comparison to those guys, but I still wanted to find a way to contribute something to causes I was passionate about, causes you’re passionate about.

So here’s my solution:

As of today, I’ve re-launched my consulting services with a new twist.

25% of what I charge will go straight to the charity of your choice. If you don’t have a favorite charity, I’ll donate it cancer research, or the Acumen fund, or another organization benefiting our world.

My time is extremely valuable to me. In fact, it’s my most important asset so my services won’t come cheap (well I guess that depends on who you’re comparing them to.) That is to say if you want to give to a charity please just give, you don’t need an excuse. But if you want to use social tools to increase brand reach, brand affinity, and most importantly your bottom line and you’re serious about your efforts please inquire knowing full well 25% of your bill goes straight to charity.

Check out the services page for more details. (Yes, it’s barren right now, but if I didn’t “just do it,” it would’ve never gone live. I’ll continue expanding and refining it over the next couple of weeks.)

One day when I find a ridiculously wealthy woman that looks like Olivia Wilde and can tolerate me, maybe that number can go up to 50%, but in the meantime here’s what you can do to help me out. If you know of a personal brand, a small business, or even a big one that needs help learning how to integrate social media into their marketing efforts please pass this along.

Also, please keep in mind I will be taking my own advice. It’s very likely that depending on the scope of the work I will only take on one project at a time for the time being. This is nothing again you, or your project, work, etc. but if I can’t be passionate and get behind the work, or if we’re not a good fit I’m not going to take it on. I will however do my best to refer you to someone who can help you.

Finally, for a limited time only (I don’t know how limited or how long yet), I’ll make a special offer. Anyone who I decide to work with that doesn’t feel I provided them value at the end of a predetermined time will receive a full refund except for the 25%, which will still go to charity.

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I feel confident that I helped quite a few people, and that’s what is most important to me. But, in the midst of helping others I also learned quite a bit from the experience. What follows are some of the most important lessons I learned:

1.) Taking action is imperative. Last week I discussed the importance of taking action, but honestly it’s always been something I’ve struggled with. I worry entirely too much about how something will be received and have been reluctant to try out new initiatives for fear that they’ll adversely affect my personal brand.

Besides, you won’t remember if it didn’t benefit you anyway. With the free consulting sessions, I took action. It wasn’t the most successful venture ever, but no animals were harmed during any of the sessions.

2.) It’s important to qualify consumer perceptions; which is to say that when something is free some people will take advantage, and you will always be surprised by how many people are looking for a silver bullet solution. Often the two work hand in hand.

A handful of people got on the phone expecting me to tell them the secret to making millions overnight. After I evaluated their business model, and offered a few suggestions to help move the needle, they often discovered ‘hard work’ was part of the equation, and stopped listening. I’ll be careful to screen these people out in the future.

3.) It’s okay, no extremely important to say no sometimes. To my surprise quite a few people shared the offer with their networks and the response was honestly overwhelming. I was both flattered and determined to help all of these people. This was the same time I was working 50+ hours a week at a new job in a new state.

I ended up getting to everyone (with the exception of one who had a tumultuous schedule), but I got severely burned out in the process. Moving forward, I’ll be more selective and ensure that I’m only taking time to work on projects I’m passionate about and people I’m particularly fond of.

4.) Make sure you a lot excess time for research. This is my “no duh,” moment, but when I originally launched the idea I was thinking a half hour every night on the phone. What I didn’t take into account was my propensity to want to over deliver. Yes, I know what I’m talking about, but I wasn’t familiar with a lot of the entrepreneurs and small business that approached me.

I ended up researching companies for at least an hour prior to the calls to ensure that I could make some really strategic recommendations tailored specifically for their company, as opposed to generic advice. I also typically spent another half hour going over notes, and sending them a follow up document outlining the key takeaways and actionable items. 30 minutes after a 10 hour work day is reasonable, 2 hours was a stretch some nights, and ultimately the reason I ended up only doing 2 sessions a week.

5.) You know what you’re doing, trust yourself and get it done. When I started the offer I honestly thought it would be mostly new people just looking to acquire some momentum. I was extremely surprised and flattered when a bestselling author, and a CEO of billion (not million) dollar companies approached me. Admittedly I was a bit intimidated and asked myself (particularly with the author) what they could possibly learn from me.

The thing is I’m a voracious reader of all things business/marketing, and I build strategy and execute for big brands all the time in my day job. Then I go home and help small businesses and personal brands. I have more tangible experience in this sandbox then the vast majority of people online. Even if someone more experienced comes along it’s important to remember that sometimes people just need a different perspective, or are looking for one small piece of advice to really transform their efforts. That’s all it takes, and guess what? If they’re more experience, already know what you’re capable of so be confident and deliver value.

So why the lessons learned now, instead of 4 months ago when I concluded the offer? It’s because it’s time that I take all this advice and put it to good use. The middle of this week I’ll be launching some new consulting services. I won’t get into it now, but once they’re live I’d greatly appreciate your opinions and help to refine my offerings into something that potential clients will get great value from.

What do you think of these lessons? What have you learned from consulting? What would you look for in a potential consultant? Would you hire me to consult you on how to be awesome if Stuart Foster wasn’t available?

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Just like participating in any race, getting a head start can be a crucial advantage in business as well.

Maybe that means waking up earlier like Leo Babauta.

Maybe that means voraciously consuming books and blogs like Stuart Foster.

It usually means being innovative, leading the conversation, creating the culture.

“What makes a company defensible is that it has scaled to the point where it’s achieved critical mass and has become synonymous with a market (online video: YouTube), sector (rental DVDs: Netflix), or task (search: Google).” – Guy Kawasaki

Here’s what I know.

I know that if you start learning everything you can about the snow cone business nine months before I do it will be tough for me to catch up. Especially provided you’ve learned how to make great snow cones, what flavors are most popular, the best locations, the most useful connections, etc.

If you get content and/or lazy and I learn about new techniques or a hot new marketing trend I might gain momentum and I might swipe a city block or two. But depending on how far ahead you are, I have to ask myself is it worth trying to climb that hill or am I better off with a hot dog stand down the street? Not to mention I’d have to shift my focus to enter your market.

Sydney Owen separated herself from her classmates by learning about all these social tools and playing in the social media sandbox. But what now? I know she’s working on what’s next. Are you?

What are you doing to get ahead? To stay ahead?

*Photo Credit: Scott Ableman

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You can make a list of some ‘important’ names in your database and call them all in an attempt to peddle your product if you’d like. I’m sure there’s some law of numbers or averages or something that even dictates that if you send enough proposals and pester companies enough, eventually a couple might sign up out of sheer exhaustion of dealing with you. Yeah, keep doing it that way; apparently it used to work for you.

Use your employees time to revise a proposal 5 times, to research the company for hours on end, to grab a few current events to include in the e-mail. Okay, so maybe that last one isn’t so bad, but I assure you there’s a better approach now.

I’d argue that “the best marketing ideas are actually company operations that happen to be really appealing or compelling to customers too.” (Check out some great examples courtesy of Zeus Jones.)

Clearly, those examples aren’t the easiest to duplicate, but there are some sure fire principles that can truly enhance your ability to increase your bottom line via sales strategy.

When I’m selling my services I turn to Robert Cialdini’s six principles of influence. (*Hat tip to Guy Kawasaki for the introduction in his book, “Reality Check.”) What follows are examples specific to my consulting services, but I’m certain if you’re a little intuitive you can easily apply these principles to anything you’re selling.

Reciprocation:

I will do whatever it takes to ensure that my customer is successful in their endeavor(s). If that means staying until 4 am to finish a strategic framework for the next days’ launch, immersing myself in your community to get the pulse of your consumers, or spending an extra hour on the phone to ensure you really ‘get it,’ then that’s what I will do. I’m going treat you with respect, have patience for you and consistently go above and beyond. Why? Because then my customer will take care of me both monetarily, in the form of a good testimonial, or telling others.

[Do you always make it about you? What you’ve done? I got news for you. Nobody cares unless that directly correlates to how you can help them. Give them one example and spend the rest of the time having a dialogue about what they want and how your services can help them achieve it. This doesn’t mean dictating to them what they need either. Maybe they can’t articulate it, but they already know. Help them extract it.]

Scarcity:

I have a full-time job where I approach 50 hours most weeks. I have to find time to stay sharp by reading a lot of relevant content and keep my wits about me by allotting myself some free time to work out, spend time with friends and sometimes just veg out completely. What does this mean? It means whether I want to or not, I’m not going to take on 5 paying clients at once. Two projects at a time are all I can handle. That means my services are in short supply. If those two slots are consistently, full potential clients know I’m probably doing my job.

[If you’re cold-calling people for business or have the time to send out countless proposals and keep revising them over and over even when the potential clients don’t have the budget or clearly aren’t interested then chances are your services aren’t that in demand. If you did a good job the first time they’ll come back when the time is right. Times are tough for a lot of companies, but break your back for the clients you do have, over deliver and they’ll tell others, I promise. You bending over backwards for potential business illustrates that you’re desperate. If you’re desperate, then I’m going to question how good your product/services really are.]

Authority:

I don’t know as much about social media as Chris Brogan, and I don’t know as much about relationship marketing as Keith Ferrazzi. I won’t pretend to, but I do know more about both topics that most people. I try to convey that here, on my blog. I try to illustrate my knowledge in guest posts on other blogs, in forums, and social networks in which I participate. Heck, I’ve even done it via free consulting sessions.

There’s over 100 posts on this blog. Not all of them will provide everyone with value, but chances are you can learn something, especially about marketing. And this is all free. It’s not going anywhere. Potential clients can wade through all of it and determine for themselves if I have the chops to help their company out. I don’t have to call anyone and “sell myself.” This is how I’ve received 70% of my business; the other 30% from referrals. This my friends, is authority. Well, at least on days I know what I’m talking about.

[Let’s revisit that cold-calling approach. Or even a soft lead you have to persuade. That takes time, and time is money. My time is valuable to me, and I want to spend it helping clients, not desperately trying to close leads. With a stockpile of information in the form of a blog, or free reports, white papers, webinars, etc. clients will come to you with the cash already in their hand. The best part? Instead of wasting time pursuing leads you won’t get, you’re investing that time into content that will provide value for years to come rather than a sunk cost like chasing leads you won’t get anyway.]

Commitment:

Clients (and people in general) know what to expect when they get involved with me. I typically have a candid conversation beforehand about what they expect from me, and in turn what I expect from them (many people neglect this part.) I tell clients up front that if they can provide me with the following information and feedback throughout the process it will help me be more successful at what I do – and invariably earn them more money. It’s a soft sell. They almost always agree to it and adhere to it because they’ve publicly committed themselves to it. This also works with testimonials.

[If you’re so focused on getting the sell that you leave out key information, like the client helping you set some parameters, then you’re digging yourself a hole from the onset. You can promise add-ons and package deals until your heart’s content, but make sure that you’re also getting your client to publically and verbally commit to helping you attain the resources, and giving you the feedback necessary to ensure you can provide the most value. Also, tell them up front, “Provided I do a good job and you achieve the results you’re looking for, I would really appreciate a referral/testimonial at the conclusion of this project.” Most people will agree to this, and having committed to it, they’ll be reluctant to go back on it even if you didn’t blow them out of the water.]

*Commitment is the one I struggle with the most. What works for you here?*

Liking:

You want to know a secret? There’s probably 10, 25, 50 people (at the very least) that can provide the same advice I can, that can uncover the same insights, that can affect positive change within your organization. I don’t want to discredit myself, because I think I’m pretty good at what I do, but the reality is that what I do is duplicable. So why do people do business with me? I’d like to think it’s because they like me. They always know what to expect and they can always count on a candid conversation. I’m not going to bullshit anyone, (but I will occasionally crack jokes that only adolescents would find funny.) It probably doesn’t hurt that my price point isn’t very high because I consistently convince myself I’m very young and still have lots to learn (which in many ways is true.)

[You better be the best there ever was at what you do if you’re arrogant. If you’re shoving your product down someone’s throat, forget it. If you’re snarky and/or always assuring a potential client that nobody else can do what you do they already know you’re full of shit. I think being overly assured of your abilities is the #1 reason why people squander a good thing. (At least confine those thoughts to your own head, eh?) But there are many others: being boring, having a dry personality, being a machine, thinking of a client as only a paycheck. I’m sure you can name countless others. Be yourself, provided you’re likable.]

Consensus:

Testimonials are a good thing, particularly if the client you’re trying to land is similar in size, stature, personality, etc. as the people that have provided you with testimonials. With that in mind it probably doesn’t make sense for a big company to hire me, but for someone looking to help grow their small business, or someone wanting to build their personal brand – chances are I’m at least on their radar.

[To re-iterate from a previous point, don’t tell a company about all your previous clients, rattling them off one after another is obnoxious. But do point them to a couple of testimonials (and explanations if they ask) about how you helped other organizations very similar to them with similar tasks. This offers valuable reassurance, yet it’s subtle enough that they don’t feel like you’re shoving your product/services down their throat. Consensus is comforting.]

*Photo Credit: ThinkPanama

If you’ve read this along, first of all, thank you. Seriously, thank you. Now let me know you made it this far so I can graciously thank you in the comments section. What’s another 2 minutes? Leave a comment and let me know what you think of my application of Cialdini’s principles of influence as they apply to the sales process. What additional suggestions do you have? What flaws do I have in my arguments? What did you find most valuable about this post?

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And it’s also no secret that one day down the road (presumably a lengthy road as I thoroughly enjoy what I’m doing right now) I want to be able to sustain a comfortable living via consulting, blogging, speaking and writing books. At least that’s the plan right now.

I might decide that want to be the head baseball coach at the University of Texas by tomorrow night.

After running a few ideas by Jake Rosen and Chuck Westbrook (who are both wise beyond their years) to confirm that this idea isn’t ridiculous, I have found a way to make more connections and start gaining the valuable working experience I need to have to begin pursuing my ultimate goals.

The result is, what I think amounts to a pretty good deal for any of you reading this:

This provides me a tremendous opportunity to get to know more of you, your business goals, and what you aspire to achieve with your business. It also provides me with a vast number of experiences guiding, and providing insights on what I hope will be a wide array of different projects and objectives.

So here’s how this works:

• I will only schedule one session per weekday Monday-Thursday
• I might do more on the weekends (or none at all). I will never do any on Friday.
• Obviously, these sessions will take place later in the evenings (or could constitute a couple of e-mails back and forth if necessary instead).
• I will not activate any of the strategy for you, but I will provide you with strategy and the action steps necessary to activate.
• You’re welcome to enlist my services for anything you think I could help you with. If you’re relatively new to online marketing, blogging, social media, etc. this could be any number of things.
• If you have a good grasp and you want to hit me up for my strengths, anything related to social media strategies for small businesses, sports marketing, relationship marketing or personal branding are your best bets.
• What do I get out of this? Well in addition to the experience, and getting more connected to my readers — provided the advice I offer actually helps you increase your ROI (be that return on investment or influence), I would greatly appreciate a testimonial for my LinkedIn page. HOWEVER, this is not mandatory. And again, only if the advice I offer WORKS should you even consider it.
• Feel free to pass this post on to anyone you know who is currently in need of some help, but might not have the means to pay for it. Or just anyone who wants to broaden their online marketing horizons.
• To set up a time with me, please send an e-mail to ryanstephensmarketing(at)gmail.com with “Free Session” in the subject line.

I think that covers everything, but if you have any additional questions, please leave them in the comment section of this post, and I’ll be happy to answer any additional inquiries.

I am looking forward to working with all of you.

If you’re keeping score, Maltoni edges out Godin 3-2, with Jaffe and others in third place with 1 post each. — Joseph Jaffe

Keep in mind that I did not go through my entire archives noting the number of times I linked every blogger. I just counted the amount of articles I included in my monthly “essential blog posts” that I have been putting together since August. You can find each respective month here (July, August, September, October, and November).

Here’s the standings:
The # of posts they have had featured are in parenthesis.
1. Chris Brogan (14)
2. Darren Rowse (6)
2. Valeria Maltoni (6)
4. Seth Godin (5)
4. Jeremiah Owyang (5)
6. Brian Clark (4)
6. Dan Schawbel (4)
8. Brian Solis (2)
8. Rohit Bharghava (2)
8. Mike Sansone (2)
8. Mitch Joel (2)
8. David Meerman Scott (2)

8. And if you count both Ryan Paugh and Ryan Healy as one person representing Employee Evolution then they have (2) as well.

If you’re not reading the blogs of these extremely talented and thoughtful social media, blogging, and marketing pioneers, then you are definitely missing out. Take a couple of minutes and go subscribe to their content. While you’re at it, check out my blogroll for some other great bloggers.

Do you read most of these bloggers? Who were you surprised didn’t have more featured posts than this?

At the conclusion of the year, all of these bloggers will be facing off in a celebrity death-match style battle royale for bragging rights.

In the meantime, here’s some great work from some people that I highly respect:

[Just a reminder: These are blogs that I enjoyed reading, for whatever reason. Perhaps they were valuable for me, merely entertaining, thought provoking, were about something I’m interested in (i.e. social media) or potentially something I thought my tribe would enjoy. As always, I would love feedback. Did you catch these posts during October? Did any of these resonate with you? What are some of your most recent favorite reads? Even better, what’s your favorite thing YOU wrote during October? Share it with me in the comments section.]

10 Prolific Bloggers Share Tips on Generating Conversation Blogs – Darren Rowse (ProBlogger)
The title is pretty self-explanatory, but if you’re like me and you’re looking for ways to have a more active comments section then why not get tips from guys like Leo Babauta, Liz Strauss, Jason Falls and other great conversational bloggers.

13 Tips on How to Have Great Conversations on Your Blog – Darren Rowse (Problogger)
Great conversation adds depth to your posts and builds community and reader loyalty. Chances are if you’re blogging you want both of these things, and Darren provides 13 tips that take you deeper into growing conversations (not just getting comments).

Social Media for Business – Who’s Doing it Well and How – Lidija Davis (ReadWriteWeb)
Even if you don’t read this post, click on the link and watch the great video showing disconnect between advertisers and customers. This post covers a lot of bases including how marketing is changing, discussions on companies that use the social web well, and then how you can get started.

Never Lose Alone, Never Win Alone – Dwayne Melancon (Joyful Jubliant Learning)
This is my first time featuring Dwayne on my “best of” lists, but I like finding great new content, I really appreciated both his story, complete with vivid explanations, and his takeways of what he has learned from his blunders. Great advice for those that work in/with teams!

Social Media is Difficult Like Intimacy – Rebecca Thorman (Modite)
If only Rebecca blogged more often (I know the feeling) because I usually love what she writes, and this post is spot on per usual. She discusses the notion that social media is intimate, but that you have to be in the space and it’s because companies are made up of people, not a blacktop of products. The discussion following the post is also great.

Tyler Durden’s 8 Rules of Innovation – Brian Clark (Lateral Action)
You don’t have to have seen Fight Club for this to be a valuable post, but if you have you’ll realize that this is brilliant stuff from Brian Clark. Apparently, Tyler Durden says a lot of things that apply directly to innovative action.

Pixelated – Your New Business Conference Starts Online Now – Mitch Joel (Twist Image)
Pixelated is a an online video mash-up inspired by Brian Eisenberg that is a full-day online conference all from the comfort of your own computer. This is Mitch Joel’s conference that will educate you and motivate you to think differently about your business. Featuring remarkable videos from people like Seth Godin, Chris Brogan, J.J. Abrams (creater of Lost), and one of my favorite speakers Benjamin Zander. Do any of these videos inspire you?

Is Effort a Myth – Seth Godin
Despite what popular media might lead you to believe effort isn’t a myth. Seth explains that effort is directly related to success, and the paradox of effort. At the end of the post, which will most certainly make you think, he provides a few keys to succeeding via effort.

People in the Real World – Chris Brogan
This is a friendly reminder that those of us in the social media space are way ahead of the game, and that the average person has no idea what we are talking about. Chris articulates why we should be the bridge that helps other communities ‘get’ social media. I agree, and as I’m currently experiencing, it’s a lot tougher than you would think.

25 Ways to Build Your Community – Chris Brogan
As your probably realize by now, Chris is phenomenal at providing tangible tips that we as bloggers can go out and put into practice. Many of these are pretty basic and great for a newbie, but there are a couple of hidden gems that even a grizzled blogging veteran might not have thought about.

Twitter is the Ultimate Tease… Does Your Content Tease? – Mitch Joel
One of the things I struggle with is creating good headlines. It’s why I read copywriter’s blogs. In this post, Mitch explains how to create good titles that are bold, provocative, relevant and tease. We’re all busy and looking for quick fixes, that’s why Chris’ post above is so valuable, and with that title you know exactly what you’re getting.

Nine Little Known Traits of Successful Bloggers – Sonia Simone (Copyblogger)
This is a very interesting post that looks into some of traits of successful bloggers that might surprise you. What follows is how being angry, negative or stupid (in the right ways of course) can create breakthrough success on your blog.

Adapting to Change on the Reef – Jeremiah Owyang (Web-Strategist)
Jeremiah provides some valuable advice to companies and people being adversely affected by the current economic conditions. Do companies need to cut off part of their body to stay afloat in the years to come. In addition to a great and relevant quote from Darwin, Jeremiah also offers up some valuable reads with respect to the economy and it’s impact on social media.

The Rapid Growth (And Destruction) and Growth of the Marketing – Seth Godin
On the surface this post was promoting Seth’s new book Tribes, but take a closer look and he’s explaining why mass marketing and yelling at your audience doesn’t work, and how social media reveals a basic human need that we want to be connected, to make a difference and to matter.

Do You Have 16 Boxes? – Seth Godin
This is a must-read if you’re concerned about the health of your personal brand, job, or company during the current economic recession. If one thing is out of sync, don’t let it cause panic, build up the other aspects of your business so that when we come out of this thing, you’re suddenly ahead of the game (and your competitors).

Recommended Web Strategy Reading – Jermiah Owyang (Web Strategist)
Jeremiah graciously assembled some of his best, most visisted, and most commented posts and linked to them all in one blog post. There are some really great and applicable (especially for business) reads about social media in this list. Take the time to read a couple, or bookmark them for future reference.

Would You Like a Job as an Online Community Manager? – Marshal Kirkpatrick
This post covers everything from how to know if your company needs a community manager, what a community managers is, how to prove dissenters wrong, what a community managers does, whether or not it’s worthwhile for a founder/CEO to assume the community manger position, is worth paying for and more.

In Defense of Raising Money: A Manifesto for Non-Profit CEOs – Sasha Dichter
Sasha is sick and tired of apologizing for being in charge of raising money. This is his manifesto. This is a must-read if you work in a non-profit industry. It really is brilliant.

We’re All in Customer Service – Valeria Maltoni (Conversation Agent)
This is something I’ve learned within the last year or so as I’ve developed my online business, but there are countless others that don’t realize yet. Valeria explores how technology and the social web allows us to communicate and collaborate more effectively and across a wide variety of mediums. As communicators, marketers, and leaders we’re all in customer service.

How to Use Social Media to Improve Organizational Performance – Chris Ferdinandi (Manager’s Sandbox)
Chris provides a very thorough look into ways in which we can use various types of social media tools to benefit us in the workplace. He discusses how to use social media effectively and mentions some free (and reasonably priced) social media tools worth checking out.

Job Search is to _____ as Career Management is to ____ : Follow Up – Jason Alba (JibberJabber)
A very short, very fun post from Jason on some great analogies for job search and career management. He also provides some of the funniest responses he got from his readers doing the same exercise. Keep in mind that both the job search and career management are important, just that they are different.

No, but seriously, don’t leave this blog post without doing one of the following:
a.) Telling me which of these posts you found most valuable and/or your favorite read.
b.) Telling me what you wrote that you were most proud of in October.
c.) Connecting with me on Twitter or LinkedIn
d.) Finally, if you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing to receive future updates.

THANKS AGAIN TO ALL MY READERS FOR THEIR KINDNESS AND SUPPORT!