Join Cleveland native, Award Winning Blogger and ultimate Business Web Coach, Jim Kukral and myself as we walk you through a two hour training workshop to help you increase your business profits through social media and online marketing.  This event will be in the morning before the Cleveland Business Networking Event at Rock Bottom on June 3rd.

During this workshop we will teach you:

• How to get started with online networking sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter
• How to utilize these sites to find your target audience
• How to generate quality leads
• How to monetize your online efforts
• How to build a following of raving fans for your product or service
• How to save and manage time with advanced online tools
• How to build a positive brand image online
• How to create an online plan and maximize your time
  

*Bonus Content*

-We will also talk about how to incorporate blogging, bookmarking, pictures, and creating viral videos into your marketing efforts and the best way to spread your message through social media marketing.

-Show you how to get press for your business and the best ways to generate this success online.

-Teach you who is doing things right online, and how to duplicate that process
Who Are We?

For years Jim has been working on the bleeding edge of web marketing and business building. From owning his own web firms to consulting for some of the world’s largest companies, Jim Kukral has experienced just about everything web related you can think of. That’s why Jim has become one of the Industry’s most sought after consultants and public speakers.

Jim focuses on helping businesses and brands find success online. Whether that’s through providing expert advice for the firm that can’t figure out how to get their web strategy right, or helping a business achieve more publicity, sales or leads, Jim has the experience and knowledge to get it done right the first time.

Most recently, Jim has been consulting small and large businesses about the power of social media. Specifically, how to use social media to generate more sales, leads and publicity. You can read all about Jim and his projects by visiting his website at http://www.jimkukral.com.

Lewis Howes, a previous two sport collegiate All-American, is also the NCAA All-Division Record Holder for the most receiving yards in a single football game (418 yards, currently an unofficial World Record). Lewis graduated with a Sports Management Degree and since his retirement from professional football, he continues to stay involved in the sports industry with his work on SportsNetworker.com.

Lewis, unlike many former athletes has successfully translated the mental and physical tools learned in sports to the business world.

Lewis is the co-author of LinkedWorking: Generating Success on the World’s Largest Professional Networking Website

In addition to this book, Lewis produced a video training program for those looking to take their LinkedIn profile to the next level: www.ultimatelinkedintoolkit.com.  He also helps professionals and companies achieve greater return on time they devote to LinkedIn and other social networking through his acclaimed training seminars, one-on-one coaching sessions and corporate consulting programs. Lewis also created opportunities for online connections to gather face-to-face through his live “LinkedWorking” events around the country.

When?

This event will be held on

Wednesday June 3rd from 10am-noon.

Location:

5905 Brecksville Road

Independence, Ohio 44131

There is Free parking. It is located half a mile from the intersection of Rockside Road and Rte 21.  The website for the location is http://www.cornerstoneofhope.org/

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What is the Price?

Spaces are limited to only 40 people.

There are only 5 spaces left at $97 so make sure you reserve your spot so you can make this must attend workshop!!!

Part of my thoughts in starting SportsNetworker was to use my contacts in the sports industry for the purpose of helping others find or advance a career. That has worked out for many people. I enjoy hearing about people’s success.

While some people look to find an existing position in the sports industry, others simply blaze their own trail. These stories are unique and are often worth telling. Consider Joe Davis, who just a few short years ago launched Big-Game Preserve Video Production.

Davis originally started Big-Game in the living room of his rural Michigan home. At that time, his operations consisted of nothing more than two VCRs, a crate full of VHS tapes, and a record/pause button.

From these humble beginnings, Big-Game has evolved into a professional production company with state-of-the-art editing equipment and clients from around the country. Big-Game uses Final Cut Pro editing suite (which is the same program Hollywood used in making “Batman Returns”). This allows Davis’ team to offer a variety of products including team highlight films, recruiting films, promotional videos, commercials, and more.

Equally impressive, is the fact that each film option is fully customizable and Big-Game will work with its clients to create the perfect video for their purpose. In fact, Davis and the team at Big-Game produced the video used to promote LinkedWorking, the book I co-authored with Frank Agin and released on March 1st.  (Watch Video Below)

If you are looking for a professional yet affordable post-production company, then consider Big-Game. They provide a top-of-the-line, customized product, but they do it without forcing their clients to “go deep” into their pockets.

With Big-Game, the game plan is simply … you provide the footage, and they capture it forever. To learn more about Big-Game Preserve Video Production visit its website at www.biggamepreserve.com or contact Joe Davis at 517-316-5826 or via e-mail at davisj@stu.beloit.edu.

We have all played baseball at least once in our lives. It may have been just a pick-up game in the street. It may have been at school in gym class. It may have only been tee ball. Whatever the case, we have all played baseball.

Let us reflect back to the first time we were up to bat. What did we do? Did we attempt to bunt? No. Did we earn a walk to first base on a series of bad pitches? No. What did we do?

We tried to hit the ball as hard as we could. Now in all likelihood, we may have struck out in the process. Or we may have ground out to the shortstop. Or we may have popped out to left field. Whatever the case, our intent was to whack the ball out of the park and then enjoy a slow meander around the bases.

Unfortunately, for all of us from time to time, this is indicative of our contact with others. When life presents us with an opportunity to interact with others, we look for the home run ball. That is, we save our effort for those, and only those people, that will yield some real results – runs or scores, in baseball vernacular.

We seemingly reserve our eye contact for the potential new clients. We tend not to flash our warm smile unless we can deploy it on those people responsible for hiring and promoting. We ostensibly cannot muster a “how are you doing?” “hello,” or even a “hi,” unless it is directed at someone of significant consequence to us.

Far too often, we do not want to be bothered with that person who does not appear to have the potential to provide us direct benefit. They might represent getting to first, second or third base, but little more. As a result, our actions reflect our attitude. For these people, we offer no polite pleasantries. We generally maintain a straight face when we encounter them. Moreover, if we have eye contact at all, it is for a fleeting uncomfortable split second.

Nevertheless, we need to take a lesson from baseball. According to Major League Baseball statistics, if the only way a player could score in baseball was to hit a home run, there would be over 75% fewer runs.  In fact, in baseball at any level runs are largely the result of activities other than home runs. Teams attempt to score relying infrequently on blasts out of the park. Rather, baseball teams score runs by stringing together a series of walks, hits and stolen bases.

Certainly, the home run is responsible for driving in runs other than just the batter. However, those extra runs batted in are the result of preceding walks, singles, doubles and triples. In baseball, there is a combination of strategy and luck involved in getting a player safely home. However, no successful baseball team relies entirely on the home run bat day in and day out.

We should follow this strategy in our approach to developing our network and life.  Certainly, some new contacts generate immediate results. From these we get clients, jobs, and other opportunities. These are the home runs. Just as in baseball, we should rejoice at these accomplishments and celebrate.

However, not every new contact will generate immediate results or value at all. Nevertheless, value still exists. There is opportunity in every contact. While not every contact creates results in and of itself, every contact serves as something upon which we can build.

Some contacts we can deem as singles, some doubles, and still other triples. They all move us closer to scoring runs. With everyone we encounter, we should make eye contact. And while we are at this, we might as well smile. And if we have gone to all this trouble, we might as well say, “How are you doing?”

Home runs – in life or with personal contacts – are great. Often they make our day, year, or even life. All the same, despite the attraction of realizing these moments of celebration, we need to keep in mind that singles score runs too!

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Frank Agin writes a monthly sports themed networking series for SportsNetworker.com entitled “The Huddle“.  Frank is the founder and president of AmSpirit Business Connections and consults with individuals

and businesses on how to become more successful through networking. He is the author of two sports related novels,  Out of the Comfort Zone., and his latest hit, Rival.

Did you like this article?  Please write your comments below on your own sub 4-minute miles in your life and check out the other articles from “The Huddle”:

• Stand Tall or Bow to a King
• Why Giving May Be Your Greatest Victory
  
• Networking Miracles
  
• Score Big By Not Keeping Score

Terry Lefton is a killer writer for the SportsBusiness Journal, and I was fortunate enough to meet up him during the Marquis Jet Super Bowl party in Tampa.  He shares some great insights about how difficult it is becoming a writer in the sports industry, but by specializing early you have a much greater chance at success.