by Ralph
on December 7, 2011
Last summer I confessed that I can’t tell jokes. Exploration of humor to research a blog post persuaded me that this was just one more the self-limiting lies I believe about myself. Humor and the simple ability to tell a joke can be learned. This was clearly the lesson of my research and so when I committed to speak at an industry conference I told myself that I would tell a joke.
Tuesday was the day. I gave my presentation. I opened the talk with a joke and people laughed. I know that Jay Leno is not worried but I am excited by my accomplishment. It wasn’t a buffo, belly-laughing joke but it opened my remarks with something funny that tied to my topic and established a relationship with my audience which I have never accomplished before. I’m a facts guy with the right answers and I usually berate people about what they are doing wrong. Amazingly they don’t relate to my lectures. On Tuesday I was still the same guy telling them what they ought to do but I was able to refocus on helping them with a problem. I used a new technique that I won’t go into here for the content and organization but a good part of the success has to go to the simple joke that started it all off.
After my commitment to tell a joke no matter what the consequences because after all, it couldn’t make me any worse as a speaker, I searched the web for energy humor because that is the industry where I work. I hit pay dirt. The joke I found was simple, energy-related and poked a little fun at environmentalist. I thought it would work but the real question was…could I tell it?
I personalized by telling a white lie. I claimed that the story was from my sister-in-law in Pennsylvania where the joke is based. My story was that I like to keep aware of things in the rest of the country because sometimes California goes its own way. So it helps me when I talk to my wife’s family in Pennsylvania. Then I told the joke and amazingly, people laughed. It was more than the polite, humor the speaker laugh that I expected and it was all I could do to keep from giving myself a high five. But I still had the talk to give so I just smiled and moved on.
I don’t share this to pat myself on the back. I do it because there are probably many others who have told themselves that they can’t tell a joke and so they go through life proving that they are right instead of taking it as a challenge to grow and become a joke teller. Believe me, if I can tell a joke, anyone can. Stop defining yourself down. And don’t just stop at jokes. What else is there that you believe you can’t do? GO DO IT!
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by Ralph
on December 7, 2011
Facebook is for everyone.
Many people today don’t take Facebook seriously. Because of the trivial and negative postings that some people make, they disparage Facebook and the people who use it. I think that is a mistake because Facebook provides real value as a way to keep connected with friends and family. I have long been an advocate of Facebook as a place to keep connected with friends, family and associates over time and distance. For example, I have relationships with old friends from high school and made some new ones to boot. Just because some people use Facebook in ways that damage their reputations doesn’t diminish its value for others. Responsible people can get real benefits from Social Media and Facebook in particular. I think everybody should be using it.
Not everyone agrees!
Some people still discount Facebook and Social Media as trivial and won’t join. They think that Facebook connections are trivial. They won’t settle for anything less than a ‘real‘ face to face relationships. If that’s the way they feel, so be it. For me, they lose but it is their life. They can live it as they choose. That is just one side of Facebook, however.
There is also Facebook for business.
Lately, I have been learning that other side of Facebook. I am using it to promote and build my business. I still have my personal homepage with my personal friends and likes but I have a business presence on Facebook as well. I just created a fan page which will be the focal point of my business activity. I am learning how to use my business persona in the Facebook community to promote business activities and relationships. Business depends on relationships just as much as individuals do and Facebook has provided a perfect platform to manage them. Facebook is just another tool to establish credibility and provide value for businesses as well as individuals.
My page is a work in progress while I install the missing the bells and whistles that will make it more effective. The hardest part of any activity is the start. So I have started. As I learn more, it will become a resource to link the various business activities together.
But wait, there’s more.
The other facet of Facebook that I am learning is Facebook advertising. Facebook ads are those snippets of text and image on the right side of your Facebook page. Facebook places those ads on your page using the information you provide about yourself and what you like. Advertisers can target their ads effectively because of the information Facebook collects about its users. It is a win for everybody. Right now I am still experimenting with advertising but the results are promising.
So I’m asking for a like!
So today I’m asking my readers to visit my business Facebook fan page and like it. There isn’t too much their now but I’ll be working on the other features as quickly as I can. Meanwhile, what about your use of Facebook? I would like to know if any readers use the business dimension of Facebook. I’m always looking for resources and ideas. I’ll be sharing my lessons over time as I move forward and I hope you will share as well.
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