The Green Elephant Show

Finding leads… Where can you find them? What roles has social media got to play? How can you contact them? Let’s try some old-school mailshots… ut-oh!

Using social media and other digital methods to find your future consumers has it’s fair share of risks and issues. Russell talks with Amanda Williams, a consultant with Cloud Legal. Amanda is uniquely skilled to provide help on how to find leads and how make the most out of digital marketing, especially B2C.

Timings

00:24 - Scene 10.1 - Socially Inept

04:00 - Scene 10.2 - That went went, not

06:02 - Discussion with Amanda Williams

08:26 - Marketing is not a dirty word

09:43 - Social media dangers

10:34 - Picking your "party"

11:52 - The 80/20 content rule

12:33 - White paper - Online harm

13:38 - Better social approach

15:48 - Closed Facebook groups

17:06 - Email shots and purchasing lists

19:06 - Due diligence

20:50 - Legitimate Interest... or not

25:30 - Digital Marketing pitfalls

28:46 - The Non-digital marketing mix

30:00 - What's missing in Sydeline?

31:10 - Agile marketing strategy

32:54 - Top tips

33:48 - The future for Sydeline?

36:01 - What's next?

Useful Information

Essential Privacy Reading (@12:33)

Online Harms - Executive Summary page (gov.uk)

Online Harms - Full Whitepaper PDF (gov.uk)

Mark Ronson - So You've Been Publicly Shamed - book (Amazon)

What are PECR? - Site (ico.org.uk)

Top tips for compliant digital marketing(@00:00)

Go back to the basics

Know your customer, know your audience

What's your tone of voice, how will you add value?

Treat your website as your hub and use social media to attract people to it

Keep aware of the boundaries and new regulations

Be prepared to pivot when things change

Episode script

Socially Inept That went well, not! Socially Inept

CONTINUITY: Montgomery Grabbar, or Monty, the Sydeline Sales Manager comes to discuss his ideas about improving sales with Zelda and Michaela.

ZELDA: Morning Monty, morning Bubbles

MICHAELA: (full of beans) Morning!

MONTY: (full of the heavy night before) Morning!

ZELDA: How was the trade show Monty?

MONTY: Hard work, loads of good contacts and great conversations.

MICHAELA: Looks like you had a long night

MONTY: Oh yeah, it was 3 o’clock before I finished… Errr…selling

ZELDA: So what’s the plan? We’re sadly lacking in sales.  I have a factory producing stock and a full warehouse and an empty order book.  How we going to turn this around?

MONTY: I need more leads to follow up on

MICHAELA: We are not getting the foot fall on the website.  I’ve received some feedback that it’s dated, difficult to read, unclear, poorly designed… The list goes on.  I’ve have 30 or so offers for website companies to do it for us – should I investigate that.

ZELDA: (sadly) I worked for hours on that website

MICHAELA: Ok, well perhaps I should focus on our social media accounts then.

ZELDA: What can we do there?

MICHAELA: Well we have Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Google Plus, Tumblr, QZone, Twitter, Pintrest, Reddit, StumbleUpon, The Dots, Youtube, Horsetraders, Delicious, Viadeo, Xanga, Vine, Buzznet, Postulate, Billy Nomates, Tout, Quora, Vimeo and Medium accounts on the go.  I’m monitoring messenger, SnapChat, Whatsapp, QQ, Tinder, ScribbleTalk and WeChat for customer feedback.  I’ve registered us with local business organisations, networking groups, Scoot, Hotfrog, Central Index, Touch Local, Yelp and Thompson Local.  I think that’s it… (Pausing to check) I’m a bit surprised we’re not generating leads.

MONTY: (tongue in cheek) What about Yellow Pages?

MICHAELA: Oh right, yep, ok – what’s Yellow Pages?

MONTY: Heh! You’re too young to understand… And good you’re monitoring Tinder

MICHAELA: Hold on, not Tinder, that’s… Errr… A mistake!

ZELDA: (a bit stunned) And you’re posting on all these services

MICHAELA: Yeah.  (hurriedly) Not Tinder. It’s a bit tough keeping with the schedule as it’s about 10 hours a day

ZELDA: Wow, that’s quite an overhead for no leads

MICHAELA: Yes, and It’s having a detrimental affect on my social life

ZELDA: I bet – no wonder you didn’t join us at the pub on Friday night.

MICHAELA: Oh, I meant at the weekends

ZELDA: You’re doing 10 hours a day 7 days a week

MICHAELA: (still enthusiastic) Oh yes!

ZELDA: Right… So any ideas Monty?

MONTY: (a little bemused by social stuff) I… I think we should do an email shot.  I’ve had great success with th

Ok, so the logo needs a redesign and registering because it matches someone else. The website has 4 fonts on each page, not consistent style and appalling icons. Never mind, that never bothers anyone?!

In this episode we consider the dark art of creating a brand. Of what does a “brand” consist? Can you do it yourself? What dangers should you be avoiding? Mike discusses brand with Tom Gamblin from Evident and get’s some top tips everyone should consider in their organisation.

Timings

00:19 - Scene 9.1 Can a logo be to super?

06:08 - Scene 9.2 A hand on the brand

09:24 - Discussion with Tom Gamblin

10:13 - What makes a brand?

12:45 - Is it all about the logo?

13:15 - Are logos difficult to create?

14:55 - A customers view on the logo

16:07 - Good and bad logo design approaches

17:48 - Other aspects of 'brand'

19:42 - Applying the brand

21:45 - Consistency is key

22:30 - Internal marketing resources

24:50 - Doing a rebrand

27:12 - Using real data, avoiding assumptions

28:00 - Top tips

31:07 - What's next?

Useful Information

Building a brand

How to Start Your Own Brand From Scratch in 7 Steps - Article (Shopify)

The Basics of Branding - Article (Entrepreneur)

For inspiration, Logopedia - site (Fandom.com)

How to Develop a Unique (& Memorable) Brand Identity in 2019 - Article (Hubspot)

Top tips for ...(@00:00)

Never rush into branding

Discover what your customers want

Thank how the brand will be applied

Find skilled resources

Consider the return on investment in your brand

Episode script

Can a logo be too super? A hand on the brand Can a logo be too super?

CONTINUITY: With production in full swing, the attention turns to marketing and sales at Sydeline.  Word of mouth has delivered friends and family sales, but quickly dried up.  A very small team meeting is called

ZELDA: Thank you all for coming to this meeting.  We need to get a grip on our marketing, what are your thoughts?

BRYOCK: Peter Drucker once said that “the aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well the product or service fits him and sells itself. “

ZELDA: (not quite getting it) Ok, nice start Bryock

JAKOB: I’m a bit worried about the new logo

ZELDA: Why’s that? I think it looks great

JAKOB: It’s an S inside a diamond

ZELDA: Yep! S for Sydeline and the diamond to depict quality, hard wearing, sparkly and all those other diamond-like qualities

JAKOB: So, (getting out a tee-shirt and laying it on the table)

ZELDA: (excited) Oh wow, you’ve had it put on a tee-shirt and I love the red and yellow colours.  That’s awesome, what’s not to love about that

JAKOB: (deliberately) That’s my Superman tee-shirt

ZELDA: Oh

JAKOB: That logo has been in use for, something like, 80 years

ZELDA: (cautiously) Ours is a different colour

JAKOB: I really don’t think that will work as an argument with DC Comics

BRYOCK: It would explain the tweets we’ve been getting since I posted it.

ZELDA: Like?

BRYOCK: (reading) “Do you use Kryptonite in your products”, “Are your deliveries faster than a speeding bullet”, “I think that logo might already be Trademarked” – it goes on

JAKOB: Right, yes, that would explain those.  So that needs working on

ZELDA: When you say “that needs working on” do you mean getting agreement from Superman?

JAKOB: Errr, no? I mean we will need to come up with a new logo design.

BRYOCK: So…, don’t get it printed on boxes and stationery then.

JAKOB: Definitely not…, wait… Have you had it printed already?

ZELDA : Ummm, Yes

JAKOB: What like?

BRYOCK: 150,000 boxes, 20 reams of letter heads and business cards all round, here, see mine (proudly waiving it around)

JAKOB: (moaning) Good grief, no.  I can’t fault your enthusiasm but we can’t use any of these… Perhaps we can get some printed labels to cover the logo on the boxes maybe?

BRYOCK: Have to be a big label!  Could slow down packing having to put 4 stickers on each box

JAKOB: 4?

ZELDA : The logo is well used on the boxes, you can’t miss it

JAKOB: (in resignation) Well, they’ll just have to go to recycling then – perhaps we can just use plain boxes until we get a new logo?

BRYOCK: Ok, I’ll order plain boxes and get everything else recycled – how eco friendly are we!

ZELDA: (positive and bouncing back) Great, and I’ll come up with something else for the logo then.  Moving on, I’ve banged together a website too.  Had to remember some stuff from my college course and it’s

A letter from a lawyer has tempers frayed. Is Nero playing a fast one on the new company?

What happens when one company uses the designs of a product that is properly protected? What happens if you don’t have intellectual property protection in place? Mike talks to Jacob Cunningham from Bright Solicitors to get some valuable guidance on what all organisations should be considering in relation to their less tangible assets.

Timings

00:20 - Scene 8.1 - Patently Obvious

02:56 - Scene 8.2 - Rock and a hard place

06:34 - Discussion with Jacob Cunningham, Bright Solicitors

08:21 - What is Intellectual Property (IP)

09:03 - Types of Intellectual Property rights

10:18 - Who owns intellectual property

11:28 - Why protect the things that you've created?

12:45 - Benefits when buying or selling a business

13:27 - Examples of where IP has been a problem

14:50 - Dangers of copying on-line documents

16:00 - Risks surrounding Intellectual property

17:45 - What should Sydeline have done?

20:05 - The Patent Tests

21:43 - Can you Patent software?

22:52 - Next steps for Sydeline on the matter of the Patent?

24:40 - Top Tips for those who've never considered their IP

26:00 - Watch what your using from the internet

27:57 - What's next?

Useful Information

Researching existing registered IP (@00:00)

Registered Trademarks - Search site (.gov.uk)

Registered Patents - Search site (.gov.uk)

Registered Designs - Search site (Designview)

Orphan Works - Search site (.gov.uk)

The Intellectual Property Keystone - Article (Gydeline)

Intellectual property guidance (@00:00)

Trademarks - Site (.gov.uk)

Patents - Site (.gov.uk)

Designs - Site (.gov.uk)

Copyright - Site (.gov.uk)

Top tips for ...(@00:00)

Undergo an IP Audit - Get someone to help

Become familiar with the guidance

Take advice from an IP professional

Simple patent validation test

Episode script

Patently Obvious Rock and a Hard Place Patently Obvious

CONTINUITY: Zelda and Jakob stand and watch as the factory starts to output the first saleable products.

JAKOB: Well, that’s a sight for sore eyes

ZELDA: (whist-fully) Isn’t it though

JAKOB: Took quite a bit to get it to production.  Really not sure why we didn’t get another company to do the manufacturing

ZELDA: This is our product.  Our production, our people, our ideas, our innovation, our profits

JAKOB: My money

ZELDA: Our money!  Remember I have used nearly all my savings

JAKOB: And the mortgage on your apartment?

ZELDA: In time, if needed, when you run out

BRYOCK: (approaching) Ms Zero

ZELDA: You can call me Zelda, Bryock

BRYOCK: (quote time) “There can be no prestige without mystery, for familiarity breeds contempt.”

JAKOB: Who said that?

BRYOCK: Charles De Gaulle

JAKOB: Gotta love the French!

BRYOCK: Ms Zero, you have had this in todays actual mail.  Haven’t seen many before, but I think it’s a letter

ZELDA: Very funny, what is it?

BRYOCK: It appears to suggest that you are in violation of the Patents Act

JAKOB: What? Give that here.  It’s from Dribble and Froth – aren’t they your dads legal troop?

ZELDA: Rings a bell, what are they saying?

JAKOB: They say that “It has been brought to our attention that you have commenced production of a product based on a registered patent without licence, agreement or consideration”

ZELDA: What the hell?

JAKOB: I knew it.  When he said you’d nicked his product, I should have pinned him down then.

ZELDA: When was that?

JAKOB: You know, that night he invited us over for a meal together… I KNEW IT! What an idiot

ZELDA: But he’s my dad

JAKOB: He’s teaching you a lesson

ZELDA: He’s my dad

JAKOB: He’s been a businessman longer

ZELDA: My dad!!

JAKOB: Look, there’s probably been a bit of a misunderstanding or this is a really bad prank

ZELDA: Dad!!!

JAKOB: I think you may be in shock.  Bryock, could you take… Ms Zero…to her office please and get her a drink.  Keep an eye on her – I’ve got to take a stroll to Zero’s.

Rock and a Hard Place

CONTINUITY: Jakob enters the offices of Zero’s Heroes.  However, he is unable to walk straight up to Nero’s office, instead having to present himself to a receptionist

JAKOB: (surprised and hesitant) Oh, hello…I’d like to see Mr Zero please

RECEPTIONIST: Do you have an appointment?

JAKOB: *sigh* No, no I don’t – would he be free now, he usually doesn’t book anything

It’s time to recruit – easy huh! Just hire a friend’s son you met in the pub. No right to work checks, no robust selection, no chance anything could go wrong!

Every growing organisation needs to be recruiting staff at some point. To many, this is a foreign experience with pitfalls and dangers, some of which do not raise their head until long after the interviews are over. Recruitment Consultant Oliver Watson and Employment Solicitor Donna Negus join Russell to discuss some of the issues in recruitment and offer some sound advice to those who are considering adding more people to their business.

A longer episode than normal, but worth it!

Timings

00:15 - Scene 7.1 - This time it's Personnel

05:24 - Scene 7.2 - I don't like Mondays

08:35 - Discussion with Donna Negus and Oliver Watson

10:50 - Initial thoughts on "Winging it" in recruitment

13:20 - The "Silver Spoon" and the "Scrapper" candidates

13:50 - Appropriate Locations

16:33 - Interview question no-no's

18:05 - Is it all about a degree?

21:00 - Good questions

22:00 - The recruitment process

26:57 - The social media effect

28:45 - The impact of bad recruitment processes

29:44 - Scoring candidate attributes

31:04 - Discrimination through nicknames

36:20 - Top tips (see below)

43:27 - Difference between small and large organisation

46:35 - Next hot topic?

48:05 - What's next?

Useful Information

Recruitment (@8:35)

Recruiting Staff Guide - Document (ACAS)

Recruitment Guidance - Article (ACAS)

Various CIPD Blog Articles - Hashtag index (CIPD)

Recruiting and Hiring - Page (gov.uk)

Getting advice

Sekoya Specialist Employment Services

Watson Evans Associates

Top tips for Recruitment (@36:20)

Make time your friend

Prepare to be consistent

Make sure you understand what you're recruiting

Create person and job documentation

Find the best routes to finding candidates

Pay someone to support your recruitment activities

Establish good training, like equality

Know your structures (organisation, reporting, etc)

Properly induct and training new people

Ensure new staff members are fully supported

Have good documentation available to all

Episode script

This time it's Personnel I don't like Mondays This time it's Personnel

CONTINUITY: A call from one of her oldests friends has Zelda coming back to the Dog and Bone for a catch-up

PENNY: ZELDA! Woo hoo! Over here sweetie.  How totes amazeballs to see you!

ZELDA: Penny… How are you doing? It’s been… Well… Absolutely ages!  Who is this?

PENNY: Zelda, this is Bryock (Bree-ock), my oldest

ZELDA: Get away with you, little Brioche

BRYOCK: (serious) A brioche is a roll!

ZELDA: Well noted – and you used to be soft and plump too… when you were younger that is.  But what a handsome chap you’ve turned into

BRYOCK: Well, thank you very much.

ZELDA: What brings you into my neck of the woods. You still in Surrey?

PENNY: Oh yes, it’s lovely living in the Garden of England

ZELDA: I thought that was Kent?

PENNY: Close enough darling, it’s close enough.  Anyway I saw from your Facebook posts that you were starting exciting new things

ZELDA: Oh yes, yes, yes. I am.  It’s amazing being your own boss and having complete control over everything.  I am going to rock the business world with innovative approach and ideas.

PENNY: That sounds marvellous Zel.  I saw you were hiring too.

ZELDA: Oh yes, interviews start next week

PENNY: Are you well practiced in your techniques? I’ve seen some travesties in my time in HR in the city.

ZELDA: I’d forgotten you were a personnel expert

PENNY: Human Capital darling – Personnel is so last century

ZELDA: Right.. Human Capital it is.  You still at it?

PENNY: No, no, gave that up with child number 4, Robbie is doing so well with his business, I don’t need to work. I’m a mummy of leisure.

ZELDA: F…f…four kids… (turning to Bryock) bet you’re still the favourite?

BRYOCK: Piyush Goyal once said, “It’s equal opportunity for all, and we don’t play favourites.”

ZELDA: (pausing) Oh, right, well that’s nice.  Are you studying English or Politics or something?

BRYOCK: I’ve just finished my Philosophy BA in York

ZELDA: FINISHED… Holy smoke Penny! You’ve got a child that’s finished University

PENNY: I know, we’re so proud of him.  He’s the first Penhalegun to make it through University.  He’s looking for his first job now.

ZELDA: Really, what do you fancy doing Brioche, sorry, Bryock?

BRYOCK: I think Philosophy has prepared me so well for any number of jobs, Marketing, Legal, Politics, the list goes on.

PENNY: You should try your interview techniqu

Getting into and setting up premises is proving… expensive and difficult. Some bad decisions has Jakob bailing out Zelda again.

With Zelda setting up new factory, warehouse and office facilities, it’s an opportunity for us to discuss the basics of setting up and running premises. Joining Russell for this episode is an experienced facilities manager, Dave Moore, who will provide an insight into some of the pitfalls Zelda is falling into and how to make premises work well.

Timings

00:18 - Scene 6.1 - Building a Better Building

07:19 - Discussion with Dave Moore

08:57 - The role of an architect

09:30 - The role of a project manager

09:57 - The expectations of the client

10:40 - The role of a builder

11:02 - Change Control

12:35 - Others that should be involved

14:20 - Health and Safety

16:33 - Learning from Mistakes

17:40 - Top tips for creating useful, safe and effective premises

18:50 - What's next?

Useful Information

Setting up and running Business Premises (@07:19)

HM Gov Business Premises Advice - Page (gov.uk)

Fire Safety in the Workplace - Page (gov.uk)

Architects and Project Managers (@08:57)

How do I use an Architect? - Document (RIBA)

(Not secure) About Working with an Architect - Page (ACA)

What does a Project Manager do? - page (APM)

A day in the life of a project manager - Article (APM)

What is Change Control - Page (APM)

Health and Safety (@14:20)

Managing for Health and Safety - Page (HSE)

H&S The basics for your business - Page (HSE)

Small and Medium businesses case studies - Index (HSE)

Top tips for creating useful, safe and effective premises (@17:40)

Tip #1 - Listen to advice

Tip #2 - Listen to the client

Tip #3 - Work together to find the solution

Episode script

Building a better building Building a better building

CONTINUITY: Finally, Jakob and Zelda meet in their new premises where renovation and beautification works are well underway.

(Builders and fitters working in the background)

ZELDA: Morning Buttercup!

JAKOB: What? (Bit deflated it wasn’t a term of endearment) Oh, right… The hi-vis gear… Haha! .  How the progress? It’s looking good

ZELDA: I know, right! I think the builders hate me, but we’re getting there.

JAKOB: I can’t imagine anyone hating you Zelda.  And don’t you look dapper in your hi-vis vest and hard hat… So, where are the offices located?

ZELDA: Through here

JAKOB: Wow! Thats a big open, empty, echoey office.  Bit chilly too, you keeping the heating off to save money?

ZELDA: It’s the same temperature as the warehouse?!

JAKOB: Yes, but thats expected.  Warehouse workers tend to be dressed for the job.  Office workers… Well… Not so much.  You going to work in your coat?

ZELDA: I guess not. The builders said something about heating… Hold on (Shouting through to the foreman).  Yo, Wilson, What did you say about the heating yesterday

WILSON: (Shouting back) What I said was, if you force us to put that wall there it will disable the heating

ZELDA: Yeah, that was it.  Hold on (shouting back) Do you mean permanently or just whilst you put it up.

WILSON: (shouting in reply) Permanently, you know, when I said, “You won’t have any heating if you put that there”

ZELDA: Oh!

JAKOB: (to Zelda) That’s not good (shouting to Wilson) What will it take to reinstate the heating?

WILSON: Dunno, we had to rip the flue out – I know a guy, but it won’t be cheap

JAKOB: I bet – get me a price and we’ll have to get it done

WILSON: Righty ho buddy (almost audibly rolling his eyes)

JAKOB: We need to think about the practicalities of running a building and not just getting the aesthetics right.

ZELDA: Aesthetics?

JAKOB: You know, look and feel, making it look beautiful, that kind of stuff

ZELDA: But dads office always looked like it was in a factory, I want my office team to be closeted in a lovely working environment.  I believe that will make them more productive

JAKOB: Not if they’re frozen to death they won’t.

ZELDA: (thinking) True, definitely less productive when dead…

JAKOB: I am surprised Tarquin let you do it, I’ll have to have a chat with him.

ZELDA: Tarquin! That jackass.  He stomped on just about every great idea I had

JAKOB: Stomped?  That sounds past tense

ZELDA: I told him to naff off – called himself an architect, the only thing he architected was my misery

JAKOB: But he’s the best commercial architect in the area.  (worried) Please tell me yo