Last Friday night I received multiple calls on my cell phone from a local number that I did not recognize.  I was out to dinner for a friend’s birthday so I decided not to answer.  However, after the 4th call (at 8:30 pm), I decided that I should answer in case of emergency.

It was a robot recording from the dermatologist’s office calling to confirm my appointment for the following Tuesday.

While we love systems and technologies as much as (or probably more than) the next guy, this was over the top.  Once my blood pressure lowered, I thought, “What should be our litmus test on whether or not to implement a system or technology?”

Before implementing a new system or technology ask, “Will this system compromise the warm and fuzzy feeling that our clients or our employees feel about our company?”  If the answer is “Yes”, don’t do it, despite the efficiencies gained.

Needless to say, I did not feel warm and fuzzy about my dermatologist.  In fact, I felt like I would probably be put on a conveyor belt and inspected and stamped by #43 (while still paying the full service price).

As our social media and marketing division has grown over the last six months, we have been asked increasingly if we offer classes about how to use the different social media tools for business.  We didn’t…until now!

Our latest structuring of packages for our social media clients has taken on an aeronautical theme.  Coming soon will be the announcement of our Marketing Jetpack, Social Media LaunchPad, Online Community Co-Pilot, and more.  What better name for our new webinars than Flight School!

In the near future, we will offer Flight School classes on the following social media tools’ uses for business: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Ava Living, and blogging.  Our first two Flight School classes will be offered on Facebook 101 for Business.

Agenda will include:

- Why your business needs a Facebook page

- How your personal profile and your business page are different

- The difference between Facebook groups and pages

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Gibson Design Management is excited to announce the promotion of Martha Kirkpatrick, previously our Associate Director, Project Sourcing to Director, Member Services.  Martha is a perfect fit for this new position.  Her work in the industry, on behalf of both showrooms and designers, and her unwavering desire to provide the highest level of member service will make her a tremendous resource for not only our firm internally but also for each of the interior design firms that we work with.

Martha will continue to oversee our project sourcing services–sourcing fabrics, furniture, and finishes for our member firms’ projects.  However, this new position will also mean that Martha will be the “go-to” woman for each of our members and any of their business needs.  We anticipate that in the near future, additional team members will be added to this type of position as we are growing quickly.

We created this position to answer a need.  Internally and externally, we felt that our services forced our business into a siloed effect.  This siloed effect did not allow us to serve our members as well as we would like and did not make us as tight of a business team as we would like.  Even as a reasonably small company, it was amazing to see how easy it was for different service areas to not communicate effectively about one of our member firm’s needs.  In response, we emphasized the importance of the relationship and being the one-stop business resource for each of our members.  Through having one point person, design firms will be able to create a better and more seamless relationship, truly making GDM an extension of their own teams and utilizing our offerings to their fullest.

As this is a new position and a new structure for our business, please provide us with feedback!  If you are not a member but enjoy reading our blog, please comment with any thoughts or suggestions about our solution.

Congratulations Martha!  We are lucky to have you.

A few weeks ago, after I learned that Tim Schelfe, ASID–of Schelfe and Associates, Raleigh, North Carolina–was chosen to participate in The Nation’s Next Top Model Home competition, I jokingly sent Tim an email saying, “You are a rock star!”  Joking aside, Tim seems to have reached rock star status with this great opportunity as a professional designer competitor on a web-based TV show.

Tim Schelfe, ASID

The Nation’s Next Top Model Home selected 7 ASID (American Society of Interior Designers) designers and gave them 28 days and $5,000 to transform a room in a model home (competitors could spend an additional $5,000 of their own money as well).  Voting then opened to the public for 30 days online (you can still vote!) and the winner will not only win the ultimate rock star designer status but will also win $25,000 for his or her firm.

I sat down virtually with Tim and asked him about his Nation’s Next Top Model Home experience.

GDM:  How were you selected to participate?

TS: An email blast went out to ASID and I filled out the required information, including photos of my work and a headshot of me.  Didn’t think much about it and then two weeks later got a call that I made the top 12 and then the final 7.

GDM:  What made you decide to participate and do you think it will help promote your business?

TS:  Initially I was very skeptical.  I thought, do I have time for this?  But the submission process was very easy to do and I thought “somebody is going to get selected why not me”!  I hoped this would get my name and my firm out to a very large audience.  I also thought it would be a fun competition to be in and a good way to promote professional interior design.  Also, since they were casting ONLY ASID designers I felt they were sending a good message to the public; hire a professional.

GDM:  Were there any pitfalls in participation?

TS: Yes all the designers had to abide by there budgetary rules.  Also the time it took away from my real business and paying clients was huge.

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After watching these two videos (which have similar content), I hope that you realize that you will quickly become a dinosaur if you are not embracing social media as a direction for your business’s marketing.