A mail ticked into my mailbox this morning from a conference in Berlin. First off I am completely honored because I thought they where inviting me to speak there, which is the only time where I find out about conferences in my mailbox instead of in my network. This conference has everything – Top trends on the web is what they are going to be talking about there.. Im sure it’s gonna be a blast.
When I read through the mail I find out that this isn’t a speaker invite – they want me to come as an attendant. Wow and here I am puzzled that they would ever send me a participant invite – especially since I haven’t heard about them before – and I have no idea who the people behind the conference is. I received spam. From a top-trends-on-the-web conference in Berlin. In 2010.
Normally I would just ignore this – but I think it’s disturbing that people are having a top-trends-on-the-web conference if they think it’s okay to send out spam to other people that don’t know them, asking them to come to the conference. Now this is where the s*** hits the fan in my head, because the last two lines of the mail says “all talks and workshops will be held in German”.
I don’t speak German.
This makes this mail not only completely disturbing to me – but also completely irrelevant. I mean this is a complete no-go in my book. In every EVERY sales book (and not social media or web marketing book) but in every sales book it says that “first you meet the people you want to sell to, then you get to know them, then you get to trust them – and then – only then – you can start selling”.
So this is the reason I won’t come to your conference. I don’t think you have any idea of what you’re talking about, or what your speakers are going to talk about. You sure haven’t implemented any of it. Thank you for taking some of the most precious thing in my book and wasting it: time.
I mean this is so not okay. Which is also why I am writing this blogpost and wasting another 30 mins of my time telling these people that it’s totally not okay. Really guys, Im on EVERYWHERE on the internet. You could have reached me a 1000 other ways – the internet is interconnected like that. If you can’t figure out how to do that – you sure ain’t going to teach me about internet trends.
Sorry Im ranting now. But please ! – stop it. never again. promise me that ?
I have, during the past week, had a lot of clever conversations with cool people about the secret behind social media. Because let’s face it, what we are really after is what the viral effect could possibly do for our brand/company/NGO – and with social media it has become a bit easier – or so we believe. But going back to before social media/communities/forums etc was mainstream I tend to believe that it was easier to stand out. It was easier to rock and be cool online – because not that many else did it – or tried to do it.
But viral effects today – is something that people believe can be attained if we start engaging on social media – well it’s both true and not true. It depends on the initiatives and the creativity, and for most companies, it’s utopia. A perfect country that is completely unrealistic.
However – every minute spend on a crazy creative idea – accelerated on social media, gathering people, not only lets you into their mindspace, but creates a momentum that is continiously updated from every tweet and statusmessage.
Meaning that people who are interested enough in you to become fans or followers or whatever you’ll call them – will actually know what you’re doing – which to me is a priceless opportunity, But it’s also an empty space – it’s what you put in there that matters, and that’s the creative anarchy of my everyday life as well.
So maybe the version of viral effects that we can attain – the realistic viral effect, are the effect of people who knows you and like you and trust you enough to become fans and followers.
I would work with the know/like/trust combined with the viral effect utopia. Oh and I would proactively get to know more people – not because they are potential fans/followers/clients – but because most people are cool and fantastic and rocks =)
my car in the future – picture by clgoss77
I stumbled across this section in a book I am reading entitled ” confessions of a public speaker” that is getting more and more fantastic by the word.
“From a planetary view, if you’re reading this book indoors, under an electric light, within walking distance of a stocked fridge or a take-out delivery menu you can afford to order from, and rarely find yourself worrying about malaria or dysentry, you are doing quite well. And if you’re still not happy, consider that compared to most of the galaxy, a place comprised of 99,9% dead, empty space, the fact that you’re even alive and in a form of a species evolved enough to read books reminding you on how rare life is, makes you astronomically fortunate. We should be happy about this, but mostly it seems we’re not”..
Adding to that:
I have a man in my life that makes me happy everyday
a daughter that is a perfect child, a huge family that loves me
I can do with my time whatever I want – and I have still managed to make a living for the last couple of years outside of the cubicle.
I am in a position where I can value time over money, because money don’t need to be important to me.
Im a self-published author!
People thinks I am cool!.. They even give me money to speak to them.
I teach people and companies how to rock – and they are loving me for it
I work on projects for clients that are really fantastic and they are changing the world
People who are changing me as a person and my life, are people I have never met – which is fantastic
I am creative and inspired in every breath in and out..
Oh and all those things like weightloss, insecurity, camilla skovgaard wedges, an mgb roadster from 1954, saving the world and end poverty – NO PROBLEM.. we are doing it everyday, and you can join us too if you set your mind to it.
Radical self love is so much my thing=)
Ps – it’s been such a long time since i’ve seen a meme in the blogosphere – if you want to tell us what you are grateful for – please do =)
Livin' my dream by running the social web agency 
