Increasing Employee & Client Engagement

I was at a Social Media Event last week and saw a new form of Social Media that I had never witnessed before.  It took Social Media to a whole new level.  Now, for most people it would be looked at as rogue and maybe frowned upon…

It is a backchannel program called BackNoise…   It is very much like twitter, but basically anonymously and a closed conversation.  According to BackNoise, Backchannel is the practice of using networked computers to maintain a real-time online conversation alongside live spoken remarks.  This platform allows you to talk about what you want, when you want, where you want, and how you want. 

As I mentioned it is a closed conversation… You have to know the Conversation Name to join in.  You cannot search for it on Google because it will not appear.  The fact that it is anonymous, gives it a genuineness never seen before.  You get to SAY & HEAR the thoughts that you THINK but would never say out loud and be tied to them.  I was shocked at the chatter.

There were a couple of good speakers… like Jeff Turner from Zeek Interactive and Bert Dumars the VP of Digital for Newell Rubbermaid, but the headliner was Chris Brogan, who needs no introduction.  He just released his new book Trust Agents and was their promoting etc.  I am only through two chapters but will share soon.

So back to my story, an interesting dynamic took place…  You may have watched during the Presidential campaign some of the news channels during the debates that had 20 undecided voters with a happy-o-meter.  If they liked what the candidate was saying they pushed the “like” button, and if they didn’t then they pushed the “dislike” button.  They compressed one of the buttons every second so you could see where they stood every second.  It would chart a graph like a pulse. 

Well during this event I was at, as a speech was going, the chatter would either be good or bad during every minute of the program.   It ebbed & flowed like the happy-o-meter.  Since it was anonymous, people were giving their truest feelings, the naked truth, no holds barred, and straight to the heart.   It was unreal.

Now, that takes the whole “if you can not say something nice than do not say anything at all” to a different perspective…  I was doing several lectures at GA Tech last week on Social Media & Web 2.0.  Personally, I am not sure I would REALLY want to know what they thought.  Why???  Because no one wants to suck and be talked about in a negative way…Right?  To my face I had a dozen or two come and talk to me after class and showed a lot of interest and care.  Truly, if I just reached a couple, it will be worth it, but hope everyone got SOME value or ideas.

Conversely, why everyone should want BackNoise…

1. Look At This As Positive… What if you could get the real down & dirty about you, your products or services that could make a real impact on where you are going and doing?  These could be the golden nuggets you need.  So do not take it personally, take it constructive no matter how in your face it is.

2. How Could You Utilize This… What if your employees could share their true feelings anonymously and the company actually listened then changes & differences were made.  Think of ways you could really take advantage of this.

3. Search for The Truth, Do Not Hide Behind It…  Most people do not want to hear the truth.  You can see what you are doing wrong and actually make it better.  Because lets face it, 99% are nice to your face and before they turn around, they are saying under their breath, thinking or feeling the real truth anyway.  Might as well hear it, because you think you are doing great and are really losing.  Who does that help?

4. This is Opportunity, So Listen…  Like never before.  It may not be the fun or easy way, but it can make a true difference if you are strong enough to hear it.  With all this said, you can get the greatest feedback and information in the world, but if you choose to stick your head in the sand then you are missing the real juice.

It was great, actually Jeff Turner got up there and said he was changing the direction of his whole presentation based on this BackNoise because he saw & HEARD what had been said the past hour before he got up there.   How powerful is that.  He realized he was not in control.  He realized the audience was and he changed to fit.  That is pretty radical.

Chris Brogan did something even cooler…  When he was on stage he put the actual BackNoise on the Screen behind him as he spoke so it was SHOWING.  He took a different approach.  He embraced it.   He didn’t hide behind it and act like it was not going on.  That is what talking behind people’s backs and sharing gossip is…right?  So put it to the forefront.  As we always say, it is going on with or without you anyway. So listen and grow.  This ultratruistic feedback can be the best info you ever get to make your product or service better.

Better get used to it, this is the way Social Media is going.