T.A. McCann emphasizes the importance of knowing customers through persona creation, direct engagement, and ongoing interactions, highlighting the role of influencers in business success. The document outlines characteristics of valuable target customers, suggesting they prioritize relationships, utilize technology for networking, and actively participate in social events. Strategies for leveraging influence include aiding others, tracking key influencers, and fostering user communities.

1. T.A. McCann – create something great

2. Know your customers

3. Create Personas

4. Engage directly early and often

5. Use surveys to quantify and test

6. Create ongoing user interactions/perception

7. Find and nurture the new influencers

8. Social success and promotion on 1XUX2

9. A valuable target customerBusiness professionalPlaces high value of relationships (>8/10)Has significant (>50%) of key relationships outside company>5 meetings/week with outside people (more/new is better)Uses technology to gain information advantageActively builds and manages his networkPays monthly information service fees (mobile, CRM, wiki, contact manager… (more is better)Roles include (execs, sales, recruiter, PR, journalists, lawyers…)Influencer of others and/or small teamsTechnical, early but not bleeding edge adopterOften fits in GTD category as wellReads books like “never eat alone” or “4 hour work week”Attends “networking” events or activities3People like this include;T.A.BradBuzzKendallBrandtMilesDave Thomas

10. 4Friends of Gist(FOG)

11. 5http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZTH5BJR

12. Kevin Spidel"I am the Managing Director of an international PR firm and am very active on the social web. Gist allows me to cut through the noise and manage my contacts directly. I am able to monitor what matters... the relationship."Managing DirectorPatriot Strategieshttp://patriotstrategies.comWashington, DC, USA5300 contacts, 1279 companiesGist user since 11/03/09 – has invited 34 users

13. Copy the leaders (for some stuff)7MarketingPositioningUser/market dataFeature priorityKey thought leaders

14. The new influencerUsually has a day job, writing for passionWell connected and socially enabledSelling to other influencers as much as customersEasily co-opted with “first looks” and attentionLeverage your own influence to gain theirs8

15. Make someone else the champion9

16. Jump on someone else’s message10

17. Track your influencers11

18. 1XUXDeliver value in secondsTweet my successBuild user communitiesCreate regular interactions12

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20. Set big goalsGet connectedListen and learnFail fast and iteratePersistGo make something great.T.A. McCanntam@gist.comwww.gist.com/tamccann