8) Know your audience. This is one of the easiest, yet most forgotten things in customer service. Imagine being able to talk to your audience about things that relate directly to them when they walk into your store, or contact you for an order? It’s not hard. With the level of sharing we’re all subjected to on a daily basis, a simple Google alert on your best customers, or a perusal of a Twitter account should give you a basic insight into what’s up in their world. Mind you, I said a quick perusal. There’s a fine line between “taking an interest,” and “being the creepy stalker who works at Staples.”

7) Being early is a trait of those who excel in customer service. I had a car for 8am this morning. At 7:26am, I get a text that my Groundlink car is on the way, and at 7:39, I get another text that it’s downstairs waiting for me. 20 minutes early, just chilling. When I get downstairs at 7:50, the car is there, I’m calm, relaxed, without that “where the hell is he, I’m going to miss my flight” stress that we get when the time comes and there’s no car. Can you do the same? Can you deliver a project before deadline? Can you auto-upgrade shipping for your customers without charging them extra? Zappos does… Focus on ways to make things happen quicker.

6) Something unexpected. You know what was in my car when I got in this morning? A bottle of water. Simplest thing in the world. They probably buy them in bulk for $5 for 20 bottles. But it was there, and it was available to me, no charge. That little bottle of water made me so happy. I hydrated ,and felt just a little bit better when I arrived at JFK. Good luck getting a bottle of water in a taxi. What little things can you do? I bought a Keurig machine for my office/apartment, and some funky flavored coffees. People actually ask to have meetings at my apartment because they never know what kind of cool coffee they’re going to get. I once knew a CEO who went to Africa each year to bring back 30 pounds of a specific type of coffee bean, but he never told anyone where they could get it. His reasoning? “Maybe they remember where they had the great coffee, and maybe they come back for more, and maybe we do some business.” (Say that in a Yiddish accent, it sounds much funnier.) But he was right. What unexpected things can you do?

5) Stop nickel and diming. Airlines are terrible at this. They quote you a fare of like, $99 dollars to go somewhere, right? But then, that’s each way, and that doesn’t include taxes, tariffs, boarding fees, baggage fees, lubrication fees (for the TSA Anal Probes) and other fees. Total on a $198 round trip? $445.50. How is that good customer service? It’s not. What can you include for no additional cost? Batteries? Ink? Toner? Spare parts? Free transfers? What can you include and call it “a good karma inclusion” or something like that?

4) Can you help someone in a way that’s out of the ordinary? We all know what Morton’s did for me last summer… But what else can you do? I’ve heard stories of restaurants picking people up and driving them to their establishment when a customers’ car died. I’ve heard other stories of companies doing things completely random – A hotel in San Francisco called a hotel in NYC to get the bellman there to deliver flowers to a San Francisco guest’s wife who wasn’t feeling well in NYC. Remember: Simple things are expected. Amazing things get remembered.

3) Don’t be afraid to do something truly incredible! I once heard of a company that makes metal pipes – One of their corporate customers had come in to discuss a new order. While they were there, they mentioned to the owner that they had to take a trip overseas because their plant was having some kind of problem. Turns out, the metal pipe company also had a plant overseas, pretty close to the customer’s plant. The owner of the metal pipe company was able to send his technicians over to the customer’s company and fix the problem, saving the customer a $10,000 trip and a week of his life. How loyal do you think that customer is now?

2) Give your customers the tools to tell your story! There’s a restaurant in the mid-west that has an iPad attached to the bar by the take-out order station. When someone comes in to wait for their food, they’re offered a chance to play with the iPad for free. They’re also told that if they log onto Facebook and “like” the restaurant’s page, they’ll get a free appetizer, right then and there. The company then thanks each and every customer on Facebook, and asks how they like their appetizer. It’s a no-brainer, works so easily, and, perhaps most importantly, as Facebook starts to ramp up “Places” and “Offers,” Facebook will become the de facto standard for customer experience stories – Why wouldn’t you want to help facilitate growth and excitement when the customer is there, in your store, and willing to be talked to? Easiest thing in the world.

1) It has to start from the top down. CEOs can’t run a company from a corner office. It simply doesn’t work. For a company to truly embrace radical ways of handling customer service, the entire corporation has to get in on it. I’ve heard stories of CEOs driving to a customer’s home with a part or an order, because it came in after hours. I once heard of a CEO who happened to be in the building on a Saturday, and answered the phone – The call was a random customer complaining about something. The CEO took the call, and got a resolution in 20 minutes – On a Saturday! You know the customer told the world about that.

What can you do that’s different, over the top, and inexpensive? Let me know in the comments, and as always, thanks for reading. :)

And people did!

So briefly, here’s what people asked, and my answers:

@andreahrizk said that she needs exposure about a shortage of interactive talent in the advertising industry, and included a link: http://imediaconnection.com/content/28737.asp – I think she has a point – Small interactive ad shops can’t offer the same “possibility of instant riches” that tech startups, whether they be in a basement or in the Google offices, can. As such, it’s up to the ad agency to go back to what made them great in the beginning – before “interactive” – If you watch Mad Men, you know that Sterling, Cooper, Draper, Price recruited talent through the excitement of the game – The chance to be creative, the chance to have fun and change how people perceived products and brands. Perhaps we need to go back to basics, and appeal to the creatives’ excitement – not their wallets alone.

@cherylharrison asked me to write her a blog post. You’re reading it! You’re welcome.

@theflaggagency told me that I could book a cruise on the Mekong River or Riviera of Europe. While that’s a good idea, I’m already taking my first actual vacation in about three years in June, and heading to Thailand with someone special. But thanks!

@brokenjules asked if I’d do a Q+A with him or her. I’m doing that under separate cover. Wait for it.

@michaelgruener asked if I know any specific ways to help build popularity and momentum of a social media push for a company with a finite reach. I think one of the best ways to do this for any company is to see what’s going on in the world and attempt to latch onto something newsworthy – but not in a sleazy way. For instance – I can’t see your company right now because I’m at 30k feet and @continental hasn’t added WiFi to their fleet yet (let’s get busy on that, guys, hey?) but I’m guessing by the name (@upRefuse) that you might have something to do with the green world? If that’s the case, simply reading any current magazine should give you tons of of ideas and examples. That rule goes for any company. One of the best ways I know of to come up with new ideas and boosts of creativity is to go for a run with my iPod loaded with the latest podcasts from the BBC, NPR, and the like.

@thebeancast asked for a 1,000 word article entitled “Down and Out on Empire Avenue.” I’ll give you a Haiku, instead. Early Adopter. On Empire Avenue. Can Use Initials.

@cbwebster wants me to come up with a kick-ass in-class project for her business communications class next week. How about working with a local animal rescue organization in your town and helping them come up with a new communications plan that will raise awareness and generate higher levels of donation? Work with them to design a multimedia campaign that focuses on the animals themselves, and what donors dollars can do for them.

@OmniHotelsPR asked me to think about some events that they and I can do together in the fall. That sounds awesome, guys! Email Meagan, my uber-assistant, and let’s get a phone call together. I’d love to work with you guys, perhaps do tweet-ups all over the world! That’s a no-brainer – I love you guys!

@cccreationsUSA asked me to make a Star Wars video to Celebrate Star Wars Day, which is today. I defer to the countless awesome Star Wars videos already out there, including the inclusion of Star Wars in this amazing video from Lego, called Go Miniman Go!

@Drobillard asked to be hired as my personal assistant in Boston. While I’m not currently looking for anyone to hire, perhaps someone in Boston is? If so, why not reach out to @DRobillard?

@BellaBrella asked an interesting question – “How can she improve her image campaign without actually changing who she is?” That’s a good question – If you have to change who you are, then you’re not being true to yourself, and that’s never good. How about rather than changing who you are, changing your audience? Perhaps you’re not reaching out to the right people? If you’re not getting as big of a response as you want, or as large of an audience as you desire, perhaps you’d be better off looking for new audiences? The easiest way to to do that is to continue being who you are, and be more aware of to whom you’re talking – Focus on speaking to the right people – people who appreciate what you have to offer – and by being sincere with them, your rep, and thusly, your audience, should continue to grow.

@thirstybeaverCA (Great name, by the way) is looking for resources on selling ad space on his website, but doesn’t know where to begin. Well, there are tons of sources out there which are great starts, including websites like imediaconnection, adrants, and Digidays, Brian Morrissey’s new project. I’d start there.

@pamasheville asked me to consider voting for Asheville in the Beer City USA Poll. Considering I’m on my way to Asheville, consider it done: http://exm.nr/l0mnCd

@ProSeller1 wants me to help her find one lead in Richmond, VA that’s looking to buy or sell a new house. Anyone in Richmond in that position? Reach out to @ProSeller1.

@wgpr wants to know what Blogs I read. A few off the top of my head include Gawker, A Year To Ten Percent (I write that one, full disclosure,) LeanGains.com, Leigh Shulman, CC Chapman, Fleshbot, Defamer, I Don’t Like You In That Way, Lauren Out Loud, and others.

@agac wants me to follow her. Done.

@homiegcheesefry wants me to tell about my movie project. Well, I’m executive producing a movie currently being shot in Hollywood called “Right Next Door.” It’s a thriller, and I couldn’t be more excited about it. The cast is spectacular, as are the co-directors. I’m humbled to be part of this project, and when it comes out in about 10 months or so, I’ll be throwing one hell of a premiere party, you can count on that. ☺

@cpat71 wants me to learn something from the person next to me. From him, I learned that a pitcher named Francisco Lariano from the Twins got his first no-hitter last night, and also the first no hitter of the 2011 baseball season.

@meducate wants to know the best President’s clubs that Continental has to offer. Well, at Newark, I’m partial to the one in Terminal C closer to gate 81, as opposed the one near security. It’s quieter, more places to work, and more places to grab a few Zzz’s if you’ve had a late night the night before. In Houston, there’s a lovely gentleman named Mike (I believe that’s his name) in the main terminal club East, who makes the best Bloody Mary’s I’ve ever had in my life. Finally, don’t forget about the club in Vegas – it’s a bit far from the CO gates, but it’s better than sitting in the food court and watching tons of overweight tourists eat fast food.

@craig42k wants to know how I best manage my time to successfully achieve my health, personal, and business goals. For that, I point you to this blog post I wrote a few months ago.

@divathatateny wants ideas to promote her upcoming cookbook + CD called “No Singing at the Dinner Table,” by Singing Chef Jackie Gordon. Well – I didn’t know that singing chefs existed. Coming from a family of musicians, and being a vocalist as well, I recommend perhaps a video contest asking people to come up with their own songs praising dinner. The winner gets cooked meal for them and 10 of their friends, courtesy of your chef?

@mikepetrucci wants to know the last time I doodled or sketched something. Here you go, Mike, compliments of Finger Painting HD on my iPad 2.

@boathousebilly wants to know how to increase exposure and membership numbers for his university rowing club in prep for 2012. Two things come to mind – One – Carry an oar with you all summer. Seriously. People like to know why people are doing things out of the ordinary. Tell them you’re recruiting rowers. It’s a great way for people to get into the conversation. Secondly – Let people know how good rowing is for your looks. Have you ever seen a fat rower? Best arms, back, and shoulder muscles of anyone! Play to people’s egos!

@thecleversheep is looking for a sponsor for unplugd.ca – If you happen to fit their profile, I’d check them out, and @thecleversheep, I’d read this blog post first on how you should look for sponsors.

@whisperingsqurl wants to know if I have any advice for a first-time entrepreneur: Yes. Don’t waste time listening to the haters. If you have haters, it means you’re doing a great job. Acknowledge that you have them, then redouble your efforts to do an even better job. Haters hate because they can’t do what you’re doing themselves. That’s all.

@gfriese wants me to continue promoting health and fitness opportunities, especially for kids, at the YMCA. I’ve been a YMCA fan ever since I was seven and got my Tadpole badge for swimming there! The YMCA does amazing things for kids and adults all over this country. I’m a huge supporter, and you should be too!

@click4agoodtime wants his girlfriend to move to NYC. I know your girlfriend. Hey L – GET YOUR ASS TO NEW YORK CITY. NOW.

This was fun! Perhaps I’ll put out another call next week for my trip to Germany. I’ll let you know – If I do, I’ll make it a Google database, so it’s easier for me to answer. Thanks for playing!

The fun part about grabbing someone else’s ID (other than the fact that I can ask them what they think of the keynote they’re about to hear and they don’t realize that they’re talking to him) is that I get to hear unfiltered information about what scares these people – what these small business owners think about social media – and more often than not, why they believe social media to be complete bullshit, and not worth their time.

Why is that important ? It’s important because I can tailor my speech to those specific people who don’t believe that they’re going to get anything out of what I’m saying. The ones who’ve gone to countless speeches like these in the past – Those radio-sponsored “business breakfasts” where they listen to some full-of-it “social media guru” talk about the coolness of social media and how it can save them.

I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again. NO CEO THINKS THAT “COOL” TRUMPS “REVENUE,” AND YOU SHOULDN’T EITHER. The speakers who get on stage and tell you how “cool” social media is and how is good for only “your brand” are full of it. Below, I’m going to give you seven ways that your small business can use social media TO GENERATE REVENUE, TODAY. Retweet this. Repost this. Link to it. Feel free. Why? Because I’m simply sick to death of these snake oil salesmen posing as “social media gurus,” charging you thousands of dollars to listen to them tell you how they can save you. BULLSHIT.

Remember HARO? I started HARO. It was a social media company that generated over a million dollars a year in actual revenue, and when I sold it, I sold it on the merits of what it DID, not some “I make my money by talking about social media” crap.

TWEET THIS: The biggest problem with Social Media is that too many people talk about it and not enough people ACTUALLY USE IT TO GENERATE REVENUE.

So let’s use it. The following are tips for small to mid-size businesses – They’re the kind of stuff companies ask me for all the time. I charge for this stuff. But rather than do that today, I’m giving it away below. Enjoy it. Use it Call it your own if you want. I won’t know. (But Karma will.) The main reason I’m doing it is because I’m sick of these charlatans saying they have all the answers, and they’ve never done one bit of real social media in their lives. That goes for those heads of PR and marketing firms who’ve told their clients that they can handle their “social media for them” and don’t have the first clue as to how to do it.

Marketing in the form of social media, to drive sales and generate revenue, makes you skilled in social media. “Having a Facebook Account” does not. “Speaking about Twitter” does not. Saying you have “Influence” does not. Having “guru,” “expert” or “rock star” in your name, ID, or business card, most certainly does not. Stop believing the charlatans who show you 100 twitter followers and expect you to believe that they can cure cancer. They’re angering the universe. Trust me. The universe will kill them soon. Believe in what works, and nothing else.

IF YOU’RE A RESTAURANT: Get to know tools like Foursquare and Facebook Places. Teach each server who works for you to recognize the signs of someone who uses Foursquare, Places, or the like: They keep their device on the table, they talk about “checking in.” Have those servers ask their customers if they use those location based games. If they do, have the servers offer a free drink or appetizer. Explain what it means to be a “mayor,” and why that’s beneficial to your establishment. Explain to them why they should help your customers use these technologies. Most importantly, explain to your servers that THEY represent your establishment, and without them, your restaurant is history, as is their job. The goal is to get customers to come back, bring friends, and spend more money. IT’S NOT ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA, IT’S ABOUT GROWING YOUR RESTAURANT.

IF YOU’RE A LANDSCAPING BUSINESS: Photos and videos are your friends. Why do people hire you? They hire you because they have EGOS. Lets face it – EGOS SELL. If I want my property to look better than the Kleinman’s property, I hire the best landscaper. That’s YOU. Want to use social media to GET MORE CLIENTS and make more money? Go out and buy a good digital camera/video camera. Check out the Canon G11 – I use it and love it. Then learn to use it, and shoot what you’ve done! So many social media hucksters have NOTHING to back up what they’ve done – YOU DO! You have your clients and your work! Made an amazing lawn? Shoot it! Made some kind of waterfall, the type that I can only imagine because I live on the 30th floor of a high-rise in NYC? Video it! Post it on Vimeo.com, and let people see it! That’s REAL social media because you’ve done it and are sharing it! That’s truth. Go forth and spread it, most awesome landscaper! IT’S NOT ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA, IT’S ABOUT SHOWING THINGS YOU’VE DONE THAT WILL BRING NEW PAYING CLIENTS.

IF YOU’RE AN ACCOUNTANT/FINANCIAL PLANNER: OMG, how boring! Right? That’s what most people say when they hear that you work as an account or financial planner. OK, that may be true for some of you. But if you’re an accountant or financial planner who has the most basic knowledge of social media and how it relates to your industry, then not so much. How about starting a basic twitter feed that you populate every day with the top two stories about your industry? “What will this five minutes out of my day possibly do,” you ask! Well, if you’re an accountant/financial planner trying to grow your business and get new customers, check this out: You post one or two stories per day about your industry – perhaps they’re the stories you find interesting and think others might find interesting – you post them, and what happens – people find them, and retweet them – repost them on Facebook – All of sudden, you’re a CURATOR! You’re one of those people who knows about the trends before they become trends! What happens then? The media starts following you, and you get called on by them, get quoted in the paper, on TV, on the radio, and online on a regular basis, and how about that, new people start calling you out of the blue, asking if they can be your clients – Where do you think they came from? From the media! And where did the media come from? From your brilliant use of social media. To quote the chief of police from the movie Casablanca, “I’m shocked, shocked to find that there’s gambling going on in here!” Face it – This isn’t rocket science!! You’re simply employing common sense –something the charlatans won’t tell you actually works – because it takes away from their revenue. Screw them. Make their revenue yours. IT’S NOT ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA: IT’S ABOUT USING THESE TOOLS TO PROVE YOU KNOW MORE THAN YOUR COMPETITORS AND ARE BETTER THAN THEM AND DESERVE NEW CLIENT BUSINESS.

IF YOU’RE A REALTOR: As someone who’s currently in contract for an apartment in New York City, this really hits close to home. If you’re a realtor, social media is SCREAMING for you to pay attention. What are you selling? Location, image, and the like. Come on! You should have a digital camera with video inserted under your skin! Your industry was BORN for social media! A new property comes on the market? Get video of the best parts of it – But not from the traditional boring “front of property,” “back of property,” kitchen view” way. Figure out cool ways to do it! Current family got a swingset in the back? Shoot video of the house from the swingset – It’s different, and anyone with kids will appreciate it. Selling mostly to families with school-age kids? Take the flipcam, duct-tape it to the grill of your car, and SHOW, IN REAL TIME, how close the best school in the district is to the house! Why? Because no one else is doing it, and that’s something different! And let’s face it, realtor – if you’re using social media, you’re doing it to make a good commission. So take these ideas and build on them. Why? Because they’ll sell properties. And in the end, those properties will make you a commission. And I gonna go old school here – What are you gonna do with your commission? “I was going to take my commission, and buy Ferris a car.” Use social media, do it in a new and exciting way, make a commission from it, and buy Ferris a car! IT’S NOT ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA, IT’S ABOUT SHOWING THROUGH THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY THAT YOU’RE GOING TO HELP SELL OR BUY A HOME FOR SOMEONE WHO WANTS IT.

IF YOU’RE A MOVING COMPANY: If you’re a moving company, then welcome to social media. Last time I moved, I went online to ask for recommendations for good moving companies. You know what I got? Companies who didn’t screw my friends, and that was it. Forget about GOOD moving companies, I got moving companies similar to cell-phone companies – recommendations to the companies who sucked the LEAST. Really? Is that how you want to help grow your industry? By being thought of as the company that sucks the least? Please. How about this: You offer your next client 15% off the cost of their move if they allow you to film the entire move. How do you do that? You go to Amazon and buy three GoPro helmet cams, the same kind I use when I fall from perfectly good airplanes. Then you ask a few of your best movers to wear them the next move they do. They put them on their heads, and everything they do, the gopro films. Because you’re an awesome moving company, the gopro films your best movers being oh-so-careful with the client’s property. When the move is done, you’ve got what, two hours of video of stuff being moved. OK. Great. That’s boring as hell. BUT – What if you take that film, speed it up so that the entire video is sixty seconds in length, then you add a fun soundtrack to it (Think the Benny Hill TV Show theme) and that becomes the first thing people see when they hit your website? They get funny yet real video of a real person’s belongings being taken care of, and you get… wait for it…. Wait for it…. A new client. How about that? You’ve just used social media to land countless new clients. Cost: About $150 for the GoPro. (And you thought GoPros were just for skydivers and mountain bikers.) IT’S NOT ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA, IT’S ABOUT PROVING THAT WHEN A POTENTIAL CLIENT NEEDS YOU, YOU CAN BACK UP YOUR CLAIMS WITH REAL-WORLD EXAMPLES THAT WIL TURN POTENTIAL CLIENTS INTO REAL CLIENTS.

IF YOU’RE A SEAMSTRESS WHO WORKS WITH FABRIC: This one is awesome. So I get an email out of the blue, from someone who says “Hey, I’ve been following your blog because I get the HARO, and I’m a seamstress who has started an event company that makes events out of fabric – If a company wants to hold an event, we’ll produce it.” (Email me if you want their info.) I was like, “OK, that’s weird, but whatever,” until I noticed they had an attachment to the email. Normally, I hate attachments, but since it was a .jpeg, I was ok with it – I opened it – It was my logo, on a pair of running shorts. Think about this for a second: This company was smart enough to realize that I was an exercise geek, ran all the time, yet was still involved in social media. So they made me running shorts with my blog logo on them. What does that tell you? That this Seamstress/Fabric company went out of their way to identify not only me, but what I’d recognize – Why aren’t you doing this? Why isn’t your company assigning one person to say “hey, this is a way to get noticed and perhaps generate revenue? It is. I can attest to that. I’ve given this company business already. IT’S NOT ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA, IT’S ABOUT TAKING THE MOST RANDOM, NON-SOCIAL-MEDIA THING (LIKE FABIRC) AND FIGURING OUT A WAY TO TIE IT IN, BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT WORKS!)

IF YOU’RE A MARKETING/PR FIRM: OK, if you’re a marketing firm, do I really need to make this any clearer? If you’re a company that does any of what I’ve talked about in the past three pages, don’t you think you can figure something out that’s in some way related to what I’ve talked about, and figure out a way to connect what’s here to what you do? I’m sure you can. Because come on, if you can’t, do you really think it’s ok to call yourself a marketing firm? IT’S NOT ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA. IT’S ABOUT BEING SMARTER AND REALIZING THAT SOCIAL MEDIA IS SIMPLY ANOTHER MARKETING CHANNEL TO WHICH YOU SHOULD BE LEADING YOUR CLIENTS.

OK. There you go. Seven ways to grow your small business using social media. Didn’t cost you a penny, you didn’t have to go to some BS breakfast, and you didn’t have to waste your time. So the rest of it is up to you. Will you use what I gave you here, or will you just spend your money and hire someone with no reputation because “it’s easier?” It’s your call.

Thanks for reading.

For those living under a half-mile of earth for the past 69 days, Klout is making quite a stir lately, as the company that’s assigning each user of social media (Twitter, Facebook, and the like) a “score” to determine their influence in the online world.

The more you engage, the more people find you interesting enough to respond, repost, or retweet your information, the higher your Klout score will go.

Essentially, Klout is using various algorithms to determine your relevant worth in the online world.

And as Orwellian as that may sound, I believe that they’re onto something so huge, it’ll change not only the concept of social media, but how global marketing sees us as a customer. And, while it’s doing that, it could quite possibly put some companies that are now seen as “darlings” right the hell out of business.

The new marketing overlords?

To understand my rationale here, you’ve got to agree to two points.

Point A: People like recognition, whether they say they do or not. We all want to be recognized in some fashion.

Point B: The more a company or brand can find out about a customer, the better they can market (sell) to them.

If you’re cool with both those points, then here’s my reasoning:

Let’s say tomorrow, two people take a plane flight. They both go to London, and they both have about 3,500 Twitter followers.

Let’s say they both have crappy flights. Not so much of a stretch, nowadays.

Both of them could Tweet about their bad flight experience, and both may get some kind of nod from the airline – “Sorry about your flight,” or whatever. Because right now, from a cursory glance, the airline knows that they both flew flights that sucked. That’s about it.

Enter Klout. What if the person who complained was linked to Klout, and the airline paid Klout for that data? For the airline, it’s no longer just about finding out that a customer had a crappy flight – It’s finding out everything about that customer, and tailoring your “fix” for them accordingly. If three of the top five relevance items Klout mentions about one of the two customers are “airline” “frequent” and “first class,” the airline has much better ammo with which to go in and fix the problem.

Check out what Klout has on Denise Richards, for example. Or CC Chapman. Or Johnny Jet (and check out that Johnny Influences American Airlines!) Or even me.

That, my friends, is real information. Forget the score part of it, – The value of Klout is behind the number – It’s about identifying each user, and seeing what they can do for you – I.e., What is the lifetime value of a passenger’s experience?

I’ve said it before – Twitter follower numbers alone don’t matter – They’re just the new penis envy.

If Klout knows that I talk a lot about flying because I’m constantly traveling, the airline to whom they sell that data can measure my experience on a heavier scale than say, the person who complains and has taken one flight in the past four years and act accordingly.

My first thought specifically to Klout and airlines was one of cynicism – Airlines want to make money – They don’t care about social media as a whole, they care about CPPM (Cost per passenger mile) and RPS (revenue per seat.) But then, the more I started thinking about it, the more I realized it mattered.

Think about it: If I recommend (or recommend against) an airline, my recommendation has more “strength” to my audience because my audience knows how much I fly. This is the inherent value of a customer. If Continental or whomever can measure that inherent value, they can do a better job or monitoring my satisfaction, and upselling me based on it. Additionally, they can determine whether I still matter to them, now not just by my revenue, but by my influence within the online world – And the higher my influence, the more it can lead to sales.

Let me put it another, easier way:

As Ash Rust, one of the heads of Klout said to me over lunch: “A person visiting a wine store isn’t automatically a wine expert.”

The second he said that, it was like a lightbulb went off, and I realized the intrinsic power of Klout: Klout tells you more about your visitors from the moment they walk in the door, than any other site or data mining company out there.

If I can find out who you are and immediately find the five things you talk about the most, as a marketer, that’s pure, instant gold. If I own a wine store, and you walk in with a Klout score of 63, and I immediately know the top five things you talk about include “Wine,” “Vintage,” “Cabernet,” etc., I’m going to kick your experience up a notch, and possibly gain a very lucrative (this is key) customer for life.

I’ll take it a step further and say that Klout, without even trying, may be subliminally putting FourSquare out of business.

Think about it: What does “being a mayor” tell the store owner? That this person likes to come in a lot. But if I can see your Klout score and know that not only do you visit here, but you’re a wine aficionado, who tweets about wine and recommends wines and places to get them to your friends… Well… That changes the game for me! I don’t give a crap about a foursquare mayor anymore – I’ll look to Klout for my marketing information.

Best part? As a customer, I don’t have to do anything to let this marketer have my information – I just have to live my life. No check-ins, no location based games – I just live, tweet, share, engage.

The Palms has done this with Klout scores – How you rate and what you discuss, (your level of influence) determines what perks or upgrades you’re going to get.

Imagine when every company with whom you interact does this.

Here’s the main reason I believe Klout will thrive and dominate: In my opinion, Klout also marks the first time that a company is actively mining us for our activity, and not only don’t we care, but we actually welcome it!

Fact is, we all want to be recognized. It’s one thing to have something assign an “online” number to you, without the added component of offline – The added component is where Klout rules – I have no problem being assigned a number if it means I can cut the line at a hotel and get a room upgrade. I doubt you would, either.

To back up my thoughts, I asked someone much smarter than me if I was right – I asked Dr. Jennifer Hartstein, one of the top psychologists in New York City, and part of the CBS Early Show family what she thought about Klout. Her response:

Life continues to be a popularity contest, regardless of our age. The higher our score, the more influential we are, the more important we feel. There is also a sense of validation, yes, people get at being recognized in places others aren’t, not to mention the perks of upgrades, extra “stuff.”. People fundamentally want to be taken care of, and all that stuff provides that opportunity.

Klout is letting companies do that. Who doesn’t want to be greeted personally, the second they walk into a hotel, bypassing the 100 poor suckers waiting on line?

Dr. Hartstein adds:

Life is a competition. There is absolutely a standard that people want to reach, maintain, have, etc. Bragging rights are enjoyed by many. It goes back to where people find their worth and what’s important to them. To many people, the higher the number the better they feel and the more self-worth they derive. Maybe the phrase should now be: he who dies with the highest klout score wins?

She has a point.

Orwellian? Sure. Unfair? Not in the slightest – It goes to everything I’ve said since day one – Want a better brand? ENGAGE. Want to be treated like a (I hate this term) rock star? BUILD A BETTER BRAND. Because now, you don’t have to shout “Don’t you know who I am?” Because for the first time, Marketers truly do.

What say you? Leave your comments below. And make sure you leave your Klout score. (Kidding.)

One or two social media questions, but also questions on where to eat, and the top five things to do if you’re staying in Vegas.

See? It doesn’t ALWAYS have to be about social media. Sheesh.

Happy Friday!