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Introducing Barbara Weaver Smith of The Whale Hunters. Barabara shares with us her experiences of business blogging, along with some tips!

Founded five years ago, Barbara’s business The Whale Hunters, helps small to mid-size companies (internationally) to grow fast by learning how to sell and deliver bigger deals to bigger customers. Services include consulting, coaching, workshops, seminars, and how-to products. They emphasise how important it is to build a fast-growth culture through collaboration and cross-functional teamwork.

 Barbara’s blog, The Whale Hunters provides ideas, examples, references, suggestions, and resources for entrepreneurs and their teams regarding their business development strategy and implementation process. Barbara has a special interest in and affinity for women who are owners and leaders in small businesses.

When did you start blogging?
I had been blogging “occasionally” for about two years.  I created my current blog and integrated blogging into my business strategy about six months ago.

What has been the most challenging aspect of blogging for you?
Time and routine are the biggest challenges to me.  From a business perspective, the blog works best when I post on a regular basis.  But time and insights tend to come in spurts, not intervals!  It is also challenging–in a very positive way–to integrate the blog with other social media tactics.

What is the purpose of your blog?
Through the blog I hope to achieve two goals:  First, to be a generous “giver” into the global community of entrepreneurs and others responsible for business development and sales success.  Second, to be recognized as a thought leader on the strategy of sales process development and implementation in fast-growth organizational cultures.

What’s your best blogging tip for others?
Your blog is a global calling card for your business.  Make sure it reflects and enhances your personal and company through direct conversation with customers and potential allies/channel partners.

 How has blogging helped your business?
The blog attracts readers and drives traffic to my website.  I would say it is an indirect generator of market interest for our consulting practice and a direct generator of sales for books and seminars.  Blogging for me has been a steady, incremental growth of readers, followers, subscribers.  I think there’s a viral potential, an explosive potential, but I’m not quite there yet!

What are your own favourite blogs?
Well flokka.com of course!  Womenonbusiness.com - another serious blog site for women business owners and employees.  I like  http://www.problogger.net/  for blogging tips and http://www.energybyte.com/blog/ for a perspective on youth entrepreneurs around the world.

What has been the best comment you’ve received on The Whale Hunters blog so far?
I love comments, period.  Signs that real people are reading, thinking, tracking.  If you enjoy blogs, the best thing you can do to support the contributors is to leave comments–good, bad, or indifferent!

What has been your own favourite/ most popular post that you’ve written?
My “most popular” post was not on my own blog but on my first outing as a member of the writing team at http://www.womenonbusiness.com.  I have a weekly article post to that blog on Sunday evenings.  Read my post online “Three Soft Skills for Hard Deals” and please, leave a comment!

Thanks Barbara !