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Posts Tagged ‘Communications’

How to Communicate If Your Workload is Too Much

April 21st, 2011

Maria Helm

You never want to tell your boss that you can’t do something. In fact, at times you probably feel honored and good about the fact that he or she thinks you can handle so many responsibilities; but sometimes, it’s crucial to communicate that your workload is too much.

You know your workload is too much when you are making Excel documents in your dream. You know your workload is too much when you are watching TV and words like “revenue” and “products” appear louder than the rest. You know your workload is too much when you keep checking your work email …on the weekends.

There is a difference between being dedicated to your work and being overwhelmed by your workload. When it does get overwhelming, its important (and healthy) to communicate your needs to your boss.

Here’s how:

Schedule a meeting

This type of discussion isn’t something you do via email or at a moment’s notice. It’s something that you think about. If you were to walk over to your manager’s desk and ask, “Can we talk right now?” they will interpret that as you not thinking their time is valuable; this isn’t the best way to start of a conversation about how you don’t have enough time to do everything.

In addition, scheduling a meeting will also give you time to prepare exactly what you want to say.

Posted in Communication

Tags: Career, Communicate, Communications, Workload

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Achieving Success with Email Marketing Sign Ups

February 23rd, 2011

Maria Helm

In the less than 1% chance you hadn’t noticed, consumers and business clients alike have lost all tolerance for spam. Firewalls are going up everywhere. Software applications and ISP providers, now police junk mail. Families and businesses are installing filtering devices. Legal controls have also kicked in, such as the 2003 CAN-SPAM Act. But even when following the letter of the CAN-SPAM law, which restrains but doesn’t outlaw spam, e-mail marketers may still antagonize thousands of their potential customers by using unscrubbed, bulk e-mail lists.

To effectively harness e-mail marketing these days, you need to first secure the recipient’s prior consent, a nod of interest. You should be using only permission-based, “opt-in” lists.

There are many smart ways to motivate customers to sign up for your e-mail marketing newsletter or messages. These strategies can build the kind of lists that fuel results.

1. Identify the customer need — and then fill it. People will give up personal information only in exchange for something they value, whether that’s your must-read, in-the-know newsletter, unique entertainment, or dibs on buying the latest hot release. You need to research what your target customers consider valuable and compelling. And then deliver it. Be sure to make it clear that you indeed have what they want.

2. Target your messages.If you sell bicycles, you wouldn’t advertise in a cooking magazine, would you? So how come so many marketers send out bulk messages to bulk lists? It’s mostly because e-mail marketing is so cheap that mailings to thousands become tempting. Spend some time finding out which customers on your list are bicycle mavens and who also happens to love cooking. Then segment your lists and messages accordingly.

3. Make it easy to sign up. An invitation to join your e-mail list — along with the benefits it offers — should appear everywhere your marketing does. Put an opt-in form on the home page of your Web site. Every time a salesperson talks to a customer, ask for an e-mail address. Include the invite on direct mailers, at live events, and in all media advertising.

Posted in Marketing

Tags: Communications, E-mail, Email marketing sign up, Marketing, Opt-in, Small Business, Tips

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Crafting the Perfect Elevator Speech

October 22nd, 2010

Maria Helm

Perfecting your pitch is both an art and a science in which the speaker must clearly describe the product or service he or she offers, the problem it solves, and how it differs from the competition. Here are some tips to help entrepreneurs polish their pitch:

Keep it short. You only have about 10 seconds to capture someone’s imagination. When someone is asking you what you do, what he or she is really asking is “What can you do for me?”
Remember your audience. Understand who it is you’re trying to attract and say something that’s meaningful to them.
Keep it simple. Even if your field is technical, try to keep it concise.

Posted in Communication, Marketing

Tags: Communications, Pitch, Presentation, Small Business

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Be an Effective Communicator

July 8th, 2009

Maria Helm

Okay, “communication” is a very broad topic – impossible to cover in depth in a few paragraphs. But there are several proven and practical strategies you can immediately apply to enhance your overall effectiveness:

Use Less Words

After writing a correspondence, presentation script, web copy, blog, etc, edit it with a goal of eliminating 20-30% of the words. It’s easy to find unnecessary words if you take time to really look.

Use Visuals

Be a creative communicator by using props, pictures, stories, etc. to convey your message.

Watch Your Language

Try to avoid acronyms, jargon, technical terms, ambiguous words (a little, a lot, very, really, etc.). Don’t use words that the entire audience may not understand or often have different meanings to different people.

Avoid Rambling

Narrow your communications down to no more than three key points. Most people have short attention spans. Make sure you convey your message succinctly and clearly.

“How well we communicate is determined not by how well we say things, but how well we are understood.” – Andrew Grove

Posted in Communication

Tags: Communications, Presentation, Small Business, Success

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