From the monthly archives:

October 2008

Down Is Up, Part II – Do You Have What Others Need?

October 21, 2008

Food prices are rising because supplies are down and demand is up. A recent National Geographic Magazine article focussed on preservation of healthy soil as one of the solutions.
This might be good news for some businesses, if they can think and market themselves creatively.
Heavy machinery compacts the earth, so manufacturers who make huge, wide tires [...]

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Down Can Be Up, Part I: Make News With No News

October 20, 2008

…You could find yourself gaining business in these tough times if you position yourself as the best, mopping up all the customers your competitors are currently underserving…

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When Times Get Tough, The Tough Get Talking

October 20, 2008

Now is the time to reach out to your customers…

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How To Delight Your Customers – An Indispensible Guide for Customer Service Managers

October 15, 2008

The web is full of rants about bad customer service experiences, but it doesn’t have to be that way. If you are in charge of customer service for your company, here are five ways to delight your customers, gleaned from my years both managing a customer service department, and personally talking to tens of thousands [...]

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6 Tips for Improving Your Business Writing

October 15, 2008

Do you hate to write business letters? Do you spend a lot of time on each email only to receive slow or no responses? Use these six tips to develop a writing style that gets results.
One Letter One Subject
Each letter or email should address one issue only. You can always send another email to talk [...]

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Are You Sure That’s What You Mean?

October 15, 2008

YOU MAY KNOW what you mean, but are you really saying it? These advertisers left things a little up in the air:
Kenney Shoe Stores: We only sell the right shoe.
Law firm ad: If you have experienced accident, injury or even death, call us…
Sexual harassment seminar ad: Experts will define issues, clarify laws, and conduct hands-on [...]

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Better Business Writing: First Drafts & Revisions

October 15, 2008

IF A DOCUMENT is worth writing, it’s worth writing twice.
Although science fiction author Robert Heinlein famously claimed never to rewrite anything, he must be the only successful writer who can make that claim.
If you find it difficult to write well, remember that a first draft is just that. The trick to good writing is to [...]

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Is Your Website Wasted?

October 15, 2008

If Your Site Doesn’t Help Its Audience, It Is A Wasted Resource
AUDIENCE
Who is the audience for your website? You must know who will use it before you can design a useful site. Will your users be prospective clients or perhaps the press, both looking for information and ways to contact your company? Will your users [...]

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