It's Official! Our Garden Club Is Launched!

Hi everyone ...

My weekly mailing is not able to keep up with all the little and big things that are going on and that I want to make sure you all know about ... so I have officially launched  The Keep Your Business Growing Garden Club!!

Join me every Thursday on the telephone at 4:00PM (PST)  Dial In for 30 minutes, or so, to hear a conversation about a  ... 
"How To" ~ "What's New" ~ "Did You Know" ~ "Anything Happening Online!"

It's Open To All  ~  No Sign-Up!  Just Dial The Numbers Below Every Week ! 

Call-in Number & Access Code   Will be the same each week.
 218-632-1688    873572#

Topic For April 5th 
Anyone looking for NEW Prospects? 
Looking for specific needs? Got special requirements? 

I'll be talking about ... 
How To Find & Connect With Qualified Prospects  via LinkedIn and Twitter! 




 Really hope to hear you on the line later today ... if not,  join us next week!

 Keep your business garden growing ...
 margie

What Day Is Best For Sending Email Broadcasts?

What is the best day to send an email broadcast?  This question is asked by just about all my clients and more! To answer it one must start with looking at one's list and the lifestyle of the recipients.  Then the best you can do, because people are checking their emails all day, every day, in today's world .. is go with your gut feel.

If the gut feel leaves you a bit "unsure" here is some recent research for the positives and negatives (of sending email broadcasts) for each day of the week. Enjoy!

Monday 
Positive: Office work has not filled inboxes yet
Negative: Consumers are in work mode and won’t be focused on non-work tasks
Best Practice: Send emails late Monday morning, after consumers have cleaned the weekend spam from their inboxes

Tuesday
Positive: People have organized their week, and can find personal time for emails
Negative: Emails poised for a weekend response may be too early
Best Practice: Use Tuesday for emails that request action during the workweek

Wednesday/Thursday
Positive: Consumers are planning their weekends and gearing up for personal time
Negative: Time during the workweek is running short, and requested action may be pushed back to the following week, or even forgotten about
Best Practice: Focus leisure and weekend notifications during these key weekend planning days

Friday
Positive: Studies indicate fewer total emails sent compared to the rest of the week, increasing visibility among the myriad of other messages
Negative: Consumers hurry to leave the office early, and may not take time to view non-work related emails
Best Practice: Send emails early in the day to give consumers more time to take action. An unopened email from Friday will sort to the bottom of an inbox on Monday, and is often discarded

Weekends
Positive: People check emails on weekends, too, so weekends may have untapped potential
Negative: A weekend email may seem overly-intrusive to some people
Best Practice: If possible, try to avoid Sundays and focus on Saturdays, which may have a better response rate

Keep your business growing!
margie

Oh That "Captivating" Power Of The Internet! A Personal Experience!!!

Woo Hoo ... it's 2012 and a new commitment to my blog!! 

It's been too long and I miss you.   Hoping to keep it handy so as my blogging thoughts happen I can do what I'm doing now!  Share them with you! 

Most of you know how I have "always" promoted the power of the intimacy of the internet ...how you have so much opportunity via the hypnotic state people are in as they read your communications .... Right?? 

Just found myself in one of those modes and had to smile.  Am sitting here at my computer and even though all I have to do to refill my coffee cup is stand up and turn to my left ... I was NOT budging because I did not want to take my eyes off the computer.  Was I reading just one article? No .. was scanning from article to article on the Linkedin NEWS page. 

Then it got worse! My left contact lens got realigned in my eye somehow and was causing discomfort and was kind of fluttering.  There was a moment when I asked myself can I endure or "must" I leave this compelling screen.  That's when I had to laugh and got up and fixed my eye and yes, refilled the coffee cup.  BUT also thought what an example of what I preach. 
The internet gives you a captive audience!!  Maximize those interactions for your business success. 

Happy New Year everyone!  Anyone else have a similar story to share?? 

Keep your business growing ...
margie

"ooVoo ME!" Where Are "You" At With Video Chat?

ooVoo Me!

Has anyone asked you this yet? It's a relatively new video chat service! Much like Skype but with some variances.

A couple of advantages over Skype include:

1. ooVoo allows for your contacts who have NOT downloaded ooVoo, to still be able to talk with you from their web browser via the Web Video Calling feature. Great for those who may be on the move, at a public place, friend's computer, etc., who can't download the program, or don't want to for whatever reason.
   
   
2. ooVoo allows you to embed video onto your blog, website or social networking site via the web video chat feature. Great for building relationships, having meetings, etc.
   

Lots of its features are free.... all you need is broadband internet access and a computer with a webcam and microphone (and a headset works great if you have one).

There is a great breakdown of all the ooVoo features and a short comparison to Skype in my weekly mailing which you may access here! Take a peek! (If you would like to get on my mailing list go to my website.) As with all marketing resources, review and pick out what works best for "you."

All this leads me to asking you where "video chat" is in your marketing strategy? If you are a current Skype user, what are you using it for in your business? Do you think it works for trainings? Meetings? What works? What doesn't work?

My thoughts about ooVoo is that it is one more step towards video being a norm for communicating! More and more video, in the chat format, is like being there! ooVoo brings us more options for when we are on the run in that it supports communications with or without "both" ends having the technology. Not sure how many people are ready to be "seen" as they work, but that aside .... the time for video chat has arrived. Even in email ....something I personally would not support for a long time. Anyone thinking along the same lines?

As always, you want to enhance your business communications with you choice of marketing resources. It's not just having "video chat" that will increase your bottom line. It is what you are saying over video chat and where you have applied it within your communication strategy that will increase your bottom line.

If you are wondering about where you might apply video chat within your business communications please share your concerns here. We can all work together in getting some answers for you.

You may also be interested in my "weekly special" ....part of my weekly mailing that I opened up to my blog readers last week and will do again this week! The first two blog readers who respond will receive my weekly special ... just say "blog" when you call or email.

In the mean time ...

Keep your business growing ...
margie

Who? What? Which? When? How? Got Online Overwhelm?

Ever find yourself looking at a new online resource and asking ... Who? What? Which? When? How? Happens to a lot of people as they get introduced to yet one more online resource that will solve all their online marketing problems.

The good news is that online overwhelm can be easy to solve. Believe it or not the core elements for marketing and selling online are the same as the traditional roles we all know so well - client, product, store/office, advertising, training, service, staff, sales, mail, phone, networking. No different, just different players! You just need to "breathe" ... and create a map.

A map allows you to assign a defined purpose to each of your online resources. It helps eliminate duplication, (the cause of much wasted time & confusion) and makes sure you have all your "crucial' bases covered! It also makes it easier to develop a strategy for all your resources.... making them work together with a goal of maximizing your results from the least amount of resources.

Give it a try. If you need an example, go to my weekly mailing, that I just sent out, where I outlined some of the basic assignments of the more popular resources. It will give you an idea of a basic map. You can access it by clicking here:

What I would love to know in this posting is what is "your" confusion? What makes you get online overwhelm OR how do you prevent it from happening?? Please share with us .... cause as this year evolves with web3.0 and more and more video and more and more mobile interactions, we all need to get control of ourselves and our businesses!

And also ... let me invite you to participate in my weekly special. Be one of the first two to contact me via phone or email and tell me you found out about the special via my blog. The special is any of my trainings listed here at 1/2 off. I'm feeling really good tonight so take advantage!


In the mean time ....
Keep your business growing!
margie

How Well Do You Target & Maximize?

Hello all ....hope you had a fun Halloween!
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All the Halloween activity got me thinking about how even "trick or treating" is a study in communicating. Think about it ... we target homes within communities and we dress up in accordance with the holiday in order to please and receive candy! If we target those who know us best and they know they will be targeted, the odds are pretty good that the candy will be "really" good!
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It's the same thing in business. Various levels within the business process have different communities of conversation. Each of these communities needs to be worked to get the best results, i.e. candy. Prospects are a community close to, but not quite, the same community as customers. Your strategic partners are a community as well as your staff.
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How many communities does your business have? Have you ever stopped to think about it this way? I'm really curious and would love it if you would share.
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Upon identifying your communities it is so important to maximize your communications within each community ... engage, interact and build strong and loyal communities. Online resources can play a huge role in assisting you with this. My weekly newsletter covered some of the many.
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You can see my mailing by clicking here. Take a look and see if you use any of the online resources I highlight for the specific reasons I mention. OR ... are do you have some that are using you? If you know of others please share as well! Would love to hear from you.
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Keep your business growing ...
margie

What's "Your" Purpose For Social Networking?

Hi ..

So what is "your" purpose for social networking? Do you have one? Hope so, cause it is the first step to take in order to justify your time on a social network.

It is imperative to have a purpose and/or intention if you are looking for business on a social network. Without knowing why you are there, how can you create any connections that will end up giving you new, repeat and referral sales? This is when people are wasting their time.


I just discussed 5 business reasons to use social networking for business in my weekly mailing. They are E-Commerce, Lead Generation, Branding, Research, and Customer Retention. You can read all about it by clicking my title here on my blog or if you are a subscriber, it should be in your inbox.
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My question in this blog is "what is "your" purpose? Is it any of the 5 listed? Other? Are you achieving your purpose via social networking? How are you doing it? Please share.
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Personally I have found all the power to be in the posting ~ knowing how to engage the reader with the benefits of what is offered so that the selling is almost transparent! It's powerful to experience. It's my "bait," as I like to say. ( click here for "Six Steps For Going Fishing On Social Networks )

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What do you find powerful? What works for you?
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Keep your business growing ...
margie

5 Email Subject LIne "DON'Ts"

Hello to all .. .

Have been noticing an increase in "laziness" when it comes to creating our one-to-one email subject lines! Not a good idea as this is where ...

• Your "first" impression begins.
• Where your reader creates a mind-set for opening and then reading your message.
• Where an emotion is created about you, the sender!!

Did you know all that was going on? I hope not!

HERE ARE 5 DON'Ts FOR EMAIL SUBJECT LINES

1. DON'T leave your subject line blank.
   A blank subject line often, upon first glance, is seen as spam. No hope of getting it opened.
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2. DON'T put your message in the subject line.
   Some people just read the beginning and assume the message is inside ( where it is supposed to be). When they open to a blank message area they get confused .. are not sure if something you wrote didn't come through, have to go back to the subject line and check to see if there is more ~ it all adds up to an unpleasant communication written obviously for YOUR convenience, not theirs.
   
   You might say it is just a short message so it "is" for the convenience of the recipient. They still do not know there is nothing inside and upon seeing the blank interior can be left in a "grey" mindset where they really don' t know if there is more for them to know. Just does not work in your favor.
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3. DON'T grab an old email and keep the old email subject line for a new message!
   Your recipient is sure going to feel less than special don't you think? Great way to build upon a relationship. You are also risking them not even opening it for thinking it is old news.
   
   Take the 30 seconds it takes to grab that old email so you can find their email address, copy and paste their address into a "new" email with a new subject line. It will change your recipient's entire attitude about you.
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4. DON'T assume you are tho only person who sends emails to your recipient.
   By this I mean if you make your subject line be about "lunch" ... identify the day of the lunch, purpose of the lunch, or even say lunch with you( by name). Make it easy for your recipient to know exactly what your email is addressing. Not everyone looks at the "from" name .. or at least not before confusion and discontent sets in ... subliminally or conscious wise.
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5. DON'T be cute or tricky.
   No one these days opens anything that does not get to the point. It is usually regarded as spam and deleted before a "from" name is even looked at. See more on this under number 4"s description.
   
   

Bottom line .. be clear, concise, distinct and considerate. The more you can eliminate "any" need for the recipient to think about what the email is about, the more positively your email will be received in the reader's inbox. Upon passing this point, the more likely your email will be opened and read!
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Remember each and every one-on-one email is an opportunity to further develop your relationship with your recipient. Take advantage and make sure your emails are positive experiences.
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Keep your business growing ...
margie

Do You Ever Struggle When Creating Online Postings For Your Business?

Do you ever struggle with creating a social networking business posting? How many times do you head to your social network of choice and become clueless as to what to write and resort to something trivial from your day?

If this is you .... you are amongst many out there! There are so many telesminars on strategies for timing, types of postings, places to go to post, etc... but there is very little to help you actually create your postings.

There is no larger pond to fish in for new prospects for your business than the social networks ... so why is it that we don't know what to say about ourselves ( our businesses)? I would really love it if you would share what your specific thoughts are on this subject.

Social networking should be a core activity within our business marketing plan and we should have fun while we are doing it. I have some ideas of my own that I shared with my weekly mailing list to make it much, much easier for business owners. If you would like to get a copy you can subscribe to my mailing list at http://www.todaysway.net/welcome.htm#struggle. You can also find out a little bit more about what you will be receiving via this same link.

In the mean time I would still love to have your input on what "you" find challenging about creating social networking postings for your business. Leave me your comments, please!

Keep your business growing ...
margie

How Do You Answer Your Business Phone?

How do you answer your business phone? Wow ... have you ever really thought about that one little moment that happens throughout the day?

The topic came to my mind as I was spinning some ideas on ways we all "secure our connections" throughout the day. I remembered a sales manager I had a long time ago who when he answered your call made you feel like you had made his day. It made me feel so good.

At one point while working for this boss, my desk was within hearing distance of his office. I learned that he answered all his calls the same way. It did not disappoint me, it impressed me. Such a simple little step to take to strengthen bonds!

It's not as easy as it sounds. I am still trying to implement it consistently and am going to make it be a point in 2010.

Think about it .... try it! I know some of you already do this ... well. Some of us do it with people we really want to hear from, but not everyone. And then there are others of us who can get off track with anyone who calls us, as we work at home alone with our thoughts.

Here's how my x-boss did it. You make a point of a pleasant hello. Upon hearing who is calling you simply say with joy, "John ... hi, how are you?" Saying their name out loud back to them always strengthens connections ( anywhere you use it .... good and bad :-) ) Don't over-do it, as that can look somewhat false .... just stick with pleasant as you begin and include that name.

So here's my challenge ... let's all try it, starting the moment you read this. We make "everyone" who calls us feel like they have made out day. We check back with each other in one month, February 8th ... just marked my calendar. I'll do another posting with my experiences and let you share yours as well.

Keep your business growing ...
margie

Securing Business Connections ... 6 Easy Natural Steps!

"Securing business connections" is a new term I am using for selling and/or closing business. Now that sales is a dirty word, I am thinking that our mindsets need to have a new perspective ... because we all must sell, right?

Securing a connection makes perfect logical sense and should be a more natural process for many who have made sales "seem" like a difficult feat. Take the steps found below and see what you think! Let me know what you come up with.

First lets go back to yesterday's posting where we talked about not forcing a connection to your service and/or product. There are matches out there for what you do that "fit" perfectly. You have the exact solution! That doesn't mean you will automatically get the sale because you will most likely also have some type of competition (good and bad) to deal with and your buyer may not even realize you are the perfect solution. So, what do you do?

Here are 6 steps to take upon identifying a quality "connection" for your product and/or service. Take special note that steps 1 and 2 are excellent for your use on social networks, The "securing" process starts within your prospecting activities online, in a 1-to-1 meeting, in a bar! Anywhere you find a "connection" you can begin to "secure" that connection ... very important to know!

1. Start asking questions.... making your questions be about the buyer.
   Gentle questions that allow you further explore the buyer's needs. Simply ask them, from all angles, what they are looking for. Look to all the "whys" and potential benefits.
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   The beginning of the "securing" process.
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2. Ask for agreement that your buyer sees that you have the perfect solution.
   After several exploring questions from step #1 stop and "simply" ask your buyer, "would you agree that so far you've found in these last few items we've discussed what you need?" Notice that I say, "you've found" NOT "I've got!" Keep the focus on your buyer, not yourself.
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   You have now "secured" some of the pieces.
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3. Summarize and ask for a final confirmation or "yes!"
   After covering multiple "whys" and receiving agreements, as you walk through what the buyer is looking for, summarize and conclude. "Looks like everything we have talked about is here ... would you agree with that?"
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   This step "secures" they want what you have!
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4. The Natural Close
   Now you say, " If everything looks good, what do we need to do to put this together for you?" Or, "what do we need to do to get this for you?" Or ... some similar wording that you are comfortable with. This allows room for all the other issues that might prevent a sale from happening to be put on the table, up front! Price, decision maker, timing, payment process, etc. If there are none, you are done! Congratulations.
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   You either secured a done deal at this step OR you have secured a process that serves as a check list of "to do's" in completing the deal. It works well especially if any objections occur along the way. At any point you can refer back to your plan that you "both" agreed to and explore the new objections or any new issues more "securely!"
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5. Solving Additional Issues With A Plan
   Work with the buyer on any additional issues. The buyer has at this point said they want what you have. Start helping "them" get it! Become a consultant and together figure out a plan to tackle the remaining issues. Get final agreement on the plan so you can both reference it should any surprises occur.
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   Now you are securing your relationship. Trust and loyalty is building!
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6. Celebrate A New Client
   Plan completed ... you are done! You have a sale but also you have given birth to a new business relationship because you helped "them." Congratulations.
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   You have now secured new business that is good for your client and good for you. Well done!
   

The great part of this process is when you receive the final sale you do feel as though your buyer did all the work! You simply facilitated the process. It's that easy and that fulfilling.

Hope you see how each step "secured" the final sale. The more agreement and confirmation of that agreement. the more secure you can be in getting that final "yes." It is also an easy way to make sure you are providing what the buyer wants.

Securing the sale continues after the first sale. How you provide follow-up, service, etc. or how you continue to build a relationship with this buyer is "securing' future new, repeat and referral business from this buyer. Something we all want!

I hope this new "mindset" can help you. Sales doesn't have to be a dirty word. We all would not exist without sales. As always, let me know your thoughts.

Keep Your Business Growing ...
margie

You Can't Force Connections!

"You can't force connections." .... I heard this on The Bachelor last night and it stuck with me because it is so true of what happens in the world of sales. Do you see the parallel?

Sales is, in its most basic form, a series of connections. A person has a need or want and a business "connects" their product or service to that need or want as a solution. The goal is to make good connections, of course!

So if selling is so easy and good ... why does selling have such a evil image? Because people/businesses try to "force" connections - in so many ways!

Here are just a few examples of what some salespeople do that produce what we refer to as "buyer's remorse:" How many have you experienced?

• Tell you that you can't live without their product.
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  Once you've bought it and get it home, you realize it isn't really what you wanted and you resent the product and the business that sold you!
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• Bury you in the features of a product - while not paying any attention to "why" you are looking to buy something.
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  You get it home and perfect as it is in many ways ... it isn't answering your "why." An example would be buying a sweater because you need to be warm. You go shopping and a salesperson sells you on all the features of a sweater (what you are basically looking for), you love it, bring it home and realize it is a sweater but not one that will keep you warm!
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• False lures ... price deals, bonus gifts, etc.
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  I think we've all been here. You see a "two-for-one" special. Gotta have it! You get home and never use either one of the two items. You say, "but it was a good deal!"
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• You fill in the rest! I think the list can go on and on. No wonder "sales" is considered a dirty word.
  

What can be equally as bad is something I read just yesterday online. It is almost right-on but still misses! There was a posting that was telling people not to push their product in front of people as it is not appreciated and would not create good relationships. This part I agree with totally. However, they went on to say that people like to buy from people (leaders), and that you should just go after making yourself a star within your industry and create personal connections.All they need and/or want to know is "you."

Well, personal connections are great and buyers do need to like (in most cases) and trust who they are buying from. But you still need to have a quality connection with what you need. You can't take the product and your "why" out of the package! If you do ... it is just another way of "forcing a connection" and it won't work in the long run or often even in the short run.

Start, or if you are already doing it, continue to "secure" your connections. Selling can be so much fun if you seek out where your good connections might be, identify people with the need you satisfy and again, work on the "securing" of quality connections. Simply find ways to "engage" and simply get enough agreement from your prospects so that they can "buy" with confidence. Your job is make sure the buyer is getting what "they" want ... NOT what "you" want. I will talk more about ways of "securing" your connections tomorrow!

Meanwhile, just remember ... "You can't force connections" ... true in love and business!

What are your thoughts on this? How do you look at selling? Are you having fun? Let me know!

Keep your business growing ...
margie

The Words We Use When Communicating!

Have you gotten involved yet in all the discussion going on about whether to refer to 2010 as "two thousand ten" or "twenty-ten"?

I had an interesting experience with it. When I first became aware I was "put off." Was wondering how and why people come up with these ideas! Of course I would continue to say, two thousand ten as we have been doing since the year 2000. Why do people try to change things?

Then it hit me out of the blue, actually while walking my friend's dog - " We have always referred to the years as two numbers!" 1995 was "nineteen ninety-five" and 1842 was "eighteen forty-two."We did not say "one thousand nine hundred and ninety five!"

Maybe your mind was clearer than mine on this, but ever since getting "with the program" and seeing 2010 as twenty-ten, it energizes me! There is just something more energizing, clear and distinct about "twenty-ten."

My point is ~ after writing a posting, email, newsletter ... go back and look at your words. Can you substitute any of your words with more energizing ones. Are you being clear, distinct and to the point. Are your words making it "easy" for the reader to "get" your message?

Start paying attention to this one little element of your communications ... if you do find words you could change, my bet is that you will also find changes in the responses to your messages.

Let me know what you think and if a change did make a difference. Would love your input.

Happy 2010 (twenty-ten) !!!!!!

Keep your business growing ...
margie

Don't Forget About Your Website!

With all the focus on social networking and one's mailing list these days, it is important not to forget about your website! Your website remains the central hub of all your communications. It is true that its format is going to be more of a blog very soon, but its purpose will remain the same .... that is to be a central core supporting all the elements of your business - products, services, staff, contact info, etc.

I don't know if you think this way already, but your website should be where you are eventually plannning to have all your other types of communications end up at and center around. If you are going to make this happen as successfully as possible, it is important that your website speaks clearly and distinctly to all its visitors.

Far be it for you to build a huge following on the social networks only to have your connections get to your website and not understand what you do! They will still like you out there on the social nets, but you won't get as much business as you could! Hmmmm.... :-)

Here are are few questions to ask yourself about your website:

1. Can a first time visitor "instantly" know what you do upon arriving at your website?
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2. Can a first time visitor "instantly" know if they should stay or go upon arriving at your website? Upon gettting througth item #1 above, the visitor now asks, "So What?" Do your have an answer for your visitor? Do they know upon landing on your site "what's in it for them?"
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3. If your visitors decide to stay on your website, is it easy for them to know where to go next on your site? Is the navigation clear and easy to follow?
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4. Is the text on your website easy to read at a glance?
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5. Do you have a path for a visitor's eye to follow on your website pages ... is text broken up into manageable paragraphs? Are images placed so that their eye will continue down the page ... or maybe text headlines are used for this?
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6. Can your visitors review your entire website with ease and comprehension?
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7. Are you following the Golden Rule of online communcations - Convenient to the reader and no "greys," thinking not required!

Hope you've discovered that you are in good shape! If not let me know your questions and/or concerns. Maybe you question some of the above? As always ... please share your thoughts here on my blog! Or ... contact me privately.

Keep your business growing ...
margie

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all!

May your 2010 communications bring you wonderful new relationships to allow your business to grow and prosper! And with that may these relationships add to the quality of your personal life and bring you great joy and satisfaction!

I personally had such joy yesterday after sending out my new years greeting to my own business mailing list. I include a synopsis of each of my client's businesses so that all my clients might benefit from each other. Everyone already knows what I do, so no need to mention me in this mailing. The replies I get back from both the clients mentioned and the "not yet" clients on the list simply cement my intent of the mailing. It all makes me feel good as a business and also as a person.

Have you experienced this? Would love to have you share how business has added to your personal fulfillment! There are probably a number of ways, daily! If you are active on any of the social networks you may more easily get this feeling there? If so, talk to me!

This year may be the year to include activities that will grow your business and personal sense of fullfillment ... relationships are what it is all about, more and more! The line of separation between business and personal gets thinner and thinner.

Happy New Year!

Keep your business growing ...
margie

Random Thoughts On My 2009 Communication Experiences ...

It's New Year's Eve and so much as happened with online communications in this past year. Was sitting down with a cup of coffee and thinking back and thought I would just jot down a few things I learned that will, for sure, carry over into 2010!

Would love to know if you have experienced some of the same or have some of your own to add!

• Think Small!
  This stands out more than anything else in my mind. Social networking posts, email and newsletter subject lines, blog topics, etc all are more successful when the thought that is shared is small. Seems as if ;you try and cover too much in one communication it gets lost!
  Simple little things are like "hooks!" What do you think?
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• Create Replys and Interaction!
  Relationship building is what it is all about. If you want to create bonds it can not be done by talking at someone as far as I know. You must speak "with" which means you have to create some interaction, right?
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• Leave Comments!
  Don't you just love to get a comment ... good ones? It solidifies the start of something good in most cases. I think they are so much fun to get. Everyone loves to receive comments, so give a few yourself.
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• Be Consistent!
  Consistency with your communications is required in order to even get noticed in the first place! I am following the rule that the more consistent you are, the more your brand and presence builds, and you are on your way to having a community of friends, followers, prospects and clients!! :-) Been working for me ... you too?
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• Speak in Real Time ---
  This means speak like the person was sitting at your desk. People are "with" you on the internet. It is a very intimate personal one-on-one interaction that takes place when someone reads your postings, emails, etc ... right? What do you feel right now? Am I far away or close?
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• The Golden Rule
  This isn't new this year. I've had this for a long time but it remains important. Whatever type of content you communicate make sure it is convenient to the reader's interest and also requires no thinking! That's right - eliminate the need for the reader to think as they read what you write and you've got a home run!! :-) My long time personal experience here!

These are the highlights of what I've discovered "new" in 2009 and know will be of great value in 2010. What do you think? What have you found? Let me know!!!

Happy New Year!

Keep your business growing ....
margie

Creating The Subject Line For Your Newsletter ... What's Best?

Subject lines, on newsletters (and everthing you create), are more important than perhaps all of your content! Subject lines do two important things:

1. Get the newsletter opened
2. Put your business "in front" of a reader, even if they do not open your newsletter.

Do you ever find yourself in a delima as to what to put in the subject line? Or do you just throw anything up there? Maybe you don't put anything in the subject line (a definite tabu)?

It is important to give your subject line serious thought! One general thought that may help you is what I refer to as the "Golden Rule Of Online Communications" ... make sure your communication is convenient and removes all need to think!

Let me expand just a bit ... "convenient " means that you are delivering information that the reader wants to receive. Your information is not a hassle to receive. "Remove all thinking" means just that! Make sure your wording is clear and to the point. There should be no "grey" in the message - reader does not have to figure out anything, guess, etc.

Here are a few more tips to go along with the Golden Rule:

• Use Clear and Distinct Wording
  Example: ABC Company News vs. Re: ABC Company January 2010 News!
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• Pay attention to the 1st 4 - 5 words. They are the most important words of your subject line.
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• If you can be clear in a short subject line, great! If not, make sure the 1st 4 - 5 words are clear and a longer subject line will be read by those who are "lured" by the 1st few words.
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• Remember that your recipients hear from other people as well.
  Example: Our Newsletter vs. XYZ 's January News!
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• Capitalize the first letter of each word, even the little single letter words. This gives your subject line a bit more presence in the inbox.
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• Say exactly what you are communicating about! Do not be cute or whimsical. Always good to state a benefit as the subject line when possible. If a challenge, try pretending someone "live" is in your office and write it as you would say it! Makes it much easier to create... !

One question that often comes up when creating the subject line for a newsletter is whether to use the same line - your newsletter title - over and over or use an article title as the subject line. Have you experienced this dilimma?

I say both! Your newsletter is a form of branding and people who subscribe want to receive it and know that is has arrived in their inbox. If you use your newsletter name consistently in the subject line that is your 1st hook - it becomes part of your brand and your readers know it has arrived.

This said, you want your readers to have a compelling reason to open your newsletter each month, not just know it has arrived! So after your newsletter name, I always suggest that you put the title or benefit of your feature article or news. This will change each month and give your readers something to "look for!"

I hope this has helped put some of the mystery away. Let me know if you have questions. I welcome any other tips you might have. Please share with all of us!

Keep your business growing!
margie

Building Bonds From Mailing Lists Having Multiple Interests

Hi everyone ...

Yesterday I spoke about how to find out who on your list is interested in what different types of products and/or services that you sell. The action I suggested to take assumed you "already" had a list of subscribers, but did not know their specific interests.

Before I continue with the next step to take with your list, let me just point out that some web-based email systems provide you with a sign-up form for your webpages that will allow you to include multiple fields (for notating specific interests) in the sign-up form. If this is available, use it and you will already have some specific demographics within your mailing list.

Ok ... let's go forward now. You have your list and you have contacts who have identified their specific interests within your business. Writing to your reader's specific interests will build the bond between the reader and your business. Any readers who see info on items not of interest simply place your business on the sideline or totally distance themselves from you. Nothing in it for them. It only takes one wrong mailing!

So how can you build bonds with multiple interests? There are several ways..

1. As covered yesterday, strive to keep your mailings to "all contacts" generic. Make sure it is information that "everyone" is interested in.
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2. If you must still mention specific interests within your generic mailings do the following: After writing some general content you can make individual paragraphs per interest notating that the interest in the headline. For example, a headline might be, "For Those Interested In Swimming, here are January updates". The next paragraph headline might be, "For Those Interested In Senior Bingo, here are January Bingo Game dates." You are still taking a chance with losing someone's interest so to make it more of a direct connection for each reader, put a summary at the top with links to each section so they don't have to go scroll through each paragraph that they don't care about.
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   Rmember the golden rule of online communication is make all content convenient to an interest and remove any need to think!
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3. Check and see if your web-based email system has a "dynamic rule" feature. This is where you can create one mailing, BUT... you create several optional individualized paragraphs per specific interest that the email system will automatically insert! It works this way - after you write your generic content you can arrive at an interest paragraph and insert the "dyanmic rule" that all contacts who have "swimming" in the database field #345 will have "paragraph #1" inserted, all contacts who have "Bingo" in the database field #345 will have "paragraph #2" inserted, etc. Creates individualized mailings and you only need to create and send one mailing. Let me know if you have questions on this ... it is a feature not found in all web-based email systems.
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4. You can also simply send out individualized mailings in addition to your monthly generic mailings ... of course by specific interests.

Just always remember how you feel when you walk into a "live" networking/business group and they are not talking about something that is of interest to your needs. What do you do? Usually people walk on .... ! Same reactions occur when reading! Use your mailings to create bonds, not destroy them.

Let me know what you think about the above. It might seem like a lot of work .. but you are really making business easier for yourself in the long run plus creating strong and loyal clients! As always, please share your thoughts via a comment or two!

Keep your business growing ...
margie

Is Your Email Newsletter "Distancing" People?

If you are one of the many sending out email newsletters, you know that they take time and work. The last thing you want to have happen from your efforts is to "distance" your business from a reader. Afterall ... one of the major reasons for sending an online newsletter is to "attract" ... NOT distance!

BUT ... there "are" time when you need to get information out to readers on your list that just doesn't interest everyone on your list. So what do you do? Have any of you conquered this situation? Please share with me what has worked for you?

I find there are several steps you can take, with some careful thought, that will prevent "any" distancing from happening with your mailings!

1. Choose a web-based emailing system that provides you with a large database capability. Make sure you can label your contacts with more than name and email address. There should be multiple fields where you can keep a record of a contact's interests and demographics.
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2. Choose a web-based emailing system that provides you with a good variey of statistics. In addition to seeing who opened and read your mailings, a good variety of statistics includes how many & exactly "who" clicked on a link, how many times and "who" read your message, "who" forwarded your mailing, and of course how many and exactly "who" did not open your mailing. These are starters. Anything beyond is even greater!
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3. Create a mailing that includes content that you know will appeal to everyone on your list. Within that mailing create a section where you ask people what their interests are. Of course the selections you provide will be the different subjects you want to talk about that you know will not interest all. Example .. if the YMCA sends out a newsletter to all its members they could ask, who would be interested in knowing about swimming activities, etc.
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4. Use links in your mailing per interest that appeals to only a portion of your mailing list. The link can go to a simple "thank you" page.
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5. Now go to your statistics and see who and how many have told you what their specific interests are from your business! You've now got the beginning of a strong foundation for building quality relationships with these contacts.
   

There are a couple of ways you can proceed from Step "5." I will talk about them tomorrow. Right now I want to ask if you have any questions on the above? Also, before tomorrow, check out your web-based system for what it provides in terms of database and statistic offerings. Let me know what you find out!

Keep Your Business Growing ...
margie

Keeping Online Newsletters 1-To-1

Hello to all...

Tis the day "after" Christmas and hope you are feeling a moment of calm. All is done, love abounds, life is good. I hope this is what you are feeling all day today ... if not all day, for at lease just one moment at some point within today!

Soon all will begin again and I thought I would start a short series of blogs about online newsletters! Do you use one? Has it created good things for you?

The importance of having an online newsletter has kind of taken a backseat with all the buzz about social networking. People do mention the importance of list building but I haven't seen much lately on how to maximize the power of your list.

I believe we all know the basics. You create a mailing list and then send out information to that list. However ... the competitive edge these days in business lies within the strength of your relationships. Your mailings to your list can serve a huge role in building strong relationships! Do you think about that when creating your mailings?

There are several ways to achieve relationship building with a mailing, but today I just want to speak of your mindset when first writing your mailing's content. Let's just visualize right now sitting down at your desk and starting to develop your content for your mailing .....

• First thing we usually think about is what we want to say! That's cool.
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• Next we need to think about who we are saying it to. Is the information you want to deliver meaningful for everyone on your list? Let's assume right now it is. Cool.
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• Now you have to write your content. Here again you are sending a 1-to-1 communication to "many" ... and, you have to write your content as if you were just speaking to one person. If not, your communication becomes much, much easier for people to skim over and pretty much waste all your effort! Your message becomes an "ad" vs. a "communication." That said, there are times for "ads" .. .but if you are doing a newsletter about your business .. .the more 1-to-1 in feeling you can provide, the better your bonding.
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• How do you write 1-to-1 when mailing to many? The best exercise I can give you is one I mention a lot and that is to pretend someone on your mailing list is sitting at your desk. Start talking out loud to that person about what you want to say. Then write down exactly what you said in the same way on paper. You'll get the idea pretty quickly and see the difference!
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• Do one more review of the people on your list and make sure you have written something that they can all relate to and that will strengthen your relationship. Read you message to yourself as if "you" were receiving it.
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• You are now one step closer to maximizing your newsletter maling.

Tomorrow I will talk a bit about what happens when you don't know who would not be interested in the information you want to send to your list. It's a biggie so make sure you check my blog out tomorrow. You can subscribe on the right side my blog, right here, just to make sure you catch tomorrow's posting . Would love to have you on board!

Also please share with us if what I wrote today makes sense! What are your experiences in writing this way ... 1-to-1 to many!

Keep your business growing ...
margie