THE 15 MINUTE MARKETER: “The 7 Building Blocks That Make Social Networking”

THE 15 MINUTE MARKETER:    “The 7 Building Blocks That Make Social Networking  Work”

by Nancy Gerber

We all know (or need to!) that marketing is really
just another word for community building. Once you get
very clear on who’s in your tribe (your target
market), the critical first step to growing a group of
loyal followers who buy from and recommend you is to
find them and get their attention.

The current hot zone for finding and attracting
customers is Social Networking. For some entrepreneurs
(including baby boomer me), this represents another
new skill set we need to learn, and an additional and
potentially time-sucking activity to add into our mix.
We know it’s important, and see the great results
others are getting. Yet, we continue either to put it
off or do it halfheartedly because we’re just not
clear about how to approach it in a way that will
maximize our efforts most efficiently.

In a recent conversation with my long-time friend, PR
expert Debra Dixon (www.lightofgoldpr.com), I learned
that there are seven essential building blocks to
getting started in and getting the most leverage out
of the Social Networking universe.  Paying attention
to these basics will insure a tangible and satisfying
ROI (return on investment) for our efforts.

1.  Have your on-line foundation in place before you
begin.  At minimum, you need to have a web site – or
at least a page – as a home base to which you can send
folks who respond to your Social Networking
activities.  Make sure you offer them a free taste of
you and your work so you can capture their contact
information.  If you have several sites or different
types of products or services, decide on your
priority.  PICK ONE and focus your efforts there.

2. Be deliberate and realistic about how much time you
can and will spend on-line in Social Networking
activities.  Decide on a schedule that is do-able and
fits your  calendar, and stick to it.  Consistency is
more  important than frequency. Debbie suggests about
an hour minimum per week per site once you have
completed the set up activities.  That can easily be
split up into smaller segments if you work better that
way.

3.  Get up and running on and maximize one Social
Networking site before moving on to the next.  Use
your first site to create templates (see below).

4. Create a Master file / template of your profile
information from your first Social Networking site in
a Word document so your brand will be consistent and
congruent on all of your sites.  Use the same photos,
language, logos, etc. as a foundation.  Cut and paste,
and then tweak as appropriate for each additional
site.

5.  Think of groups on Social Networking sites in the
same way as you do in-person networking groups.   Find
relevant groups to connect with – a maximum of 2 to 3.
Be an active participant; join the conversation and be
willing to give as well as receive.  Include  links to
your blog, web site, etc. as appropriate. Within 4-6
weeks you’ll be able to tell if your  investment of
time and effort is yielding results.

6. Schedule separate follow up time weekly for the
contacts you make while on-line.  If you have a follow
up system already in place, adapt it for this purpose.
If not — create one. No sense getting all of this set
up and rolling if you don’t have a plan in place for
staying connected and adding interested people into
your marketing funnel.

7.  It’s not necessary to upgrade from free to fee for
enhancements unless you’re spending most of your time
on one site only or on that site much more often. It’s
hard to justify paying when there are so many Social
Networking sites that are free.

Now it’s up to you.  Where are you right now?  Which
building blocks need attention?   Which days and times
every week will you dedicate to this vital marketing
activity?  What’s your first – or next – Social
Networking site that you’ll be working on?  How will
you hold yourself accountable for keeping these
commitments?

Copyright 2009 by Nancy Birnbaum-Gerber

THE 15 MINUTE MARKETER: 5 WAYS TO QUICKLY ATTRACT CUSTOMERS

THE 15 MINUTE MARKETER:

“5 Ways To Quickly Attract More Customers Without Spending a Dime”

 by Nancy Gerber

My Dad owned a printing supply company in Brooklyn, NY back in the days when there were no computers, cell phones, fax or answering machines. He sold what printers needed to complete their customer jobs on small printing presses — typical supplies were ink, solutions to clean the type and presses, lubricants for the machinery and specialty paper stock. Growing up, I was in the store often after school to help out. I watched him build and maintain relationships with his customers. I can still see him standing in front of his large drafting table, planning out his next day’s route, laying out the index cards with information and notes about each one. I remember the laughter and warmth between him and the people who would call or stop in to see him. I know that he and his customers were understanding and supportive of each other when times were tough. He spent his time, rather than his money, on creating and maintaining customer attraction, and kept that business going successfully for over thirty years. Although times have changed, I’ve learned a lot from my Dad’s actions, attitude and commitment to the processes and systems he developed for his business. If Alzheimer’s hadn’t robbed him of his abilities, I know he’d get a kick out of what’s going on today. Here are some Morty Birnbaum-inspired low or no cost customer attraction tips.

 1. Think low tech, high touch. These days, even though we have so many high tech tools available to us, it’s absolutely essential to make human interaction a priority. Instead of an e- mail, make a phone call. Instead of bouncing voice mails, schedule a face-to-face or telephone meeting. Too many of us are using technology as an excuse to remain isolated. Time to get over that, and fast.

2. Reach out to former customers or clients Touch base to see how they’re doing. Find out what they need. Create a special offer (with a deadline, of course!) to get them excited about reconnecting with you and your company.

 3. Treat whoever contacts you like royalty Whoever is the main point of contact — especially first contact — needs to be trained to pay attention and be nice, polite and helpful to every single person who calls, e-mails, or walks through the door. Learn, teach and model a service-oriented attitude. Since this kind of behavior is so rare these days, you and your business will stand apart and above the rest.

 4. Collect contact info from everyone who visits Once you get permission to do so, you can reach out with special offers and opportunities for them alone. You can share useful info not readily available. Make them feel special and privileged. Give them a reason to keep coming back.

5. Reward those who refer others Referrals from happy customers are the absolute best way to get more happy customers. This week, use your 15 Marketing Mambo minutes every day to choose ONE new customer attraction strategy. Make a commitment to incorporating this tactic regularly. Create a SPECIFIC easily do-able plan, and start NOW! Who can you ask to hold you accountable for implementing these actions? **************************************************

 With businesses, you go to the same places because you like the service, you like the people and they take care of you. They greet you with a smile. That’s how people want to be treated, with respect. That’s what I tell my employees.. customer service is very important. — Magic Johnson

15 MINUTE MARKETER: ‘DOES DOING GOOD FEEL BAD?’

‘Does Doing Good Feel Bad?’

Growth is a fascinating and ever-continuing journey.  Just when we think we’ve made some progress, and are ready for the well deserved payoff for our efforts, another unexpected curve appears in the road. At these times, an appreciation of irony and the ability to laugh at our unique human
experience are the best tools to help us navigate through our latest under-construction zone.  A great example is  what happens when we try to do good for ourselves and the others in our lives. 

We’ve worked really hard to become more aware of how we resist and reject success by tossing an endless variety of roadblocks in our own way.  With great effort, we develop other options — different and more effective
self-talk, beliefs, responses and actions that will reduce the quantity and difficulty of the obstacles.  We get to the point where we’re sometimes able to catch ourselves before or right at the moment where we could stray from our newly discovered better way — and we achieve the glorious victory of making a more appropriate choice.  We say ‘yes’ to what will
move us forward, ‘no’ to what’s keeping us stuck, or use our time and energy more wisely.

It’s at this point that we expect to finally experience some pride, satisfaction and happiness.  Ironically, its precisely at this point that the
opposite feelings pop up.  Doing good feels bad!   We’re impatient and remind ourselves of all the time we’re wasting by taking a different track.  We’re surprised when our distaste for cleaning up our clutter or keeping up with the checkbook hasn’t magically morphed into pleasure and delight.  That profound and dramatic shift in the way we think about ourselves and our life does not suddenly land upon our shoulders like a royal satin cloak.  Truth be told, doing what’s right seems to feel WORSE! 

Changing our behavior doesn’t automatically alter our responses.  The tempting seduction of giving in to the quick-fix, short term solutions that offer immediate gratification and the illusion of relief
from feeling ‘icky’ will always be a factor.  Feeling good — or at least better — will come with time and cumulative effort.  Our responses
will begin to change when we have evidence that our new choices are creating different results.   And, just like physical fitness activities, while
we may never truly enjoy taking the actions that are best for us, we’ll certainly LOVE the results.  The key is to acknowledge and own the ‘inappropriate’ feelings while continuing on with what we know we
need to do.

What ‘right actions’ are you trying to include in your life?  What negative or unexpected feelings are coming up?  What needs to happen for you to
continue on your path in spite of these feelings?

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But goodness alone is never enough. A hard cold wisdom
is required, too, for goodness to accomplish good.
Goodness without wisdom invariably accomplishes evil.
~ Robert Heinlein

Goodness is the only investment that never fails.
~ Henry David Thoreau

To talk goodness is not good. Only to do it is.
~ Chinese Proverb

It’s the action, not the fruit of the action, that’s important. You have to do the right thing. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there’ll be any fruit. But that doesn’t mean you stop doing the right thing.
~ Mahatma Gandhi

When we are happy we are always good, but when we are
good we are not always happy.
~ Oscar Wilde

It isn’t hard to be good from time to time.  What’s tough is being good every day.
~ Willie Mays

Take your life in your own hands and what happens?   A terrible thing:  no one to blame.
~ Erica Jong

Do what’s good for you, or you’re not good for anybody.
~ Billy Joel

THE 15 MINUTE MARKETER: “THINK ONLY OF CUTTING”

THE 15 MINUTE MARKETER: 
“Think Only of Cutting”

by Nancy Gerber

We are a society of multi-taskers.  We talk on the phone while we make dinner while we do laundry while we surf the net while we watch TV.  We check our e-mail while on a conference call and order lunch as we write a proposal.  We take pride in our ability to keep lots of balls in the air at the same time. 

The truth is that what we call multi-tasking is actually shifting our attention every few seconds from task to task to task.  In reality, we’re wired to only
do one thing at a time.  We create and buy into the illusion of simultaneous accomplishment, while, in reality, we act superficially with less than optimal results.

We manifest this pattern in our mental and emotional life, too.  We agonize over our choices, delaying action while trying to anticipate every possible
outcome and make the “right” decision.  When we finally DO get moving, we continue second guessing, flagellating ourselves with “shoulds” and guilt for
not being somewhere else or doing that other important activity.  Is it any wonder that many of us feel drained and depleted at the end of the day?

Chin-Ning Chu quotes many wise masters in her life changing book “Thick Face, Black Heart — The Warrior Philosophy for Conquering the Challenges of Business and Life”.  Among them is the 16th century Japanese
sword master Miyamoto Musashi who said, “Whatever state of mind you are in, ignore it.  Think only of cutting.”

What a powerful reminder!  As much as we like to complicate our lives, the answer really is this simple — the key to success is simply to make a commitment, and focus on it’s execution. 

When distracted, our aim is deflected.  Our blade may graze a tree, or bounce off a rock.  It will soon become dull and unable to do the thing for which it was designed. High achievers know this and have sharpened their ability to tune out unnecessary input and focus on the task at hand. 

When we try to do to much, when we fill our plates and stretch our bandwidth to the limit without allowing extra time and space to think, percolate and create, we usually wind up with a lot of incompletes and
disappointments — certainly not the outcomes we want!

Every day business life brings a continuous stream of challenges and distractions. There will always be e-mail to answer, phone calls to make, reading and writing to complete, things to organize. How we plan for — and
choose to respond — will determines our results.

This week, use your 15 Marketing Mambo minutes everyday to consider, clearly decide on and commit to what in your business you’re trying to “cut” in the next 12 months.

What state of mind is necessary in order to accomplish your tasks at the highest level?  What kind of help do you need?  What projects must be “back-burnered” to free up time and space for your main objective?

Copyright 2008 by Nancy Birnbaum-Gerber 

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Concentrate all your thoughts on the task at hand.
The sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus.
– Alexander Graham Bell

THE 15 MINUTE MARKETER: “Are You Overlooking Your Best Resources?”

THE 15 MINUTE MARKETER: 
“Are You Overlooking Your Best Resources?”

by Nancy Gerber

When in need of input or advice, we often forget that help is usually closer than we think.

A colleague invited me to attend a recent luncheon meeting of the local Atlanta Chapter of an organization of professional women in a conventionally male-dominated field.  She moderated a panel discussion with three successful business owners who shared their unvarnished
advice and practical insights.

I’m always delighted to meet intelligent and successful women who are traveling an unconventional path, and I came away from this meeting motivated and energized.  Although we work in different fields, the issues
were familiar.  Especially amusing was the moment when the animated panel members were asked how they handled stress and life balance issues–they all fell silent, looked at each other to see who would speak up first,
and no one did!

The questions from the audience members were thoughtful, intriguing and challenging–as useful and stimulating as queries from an experienced coach.  The advice and insights from the panel were authentic and wise–one even reminded the group that not everyone is cut out to or has the drive to own their own business, and that there are many ways to honor themselves and make progress in their careers without taking the specific road that the panel members have traveled.  That struck a chord with many of the women present.

So often we choose to struggle alone, uncomfortable with the idea of requesting assistance, holding tight to our pride and our self-sufficient image.  Although, of course, there are no guarantees, each of us has an
incredible richness of resources within easy reach.  All we need to do is open our mouths and ask.

What valuable sources of support might you be overlooking?

This week, use your 15 Marketing Mambo minutes every day to consider what resources you need to grow your business in the next 12 months.

Who do you know who can help you find and implement these vital items? How will you ask them for help?

Copyright 2008 by Nancy Birnbaum-Gerber 

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Do you know what happens to scar tissue?  It’s the
strongest part of the skin.
– Michael R. Mantell

15 MINUTE MARKETER: Simple 4 Step Marketing Formula

THE 15 MINUTE MARKETER: 
The Simple 4 Step Marketing Formula That ALWAYS Gets Results
by Nancy Gerber

Anything that provides information about your business is a marketing message.  It could be the copy on your web site, an e-mail about an upcoming program or a new development in your company.  It could be a flyer or a yellow page advertisement.  It can be a podcast or a
You Tube video.  Even product order forms (the really good ones crafted by experts) are stand-alone marketing messages.

In the simplest terms, the purpose of a marketing message is to get the people who read it to take specific actions that will serve them while growing your business in some way.

Before you start working on your marketing message, there are two preliminaries that must be in place.

First, before you write a word, know exactly what action you want your readers (or listeners or viewers) to take. 

Also, you must communicate the benefits of what you’re offering to your audience.  We’ve all received messages in one form or another from businesses announcing some “exciting event”.  I’ve received announcements about rebranding, awards, moving to a new location, new programs or services, staffing changes, and so on.  Unless the announcement has relevance to me, and only if I can see some reason
that it will benefit ME to learn more or pay attention, will I keep it and act on it.  Otherwise, it’s tossed in the trash. I’m pretty sure your
response is the same.  This is a vital lesson:  remember that everyone out there is tuned to radio station WII-FM — “What’s In It For Me”.

Think of these two items as the framework — your concrete slab and framing for your house.  Now, here are the walls, doors, windows and roof — otherwise known as “Direct Marketing” principles (I learned this formula from one of my mentors, Dan Kennedy).

Make your OFFER.  Be specific.  Spell it out for the reader.  Describe the opportunity, product, or service.  Highlight how it solves their problems,
reduces their pain and provides specific solutions. As noted above, an offer is NOT your new company name or the industry award you just won.  Create an offer that ties in to that news, and then you’ve got something
the reader will care about.

Attach your offer to a DEADLINE.  It can be a time deadline — this price is good for the next 48 hours only.  It can be a scarcity deadline — only 3 spots are available in this coaching program.  It can be a numerical limit — the first 10 people who order get this additional bonus.

Also, be sure to include a “call to ACTION” in your message — tell readers exactly what they should do and by when they need to do it.

Most important, as I’ve noted in so many other articles, you must know clearly who your TRIBE is. (Dan Kennedy calls this your ‘heard’.) Who are your ideal customers?  What do they want? Where is their pain?  What are their problems?  What’s important to them?  Knowing this will help you create offers that will appeal specifically to and get responses from the
people who want what you have to offer.

Here’s an easy way to remember this formula:  ADOT

A for ACTION
D for DEADLINE
O for OFFER
T for TRIBE

This week, use your 15 Marketing Mambo minutes every day to study offers crafted by the experts.  Read e-zines, look at sales pages and e-mails.  Google people like Dan Kennedy, Kendall Summerhawk, Milana Leshinsky, Alexandria Brown, Tom Antion and Adam Urbanski, to mention just a few of the folks I admire. Check out marketing messages in the media.  Pay
attention to successful infomercials, commercials and ads you see often — Pro Active and Nutri Systems are two examples.  If something is repeated a lot on TV, you know it’s working — a company won’t continue to invest big bucks in repeating it if there isn’t a large response. Look for the ‘ADOT’s’ common to them all.  How can you start applying these principles to
YOUR marketing?

Copyright 2008 by Nancy Birnbaum-Gerber 

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No matter what your product is, you are ultimately in the education business. Your customers need to be constantly educated about the many advantages of doing business with you, trained to use your products more
effectively, and taught how to make never-ending improvement in their lives.
~ Robert G Allen

THE 15 MINUTE MARKETER: POWERFUL PRICING STRATEGIES

THE 15 MINUTE MARKETER: 
Powerful Pricing Strategies To Get Paid What You’re Worth
by Nancy Gerber

Over the past few years, I’ve grown increasingly more
willing to be bold and take a stand for the value of
my expertise, experience and knowledge.  While I still
have a ways to go, I’ve taken to heart the lessons
learned from many of my marketing mentors.

First, we all deserve to be well compensated for the
time, effort, energy, experience, expertise and
professionalism we bring to our clients. Money is not
evil.  It’s not bad or non-spiritual to earn
substantial revenue.  We can do lots of good for
ourselves and others with the money we earn.

Also, how we think about money and what we deserve to
paid for our efforts, how we set and explain our fees,
etc., is about much more than finances. Our attitudes
about revenue, income and pricing can teach us a lot
about ourselves. Working on improving these areas will
impact every other part of our lives. “How we do
anything is how we do everything.”

Rather than charging by the hour or piecemeal, create
packages. Bundle relevant products or services
together that separately would cost more.  Add bonuses
and offer these with either deadlines or scarcity. An
auto repair shop can offer a ‘winter safety’ package
consisting of tire rotation, tune up and heating
system check. The first 25 people who sign up also
receive a free oil change OR when they purchase the
package within 24 hours of the offer they get the free
oil change. A special bonus could be a coupon for
another free oil change in the spring (which brings
them back into the shop!).

Rather than lowering prices, add more value to your
packages and services. A graphic designer could add
in an extra hour of consultation to evaluate the
client’s web site and give advice on redesign ideas
when the client orders a complete identity package.
A coach can provide a complimentary 20 minute session
when people enroll in her teleseminar series.  A speaker
can offer a free follow-up teleseminar for all who
attend his corporate-sponsored workshop.  This costs
nothing except for a little extra time; the value is high
because it gives more one-on-one access to and pearls
of wisdom from YOU, the expert.

Offer different levels of participation — say a basic
and VIP package with lots of extras — at different
price points.  When people see the higher priced
offering, it’s a contrast that reframes the value of
the more modestly priced package.

If a potential client insists that you lower your
fees, even after a thorough review of their needs and
your benefits got an enthusiastic response, one
effective reply is, “Sure.  Which parts of the package
would you like me to remove so that we can accommodate
your request?”

Pay attention to what other types of products and
services your clients want that can open up new
revenue streams.  Look for a synchronicity between
these desires and other untapped areas of skill that
you haven’t yet expanded.  For example, at Marketing
Mambo we’ve just begun to offer Content Development
packages for people who don’t like to write and want
to develop information products.  This leverages my
previously untapped and underutilized interviewing
skills to draw out and spotlight our clients’ unique
expertise. 

This week, use your 15 Marketing Mambo minutes every
day to review your products and offerings.  What kind
of bundles and packages can you create? What bonuses
can you offer?  What new areas can you expand into
that will showcase more of your unique brilliance
while being of best service?

Copyright 2008 by Nancy Birnbaum-Gerber 

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“I stick to my guns.  You have to!  What other guns do
you have?  They’re YOUR guns.”
~ Agnes DeMille, renowned choreographer

THE 15 MINUTE MARKETER: Get Your Newsletter Noticed

THE 15 MINUTE MARKETER:    9 Insider Secrets To Get Your Newsletter Noticed
by Nancy Gerber

Publishing a no-fee newsletter for potential and current clients is one of the easiest and most efficient ways to begin, maintain and deepen relationships with the people you most want to serve.

Here are 9 tips — for on-line as well as print newsletters — that will get you noticed and remembered. 

1.  Know your market.
Get clear about your specific ideal customers, niche and community. Know their language, their culture, their outlook.  You’ll write differently for corporate CEO’s than you will for solo entrepreneurs or working moms.

2.  Be authentic.
Be yourself.  Write the way you speak. Don’t worry about perfect grammar or punctuation (but spelling does count!).  Allow yourself and your distinctive
personality and viewpoint to come through. Use your own life or business to illustrate the points you’re making.

3.  Share useful, original content that provides solutions and results. 
Use your passion, knowledge and unique experiences that make you the expert that you are. Steer clear of the “same old same old” generic stuff that people have heard and read a million times before.

4.  Keep it short.
Everyone’s time is precious.  If your newsletter is too long, no one will read it. Make your sentences and paragraphs brief.  The best length for your core
article — which should focus ONLY on one specific topic — is 400-600 words.  

5. Be consistent.
Even if you decide to publish only once a month, make it the same day every month.  Although weekly is usually optimal, even bi-weekly is good enough to create an expectation.  No matter the frequency, establish a consistent schedule and stick to it.

6. Determine what kind of publication you want to be.
I currently publish two newsletters that are distinctive and have different purposes.  “Thoughts For A Thursday” (www.sstones.com/newsletter.shtml) has been published weekly since February 2001.  It’s written to motivate, inspire and transform.  I share personal stories and perspectives.  I only do a small amount of gentle marketing because readers have come to expect the more personal rather than business oriented focus.  “The 15 Minute Marketer” (www.marketingmambo.com) is much more business oriented and focused on education and marketing skills development.

7.  It’s all about the reader.
Unless you ‘re giving a specific example from your life our business that has direct relevance to the reader, they really don’t care much about you. As
noted above, they want solutions, results, useful information  — otherwise they have no reason to keep reading.  Keep in mind that you are writing for radio station “WIIFM” — What’s In It For Me?

8.  Create catchy titles and headlines.
Stir up curiosity, capture attention, and make them unique and memorable. “The 15 Minute Marketer” sparks curiosity and excitement — “Wow! I can do some marketing in 15 minutes?”  “Thoughts For A Thursday” has alliteration and a nice rhythm.  People may forget my name, but when they see or talk to me, I’m that ”Thoughts For Thursday” gal.

9.  Repurpose and recycle your articles.
No need to reinvent the wheel every time you write. Turn your newsletter articles into on-line articles, mini-e-courses, blog posts, pod casts.  After you’ve been publishing for a while you can dip back into your archives and re-publish older pieces — readers won’t really notice! (I do this with Thoughts For A Thursday, since I have 7 years worth of material. But
shhh, please just keep that between us, OK?)

This week, use your 15 Marketing Mambo minutes every day to tap into your expertise.  Brainstorm topics that bring results, solutions or knowledge to your  market.  Once you’ve brainstormed some, pick one and focus your 15 minutes on jotting down as many points as you can think of about it.  Voila!  With a bit of polishing, there’s a newsletter article!

Copyright 2008 by Nancy Birnbaum-Gerber 

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It’s important to talk to people in their own language. If you do it well, they’ll say, “God, he said exactly what I was thinking.” And when they begin to respect you, they’ll follow you to the death.
~ Lee Iacocca

The 15 Minute Marketer: ‘5 Ways To Attract Lifetime Customers With Your Writing’

THE 15 MINUTE MARKETER:
5 Ways To Create Connection and Attract Lifetime Customers
With Your Writing

Whether you like to write or dread it, if you want to be a
successful and profitable business owner, you MUST be engaged
in a continuous conversation-in-writing with the kinds of
people you want to attract and keep as customers. 

Writing is an essential customer relationship tool. We use
it everywhere — on our web sites, blogs, e-zines, articles
and correspondence. Well written copy is a great way to connect
with like-minded people who can become members of your “tribe” 
– those who are your ideal customers and will be eager to
stay in relationship with you and participate in what you
offer. 

There’s a secret to writing in a way that attracts and
keeps customers who are happy to hear from you over and over
again. You don’t need to follow all the rules (although
good spelling does count!). It’s OK to make grammatical
mistakes. You don’t even need to be a native born speaker
and writer.

The most important thing you can do is just be yourself.

After doing business with you for a year or two, there’s a
good chance that customers will move on to someone else in
your field UNLESS they perceive they have a relationship with
you. Good writing is one of the primary ways to express your
personality and individuality to lots of people at the same
time. The more you reveal deliberately chosen aspects of 
yourself, the more they’ll want to stick around.

Here are a few guidelines to help you put more of YOU into
everything you write.

1. Write the way you speak.
So many people make the mistake of writing in a formal and
stilted manner. If you believe that this is the way to showcase
your expertise and give a “professional” impression, it’s time
to adjust your thinking!  This approach drains the life and
personality right out of your material — it comes across as
dry and academic, with no zip or distinction to make it
memorable. Use contractions. Don’t worry about perfect grammar.
Slang and colloquial expressions are fine, too, as long as your
audience is comfortable with them. RELAX! Have fun with it!

2. Keep things short and focused.
Run-on sentences with several ideas are distracting and
confusing. You want your audience to finish reading what
you’ve written knowing exactly what you’re talking about.
Brief sentences and well focused writing is a sure fire
way to do this.  Make certain each has just one subject.
Ditto your paragraphs — 4-5 sentences is a good length
to make a specific point. If you’re not sure how your writing
is being received, ask for honest feedback from people you
trust.

3. Bring in lightness and humor.
One of my favorite quotes is from actor John Cleese of Monty
Python: “Just because you’re serious doesn’t mean you have to
be solemn.”

4. Use your own life or business to illustrate the points
you’re making.
Most people feel a greater connection to an “ordinary” person
rather than an expert on a pedestal. When you share examples 
that are realistic and reachable, your readers can more
easily imagine themselves using your product or service to
enhance their lives. Especially powerful are stories about
your own mistakes or shortcomings and what you’ve learned
from them.
 
5. Be honest and authentic.
I’m not insisting you confess all your sins or put your dirty
laundry on display. What I am suggesting is to give your
readers a peek behind the curtain at the real, imperfect
human being that you are. The more personal stuff you share,
the more connected people will feel. When I began publishing my
inspirational e-zine, “Thoughts For A Thursday” in 2001, I
discovered that I had the greatest response from readers
when I revealed my personal feelings, struggles,
frustrations, triumphs and challenges. Many have asked if
I’ve been reading their journals or tapping their phones 
(http://www.sstones.com/newsletter.shtml — scroll down the
page for reader comments)! That old saying, “The personal
is universal” is powerfully true.

This week, use your 15 Marketing Mambo minutes every day to
get in the habit of writing. Pick a topic that relates to
your business or a product or service you offer. Use the five
tips above as guidelines. No pressure here — this is just
for practice. The more you write, the better you’ll get –
I promise! 
Copyright 2008 by Nancy Birnbaum-Gerber

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“To be successful, you have to be able to relate to people;
they have to be satisfied with your personality to be able
to do business with you and to build a relationship with mutual
trust.”
– George Ross

The 15 Minute Marketer: ‘We’re All in this Together’

During tough times, the best way to make it through and survive until things get better has always been to collaborate and cooperate with others.  It’s one of the most admirable traits of our species. 

 

Even if you’re sensible enough to stay away from the overwhelming US media coverage, there’s as much fear in the air these days as there was just after 9/11.  However, people are responding differently — there seems to be much less of a spirit of cooperation and support than there was at that time.

 

Here are three attitudes to embrace — about yourself as well as towards others — that will smooth out some of the rough edges we’re all bumping into.

 

Now, more than ever, we need to remember to turn to instead of away from each other. 

 

1.  Cultivate compassion. Be kind and gentle whenever you can.

The waters are difficult enough to navigate.  Why throw in extra boulders? Now’s the time to make it REALLY easy for people to do business with you.  A willingness to be flexible and understanding, to create solutions with them, will pay off greatly in the long run.  Plus, it feels good!

 

2.  Try a little tolerance.  Judge a bit less, forgive a bit more.

The people who are most abrasive are often the most frightened or overwhelmed. Remind yourself not to take peoples’ behavior personally.  Everyone responds differently. Some people retreat, some attack, some go numb, some make uncharacteristic decisions.  Try to suspend your expectations a bit and simply meet people wherever they are.

 

3.  Seek out and embrace patience.  Make it your new best friend.

Most of us are doing the very best we can.

 

This week, notice how others are treating you and how you are behaving towards others. Make every effort to follow that old golden rule — you know, “DO unto others as you would have them do unto you.”  Treat people well even if — especially if — their behavior doesn’t merit it.

 

Notice who drains you with their negativity and pessimism.  Who seems to have jumped ship?  Who’s good for a boost? Who can you still count on for a good laugh or enthusiasm or encouragement? Who do you feel is still on your team? This is a really good time to pay attention and observe peoples’ true colors.