We network, by joining online communities, to promote our services; get advice from others or just plain “chat”, and most of our time is spent sending, and responding to, e-mails. But have you considered that e-mail isn’t just a matter of black and white.

It is very true that the written word can be misconstrued and that, when reading an e-mail, you can tend to misread the “tone” that the content is given in. This is very much the case when you are a part of a networking group when there are different professional opinions, races or religions.

We need to remember that we are only reading words, we are not seeing the facial expressions or hand gestures that people are using when trying to get over their point of view. We are not getting the “right sense” of emotion which comes out when being face to face with another. We have to interpret that emotion and there are times that we ALL go through, we will interpret incorrectly. It happens to all of us.

If you believe that an e-mail has been given in the wrong tone, don’t let it get to you, don’t take the written word in the wrong text. My tag line has always been “Your success is only defined by the boundaries YOU create”. Don’t create boundaries over a comment that may have been taken the wrong way, and if you are having an off day don’t take it out on someone else or yourself. We all have our ups and downs, we all have a time where some comment is misconstrued and we all have times when we realise that hindsight is a good thing, until it affects ourselves.

We are all professionals in our own rights. There are those that have only been in business for a few weeks, there are those who have been in business for many years, but we are all professionals. We all have our own sense of what is correct and what isn’t. That is why being a part of online Business Support and Networking Groups like The Virtual Business Group (http://www.virtualbizgroup.com) is a must. You get to know what is in the hearts and minds of other business professionals; you get to know that there are shades of grey and that nothing is truly black and white.

There will never be ONE hard solution to a problem and not everyone will agree on what is best. What you will get are different outlooks on possible results to those problems and possible results that you might not have even thought of and that is why having so many brains to bounce off of is great.

If someone’s response isn’t what you wanted to hear don’t take it as criticism because that person has given you something truly special - their advice and it’s FREE. It may not be the right advice, it may not be complimentary, but in this type of business, (where you aren’t face to face with other work colleagues, bosses, advisors etc) the advice you get could be the advice you need only you didn’t realise you needed it until it hits you in an email.

If you do feel that you need to respond to an e-mail that you felt was unfair or uncomplimentary, respond as a professional. Before you even hit “reply” step away from the computer for five minutes. Take some time out. Go for a walk, water the houseplants, and check the real mail box or just chill. This will help you to calm down before responding. Don’t write from the heart, write from the head. Thank the respondent for their comments, tell them you will take their advice on board and let that be the end of it. Never “lash” back at them, it will only make things worse. You could find yourself stuck in the middle of some legal wrangling and that’s not what you need.

Take the advice, or comments, given in the e-mail in your stride, learn from mistakes and chalk it up to experience.

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Copyright @2005, Jo Walker
You have permission to publish this article electronically free of charge, as long as the bylines and links in the body of the article and the bylines are included.

With a tip of the hat to the Lone Ranger, New Zealand Virtual Office Professional, Jo Walker, owner of thehomeoffice (http://www.thehomeoffice.net) has earned the title “Kiwisabe,” in honor of her heritage and a client’s conviction that she is a Kiwi who “knows a lot.” She is also the Editor of The Virtual Summit Newsletter - a successful ezine produced by The Virtual Business Group (http://www.virtualbizgroup.com), a prominent global networking group for Virtual Service Providers.
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Tags: communicate, communication, emotion, interpret, network, networking, online, problems, professional, resultscommunicate, communication, emotion, interpret, network, networking, online, problems, professional, results

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The Today show? The New York Times? Vanity Fair? What’s your dream hit? While nothing inspires more fear and trepidation in public relations professionals than media relations, it doesn’t have to be complicated. There are 2 keys to a press release… the Headline and making sure it doesn’t sound like an advertisement, but more like it is news.
A media release (which also goes by its former name, the press release) is a one page, double spaced, single-sided document designed to transmit news about books, products, and people. Don’t forget that real live people, editors and producers, must pull the release from the fax machine and be motivated to read it.

In today’s world, getting editors and producers to actually read your release is a challenge. Every day, people tap into the possibilities of free publicity and are becoming proactive in getting their voice heard. Editors & Writers, receive upward of hundreds to thousands of releases a week. However, only a small percentage is both appropriate for their audience and grabs my attention.

Distribution of your press release is just as important as the writing of the release. You want it to be seen, and more importantly, written up in the media. Below are 10 strategies to help you write releases that get your message heard and distributed.

1. Make sure the information is newsworthy.

The most important information, including who, what, where, when and why, in the first sentences of the releases body, emphasizing why the event/article is newsworthy. You are competing with countless other issues and organizations for increasingly scarce space or air time.

The selection of your project for funding (if timely),Any additional funding/extensions you receive, Any goals/stages your initiative has reached, How your initiative effects your community, university, etc, A local example of a national story (for example if any national stories appear on teaching and technology)

2. Target your audience. Only contact editors who write about your industry or topic. Make sure you send the press release to the appropriate editor; don’t send a food story to a sports editor.

Don’t make the mistake of sending a press release to a group of general media sources in hopes that someone will pick up the story. In most cases, the bulk of your work will end up in the wastebasket, if your announcement has no interest to their readers.

Find out the best way to contact your target audience. Not every journalist wants press releases by email. You may need to use postal mail, email, or faxes.

3. Write an attention grabbing headline. Make sure the first 10 words of your release are effective, as they are the most important.

Realize that your headline must immediately “hook” a busy producer or editor at first glance. If your headline doesn’t hook them, they won’t read further.

First, the subject line spells the difference between the release being opened or deleted. Second, you must target delivery of the email release carefully, or you risk being banned forever to the recipient’s “bozo” file.

4. Deal with the facts. Avoid excessive use of adjectives and fancy language

Clients Love Hits. Despite all the counseling, strategy, partnerships, writing and more, clients want media coverage. Until the industry creates better measurement systems, a full page Business Week story becomes a tangible “product” that your clients can hold in their hands and show to their boss.

Follow with supporting background information and details. Some suggest a quote from a books/article/website to add credibility and depth to the release.

5. Provide as much Contact information as possible: Individual to Contact, address, phone, fax, email, Web site address.

If writing about a web site, make sure the site is updated before you send your release. Editors will visit the site if they have an interest in your product/service.

6. If sending an email release, make sure to write the release within the body of the message.

Don’t send email press releases with attachments - they will be deleted immediately upon receipt.

7. It’s All About Relationships. Whose call are you more likely to take? A vendor you’ve never spoken to before or one who has taken the time to develop a relationship and truly understands your needs? It is no different with the media. Building relationships NOW means that reporters will take your call when you’ve got an important story to tell. Best of all, even if they can’t help you on this particular one, they are likely to refer you to another reporter who can. As with any relationship, building trust is critical. Do what you say you will, within the timeframe you give. You may not be able to provide all the information requested, but if you are upfront about what you can and can’t do, reporters will appreciate it and remember. One reminder: everything is on the record, no matter how close you are.

Journalists and producers need you and your news, but will lose respect if you hammer them with releases that don’t apply to their market or beat. Discriminate.

If this is a show or publication you are keenly interested in, call them with “new information” designed to create more excitement in featuring you.

Keep a notebook with you and jot down names of appropriate media contacts as you read publications and hear radio interviews.

8. Know editor’s deadlines. If you are sending a time-sensitive release, don’t expect a magazine editor to cover your event scheduled for next week. Find out what the appropriate “lead time” is to send your press release for possible distribution in their media. Make it as easy as possible for media representatives to do their jobs.

9. Good Writing Counts. Adopt a journalistic approach. Look carefully at how reputable publications such as The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, or The Wall Street Journal write a story. What is the lead? What type of quotes do they use? Study different types of stories — features, executive changes, and news articles. For the most part, you’ll see the inverted pyramid style where the most important information is in the lead and the rest of the story flows from there. Despite recent e-word mania, it’s time to eliminate jargon and buzz words. Say what you want, but say it simply and plainly. Another sign of weak writing is the use of clich

Tags: communication, CRM, marcom, marketing, media, PR, press, public relations, Small Business, Startupcommunication, CRM, marcom, marketing, media, PR, press, public relations, Small Business, Startup

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You want customers. I want customers. We all want customers. And traffic alone is not enough. We need “interested” customers. Customers ready to listen, ready to buy. So you may find yourself asking, what do they want anyway?…. and how can I get them to buy?

Instead of concentrating on the “getting”, why not try to “educate” them and sales will follow — not once, but many times. Why is that? Credibility!

If you are writing Articles, or publishing an Ezine, then you are an Internet Marketer with some measure of success. Your goal might be to help them understand that there are ways to make money without spending a fortune, and without plunging over cliffs with the “herd mentality” of the latest get-rich-quick idea: the biggest single reason for failure on the Internet.

I have never filled a matrix with “spillover”, and only once did I ever get my money back - and that was like Vegas - a tease to keep me in the game. But if you made $10,000 in three months, send me the proof and I’ll join under you.

You have had successes, BUT you have also had failures. Share these with your potential customers. Show them the speed bumps that you encountered, and how to slow down and re-examine the road ahead, or steer around them altogether. Teach them the need for a healthy dose of skepticism with ploys that try to get them to “buy now!”

For example, digital eBooks that claim “limited supply” — how funny! Digital products are downloaded ad infinitum. But it must still work or we would not find ads still using that ploy. Now, dry your eyes - I have fallen for lines just as bad.

Most people on the Internet fall into the habit of reselling products and services that they, themselves, have never used and maybe never will. So please, use the products or services you advertise. Your personal satisfaction will show in your promotions. Your buyers will be happy and you will build credibility.

My good friend, Graham Hamer told me a story once, about a trip he made to visit a distant relative. He had the address, phone number, and a map of the general area (though not a street map). When he entered the town, either the map was old, or the roads had been updated, because he was soon hopelessly lost. Eventually he stopped at a gas station to ask directions.

When this was no help, he continued in circles and stopped again by the side of the road near a guy who was cutting his grass. This fellow’s directions seemed simple enough, but a while later he was still lost and now losing his patience.

Then he phoned his relative. You guessed it — he was at her house in minutes; never really being more than a mile off to begin with.

The moral of his tale is this If you want to know how to get somewhere, ask someone who’s already there.

© Esther Smith 2004

About The Author

Esther Smith is editor of Partners-For-Profit Newsletter and copywriter for The Permanent Venture. Each publication of PFP addresses an important aspect of your struggles to perfect your Internet business. clendon@thepermanentventure.com?subject=subscribe A 5-Star Resource page has been designed on The Permanent Venture that lists award winning programs and software. There are no flavor-of-the-month selections - all are proven money-makers. http://thepermanentventure.com/resources.htm

editor@thepermanentventure.com

Tags: business improvement, communication, customer service, exceptional, people development, results, revenuebusiness improvement, communication, customer service, exceptional, people development, results, revenue

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