We all know that communication is key to survival in today’s society, but with so many different avenues to communicate, how can we be successful in doing so? Pathways for Communication First, let’s take a look at all of the different pathways for communication, such as the phone, email, text, in person, and regular mail (yes, even snail mail!). Communicating in person seems to be the best way to communicate; you can receive the whole picture, the emotion, and the nonverbal g

Your client depends on you to be available, capable, and most of all to keep your level of productivity high. It is vital that they see you as an integral part of their successful business, and more effective virtually than you would be in the physical office. We all want to be the best at our job and be viewed as irreplaceable. Sometimes, the lack of competition and recognition that comes with a conventional office setting can leave us wondering how we stack up. If being the

Communication is something we should ALL strive to constantly improve upon. It affects our relationships at work with our co-workers, clients, and customers and at home with our family and friends. Really, it affects all of our encounters on a daily basis. It only seems prudent that this is a continuous area of improvement for each and every one of us with such a broad radius of what it can affect. 1. Communication Through Active Listening One of the most crucial parts of bei

Proofreading is so important! How do you want to be perceived?  As a professional?  An intellectual?  As the person everyone in your industry holds as the gold standard? You can make or break your reputation in the emails you send, the advertisements you create, and the information you put out for the world to see.  Yes, I must admit I enjoy seeing the Buzzfeed Autocorrect Fails and the comedy segments that highlight unintentionally hilarious misprints in ads, etc.  But imagi

Some people have it…..others do not. That natural ability to be a leader. If you’re the latter it’s not that you can never take a leadership role, it just means you may have to work a little harder when you take on such a role. A few quick tips on how to lead if you are not a born leader to those (like me) that need a little help getting there. 1. Pick a mentor or role model I want you to think of your best boss (not just the fun one), but the one who was successful without a

Many small business owners are unaware of the impact social media has on today’s consumers. Even SBOs who are aware can be too busy to research what, when, and how often to post, as well as how to consistently manage these social media platforms. An SBO’s priorities tend to be focused on meeting the demands of existing customers, and less on generating new business. However, to achieve long-term business success, generating new business and creating brand awareness is vital.

How do we focus on what is important and learn to say no to non-essential tasks? We all have an ever-growing to-do list looming at the beginning of each new day.  Sometimes the items on that list are leftovers that didn’t quite get finished the day before.  It’s hard to stay afloat with just our own professional and personal obligations.  When we pile on more and more tasks that aren’t essential it becomes nearly impossible to be successful.  Sometimes saying no can be hard. 

Every company has to deal with critics, but with the advent of social media, public criticism can no longer be ignored. Publicly upset customers is a given. Handling these issues effectively is crucial to the success of your business, especially with the Holiday Season in full swing. Here are 3 important things to remember: #1 Choose Wisely You have to deal with upset customers head-on if you want to stay ahead of the game. That’s why it is imperative that the employee you ha

Your phone just chimed and you see the email banner across the top of your screen.  You’re not sure who sent the email and you don’t find that the subject line peaks your interest enough to click it open so you send it to the trash. Sound familiar? You go back to what you were doing and you begin to draft an email to a potential customer.  Once you have everything worded perfectly and have added the attachments you are ready to send the email.  Then you remember the email tha

Being a tech junky, I always want to know what the go-to apps people are using are and which are the latest, greatest, and most efficient for personal and professional use. Everywhere you go people are always on their phones intently looking, swiping, scrolling, and typing on the screens.  But what are they really looking at? What has them so intrigued that they are glued to their screens?  This always has me curious.  In my professional life, my go-to apps are Slack, Google

Managing emails can seem like a daunting task! Especially if you have let it go for far too long without managing it. Don’t let that stop you though! Here are 6 quick and easy tips so you can reach email management success! 1) Managing Emails with Nothing in Your Inbox Keeping your inbox empty is like having a clean desk.  All the papers on your desk have a place and are filed away neatly. So why shouldn’t your emails and inbox be the same way? Managing emails and keeping you

In the writing world, there is a practice that writers use regardless if they are writing a screenplay, a novel, or stand-up comedy. Put these tips into practice now and you will be well on your way to drafting masterpieces in a fraction of the time! 1. Keep Writing First things first, do not take your pen off the paper for an extended period of time or until you have a predetermined number of sentences or paragraphs completed.  Just write whatever comes to mind and keep it g

It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it. A pretty well-known saying, right? A statement like this couldn’t be truer, yet so wrong at the same time. Effective communication, persuasion, and relationship building are all parts of being able to not only say the right thing but say it the right way. WHAT YOU SAY Let’s look at a couple of examples. “If you could call me back at …” -Or- “I can be reached at…” “Please let me know if this works for you…” -Or- “Which of these

There is nothing worse for a blogger than staring at a blank screen, fingers poised over the keys, eyes glazed over, and nothing to blog about.  It may be writer’s block or just the need to bring in more subscribers with something fresh.  It doesn’t matter why you’re drawing a blank it only matters that you get past it.  There are 4 questions that you can ask yourself to help choose a topic and get those fingers moving. 1: What do you know? The most important part about the t

So often people use the word advertising interchangeably with marketing.  Let’s start off first by distinguishing these two words.  Advertising is only a small part of marketing. Although it can sometimes feel like a more productive form of marketing. It doesn’t nullify or make the other components of marketing any less important.  For a marketing strategy to be effective, each component should be considered equally to determine its role in your marketing plan and overall goa

The key to good communication is in the listening.  Is it important for you to be able to clearly communicate your thoughts as well?  Absolutely!  If you listen to how someone communicates with you, it will give you a better understanding of how to present something to them in a way that they understand. If you ever find yourself in a situation where you are having difficulty communicating with someone the first thing you should do is take a step back and assess whether you a