Is it Time for a Break?

August 28, 2008

Yikes! I looked in the mirror this moring, and it was not pretty. I had huge circles under my eyes and my face was puffy with a few pimples ready to come out.

Now, I take pretty good care of myself. I work out almost every day and eat healthy foods. But sometimes you just have to look at what your body is telling you.

And you know what? It’s time for a break! (especially with Labor Day upon us)

I’m sure you can relate to this too.

With worries about the economy and bringing in new sales, things can get out of hand.

After all, it’s wise to listen to the words of Richard and Kristine Carlson in their book, “Don’t sweat the small stuff. And it’s all small stuff.“

Do you need a break?

If your job is not interesting any longer, and you just want to sleep, it’s time to take a break.

Whether it’s a simple day away from the computer, or a whole week in Cancun, give yourself some time off!

You’ll actually be more productive when you return to work.

And I know as an entrepreneur, this is not always easy. But it’s essential.

Plan ahead. Get work done in advance. Try to develop systems and people to help run your business without your involvement. And take some time to breathe.

Well, I can tell my body needs some serious rest and relaxation…so I’m going to take some of my own advice and step away from the computer.

Then, when I come back, I’ll be refreshed, revived and ready to go!

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For help with your online copywriting and PR efforts, please feel free to comment below or visit www.rembrandtwrites.com for additional information. Thanks!

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3 Quick Business Travel Tips

August 26, 2008

I just came back from visiting my client in Montana. And even though it’s pretty cool that you can visit three different states in one day (and still be back at your office the next day), I don’t recommend it.

I’m shocked that I made all of my connections (although I was running through the airport at full speed to catch my flight home).

Traveling for business today is very stressful. But there are some things you can do to make it more relaxing and productive.

Here are my quick tips:

1. Plan ahead.
Try to plan your trip in advance as much as possible.

You’ll have a better chance of reserving better seats and the flights you want. Plus, you’ll have time to organize your hotel room, rental car, directions, and other pertinent items.

2. Confirm. Confirm. Confirm.

Right before your trip, be sure to confirm all of your accomodations. This is a great way to avoid potential problems and get your schedule ready.

Plus, you never know when an airline might change your flight time or seat without telling you!

3. Be patient.

When you need to deal with bulky luggage, complaining travelers, tight seats, and long flights, it’s best not to let the negativity get to you.

Instead, take deep breaths, read something positive or listen to your favorite music. 

I know this may sound redundant, but is it really worth it to let a simple business trip give you more wrinkles and gray hair?

When I travel, I try to look at it as an adventure to learn something new and work on my patience levels. Then, if the trip does not go well, at least I’ve improved my education and my well being in the process!

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Do you have some tips for relaxing on a business trip? Please feel free to share them with others below.

And if you need help with your online copywriting or public relations, please let me know or visit www.rembrandtwrites.com. I’d love to hear from you?

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Don’t Get Duped!

August 21, 2008

Yesterday, I was at a sales meeting and a man in his mid-sixties introduced
himself. He talked about his family, business and health, and I listened
politely. Later on, he asked if I’d like to meet with him during the break to
discuss my business.

Thinking that he may want to hire me for publicity or online copywriting
services, I agreed to talk to him in the public, refreshment area.

Well, after 15 minutes of listening to how big his car was, how big his house was and how big his bank account was, I realized just “how big” his ego was! I also came to the conclusion that I’d been “duped.”

Has this ever happened to you?

Here I was trying to get to know a potential customer when I realized that he had other things on his mind – and nothing business-oriented!

Fortunately, it only took me a few minutes to discover his alternative
motives. I excused myself and returned to the meeting with a colleague.

If you are ever pursuing a new business contact, I have a few words of
advice…Listen to your gut instinct!

You can waste a lot of time trying to win new customers. But if you get any inkling that a potential new client is simply not interested in buying what you have to offer, or gives you a difficult time regarding your fees, move on as soon as possible.

By targeting the customers you want to pursue, you can avoid going after the wrong business.

But I can tell you from experience. Even if dollar signs are swimming in your head at the thought of a big, new contract, take a moment to step back and think about the situation.

If something just doesn’t feel right, please go with your gut and end the
conversation. You’ll save yourself a lot of time, embarrassment and hassle. And there are always better opportunities available if you look for them!

Do you have a business story about being “duped” by a potential customer? Please share your story below or feel free to contact me…but only if you truly want PR and copywriting help :>!

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What Are You Doing At Strange Hours?

August 19, 2008

It’s 4:45 a.m. on a Tuesday, and I just put three loads of laundry into the
washing machine. You may think I’m nuts, but this way I get it over with right away.

I’m usually up early. It allows me to get a lot of copywriting done
before my phone starts ringing. Plus, I can deal with East Coast media issues happening in their time.

What are you doing early in the morning or late at night?

If you are spending many, unnecessary hours in front of the TV or sleeping,
you may want to rethink your schedule.

Just by reducing the amount of time you spend on the couch or in “snoozeville,” you could grow your business by thousands of dollars!

Think about it. By adding one hour of writing, reading, learning, marketing,
or strategic planning to your day, you get an additional 20 hours per month – about 240 hours per year!

That’s a total of 10 whole days! (And how much is that to you in $ per hour?)

That’s a lot of extra time that can give you the competitive edge you need in today’s economy.

It’s Worth it to Change Your Patterns

So the next time you decide to crash in front of some meaningless television program, or hit the “snooze” button one more time, take a moment to think.

By making simple changes to your regular pattern (and being a little more
disciplined), you can get a lot more accomplished.

And ultimately, this will mean you can spend less time stressing about your business and more time enjoying higher profits and success!

If you’d like more tips to help you boost sales with publicity and online copywriting, please contact me below or visit www.rembrandtwrites.com. I’d love to help you out!

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Enter Awards for Great Publicity-Part 2

August 14, 2008

On Tuesday, I told you a little bit about entering awards to help boost publicity. Now, if you are not a good writer, you may want to have a different team member or freelancer work on the application for you.

 

Do You Have the Time? 

While many award-applications request very little information, others can require essays, business-growth statistics, photos, interviews, videos, and more. It can take some time to review requirements, gather appropriate data, write responses, and prepare the actual entry.

 

Prepare in Advance 

To make it easier, you may want to add the award-entry deadlines to your yearly calendar. This way, you can set time aside in advance to prepare a great entry and improve your chances of winning.

 

Now, you may avoid award entries due to the time and resources necessary for the applications. But you are missing out on a great opportunity – especially if you own a relatively unknown company.

 

Not only is the potential publicity worth thousands in advertising dollars, but you simply can’t purchase the third-party recognition. Don’t forget that if you win, you can entice new customers with your award credibility in your marketing materials and website copy!

 

If you’d like more information on copywriting or PR, feel free to comment below or visit www.rembrandtwrites.com. I’d love to hear from you! 

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Enter Awards for Great Publicity

August 12, 2008

One way to build credibility and awareness for your small business is to enter awards. And while some take longer than others to apply, it can be well worth the effort.

If you win or become a finalist, you can promote this news to potential customers and mention the award in your marketing efforts. It gives you third-party credibility that you simply can’t buy.

To start, look for awards specific to your industry. Then, review awards catering to small businesses as a whole.

You’ll also want to look at unique awards related to customer service, marketing, human resources, and other areas where your team excels.

Here are a few examples:

The American Business Awards (The Stevie Awards)

The Ernst & Young Awards

Winning Workplaces Top Small Workplaces Award

Human Resources Executive of the Year

Conduct some online searches for awards specific to your business, industry, products, and services. There are hundres of possibilities available!

I’ll give you some time to find some appropriate awards. Then, please check back on Thursday for more award-entry prep tip.

In the meantime, feel free to contact me with your copywriting and PR questions below or at www.rembrandtwrites.com. I’m here to help!

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Are Reporters Responding to You?

August 7, 2008

 

If you are contacting reporters and mailing media packets on a regular basis without getting responses, are you:

 

  1. Sending information all about your company’s products and services rather than offering valuable information to each media member?  

  2. Focusing on features and not benefits?  

  3. Bothering reporters with repetitive phone calls, e-mails and mailings?  

  4. Sending hundreds of packets without targeting each media venue and reporter?  

  5. Spending a lot of time and money?

 

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you need to stop and revise your strategy.

 

Before you contact any media members, it’s important for you to know what they focus on and how you can provide them with unique and interesting information.

 

For example, you can:

 

-        Prepare information that offers benefits specifically for their audience.

 

-        Offer yourself as an expert resource for future stories.

 

-        Give them an exclusive case study specific to their readers.

 

-        Write a press release that focuses on the benefits of your products and services and more!

 

These are just a few ideas, and there are many ways to capture media attention. It’s a matter of always asking “What’s in it for them?”

 

By targeting a unique pitch to a specific media member’s needs, you’ll establish yourself as a valuable resource and get more press mentions.

 

But if you continue to focus on simple selling your products and services alone, you’ll be waiting a long time for your phone to ring!

For help with your media relations and copywriting, feel free to write to me below or contact me at www.rembrandtwrites.com. Thanks!

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Get Outside Input to Boost Sales

August 5, 2008

When was the last time you shared an article, publicity piece, website copy, or marketing document with a co-worker, expert or associate? If your business is in a rut, it may be time to get an outside opinion.

 

It’s easy to get “too close” to your business and marketing messages and miss some major mistakes that may be costing you sales.

 

Perhaps your website has broken links?

Maybe there is a grammatical issue on your press release or brochure?

 

By having the appropriate outsiders review your information they can help you see your materials with “fresh eyes.”

 

With this in mind, share your pertinent materials with people who will provide honest answers and valuable input. Then, ask them appropriate questions such as the following:

 

  1. What is the overall message you receive from this piece?
  2. How does it make you feel?
  3. After reading it, do you know what you are supposed to do next?
  4. Is it interesting? If not, where did you lose interest?
  5. Did you see any blatant errors?
  6. Did all of the links work?
  7. Is there anything we can add or subtract from this piece to make it stronger?
  8. What suggestions do you have for improving this website, brochure, etc?
  9. Do you have any other comments you would like to provide about this piece?

In return for their time, perhaps you can offer a free e-report, special discount or other thank-you gift?

 

And once you have the responses, review them carefully. Then, make the pertinent changes as soon as possible. You may be surprised to see that your piece has blatant errors that you have overlooked for months!

 

Now, this may seem time consuming, but it is well worth it. By having others regularly review your work, you can present a stronger message and more professional appearance. And this will help boost credibility and sales for first-time visitors, media members and potential new customers.

 

For more information and assistance with your copywriting, feel free to write to me below or visit www.rembrandtwrites.com. I’m here to help! Thanks.

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