Category Archives: Communication

3 Tips For Encouraging Interaction On Your Blog

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One of the most difficult things about blogging is trying to get enough interaction from your readers to make it feel like all your efforts aren’t for nothing. Spending weeks working on a stellar blog just to have 8 people read it and no one comment or share it can make any writer feel as if they’ve wasted their time.

But for those of you who find yourself in this predicament, there is hope for increasing the amount of interaction your readers have with your blogs. To get you started down the path of heavily commented on and shared blogs, here are three tips for encouraging your readers to interact more with your blog.

How to encourage interaction on blogs

Give Readers Something to Care About

While your blog could be about one of a million topics, you can always find something that pulls at the heart strings of your readers and makes them care a little deeper. Regardless of your niche, try to make it a point to give a human face to blogs that you want to get some interaction traction. By giving your readers something or someone to care about, they will feel more inclined to share or comment on your content. Continue reading →

Originally posted on July 22, 2015 @ 1:35 am

Tips to Avoid Miscommunication

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One of the most seemingly trivial but major loop holes for every publisher (or any project in any industry at that) is in the area of communication, particularly when it comes to miscommunication. The funny thing is people often attribute miscommunication to lack of communication, when in fact most people often DO communicate, but still end up misunderstanding each other. We see this everyday not just in our businesses but in our everyday lives. When it comes to business though, this is an error we cannot overlook because it can mean the difference between a failed project and a successful one.

If you find yourself boggled by the many times your instructions or simple messages often seem to go unheeded, maybe it’s time to check your methods of communicating. Ask yourself questions like:

  • Are my instructions/messages clear? – Remember what may be clear to you might not be clear to others. So check your messages for any vague wording. Although we must always strive to be concise, sacrifice the message length if you need to explain something in greater detail.
  • Did I check for understanding? – Do not assume that someone understood your entire message just because you took great pains to make it understandable. If your message is in the written form, encourage questions by adding the cliched but useful statement, “Feel free to contact me for any clarifications.” If you are communicating with someone verbally, as them outright if they understand what you said. Even better, ask them to repeat the important points of your instructions. You’ll be surprised at just how much different they might have understood your intent.

Taking time to communicate more effectively might feel unnatural to you and may seem a waste of time, but in the end it will help you more than you’ll ever know.

 

Image via JennyJoyBarrows

Originally posted on February 15, 2012 @ 6:34 am

Do Online Businesses Have Use for Courier Services?

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It is a mistake to think that online businesses do not have use for courier services. At first thought, since business transactions can be carried on online, the need for physical services such as those offered by courier companies is not quite evident. How about items that need to be physically delivered to clients and customers? Who will do that for online stores and businesses? You got it right – a reliable courier service.

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The Online Business

The online business option has made it possible for entrepreneurs to conduct a business operation without having a physical store or office. This is quite advantageous money-wise since maintaining a physical business location eats up a considerable portion of capitalization. With a quality product and a working e-commerce site, an online business is set to go.

Not quite though. After advertising and marketing efforts prove successful and customers’ orders come rolling in, ensuring that the products reach the customers in time and in good condition is a major concern. The reputation of the online business is affected if delivery procedures prove wanting.

The Necessary Partner

Online businesses will find that they have a necessary partner in the form of a reliable courier service. Couriers can deliver basically three things: messages, mails, and packages. Online businesses probably wouldn’t need couriers to deliver their messages since there is always the email and social networking sites which make it easy to communicate. When it comes to important mails, packages, and anything that cannot be sent online however, courier service is the way to go.

The courier service industry performs a big role in the conduct of businesses whether online or brick-and-mortar types. It is  a faster option than regular postal services. It is more personal since packages are picked up or delivered right on the doorstep of the customer.

Expanded Services of Courier Companies

The courier service industry has never been more personalized than now. Aside from the traditional services offered, many courier services have expanded their range of services to include tasks previously thought of unthinkable to be given to them. Mail collection, interoffice deliveries ,and even waiting in line in banks are just some additional tasks accepted by select courier service providers. Some even accept the seemingly very personal tasks of dry-cleaning pick-up or buying office groceries.

Do online businesses have use for courier services? Definitely yes. That will be until such time that businesses, whether online or otherwise, can find a better option which at this time is highly unlikely.

 

Originally posted on May 13, 2013 @ 11:30 pm

Look to the Past in 2012: How to Put Referrals Back on the Table

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Many companies are focusing on the 2012 trends and new developments in business, but some should be thinking more along the lines of a New Year’s resolution. In other words, the New Year is a great time to improve upon what your company is already doing (or should already be doing). Many of those old marketing tricks still work just as well, but companies have slowly been pushing them to the wayside. While methods like social media and QR Codes are great, my advice is this: Make improving your older marketing methods your New Year’s resolution.

One of my favorite “classic” marketing tricks is the referral. Getting a referral is so important to a company because it has a very good chance of actually bringing in a profit. This is the case for because a referral means that your company is being talked about on a level of trust. The person getting the referral trusts the person giving the referral. This yields better results than if someone was just looking at a website.

If you think your company could benefit from more referrals, it’s time to start making this a priority. Consider a few of the ways your company can increase its number of referrals in the New Year:

Top 5 Ways to Improve Your Number of Referrals in 2012

1. Co-Marketing – Part of a co-marketing strategy is giving referrals. For those who are unfamiliar, many companies create partnerships with other, complementary companies for marketing purposes. For example, if you work at a day care center you may want to have a partnership with a pediatrician. If you refer customers to his/her practice and they refer their patients to your business, you will have an entirely new audience very quickly.

2. Social Media – You don’t need to resort back to traditional phone systems if you’re hoping for a referral. Contrary to what some may believe, old marketing tactics can coincide with new age methods. If you love social media, be sure that you have sharing buttons for all of your readers. This makes it easy for customers and clients to send an online referral to all of their friends and family.

3. Compensation – Even though giving a referral is very easy, people will be more likely to do so if there is an incentive. If you can give someone five dollars off their next visit or a free consultation just for bringing in a friend, your referrals will skyrocket. This is probably the easiest way to bring in new customers and clients (while making your existing clients happy).

4. Simply Ask – It’s never a bad idea to remind existing customers and clients that referrals are appreciated. This can be as easy as reminding them when they leave—just put it into your “goodbye” spiel. If you have a good relationship with a specific customer, ask them directly if they know anyone who may be interested. You might be surprised how something so little can go such a long way.

5. Testimonials – Gathering testimonials is great because it allows those who want to help to do their part. Many customers will tell you they simply do not know anyone in the area or anyone who would need your products or services. The solution to this is to ask for a testimonial for your website or brochure. Have them sign a document saying you can use their words on your website, and you’re good to go. This is an indirect way to give a referral, but a referral nonetheless.

In the end, people will not blame your company for trying to step up its referral statistics. It’s an inexpensive and successful way to grow a brand. In other words, looking to the past may benefit your company more than looking to the future in 2012.

Photo Credit: servicebusinessreinvention.com, mylot.com, blog.marketamerica.com

Amanda DiSilvestro is a writer on topics ranging from social media to telemarketing. She writes for an online resource that gives advice on topics including customer referrals to small businesses and entrepreneurs for Resource Nation.

Originally posted on December 14, 2011 @ 11:13 am

5 Tips for Improving Your Verbal Communication Skills

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Verbal communication is the backbone of our existence. In order to do anything, you have to be able to verbally communicate with people. Of course, if you can speak you can communicate. However, do you communicate well? Even if you are a full-time blogger or freelancer, you’ll eventually have to pick up the phone or talk to a customer face-to-face. Being able to communicate effectively with others is a tremendous asset for everything from negotiating with service providers to trying to land a new job or promotion in the workplace. Continue reading →

Originally posted on October 22, 2011 @ 7:59 pm