Internet Tip of the Week

by Bob Osgoodby

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In this Issue

** Internet Tip of the Week by Bob Osgoodby – Effective Email

** In the News – Commerce Department Missing 1,100 Laptops
 
** Featured Article - The New Average: How Average is Becoming Excellent by Michael Angier
 
 
** Biz-Tips by Dr. Kevin Nunley – Advertising Ideas

** Humor to Start the Weekend – Newlyweds
 
** Something to Think About by Jan Tincher

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Can it be a mistake that stressed is desserts spelled backwards?

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Welcome

Welcome to our new subscribers, who have joined 53,000+ other business savvy onliners.  We hope you enjoy our weekly Newsletter.  If you have a favorite "Tip" that would be of interest to our subscribers or an article that would be of interest, please send it to: articles@adv-marketing.com

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Internet Tip of the Week
by Bob Osgoodby

Effective Email

Before the advent of email most of us, other than sending out cards for special occasions, would write very few letters. If we did write a letter, it was carefully prepared, and considerable thought went into it. Today, with computer access available to most people, we have tremendously increased our amount of written communication, and sometimes fall into a rut. There are seven words that will serve as our guide and help us to communicate more effectively.

Perhaps the first word to consider is "Brevity" - we receive and respond to more mail each day, than we would in a year before the advent of the Internet. As we became experienced with email, we found certain shortcuts that we would never use in "pen and ink" communications. Many people simply copy the entire note to which they are responding, and make their comments. Others might lift a pertinent paragraph and respond. This is acceptable practice. Let's face it - unless you are socializing with a friend, if someone asks a question, they want an answer, and don't really care if you had rain last night. But, you can be too brief in your replies. I get email all the time, and don't have a clue as to what they're talking about.

Negativity is probably next on the list. Some people write with a negative style, and while they are truly not being critical, their wording comes across that way. If you are making a suggestion to someone, or reporting a problem, if you expect positive results, be sure to couch your note in positive terms.

Patience - I had a person write me 4 times in one day about a perceived problem. Now, most of us are not sitting at the computer 24 hours a day just waiting to receive email. A person must be given ample time to respond. This may take a day or so, or even longer. When I didn't "immediately" respond, the notes got nastier and nastier. If you act this way, you may be simply written off as a "crank" or a "pain in the neck", and never get an answer. Patience pays - and if you do send a reminder, be civil.

Audience - since the web is truly world wide, remember that you may be speaking with a person limited in your primary language. While you don't want to appear condescending, your email should be written in short, concise sentences that are easy to understand. Words that have several meanings such as wound, produce or refuse should be avoided.

Morality is always a big issue. What may be acceptable to one person may not be to another. Never use language that is even border line. Many people think that if someone uses words that are not acceptable in "polite" society, you might not know how to express yourself any other way, and be considered ignorant. Never use a "double entendre". We had a police chief of a neighboring town use the term "guido" in an internal memo to his staff. To many, the term "bennie" or "guido" simply means a summer resident. But this term was highly offensive to the Italian American community, and he quickly learned to choose his words more carefully.

Sarcasm - this is always a double-edged sword. While something may be said with the best of intentions, another may interpret it the wrong way. Your best bet is to avoid it. While on the subject, the use of humor has to be done very carefully. What may be extremely funny to you, could be extremely offensive to someone else.

Spam - most people get a number of emails every day, and much of it is unsolicited commercial email, which is immediately deleted. Always title your note so it doesn't blend in with all the other junk they receive. The spamsters are becoming more deceptive in this regard however, so you should probably try to give this a little extra attention. Be sure that the “From” field in your email contains your name or the name of your business – your email address may not be recognized by the recipient.

There are of course many other things, which should be avoided, such as spelling mistakes, punctuation errors, and the use of ALL CAPS, but these would not be considered one of the worst. Try to couch your communications so you are not guilty of making these basic mistakes. This is especially true if your email is going to multiple users. The anonymity of the web doesn't always allow us the luxury we enjoyed when all we wrote was with "pen and ink" and knew exactly who would be reading it.

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If you submit a FREE ad to our web site, you will receive a confirmation when it is received, and also be notified when it is posted to the web.  Ads are normally placed on the web on Thursday morning. Confirmation that your ad was received is no guarantee that it was placed on the web. If you submitted one, you will receive a notice on Thursdays that they have been posted. Check your ad on the web to be sure it is there, and is correct.

Don't forget, it takes 5 to 7 exposures to an ad before you can expect someone to reply. Ads must be renewed each week, but you can join our auto-renew program and we will post the ad for you.

This program costs an outrageous $1 per week.  There is a 13 week minimum.

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In The News

Commerce Department Missing 1,100 Laptops

A statement issued by the U.S. Department of Commerce indicates that the agency cannot account for 1,137 laptops that should be in its inventory of about 30,000.

Of those that are missing--whether lost or stolen--249 reportedly contained personally identifiable information from the U.S. Census Bureau. The agency said that it has received no reports that the information contained on the missing computers has been misused, noting that the data are protected by passwords, encryption, and complex database software.

The Commerce Department's statement did acknowledge, however, that since 2003, nearly 300 cases of compromised personal information had been reported. Those instances involved 217 laptops, 15 handheld devices, 46 other devices, including USB flash drives.

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Stupid Quotes

"I don't feel like I've got all that much too important to say on the kind of big national issues."

- George W Bush, 20/20 ABC, 15th September 2000

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The New Average: How Average is Becoming Excellent
by Michael Angier

The good news: It's getting easier and easier to stand out. The bad news is our standards and expectations may be falling.

Last February, We needed some brake work done on our SUV. It was likely going to be around $800 worth of work. Because we were in Florida for the winter, I didn't have my regular shop available. So I called four brake shops and asked for a quote. One got back to me to ask a clarifying question, but they didn't call back. I received no calls from the remaining three brake shops. Not one.

Our son Kevin moved to Reno, Nevada last summer and quickly got a part-time job doing valet work at a large casino. In no time at all he was a supervisor. Kevin is a very responsible and conscientious worker--always has been. And I don't want to take anything away from Kevin's strong work ethic. But the speed at which he was promoted at the casino may have had more to do with him consistently showing up for work. Kevin stood out simply by doing his job.

Tom Peters tells the story of a warehouse equipment manufacturer who was getting complaints of hydraulic leaks from its Japanese customers. What they couldn't figure out was that the exact same machines sold in the United States had no leaks.

What they found was that ALL the vehicles had leaks. It's just that the U.S. customers simply tolerated the leaks and didn't complain. Only the Japanese customers felt it was unacceptable. What does THAT tell you?

Almost every day someone emails us and thanks us for having gotten back to them quickly and with a personal touch. They seem surprised to get such good service. I can only assume it's because it's not the norm. We think prompt and friendly service is the minimum that's required. Apparently not enough companies operate that way.

Some have joked that IBM became successful because they consistently answered the phone. I'm sure it was part of their success. And if you've called many companies lately, you can attest to the importance of the phone being answered quickly and courteously.

I worry about the deterioration of standards in the service industry and in the quality of products manufactured and delivered. As our economic playing field is leveled, we are not only competing with others in our own town but from around the world.

What was average may now be considered excellent. What was only fair has become average. What was poor is now fair.

There are certainly exceptions. There are companies who walk their talk about customer service. They care. I call these world-class companies. They have high standards and their customers continue to reward them with their business. That's what we should strive for.

Action Point

How do you make sure your standards are not being eroded? Ask your customers. Take a few minutes and call a few. Ask them to rate the different services you provide on a scale of 1 to 10. For anything that's less than a 10, ask, "What would it take to make it a 10?"

Ask your staff. They're likely closer to the front lines than you are. Conduct "What's Not Excellent Meetings". How can we deliver faster? How can we reduce returns? How can we enhance the customer experience? How can we consistently deliver exceptional customer service?

By constantly raising the bar, you can continually ratchet up your standards, and you will move from average to excellent. The good news is that it doesn't take all that much to stand out.

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Michael Angier, founder of SuccessNet.org--where great people and great companies become even better. Get your fr'ee copy "10 Essential Keys to Personal Effectiveness" at http://SuccessNet.org

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Trivia

Napoleon was not born in France. He was born in a small island named Corsica. But he was born on the day when France gained control over Corsica from Italy. So he was born in France. Confused??

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Biz-Tips
by Kevin Nunley

Advertising Ideas

The most difficult part of advertising is often just coming up with the idea. Even the most successful writers can get stuck at times. Here are some ways to produce advertising ideas that SELL!

First of all, it is important to get the facts. You need to know specific facts about the product as well as facts about the audience you want to target. Get all of the information you can! Read magazines, flyers, newsletters, and even junk mail. Also, talk with people. Go to classes and seminars or attend meetings. You never know when the information you learn will be useful.

Try using a checklist. When you're stuck for an idea, a checklist can help you come up with different possibilities or strategies. You could make a checklist for headlines, or a checklist for why people buy products. This will help you get headed in the right direction.

Get feedback. The way you see your ideas may be completely different than the way others see them. Show your rough ideas to others. Or, have someone look at your finished copy and give you their opinion on how it might be improved.

Try teaming up. If you are a copywriter, you could team up with an art director. Or if you are an entrepreneur you might team up with a corporate manager. A partner can expand upon your ideas and could make them even better.

Sleep on it! Sometimes you need to just put the problem aside. You're probably thinking about it way too much. You might be surprised when the perfect idea comes to you "out of the blue."

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DrNunley's Free Advice! Need help or ideas to promote your product, service, or idea to greatness in 2003? Call or email now for free advice from Kevin and his staff of friendly experts. (801)328-9006. mailto:kevin@drnunley.com  Read his 10,000 marketing ideas at http://DrNunley.com

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Quote of the Day

"I want to know how God created this world. I am not interested in this or that phenomenon, in the spectrum of this or that element. I want to know His thoughts; the rest are details."

- Albert Einstein

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- 10/22
 

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A Little Humor to Start the Week

Newlyweds
-=-=-=-=-=

Newlywed Wife: "The 2 things I cook best are meatloaf and apple pie."

Newlywed Husband: "Oh? And which is this?"

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It was a full auditorium. Halfway through the author's talk, she began to feel sick. In a calm voice, she announced that she had left a few pages of her speech offstage, in her bag.

She walked off slowly and, as soon as she was out of sight, ran to the bathroom where she immediately threw up.

She was just about finished when someone came into the bathroom to tell her that her lapel mike was still on.

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An Avon lady was alone in an elevator when suddenly she had to break wind. She promptly reached into her bag and sprayed the air with some an Avon Pine-Scented deodorizer. Two floors later, a gentleman got on the elevator. He began to sniff, and the Avon lady asked, "Do you smell something?"

"Well, yes I do," he replied.

"What does it smell like?"

The bemused gentleman answered, "I'm not sure, but it kinda smells like someone pooped in a pine tree."

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The customer in the Italian restaurant was so pleased with his meal that he asked to speak to the chef. The owner proudly led him into the kitchen and introduced him to the chef.

"Your veal parmigiana was superb," the customer said. "I just spent a month in Italy, and yours is better than any I ever had over there."

"Naturally," the chef said. "Over there, they use domestic cheese. Ours is imported!"

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Are part-time bandleaders
semiconductors?

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Stupid Ads

For sale—an antique desk suitable for lady
with thick legs and large drawers.

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Something to Think About
By Jan Tincher

Do you want to succeed?

What picture of yourself are you seeing in your mind?

Are your shoulders straight? Is your back straight? Is the look on your face one of success? Are your hands clenched in ecstasy?

If you can't see that, why can't you? If I asked you to see a purple poodle, you probably could imagine that. A pink elephant? A cow in the meadow? Two children playing in the sand? One of them stands up quickly and raises their hands to the sky, shouting *Yes!*

Now, can you see YOU as a success? YES! Way to go!

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Be a success!  Let Jan Tincher, Master Neuro-Linguistic Programmer, help you!  Great articles, great strategies you can implement immediately!  Go here now:
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Dumb Quotes

"The vast majority of our imports come from outside the country."

- John F. Kerry – unsuccessful candidate for President of the U.S.

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Best Wishes - Have a Great Weekend
Bob

Copyright - 2004

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