First up, Hubspot gives us a list of words and phrases that we tend to overuse.  Repetition in your vocabulary can make your message stale.  Are you using any of these overused marketing buzzwords?

31 Fluffy Buzzwords Marketers Overuse and Abuse, Hubspot

 Moving from overused marketing words to annoying business jargon is the topic from Max Mallet, Brett Nelson and Chris Steiner.  In this Forbes article they list the worst offenders and a little blurb about the annoyance.  I was glad that I only used a few words on this list.

The Most Annoying, Pretentious and Useless Business Jargon, Forbes

This is a little older article but I thought it was important enough to save.  Writing is another form of communication and this article touches on humor specifically when it is appropriate in a business situation.  Is it okay to ramp up a dry document with a little humor?

Humor in Business Writing – Does It Belong?, Business Writing

Next up touches on non-verbal communications and of all ways to learn a lesson, from a pet.

Business Communication Strategies From A Dog Trainer, Sage Presence

And finally,  John Boe wrote an interesting article on catching signals from your prospect or buyer.  I thought the section on matching and mirroring was fascinating and I will be sure to start observing this at future functions.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words: Using Body Language to Score More Sales, Agent ENews

So there you are, better late than never.  What types of communication skills do you practice?

Signing off,
Lee

Flckr img via Meet-up Annieta

I belong to several forums for Virtual Assistants and often times I see inquiries about getting clients.  Several newbies stated that they do not know where to begin, however it is not how to begin but how to continue the relationship.  Finding new prospects is easy, forming relationships with them is where the work needs to be done.  I am not an introvert by any means and it is easy for me to enter a discussion with anyone but that is not enough.  Here are a few steps that I take after meeting new people, prospects or not.

Send a “Great to Meet You” note.  Notice I say note.  We get way too many emails so think outside the box and send them something the good ole fashion way.  I send a card with a note that says glad to meet you at the event and for them to let me know who their ideal client is so I can keep a lookout in my referral network.  If they are true prospects I also add a let’s get together for coffee.

Check their social media accounts.  Join their networks however do not just sent a generic “add me to your network” message.  Personalize it with “Great to meet you at [event name].  I thought it would be nice to add you to my circle.  I am looking to getting to know you and your business better.

Send en email.  After the first two suggestions I send an email with a great business tip or general information I find helpful.  I also ask permission to add to my email list so that I can share useful resources with them.

Greet them at the next event.  When you see them at the next event be sure to greet them and have a brief conversation to see where they are since your last meet.

These are just four steps that you can take to start cultivating your relationship.  Remember not every contact will be a prospect but they can be a referrer so treat everyone equally in your art of follow-up.

What is your art of follow-up?

Signing off,
Lee

Setting up lists is extremely easy for both networks.

Facebook:

In the left navigation panel you will see your LISTS.  By hovering near that section you will be given a MORE option that you simply need to click on.  Once you do that it will bring up your LISTS screen and off to the right you will find the CREATE LIST button.  Click on this and you will be presented with a pop-up to CREATE A NEW LIST.  Name your list and click on the create button.  The next step will be to add people to your list and you do so by checking on their image.

Once you have your list created all you need to do is click on that list to bring up the feeds for that person.  Also on the lists page,  at the right of the page, you will see who is on your list and have the option of adding more friends to that list as well as removing them and choosing the types of updates you prefer to feed into your list.

Twitter:

Twitter lists are slightly different as you have an option to make this list public, to be share with everyone or private for your own viewing pleasure.  Start off by selecting the LISTS option on your Twitter dashboard.  At the bottom of the options you will find CREATE A LIST.  Once you select this option a CREATE A LIST pop-up will show and it is here that you add your list name, a description and the privacy setting of that list.

Adding people to your Twitter list is a little different as you need to add each one individually.  You can add to your list when you select the Follow option for your new connection or you can add once the follow has been done.  Go to the OPTIONS button in the profile and select ADD TO LIST.  Check any or all of the lists that you would like them to be included and their feeds will now show in that listing.  You can also create a new list under this option if you want to separate them out but do not yet have a list created.

One note with Twitter is that you are limited to 20 lists so you need to choose wisely when setting up your structure.  If you are not using lists twenty may seem like a lot however the slots do go quickly as you add and organize your groups.

There you have it.  Two simple ways to stay organized when using Facebook and Twitter to connect with your circle.  How many lists have you created?

Need help creating your lists or getting your account in order, give us a shout or leave your question, we will be happy to help you.

Signing off,
Lee

1. Inspiration is everywhere.  Since I knew I would have to produce articles daily I began to really pay attention to what was trending, question being asked and what people were saying.  It was not hard to find topics to post about.
2.  I am not wired to write everyday.  Even though the inspiration was there I found it daunting to have to write everyday.  For me, I believe a few times a week will work so that is where I will take my blog.
3. When you want to build a habit, give it 30 days.  During these 30 days I have learned what works and does not for my blogging capabilities.  Without the challenge I would still be floundering about with getting my blog back on the right track.
4.  Support of the community.  I did not take this journey by myself and by having the challenge community I was able to see others struggle, overcome and thrive.  I found that by joining the challenge it was the support of the community that had me staying the course.
5.  My website traffic did increase.  I did not truly target my keywords as I was more worried about blogging than content.  Now that I have that down I can refine my process to include better targeted traffic.

Next up, Small Biz Success Summit 2012.  While it is not 30 days it is enough for me to learn some great social media techniques that I can use for my business and share with my clients.

Would you benefit from a 30 day challenge to help your business?

Signing off,
Lee

Flickr img by Dave Womach

Being successful at the work-life balancing act definitely takes practice and planning. While not wanting either to suffer, it is easy to do too much and still have both parts of your life wilt in some way. Your clients expect too much out of you because you have set the bar too high and your family complains because all you do is work.

Albert Einstein said, “Life is like riding a bicycle; to keep your balance you must keep moving.” With that in mind, here are a few ideas to help you keep moving:

• Learn it is okay to say no. Be careful what plans or deadlines you commit to, whether it is an extra project your colleague wants you to manage or a friend who wants to take you shopping for the second time this week. Think about what you want to accomplish.

•  Leave work at work and home at home. When you are with your family, turn off the cell phone and shut down the laptop. When you are at work, do not take personal calls and ignore your Facebook friends.

•  Find some support. Hire a virtual assistant to smooth out your business processes or enlist a co-worker’s help when a family conflict comes up. Have a person on standby that can help with the kids and household chores should you need to work overtime.

Do not just sit there! Grab it by the handlebars and enjoy it!

Signing off,
Lee

Do you have an effective email signature?  The following article touches on your individual email signature.  Taking advantage of a great signature can provide a serious marketing opportunity.  Included are 10 tips to perfect one of your best marketing tools.

10 Clever Ways Your Email Signature Can Support Your Marketing, Hubspot

The next one I actually found and listened to shortly before this posting.  Robert Bruce from Copyblogger asked two pros to give some insight on a few burning questions such as staying out of spam filters and writing emails that get opened.

Answers to the 3 Biggest Email Marketing Questions We Get: Copyblogger

Getting your emails open is half the battle, the other half is to actually have them read.  Adam Toren explains in his article  11 different ideas to help you with the second half half of the battle.

11 Proven Keys for Getting Your Emails Read: blogtrepreneur.com

Marcos Cordero writes about email marketing being his biggest marketing tool.  This article stresses that mass marketing messages as no more effective than misplace advertisements.  He includes three food for thought points on increasing your reach.  Marcos also give you some must haves for a well designed and informative message.

10 Tips for Increasing Your Email Reach and Effectiveness: Green Business Bureau

And then there is what to do with all those emails in your inbox.  Email communication was originally intended to save you time, however if you are facing overload it is doing the opposite.  Not only is a clutter inbox and ineffective file system sapping your time, it is sapping your energy and productivity.  Here are some great tips on taming the beast.

Managing Your Business Email – Taming the Inbox Monster: Intuit

So there you go, lots of informative tips to help you with email communications.  Will you employ any of the tips in your next email message?

Signing off,
Lee

Caroline founded LC Mills, Inc. in 2009 and since then has made the gradual transition from providing inbound call-taking services for companies like Arise Virtual Solutions to offering solely general administrative support for entrepreneurs. After several years of working virtually, Caroline examined the services that seemed to be the most requested of her. She began to recognize a talent she had possessed in writing and made the decision in 2011 to market and direct LC Mills, Inc. towards the writing and editorial niche.

Although Caroline enjoys offering administrative support such as project management, initiating newsletter campaigns, and social media support, her specialty focuses more on her writing and editorial services. Ghostwriting, copywriting, and SEO strategic writing are some of the specialized skills that make up the heart of her work.  You can visit her site at http://www.lcmillsinc.com.

 ”I love what I do and how it supports other entrepreneurs like myself. There is nothing like the feeling of knowing that you provide your clients with the words to engage their target audience. It’s like giving a voice to their businesses which allows them to speak directly to their intended market and be heard.  This creates great visibility and authority for my clients and effectively causes them to stand out from the competition.” – Caroline Mills

Thank you Caroline for making my world a little easier.

Would you like to featured here?  Send me some information on your business and how you help today’s entrepreneurs.

1. What you do?  First let me start by saying this is not a definition of your industry.  Many new VA’s will put the Wikipedia definition on there home page as an answer to the question.  I want to know what YOU do.  What service or product do you provide that will solve my problems.  When writing your home page content think about what would bring someone to your site, what burning question or issue do they have.
2. Who are you and why should I trust you?  My second stop is to find out more about the company and the person behind it.  Ever site should have an about page that gives some history and educates the visitor on why they would want to be associated with you.  Are you licensed? Include it.  Do you have a mission statement? Include it.  Special credentials? Include them too.  You should be telling your visitor why you stand out above all others.
3. Where do I go next?  This is your call to action.  Every page should include some way to contact you or an action to take.  This could be joining your email list, sending you an email or using a scheduling program to set an appointment with you.  Every site should also have a contact page.  I also say put your  phone number on your site and contact page  for those who just don’t want to give up that precious email address.   Once they leave your site without a clear action they are gone.

I do also look at colors, font size, how much clutter your have and scanability but it is the content that will make or break your site.  If someone cannot easily determine what you can do for them they will leave your site without a second glance.

Can your website answer these three questions?

Signing off,
Lee

Templates:  There are some in the repository for you to use and tweak however you can also create one from scratch.  Once you have the wording and sections in place then you can style them for clean professional looking proposals every time.  Create a template and then use it over and over.  You can also edit and section of the template for customized proposals or a special need to your offering.

Product and services table:  This is the area where you put your pricing and service structure.  Be as detailed as you need and then save to keep the items in one place to be shared on your proposal or with your team.  This is a great option for creating proposals on the fly or making sure that you are consistent with your pricing structure.  Never miss a detail again.

Proposal tracking: You can create and send proposals both in a web or PDF format.  I also like that you can add attachments so all your supporting documents are with the quote.  However my favorite part is the tracking which allow clients to interact while receiving their quote including e-sign and accepting.  Once your proposal is sent you will see when it was created, sent and even viewed by the recipient.  Here you can also send follow-up messages, edit the proposal for changes or mark as accepted.

There is a tiered pricing structure that includes a free level for 3 proposals a month.  With the paid versions you get additional proposals, analytics on sent proposals and the branding removed.  If you sent proposals or responses to RFPs you will want to check out Quote Roller.

What do you use for submitting your quotes?

Signing off,
Lee

Flickr image by Goat's Accordion

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.  As long as the power stays on I am good to go, but what happens if the snow if too much and I do lose power?

As an entrepreneur working from a home office, I am it.  As they say, stuff happens and having a plan can be the difference between success and epic failure.  Many entrepreneurs and small business owners have no backup plan because they either think nothing will happen or it is too overwhelming to think of.  Here are a few things I have in place that may help you to devise your plan.

1. Backup your computer – DAILY.  I use a cloud program to backup all my files.  I also have an external hard drive that I backup to once a week.  Many of my programs of choice are now on the cloud but that does not stop me from having all files in one central location.
2. Enlist a colleague.  Find someone you trust that can be a fill in if something would happen to you.  You should have someone who you can hand off your most important tasks in the event of an emergency and you are out of pocket. (hint, hint: VA’s can do this and more!)
3. Have a processes manual (creating one will be another post).  All big businesses have one and many small businesses too, so should you.  At the very least it should include how you operate your day and your most important client procedures.  If someone needs to step in they will have a guide to help them with the service quality that you now provide.
4. Office on the go.  I have set up my office so that if I need to operate out of another location I can do so in a few simple steps.  My cell phone provider offers mobile broadband that I can use and activate with a simple phone call.  My office phone is a Google Voice number that I can forward to any phone number I choose.  I also use Google Apps for business so if I have to use a different computer I can get to my email, documents, passwords, critical client information and project management program.

Prepare My Business.org offers a great pdf checklist for creating a disaster plan which you can use as a guide to begin your plan.  Do you have plans in place for your business?

Signing off,
Lee