Greetings!
You use a computer, right? Then you know about computer hell! Our first article not only tells a few stories you'll relate to, but it also provides some practical suggestions for staying out of the devil's domicile.
Our second piece is another in our Success Story series. Starting a newsletter wasn't exactly heavenly for Mary McKitrick, but it definitely saved her many hours of precious time.
At last,we've figured out how to do our popular E-zine Intros online. Thanks to Ray Patterson's extreme generosity, we'll give the idea a try later this month--on October 18 and October 22. The details are in the column to your right. Join us--it's free.
Congratulations to the folks at Constant Contact for their phenomenal business success. Their IPO earlier this month opened at $16 and quickly gained $10 a share. Shawenon Communications is in its second year of reselling the product. You can find out more here.
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| Computer Hell |
 "You're either in computer hell or about to be." It's not a cheery aphorism, I admit, but it's definitely one for our age. If I were to mention all the horror stories I've heard in just the past month, you'd be reading for hours.
Consider one of my colleagues whose laptop computer--her only machine--kept shutting down if she turned her back on it. Then she couldn't synch with her Palm; and the wireless system at both her home and her weekend retreat were constantly going on the blink. Her productivity went to zero; her blood pressure rose. Who needs this?
We all do. What choice do we have? We are so dependent on our computers for everything--calendar, communication, entertainment, projects and that amazing resource--the Web.
You may think the frustration, rage, terror and despair are unique to our age, but think again.Franz Kafka explored these sentiments a century ago--only his characters were plagued not by off-shore technical support speaking in incomprehensible dialect, but by bureaucrats who blocked action at every turn. Same deal, though. No choice but to deal with them; no way to deal with them.
Taking Control
The computer that kept going on strike has been replaced by a new one made by a nearby computer expert who builds laptops from scratch and then services them. This route is not for everyone, but if you want something nearly as good, opt for the Gold Service contract from Dell. Here you will find a 24/7 team of trained, competent US-based technicians who can be your new best friends.
When I first got my new computer, I spoke to Davis nearly daily. Besides getting my problems solved, I enjoyed hearing about his life in Nashville, TN--buying a new home and raising show dogs.
I've encountered some really good help desk folks in faraway places like India and Malaysia. But if you get one that is clearly reading a script and doesn't have a clue what they are doing, bail out fast. Ask for a supervisor or call for an escalation of your case. Insist that you speak to the US-based technical crew. Most companies have a tier-one team somewhere in the States who can fix what's wrong or at least give you a hint about your next step.
Nightmare Reality
Kafka's works are characterized by really odd situations that are more nightmare than reality. No doubt you've been there, too. Take our recent case. Husband Will needed to download the latest version of ACT. The earlier version had been torturing him for months. Each time he tried to download the 309 megabyte file, our satellite system timed out before the process was complete. And, inexplicably, at the same time, browsing speed ground to a halt. We couldn't do anything on the Web.
Will's call to support produced two unexpected pieces of information. First, our level of service allowed such large downloads only between the hours of 3 and 6 AM. Second, if we attempted such a download during other hours of the day, the system would punish us by cutting our browsing speed. Go figure?
But there's a happy ending to the story. Early-bird Will had no problem with the restrictions, and now he's cooing about the new ACT system. Our browse speed is back to normal, too. May all your computer nightmares turn out so well.
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Success Story
Scientific Approach |
This article is the second in a series of true stories about e-zine successes.
Mary McKitrick, ornithologist turned voice-over artist, believed in keeping in touch with her customers and prospects via e-mail. So much so that she committed herself to e-mailing 1,660 of them individually four times a year. I'll spare you the details of how she arrived at this number (she is a scientist, after all), but, when you do the math, that's 27 emails daily. That's right, every work day.
There is a better way, she knew. "I would absolutely love to be able to write a newsletter, click 'send,' and be done with it. That would certainly be easiest for me," she mused in a December 16, 2006 blog entry. "And, if I could do it every month instead of every three months, then none of those contacts would have a chance to forget me in between mailings." Still, there were downsides. Just the sheer volume of newsletters she herself received concerned her. How would her readers respond?
Got that Right
Reviewing the newsletters in her inbox brought her to an important observation. She read only the ones with compelling copy. "Make it easy for the reader to see why they should read it. Summarize the content straight away. Include material that will benefit the reader, and, of course, use an engaging style," she observed in that same blog. She also cited Web Words as a good example.
But as the year ended, she was still on the fence. Then one night at the end of January, when she was preparing the e-mails for the following day, she said, "Enough!" and the MCM Voices Newsletter was born. Its mission is to highlight what's been happening at her studio and provide useful information of interest to her market--production companies and ad agencies.
Mary's newsletter is so delightful that I read it every month. I don't mean to; I just get sucked in every time. It's concise, and I find myself fascinated with details about the jobs she works on. Then there's the gimmick--Avian Bloopers. Like her logo that marries her former career with her current one, this section of her newsletter reveals a mistake that someone made with bird calls. For example, having West Coast birds singing in the background of a New England movie scene.
The Results
Mary says she gets more requests for auditions and inquiries about rates after her newsletter goes out. She also has loyal followers who say, "You do a great job with your newsletter. You're top of my list to call when I need a female voice." This highlights the magic of newsletters--being a presence once a month to the people who can hire her.
Mary works her lists with scientific care--weeding out people who haven't opened her newsletter and watching her stats carefully to make sure she's staying on target with her content. She gets a good "opens" rate and very few "opt outs," so it's paying off. And, best of all, she has a lot more time to spend in her studio--actually working on voice-over recording projects. |
| Web Tips |
 Ever struggle to keep track of who's where when in your family? Wish you could have a common calendar for your business association board? Ever find yourself in one place when your electronic calendar is in another?
You should take a look at Google Calendar. The price is right--it's free. With a lot of convenient options, you can view by day, week or month. And with a robust set of permissions, you can allow others to look at some or all of your activities.
I'm a bit on thin ice on the subject of electronic calendars because I still use paper. But I did set up a Google calendar for the BEN (Berkshire Entrepreneurs Network) Steering Committee, of which I'm a member. It keeps everyone on the same page for committee meetings, event programming and special events.
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And Finally . . .
Shawenon Communications collaborates with small businesses, solopreneurs, professionals and not-for-profits to get their messages across in the written word.
We specialize in electronic communications, including e-zines and other forms of e-mail marketing, and Web site content. We also ghostwrite articles and other business communications. As a business partner, we resell Constant Contact's e-mail marketing service.
Thanks for reading. If you liked this issue, please click on the Forward email button below to share this newsletter with others.
You're also welcome to reprint material in this newsletter as long as it is unaltered and credited to the author. If being reproduced electronically, the following link must also be included:
www.shawenon.com
Sincerely, 
Susanna Opper
Shawenon Communications
413-528-6494
Copyright © 2007 Shawenon Communications. All rights reserved. |
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At Last!
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Our long-promised
on-line E-zine intro
is happening for the first time this month!
The intro will be
offered twice:
Oct. 18 10-11:30 AM
Oct. 22 8-9:30 PM
Sessions are 1 1/2 hours. There is no charge, but you must sign up in advance.
Now you can participate in these fun, free information sessions from your own computer.
Sign up now for an October On-line E-zine intro. Be sure to specify which session you want to attend.
If you'd like a live session closer to you--
drop us a line |
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