Welcome to the latest issue of Write for You
News & Notes, our monthly newsletter.
Here you will find tips on
writing, business, and life. If you have any
writing
questions or if you'd like to
share any books or favorite links with our
readers,
send me an
e-mail. And be sure to check
our web site for ways that we can help you
with your
business.
Interested in
trying Constant Contact for
your business? Click
here to learn more. If you open a
Constant Contact account, using my referral
link, we can both receive credits to our
accounts.
Nancy Passow
Wondering Why They Didn't Call Back? |
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Recently someone left a message on my
answering machine; he said "This is [name],
call me back at [phone
number]." No
explanation of who he is or why I should call
him back. Needless
to say, I didn't. Want to make sure
that doesn't happen to
you? Here are a few tips for leaving
voice mail messages that
will be returned:
- Give your name and phone number at the
beginning and then repeat
them at the very end of the message; if it's
a complicated name, spell
it (slowly).
- Even if you're returning a call, leave
your phone number (make it easy for them to
call back).
- Speak slowly and clearly, and pause,
particularly after your name
and during the phone number.
- Keep it short and simple - get to the
point; don't make the listener wade through a
long explanation.
- Make sure you explain why you called and
why the person should
call back.
- Indicate when is a good time to call you
back so you can avoid playing telephone
tag.
And while we're talking about voicemail, what
message is on your answering system? If
you have a dedicated phone line for your
business, your message should include your
name and business name and a request that the
caller leave a message (you can also include
alternatives such as your web site
address). If you're going to be away
from your phone, tell your callers there
might be a delay in getting back to
them and offer an alternative.
If you use your cell phone, or another phone,
for both business and personal calls, be very
careful about your answering system message.
You still need to have it sound
business-like. And wherever or whatever
your message, keep it short and
simple -- you don't want your callers hanging
up in frustration before they leave their
messages.
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Hey, Universe, It's Me! |
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I saw a wonderful sign in front of a church
recently: "Blessed are
the flexible for they shall not be bent out
of shape." What a great reminder to go
with the
flow. If plan A doesn't work, there's
always plan B. Sometimes you are even
pleasantly
surprised to find that plan B is actually
better.
My background as an engineer has all the
advantages of being a problem
solver, looking at details. It also has
the disadvantages of
worrying things to death and obsessing over
those details. Lately I have
really been working on "letting go" and
giving things out to the
Universe. There is a certain point when
you have to say, "I've
done all I can do" and then just send it out
there. And guess
what? Not only does the world go on
spinning, but everything
actually comes together and works out.
And how nice it is to be
able to enjoy when that happens instead of
agonizing over all that
might have been.
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Book of the Month . . . Knockout Presentations |
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Diane DiResta shares her secrets for speaking
in public in her book Knockout
Presentations: How to Deliver
Your Message with Power, Punch, and
Pizzazz. Public speaking is
listed by many people as their number one
fear.
Diane helps to banish this fear with her
advice on preparing your
presentation, staging your presentation, and
overcoming
nervousness. Diane also covers
special situations including chairing a
meeting, delivering sales presentations,
media interviews,
and videoconferencing. The book is very
interactive with exercises, checklists, and
case studies.
Quote of the Month: "Even if
you're on the right track, you'll get run
over if you just sit there." Will Rogers
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