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Write for You News & Notes Words Working for You
September 2010/Vol. 5, #8

Welcome to the latest issue of Write for You News & Notes with some words of wisdom on writing, business, and life. If you'd like to share any books or favorite links with our readers, send us an e-mail. And be sure to check our website for ways that we can help you with your business. Remember -- when you need words that work for you, I can write for you!

Nancy Passow

in this issue
  • Book of the Month . . . Switch
  • Perfection is Overrated
  • Can You Hear Me Now? Part One
  • E-mail Marketing/Constant Contact Solution Provider

  • Perfection is Overrated

    Recently I read a great blog by one of my favorite marketing people, Dianna Huff (DH Communications), about the myth of perfection. She talks about what she learned in Seth Godin's book Linchpin, in which he says "Art is never defect-free" (the title of Dianna's blog). I decided it would make a great topic for my next e-letter. Of course, after sending out my August e-letter, I made a discovery. In my haste to send it out, I never changed the subject line, so it went out as the "July Newsletter". I imagine some of you didn't bother to open it because you knew you'd already read my July e-letter. (A big thank you to all of you who took a chance and found out it was the August newsletter.)

    Dianna said in her blog, "I am not perfect. Especially when it comes to writing typo-free content. When you get something written from me, it might have a typo in it. Or two. Maybe even three. This is not to say I don't care about my work. I do care. Deeply." She goes on to explain that although she proofreads and edits and does all the right things a writer should do, the real focus should be on the creative process. Which leads back to what Seth Godin said. (Read Dianna's blog  here.)

    I suffer from the perfection syndrome even worse than some due to my technical background. Having been trained as a chemical/environmental engineer, I do tend to work things to death. Given the opportunity, I will rewrite and rewrite. My monthly e-letters are usually done over the course of a week, allowing ample time for re-reading and rewriting. However, in August we were on vacation at the Jersey shore and I did the e-letter in just an hour or two. (I did think about the articles ahead of time, including while out kayaking, so I knew what I wanted to write). And it worked fine . . . except for the subject line of the e-mail.

    What is the biggest problem with the quest for perfection? Never accomplishing anything. Because you worry about not being perfect, you never complete the project. Sometimes you never even start it. I'm not advocating not proofreading and editing, I'm just saying that you need to pick a point when you're done and then just let go. And I'm also suggesting that we make sure to recognize what's good and creative, before we point out what's wrong.


    Can You Hear Me Now? Part One

    I don't have a smartphone. As a matter of fact, my poor little phone could be considered a "dumb" phone -- it makes and receives phone calls. If I really wanted (and paid extra) I could text. I've been looking at smartphones -- android phones to be exact. Now that I'm using social media, I really do need a phone that handles it. And some of the apps are cool (I've already fallen in love with the one that collects all of your store loyalty cards so you can empty your wallet and just scan the phone!) But, as usual with new technology, I've been hesitating (too much money, too much change, how will I ever figure out how to use it!) However, the universe is sending me messages -- first the little clip on one side of the charger plug fell off, then my hands-free headset stopped working (just in time for a teleconference I was going to participate in while driving home from Virginia.) Obviously I'm not going to pay to replace them. So, I guess the time has come. Hopefully in next month's newsletter I'll be telling you how wonderful my new phone is.


    E-mail Marketing/Constant Contact Solution Provider

    Are you interested in trying e-mail marketing? I am now a Certified Constant Contact Expert and a Constant Contact Solution Provider. Which means I can help you with your e-mail marketing -- whether it's helping with set-up, writing the content, or doing something more advanced. I can even set up your contact lists, help you choose a template, and develop your e-mail schedule. To learn more, click here.

    E-mail marketing is a way to stay in front of your customers. Whether it's an e-letter (like this one), notice of a special event or sale, or just a holiday greeting, e-mail marketing should be a part of your marketing package. Let me help you get started.


    Book of the Month . . . Switch
    Personality Not Included

    Switch -- How to Change Things When Change is Hard, Chip and Dan Heath's follow-up to Made to Stick, looks at not only how we can change the way we do things but how we can change what other people do. The Heaths start by borrowing a metaphor to describe our rational side and our emotional side -- a rider on an elephant. Successfully making a change requires directing the rider, motivating the elephant, and shaping the path they follow. Each of these steps is explained, with plenty of examples. The Heaths explain that an important part of directing the rider is pointing to the destination. This leads to one of my favorite quotations, a true "duh" moment: "When you're at the beginning, don't obsess about the middle, because the middle is going to look different once you get there. Just look for a strong beginning and strong ending and get moving."

    This book will truly change the way you approach change! To learn more about Switch and the Heath brothers, visit their website.

    Quote of the Month: "I would rather regret the things I have done than the things I have not." -- Lucille Ball

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