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 email. And remember -- on paper or on-line, when you need words that work for you, I can write for you! Nancy Passow
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Gratitude
| One year ago we had no power. We were lucky, we only lost power for 5 days, had no damage to our home or vehicles, and were able to make do. (For more details, see my Nov. 2012 e-letter.) So this year, I am very grateful that this has been a very uneventful week weatherwise. Halloween is happening as planned (first time in three years!) Next month is when we traditionally express gratitude, but there's no harm in starting early. As a matter of fact, this year will be very unique as we will be celebrating Thanksgivukah. The Jewish holiday Chanukah starts the night before Thanksgiving. Sweet potato latkes anyone?
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Can You Be Flexible?
| How is your flexibility? I'm not talking physical, though I do keep trying yoga and really do need to get back to it. I'm asking about how you react when your plans don't work out. In the past, I've recommended subscribing to Michael Bungay Stanier's Great Work Provocation e-mail. One of my favorites is: "Think back five years. Impossible to have foreseen where you are now and what's going on. I hope you're not taking your plans too seriously . . . . " During my Technical Communications class, I talk to my students about resumes and job interviews. This includes talking about typical questions interviewers might ask. And I always tell my students about an interview I did all wrong. When I was asked where I saw myself in five years my response was that I didn't know, I was always open for opportunities and would wait and see what came along. (Amazingly, they kept asking me back for more interviews.)
Plans are important, we do need some idea of where we're going and what we're doing. But we have to remember that things change (like the weather). Sometimes life doesn't work out the way we had hoped. Sometimes better opportunities come along. Whatever happens, we have to be able to accept that it is what it is and either take advantage of what's offered or just move on. |
LinkedIn and Your Business (& More)
|  Have you set up a Business Page on LinkedIn? You are able to describe your business, talk about products and services offered, include links to employees who also are on LinkedIn, and actually have a mini-website. Your company logo appears in your LinkedIn profile in the experience section. When people hover over the logo, a little box comes up with information about your business. And if people click on it, they are sent to the Business Page. Of course, as with all of LinkedIn, it will come up in a Google search. Need help setting up your LinkedIn Business Page? Send me an e-mail. Don't forget e-mail marketing. I can help you get started -- whether it's set-up, writing the content, or managing the entire process. I'll even remember to pay the monthly bill for you. I can set up your contact lists, help you choose a template (and customize it with your logo and website colors), and develop your e-mail schedule. To learn more, click here. Why use Constant Contact? They take care of the details--managing your contact list, making sure you meet anti-spam regulations, tracking users--these are just a few of the reasons. Give me a call or send me an e-mail so we can talk about how e-mail marketing can help your business! |
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phone: 201-541-9702 (o)
phone: 201-362-3404 (m)
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Book of the Month . . Reply All . . .
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If you've been reading my eletters for a while, you kno there's nothing I hate more than people hitting "reply all" when we don't all need to know (well, except of course for people who put huge e-mail address lists in "to" rather than "bcc"). Richie Frieman, aka Modern Manners Guy, in his book subtitled And Other Ways to Tank Your Career, provides a short, easy-to-read guide to business etiquette for today.
Although the primary intended audience is recent college graduates, we can all learn from his lessons. The book covers Job Interview Etiquette, First Day on the Job, How to Deal with Annoying Coworkers, Socializing at Work, Social Media at Work, Work Events Etiquette, Business Travel Etiquette, Workplace Relations, The Unwritten Rules of Career Success, and The Etiquette Renaissance.
Read this for yourself, share it with your employees, or give it to a new college graduate.
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| Quote of the Month | |
"Never allow the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game!" -- Babe Ruth
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