Communication Tips and Tools

April 2014

The Cookie Thief - no, it's not a communication tip... oh, wait, maybe it is. Read on and you decide. It's a 2 1/2 minute metaphorical poem and my INSPIRATION choice this month. I start with it just to change things up (that's a Cookie Thief clue). See INSPIRATION below or, if you're ready to check it out view it here.

If you only care about Tips and Tools, that's okay too (although you'll miss a good laugh as well as a thought provoking message by skipping the poem).

Last month we talked about what makes an effective website. Two things stand out: great content and easy navigation. What exactly is great content? At the risk of trampling on the simple answer that "beauty is in the mind of the beholder"... here's a few tips for your website content.

TIPS & TOOLS: Website Words of Wisdom

As I noted last month, time and patience are not abundant resources for website visitors. We also know Google changes it's algorithm a lot. Links, images, navigation,

headings, meta tags (special descriptors in the programming code of your website) may all change in importance, but relevant content (when done right, will include 'keywords') will always be a major factor in search engine rankings. To create relevant copy:

It's not about you. Yes, you have to explain who you are, what you do, how you do it. But it can be done from the visitors viewpoint (your prospect and/or client), not yours. For example: instead of "we offer the best customer service in the industry"... try "When you need help, you won't have to navigate a bunch of automated number menus... you'll actually talk to a live person."
Know your visitor. You're going to talk about benefits, but make sure you know what the most important need your visitor has. Is it saving money or time? Safety, comfort, less stress, guarantees? Reach for the deeper emotional need of your prospect.
Think "Landing Page". These are the pages visitors go to who are really interested. Make those pages specifically (and only) about what got them to that page in the first place. If they click on a particular service or product, give them the juice about that, and only that, product or service.
Call to action. Tell them what to do, the next step, how to get what they need.

Want more in-depth website ideas? Check out Clear Pivot, a local Internet marketing company I highly recommend. They offer a free 30 minute website marketing assessment and some terrific downloadable tools (also free). Here are two you should have: 10-Step Website Redesign Checklist and Search Engine Optimization Fundamentals.

INSPIRATION

If you're old enough to read this, you undoubtedly know, things aren't always as they seem to be. Although we say

"perception is our reality", maybe that reality needs to be challenged.

Check out The Cookie Thief, a poem by Valerie Cox, read by Wayne Dyer.

It's fun, it's a life lesson, and only 2 1/2 minutes long.

Thanks for checking out Tips & Tools. Next month we'll discuss challenges of the entrepreneur. Happy Mother's Day to everyone.

Larry Brummond

The Write Touch Inc.

Laughs & Lessons

There was a young man who, in his youth, professed his desire to become a great writer. When asked to define great, he said, "I want to write stuff the whole world will read; stuff people will react to on a truly emotional level, stuff that will make them scream, cry, howl in pain and anger!"
He now works for Microsoft writing error messages.

I got an email from a church... they wanted me to help them improve their conversion rates.

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"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about."
--- Plato (paraphrase).

More Tips & Tools

It's good to be open to new ideas; to take a periodic "reality check" (another Cookie Thief clue). Examining our beliefs and attitudes should be part of what we regularly do in both our personal and professional lives.

From a business communication perspective, the shift in emphasis from "I" and "we" to "you" has been hammered at us for several years. Implementation, however, resembles our legal system; stuck in a sea of examinations, motions and due (to-do) process.

We think they will buy because we tell them how great we are and forget to find out what their reality is. Are you open to changing your website content, email messages, blogs to help your clients and prospects, rather than (just) trying to sell them?

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