effective communications

There are so many ways to work today. You can work from a traditional office. You can work from a coffee shop. You can work from home. You can work from the road. But are you working the way your customers work? I have found over the years that some customers prefer an email, while…

Have you ever tried talking to a large company? If you’ve ever had a problem with a large company’s product or service, you’ve probably run into the frustration that comes with trying to reach them. Sometimes, it can be darn near impossible to even find a help page on their website, much less use it…

Mothers are our first teachers, nurses, cheerleaders and so much more. And do we ever learn a lot from them. Here’s a list of principles I’ve learned from my mom that have served me well in my career. Always be honest. This couldn’t be more true for a publicist, who provides information to the media…

In my blog, Showing Up, I wrote about the fact that whenever a client is having an event or receiving recognition, or is looking for people to attend something, I always do my very best to be there. Reflecting on that some more, I realized that when PR professionals like me “show up,” we are…

To be a successful business, act like one. Too often, I’ve met women business owners who gave the impression that their business was their hobby, and not a true, money-making venture. In my experience, if you want people to treat you seriously as a business owner, then you must live, breathe and truly act like…

“Your best networking tool is a smile. Don’t underestimate its power when meeting people.” This was my quote selected by the Woman’s Advantage Shared Wisdom calendar for 2016. And it’s one I try to live by, because smiling has many benefits. When we smile, we signal our friendliness, openness to engaging, and interest in people….

“Feedback is a gift.” It’s a quote attributed to Jim Trinka and Les Wallace, but it rings true in the world of business. If you’re the one giving feedback, however, it might not feel like a gift – especially if the feedback you have to give is negative. When that happens, it probably feels less…

It’s the “the next best thing to being there.” (1970s Bell Telephone Co. TV ad.) I just called to say …” (From the song, I Just Called to Say I Love You, written, produced and performed by Stevie Wonder in 1984.) These are all related to the telephone. Yes, remember the telephone? Before the cell…

“Talent is cheap; dedication is costly.” It’s said to be a remark by an Italian art teacher to the great Michaelangelo very early in his career (see more at  https://bible.org/illustration/talent-cheap-dedication-costly). I first heard this phrase a few months ago when my pastor used it in a sermon. And I’ve been thinking about it on and…

It’s no secret that corporate communications is now a 24/7 endeavor. Through social media, your customers are talking all the time. The question is: are you listening? If you read Sales Encounters of a Different Kind, you learned like I did that it pays to ask more questions when interviewing prospects. In Maybe DIY Isn’t…