Posted By Amanda Collins on March 22, 2011

Regularly, I can be heard “pitching” newsletters to audiences: when I give my 30-second commercial or talk to people in one-on-one meetings. I’m sure they think it’s because I will make money off their business, and while that’s part of it, the benefit to the client is HUGE!

If you’re not familiar with Constant Contact, you should be. They were one of the first online newsletter services. One of their best speakers is Ron Cates, based here in Phoenix. Ron speaks to audiences around the country on social media and email marketing, and he always shares amazing success stories using the medium. Businesses that do this right can drastically improve their profits, sometimes with just one email.

Each time I send out an email, I see nearly immediate results. Because I include a number of links (to blogs, social media, and my websites), I can track my click-throughs on Constant Contact. My website hits spike for a couple of days after I send a newsletter. I also get responses to them, usually about the monthly picture of Patrick or something personal I’ve shared. For instance, my January newsletter went out as Patrick and I were driving to Disneyland for my 40th birthday, and I received a number of birthday wishes from my clients and prospects.

Newsletters don’t always turn into immediate business, but because people are hearing from me regularly, I remain top of mind. In January, two prospective clients who had been receiving the newsletter for a year or more called and became clients. Then, in March, the newsletter was shared by a prospect—and the person who received it became a client.

If you’re not putting out a monthly e-newsletter, you’re missing an amazing opportunity to connect with your client database. I see results monthly in the form of new business, repeat business, and referrals. It’s a cost-effective method of marketing, and you can create a number of lists with unique content and calls to action. If you’re confused on how to get started, let me know! A monthly newsletter written, designed, edited, and sent is just $99 (plus the cost of your Constant Contact subscription).

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Tags: constant contact, cost-effective marketing, monthly newsletter

Posted By Amanda Collins on March 9, 2011

I love Facebook. I’m on it all day long when I’m on my computer, and I check it when I’m on my iPhone outside of the office. However, the quick updates sometimes make for lazy typing. But wait…is that laziness or ignorance? I’m starting to think it’s the latter. I’m talking about how commas are just ignored on Facebook.

Poor commas. They used to be one of the most OVERused punctuation marks with people using them way too often. These days, though, it seems as if people are forgetting these little hooks that add clarity to your sentences and make reading easier. Nowhere on Facebook is this more evident than on the wall of your friend who’s celebrating a birthday.

One of the best things about Facebook is its ability to connect us with friends far and wide. With that, we get these great reminders of upcoming birthdays. This is where I see most of the issues with commas. Here are two examples where the comma is MIA:

Happy birthday Joe!
Thanks Amy!

In each instance, there should be a comma prior to the name. Why? These are fragments, meaning they’re lacking a subject, verb, and object—which add up to a complete sentence. If you read them as if the missing part is replaced, you may get:

I say happy birthday, Joe! (correct comma)
Joe thanks Amy! (still no comma and incorrect)

Unless you’re speaking in third person (“George is getting angry!”), you probably won’t speak the way the second is written. Instead, you’ll say “Thanks, Amy!” which is correct.

Grammar is confusing; there’s no doubt about it. But if you just remember that a name in a fragment like this typically requires a comma, you’ll be good. One way to do that is to put the name first, which is pretty clear (kind of as in a letter):

Joe, happy birthday!
Amy, thanks!

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Tags: commas, grammar

Posted By Amanda Collins on February 14, 2011

If you’re holed up looking at your computer for six, eight, or ten(!) hours a day, you’re bound to come across some stumbling blocks from time to time. Who among us hasn’t experienced writer’s block? In fact, too much of beating your head against that immovable wall and you may be edging closer to the dreaded burnout!

So how do you combat those blocks that are bound to rear their ugly head and get in the way of your writing process? Well, one great way is to monitor yourself. If you’ve been writing for more than an hour, take a break. Get up, walk the dog, make a cup of tea, or call someone. Do something that doesn’t involve writing for a bit.

There are definitely here-and-now fixes to clear your brain and get you back on track, but also consider the long haul. If you find that you’re experiencing writer’s block more often than you can count, it might be time to really clear the cobwebs and reboot your system. A vacation seems like the obvious solution, but not everyone has the resources or free schedule to just drop everything and go. When you have to work, here are a few hints to keep the wheels turning productively.

Take One Day Off Each Week
If I’ve done it, I know you have too: we end up working so consistently that we find ourselves asking, “Weekend? What weekend?” Deadlines, demanding customers, and paperwork can keep us in the office way too long to be healthy. Do yourself a favor and take off one full day each week. Whether you just veg in front of the TV or do something fun with family or friends, do something other than work (or thinking about work!).

Spend Three Hours Each Week with Your Partner
If the label “workaholic” seems like a good description for you, chances are you’re not the only one who’s affected. Look to your significant other and check in. He or she will likely concur that some down time as a couple would be a great bonus. And this time together has two benefits: it improves your relationship while clearing your mind! And if you’re single, use those three hours to hang out with a good friend or try to meet Mr. or Ms. Right!

Spend Three Hours Each Week with Children
Just as your marriage/relationship can suffer when you’re experiencing work burnout, your relationship with your children can take a big hit. Plan a three-hour block of time to do something special with the younger members of your household. Go for a hike, visit the park, or do anything that would be considered playing. As adults, we often forget to take time to play, but your kids will get you back in line! If you don’t have any kids of your own, borrow some. I’m sure most parents would be more than willing to give up theirs for three hours a week! You’ll be the most popular person in your neighborhood!

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Posted By Amanda Collins on September 29, 2010

While I was attending the Scottsdale Society of Women Writers meeting tonight, the members went around and introduced themselves. A few people said they had been writing since they were 10 or 12, which is what I always say because when I was in fifth grade I wrote this great story about the last moments of a piece of gum (At least I thought it was fun when I was a kid). But one member mentioned that she had been writing in a journal since she was 10—and that got me thinking. Although I ditched my old journals years ago, I started keeping a diary when I was 7 or 8. I used to write all kinds of crazy things about my friends, school, and my life. So, by that account, I’ve been a writer for more than 30 years.

It’s funny when things don’t hit you until they nearly knock you out of your chair. Well, at least that’s the way it is with me. Within the last few months I realized that what I say I do (corporate communications strategies and implementation) is what I did for years at both Prescott College and Arizona State University. In my first week at PC, my boss told me to create the full communications strategy, which is what I spent the next 4 1/2 years implementing. But I didn’t really see that until this summer, five years after I left that position.

So tonight I was hit so hard that I fell out of my chair one more time. I have three decades of experience as a writer doing at least one aspect of what I do for my clients: blogging. I’ve also been published and I’m currently working on a book. I’m not sure why it takes me so long to figure these things out, but in case anyone else was curious … I’m a writer.

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Posted By Amanda Collins on August 28, 2009

How are you keeping in contact with your customers and potential clients? I recently sat down with a colleague who said she didn’t feel it was imperative to stay in touch with her clients since they were mostly one-shot transactions. However, what if situations change – or, better yet – they want to refer you?

When I worked in college admissions and marketing, I was in charge of creating the corporate communications strategy. I designed a whole comm flow of what we would do when we received an inquiry, following that person down the admissions funnel to enrollment (or not). There were many levels of “touch,” all with the intent of staying top of mind for applicants. Business owners and developers should be doing the same, creating a series of ways to stay in touch with their clients. Of course, it could take all day to develop a strategy, so let me give you a few hints:

Blog
Everyone knows they should be doing this, but too many are not. It’s pretty simple, and I outlined it in a previous blog. Get that blog up to drive traffic, gain more followers to your site and newsletter, and brand yourself as an expert.

Write a newsletter
Keep track of your clients and let them know what’s new with you in a monthly newsletter. It’s a great way to share your blogs with your readers and, again, drive traffic to your site.

Send out mailings
Occasionally it’s good to go above and beyond and really reach out to your clients. This could be an annual calendar, magnet with a special discount, postcard, newsletter, or “lumpy mail.” My promo guru helps me create all kinds of fun things to share with clients; I greet all in-person folks with medical-themed office supplies.

Have a different approach for different audiences
After you have siphoned off your different markets, approach them differently. Maybe loyalty rewards for current customers or incentives for those who’ve not yet signed up for your services. Remember the goal is to develop relationships, stay top of mind, and – ultimately – increase sales.

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Posted By Amanda Collins on June 23, 2009

Yesterday I started a fan page on Facebook. My overview on there is similar to the overview on this Web site: “The Grammar Doctors provides strategic marketing copywriting and copyediting to differentiate clients through well-chosen words.” After posting it up, both @failtracker and @mousetrap pointed out the noun and verb don’t agree (okay, they said number agreement, so maybe that’s saying something in itself). I heartily disagree.

Think about grocery stores, which are typically named after the founder’s last name and are almost always plural: Wegmans, Tops, Albertsons, and Walgreens come to mind. When I say there’s a special to be had at Wegmans, I say, “Wegmans has a great deal on bananas!” I would never say, “Wegmans have a great deal on bananas.” That’s just silly. Well, The Grammar Doctors is the name of this company, and while it is comprised of multiple people, the company is just one entity, meaning the title is singular.

So, to those who choose to disagree, please remember that I started the company because of my close attention to detail. I’m not saying I don’t make mistakes (I’ve made some doozies!), but on this one, I beg to differ with the “number agreement” comment.

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Tags: noun verb agreement, proofreading

Posted By Amanda Collins on June 2, 2009

I’m going to go out on a thin branch of a limb here and assume that you know the value inherent in blogging for your business. It should be an integral component of your networking / business-building strategy. If it’s not, you might have bigger fish to fry!

Unfortunately – but not surprisingly – too many business owners are intimidated at the prospect of blogging for their business. “I’m not a good writer,” they say. Or, worse, “I’m not sure what to write.” Since blogs are a bit more informal, it’s okay to not be an excellent writer. Instead, a blog is a way to share information and tell a little bit about you; although, as The Grammar Doctor, I want your writing to be good, it doesn’t have to be “A” caliber; “C” works just as well in this arena.

For those who aren’t sure on what to write, I suggest grabbing your calendar. Okay, now that you’re looking at a few months in advance … well, breathe first … it’s not that bad! I promise, this strategy will give you some great tools to get blogging! First, think about your business. I’m guessing you can break it down into four distinct components. Perhaps you’re an image consultant. Your four components might be clothes, shoes, coloring, and accessories. A network marketer for a skincare line might use skincare, makeup, household items, and a new product. As luck would have it, there are four weeks in most months! Like magic, you now have a category to write about each week.

Now, drill down deeper. If you’re thinking about clothes, shoes, coloring, and accessories, what can you talk about each month? Perhaps there’s a new style or cut that’s hitting the runways, a color palette creeping up for the next season, or a controversy about real gold vs. plated. Whatever those things are, jot down about three ideas for each initial category. Okay, look at your paper. You’ve just noted the subject of your weekly blogs for the next three months!!

Okay, so that was easy, but what about actually writing the blogs? This is almost as easy, believe me! Write from your heart. Write what you know. Share parts of yourself. A decent blog only needs to be about three paragraphs, so there’s not a lot to write. In fact, most readers will veer away if they’re not engaged pretty much immediately – and no one wants to read pages of text. So get to the point. And, remember, NEVER blatantly sell. People like information, but no one wants to be sold. Remember that as you write your blog. Share information, anecdotes, links, and how to reach you; don’t sell your product.

Need help with your blogging strategy or editing what you write? The Grammar Doctors can help! Contact us to set up a FREE consultation.

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Tags: blogging, business owner, entrepreneur, marketing, writing

Posted By Amanda Collins on April 21, 2009

I’m currently reading Dan Kennedy’s book “No B.S. Sales Success.” I don’t read a lot, but it’s a great way to spend my time on the treadmill, elliptical machine, or other available cardio machine at the gym five days a week. Somehow reading keeps my mind off the not-so-exciting exercise – and engages it in other things while my body is working away. But I digress….

The section I read today was about really using testimonials in your business. I’ve been saying I should incorporate my LinkedIn testimonials into my Web site since they started accruing there, but saying and doing are two distinctly different things. However, after reading Kennedy’s advice, I got my act together. He suggests that, no matter what a business owner says about her business, a client’s word is worth significantly more. In effect, clients with great things to say act as walking advertisements, a true marketing and sales team that listens for people who need your service and consistently feeds referrals.

Of course, as a former BNI member and advocate of Givers’ Gain, I fully understand this principle, but it’s sometimes hard to do the things we know we need to do. In fact, Kennedy addresses that point in the book as well, saying that “trade secrets” of selling can be openly shared because 95% of people won’t bother to use them anyway. I guess what it comes down to is that I don’t now – nor did I ever – want to be a part of the majority. So, after I got off the treadmill and finished my work for the day, I sprinkled testimonials all over my Web site.

I’m thankful for my clients for allowing me the opportunity to continue to improve as a writer and a business owner, so it’s almost rude to not showcase their appreciation for me on my site and in my marketing collateral. Besides, as an entrepreneur on the verge of expansion, it’s always great to have a wonderful sales staff in place.

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Tags: bni, dan kennedy, givers gain, linkedin, marketing, no b.s. sales strategies, testimonials

Posted By Amanda Collins on April 16, 2009

If you’ve seen “Legally Blonde,” you remember when the main character was applying for positions using pink, rose-scented paper for her resumes. Certainly, that made her stand out – but was it in a good way? How do you stand out among hundreds of resumes in a fiercely competitive market? I’m going to go out on a limb here and say, as much as I love pink and roses, scented and colored paper won’t do it.

Most employers use a scanning system to track their resumes, so you need to make your resume come up in keyword searches. As noted in Candice Arnold’s latest blog on CollegeRecruiter.com, keywords play a huge part in making your resume stand out (in a good way). Of course, the most obvious place to add keywords is in the keyword section, often referred to as “Core Competencies” or “Areas of Expertise,” this is a small section at the end of the summary that clearly illustrates your transferable skills. When I’m writing a resume, I write the experience section first, then seek trends across positions, summarizing them in the keywords area. Another great way to populate this section is to look at job postings. Employers usually are rather blatant about what they want from applicants, so use that to your advantage! As I tell clients, the resume information below “Professional Experience” will remain static, but the “Summary” area is dynamic. Reread it for each new position, making sure you have the right words and answer the questions posed in the job posting.

Get more keywords in your experience section by thinking about buzzwords in the industry. Some of these may include: training, business development, penetrating accounts, client / vendor / employee relations, mentoring, global, international, or companywide. Your keywords will be different from someone else in a different industry, so be aware of your industry. If you’re working with a resume writer unfamiliar with your industry, tell her what the keywords are (a good writer who knows her limitations will ask).

By adding in some great keywords on your resume – and cover letter – you’ll boost your chances of coming up on searches, which will increase your interview opportunities!

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Tags: resume, resume keywords

Posted By Amanda Collins on April 15, 2009

I sometimes wonder if business owners are afraid to follow up with people they meet at networking events. It seems like so many are completely gung-ho at the event, passing out cards and saying hello to as many folks as possible, yet I only hear from about 1% of the people I meet while I’m out and about. Since I started my business three years ago, it has perplexed me how few people have the follow-through to send a short e-mail just saying, “Hi. It was a pleasure to meet you at the event. I look forward to seeing you at other events in the near future.” Do they not realize this is just another touch point? Think about how many people you meet when you’re at an event. Do you remember all of them the next day? Following up is a fantastic way to put your name in front of the people you met, as well as go into detail about what you offer and how you can help them.

So what constitutes a follow-up? Well, you can call, e-mail, or send a card. Do what feels comfortable to you, and judge by if you want to meet that person again. If you think you can do business together, a phone call can be a great way to schedule a meeting. An e-mail is pretty status quo, as well as giving you the opportunity to add links to your Web site, blog, LinkedIn, and Twitter accounts. If you have Send Out Cards or another, similar system, a card can be a “step above” and really help you stand out.

No matter how you take the next step, remember to mention a few key points:
•    Where you met. Some business owners network a lot, and if you don’t specify and provide a frame of reference, they may have no clue.
•    If you remember something special about them, say it. “I enjoyed learning more about your son and his upcoming birthday plans.” Anything that says you listened goes a long way to building a relationship.
•    Recap what you do. DO NOT SELL! The point of the follow-up is to connect and explain how you might be able to help the person, but definitely steer clear of blatantly selling anything. In my follow-up, I give a brief “about us” on my company.
•    Add contact information. If you’re mailing, include a couple of business cards, via e-mail include links and phone numbers in your signature, and by phone make sure to restate your number.

Without follow-up, you’re missing a captive audience. They’ve already met you, so you know they’re open to hearing something more. And just think of how much you’ll stand out from the other 99% who didn’t follow up.

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Tags: Business Development, follow-up, marketing, networking