How to Ask for Killer Customer Testimonials
Most customer testimonials are a waste of space. It’s not that I don’t like testimonials. It’s just that your testimonials probably aren’t very good. Oh sure, most testimonials virtually glow with all kinds of praise about a product or service. But that’s precisely the problem. We expect you to have glowing testimonials. So most of us (read: most of your customers) don’t pay all that much attention to them. We’re skeptics at heart, and we can smell BS a mile away. So most of your customers automatically discount any testimonial you might use, because your testimonials are too...
read moreWriting a Business Plan? Here’s My Template.
With 2010 drawing to a close, I’m busy writing a business plan for 2011. Not all of our marketing speaks to our clients and prospects. This business plan will be a purely internal document; no client will ever see it. And yet, it may be the most important piece of marketing communications I’ll write the whole year. If you need help writing your business plan, here’s the simple template that I’m using. I hope you find it helpful. Business Plan Template Cover page. Even though it’s an internal document, it still needs to feel “official”. Vision Statement. Clarify...
read moreHow to Win the Small Business of the Year Award
You’ve put your heart and soul into building your company into what it is today. You’ve nurtured it, you’ve coddled it, you’ve watched it grow. And now, you’re eyeing the prize – the Small Business of the Year Award. But first, you’ve got to write the application. Where do you start? Here are 5 tips for creating an application that will stand out from the crowd and get recognized by the judges. 1. Think like a Twitterer. Be crisp, clear, and concise, so that the judge reading your application understands immediately what business you’re in and what...
read moreWrite Better Headlines Easily
Are you anxious to see the newspaper headlines tomorrow morning? Wednesday’s papers will have the hottest political headlines since the Chicago Tribune declared “Dewey Beats Truman” in 1948. I’ll bet record numbers of papers are sold. Compelling headlines are critical to everything from newspaper articles to your every-day advertisements, web copy, or brochures. You know the drill: each word in your headline must grab the reader’s attention and pull him in to continue reading your copy. But exactly how do you do that? Here are three copywriting tricks I can share: 1. Use the...
read moreWrite a Better Bio in Ten Minutes
Apparently it’s true; people don’t like to toot their own horns. I’m amazed that people would rather pay me to write their executive bios than do it themselves. Seriously, bios are supposed to be short, and you know the subject matter – yourself – intimately. It doesn’t get easier than this! So why, then, do so many people hate writing them? Well, lots of reasons. People don’t want to come across as if they’re bragging, or worse, they think they don’t lead interesting enough lives to have anything to write about. But I think the real problem is the abundance of really...
read moreThe One Thing You Must Always Do For Your Customers
I love Family Fun. I’ve subscribed for over ten years now. The magazine is chock-full of crafts, recipes, and helpful ideas that work even for time-starved, creatively challenged parents like myself. But my subscription expires this month. And somehow I lost the return envelope that came with my renewal notice. No big deal, right? I’ve got the letter; the address should be on there somewhere, right? WRONG. Can you believe that Family Fun magazine, published by Disney Publishing Worldwide and sent to over 2 millions subscribers, does not print their address on their renewal...
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