2008 by admin.

Want to increase the response rate you get from media pitches? Forget about attaching a press release, and make your e-mail subject line and body copy do the work for you.

Journalists and editors work at the speed of light, and read just as fast in order to learn about and write about news important to their audiences. Their in-boxes are full to the brim with pitches. Make yours stand out by telling them how your story has significance to their readers. Start with a clear and concise subject line, and support that with a facts-based pitch in the body of your e-mail – not as an attachment.

–Amy Biemiller

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2008 by admin.

Studies show that profitability is linked to customer retention, and customer retention is linked to employee engagement. Employees are engaged at work when their managers talk to them, recognize their work and explain what they should do to achieve company goals and how they will benefit from those actions.

Do your managers know the four things they can do to improve employee engagement?

Communicate sincerely. That means no rhetoric. Talk about what the company does in plain English, and communicate directly about how their department fits into the bigger picture.

Personal delivery. Managers have to get up from their desks and away from their computers and speak directly to their department associates, individually and as a team.

Acknowledgement. Address associates by name, and acknowledge their work, performance and contributions.

Invite response. Ask for feedback, questions, and concerns, and be attentive to communication from others.

– Amy Biemiller

Posted in Employee Communications | No Comments »

2008 by admin.

There’s nothing like pundit-bred chatter about an impending recession to get us to review our marketing efforts. Is there a way to make marketing work harder when economic storm clouds are on the horizon? Certainly! Remember, when customers make buying decisions under economic stress, they tend to buy from trusted sources. Make it easier for your existing customers to continue buying from you, with these easy-to-do marketing activities:

Stay in touch – Keep your name and products or services in front of them by staying in touch with them. Give them valuable information they can use, let them know about special offers on your products or services, and ask them for feedback. Use print, e-mail and the phone.

Let them know you care – Show your appreciation for them. Send them a birthday card, or a random note of appreciation with a gift card for coffee or a snack treat.

Refer business to them – There’s nothing more valuable than new business. Keep your eyes and ears open for business opportunities for your customers. Call and give them a good lead with contact information.

-Amy Biemiller

Posted in Customer Communications | No Comments »

2008 by admin.

How dependent are your employees and your corporate executives on your newsletter? Get your employees and execs to participate in the newsletter process, and see how soon your employee newsletter becomes a necessary commodity and not an expendable luxury. Here’s how:

Executive involvement – Your newsletter should provide information, every issue, about what those corporate goals are and where the company is in achieving those goals. Ask your executives for information about industry developments, how the company fits in, and how that relates to goal achievement. Also publish when and how the company was mentioned in the news since the previous issue.

Employee involvement – Focus on different departments in each issue, and ask for stories from employees about how what they do influences corporate goal achievement. Work with HR to develop stories about community involvement by employees. Work with the sales department to learn about good customer service examples. Write like a news reporter, and quote more employees than executives.

- Amy Biemiller

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