CATEGORY: Marketing

Give it to me straight: How am I doing taking care of your biz?

As you can see on the menu on the left-side of this web page, I have a section that’s titled, “What do clients say?”

Sure, it’s all positive, and I am most grateful to those who made those sincere comments.

But how about you?  Has your experience with me been favorable? 

I invite you to complete a quick 4-question survey.  You can certainly keep it anonymous.  Even if you do, you’ll see that you will still be able to get $20 off your next order for completing the survey.

As always, I appreciate the opportunity to be of service. – David  240-268-3504  dcryan7@videolabs.net

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Who inspires you to be a better writer? (Part 2 of 2)

(This is a continuation from Part 1.  I encourage you to read that first.)

As the quantity of my writing has expanded of late to include numerous blog articles, eNewsletters, magazine columns and eBooks, I am finding that I am drawing upon a new muse to further inspire my writing.

And it’s fitting to mention this as we near Fathers Day.  My new muse is my deceased father, John E. Ryan.

You may well ask why didn’t he influence me more when I was struggling with writing during my youth?  Well, it certainly wasn’t from his lack of trying.  My dad was a GE engineer through and through.  He would provide me with constructive criticism my writing, just as he would strive to receive concise and clear reports from his staff at GE.

My dad – with jacket on above – always encouraged his GE team to write clearly

But like any kid, I would roll my eyes, just as I did when he tried to get me to enunciate better,  use proper grammar, stand up straighter and practice my cello more.

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Who inspires you to write better? (Part 1 of 2)

If you are going to be a successful marketer, there is no way around it, you have to be a good writer.

You might get by being a good salesperson without good writing skills, but marketing is  different.  It’s a more diffuse activity that requires succinct communication presented in a creative manner.

And what’s more, you have to enjoy writing, and look forward to it.  I know, that’s asking a lot for many folks.  But it’s a critical mindset.  If you don’t enjoy writing, you will find any seemingly rational reason to procrastinate.   And avoiding marketing will make your business anemic.

Here’s how I make it fun for me.  I jot down ideas and drafts of paragraphs throughout the week.  Then I finalize the blog on a weekend morning while sipping my coffee.  It’s turned out to be  one of my most enjoyable times of my week.

Also, if you enjoy writing, guess what, chances are it will infuse your writing.  I can’t tell you how many readers have said to me, “You seem to have a lot of fun writing, don’t you?”

It wasn’t always that way for me.  I struggled with writing throughout my youth.  Somehow I got excellent grades in high school.  I guess it was through just plain ‘ole hard work and a gregarious  personality.

But in college, the jig was up, and it wasn’t until years later that I realized all the criticism from my professors about my writing was valid, and that my quick dismissal of them being academic snobs was immature and totally incorrect.

Where did things go wrong?

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Sales & Marketing Rx: Do you avoid networking events?

If you truly have more clients than you can handle, then read no further.

But if you do not fit into that category, (like most of us mortals), and you recognize the need to market yourself and your services, then read on.

Do you disdain going to networking events?

If so, then I’m here unabashedly to make a pitch to change your outlook.

As much as you may wish to deny it, attending networking events is a  critical tool in the game of marketing.

Sure, as for any marketing activity, one can come up with a slew of seemingly valid reasons why not to attend networking events:

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