Dear Governor-elect Kasich: Call me next time

File this under writer as image consultant:

About 8 hours after every newspaper and website in Ohio (and quite a few outside the state) broke stories about governor-elect John Kasich's edict excluding the media from his inauguration, the guv reversed his decision. 

And that was the right decision. But. There's always a but - and a good writer knows what to do with it. 

Because Kasich intended to hold the inauguration at his private residence, rather than the governor's mansion, there were undoubtedly many important issues (security) that may- just may- have warranted the closed ceremony.

Had he handled the message a little (okay a lot) differently, Mr-about-to-be Governor could have not only kept the media at bay, but won (more) friends and influenced (more) people at the same time. For example, how 'bout a press release stating, "These are dire times for Ohio; our budget is severely strained. Because of this, I cannot justify the expenditure required to hold a traditional, large, very public inauguration ceremony. The (show big dollar amount here) savings will go directly to the state's bottom line, and in doing so, I hope to show every other state worker I mean business."  

It certainly would have given me a different perspective on things. As it is, I'm just left wondering, what's this guy's real agenda? Of course, we would have wanted the media to verify the dollar-savings claim, but as long as it was legit, Kasich would have gotten his private inauguration and had the attention of the entire state when he got to work on Monday.*

The words you choose can set the tone for everything. Much as I hate to put it in these terms, I'm afraid it's appropriate in this case: Media 1, Kasich 0. (Mr. Kasich, feel free to call me.)

*John Kasich gets to work as Ohio's governor January 10, 2011

The ABCs of Customer Newsletters

26 Things a Customer Newsletter Can - or Shouldn't - Do 

Advertise a sale, of course
Bring in referral business
Collect customer data
---Go beyond demographics - find out where your customers buy related products, and use the info to partner with other businesses. Do it right and you'll both be able to increase sales!)
Deliver something extra
---What that is depends on your business model and your clientele. It doesn't have to be much, but you better figure it out, or no one will read past your first newsletter.
Erase misconceptions 
--A local restaurant owner I know casually has said to me about five times in the past five years, "Everybody thinks we're more expensive than (competitor), but we're not." To which I reply, "I know; you've told me. Why don't you tell all of your customers?" A newsletter could do it. I hope he gets the message before the place goes out of business... 
Fix a problem
Go green. 
---Paper isn't totally passe, but if you can deliver electronically, do it.
Help others
---Highlighting a (deserving) charitable organization or cause can not only improve your business's reputation, it can actually help others. Pretty nice feeling, isn't it?
Increase repeat visits
Jokes... are something you should leave out of your newsletter.
Kill 'em with kindness. 
---Let's hope you and your employees do this in person, on the phone, and every chance you get. Just in case, though, it's wise to take a really, really courteous tone in your newsletter.
List all of your products and services. 
---Even your most loyal customers probably don't take advantage of all you offer because they really don't know about everything you offer. 
Mold customer expectations
Name your products. See 'list' above.
Open new lines of communications
Prepare customers for what's next
Q & A sections are easy to read and are a great way to train customers so they can better use your store and your services. They can also help reduce confusion (and increase satisfaction) at purchase time.
Reward customers for reading
Surprise employees!
-----What better way to get them to read than to slip in a little personal recognition?
Thank your customers
----Offer a no-exceptions $10 off a minimum order coupon, or something even better. They're your customers. They're worth it.
Urge action 
---Successful newsletters do what successful salespeople do. They ask for the sale.
Validate customer concerns
Weed your list 
---Always provide an obvious, easy way for customers to opt out of the communications loop.
Xtra, xtra
---Even if your newsletter is delivered electronically, keep some (paper) copies on hand for new customers, employees who don't read it, or anyone who might send new business your way.
Yield to the demands of business, and the rest of life, if need be.
---You know your business better than anyone. If a legal complication or personal health crisis demands your attention, you can hand off the next issue to someone you trust, or just skip a newsletter. Return to your publication schedule as soon as you can.
Zoom in on your core competencies and position them well, making it oh-so-obvious that your organization is the best at what it does.

----Hey, if you don't do it, who will?

Want to get your message out to customers old and new? 
 Let's get started on your 2011 newsletter, on your schedule, within your budget. 

DOH! Catholics Deserve Better PR

Newsflash: Homer and Bart Simpson are Catholic, according to the Vatican, yesterday.

Which begs the question, so what?

Media and religion analysts have stated it's an attempt to make Catholicism more relevant. The Vatican's press release further suggested The Simpsons is good family entertainment. And from there it grew even...less relevant.

Sorry, folks (especially Catholic folks) PR should do a lot better than that. Maybe the Vatican needs a refresher course in public relations. A list of do's and don't's or better yet, a "Doh!" list.  Here's mine:

• The conversation cited as "evidence" Homer and Bart are Catholic occurred in a 2005 episode. 

Doh! Any high school journalism student knows press releases are supposed to be confused with news. (News that's five years old is called recent history.)

• Homer and Bart talked about religion in general, and broached the subject of converting to Catholicism, but didn't. 

Doh! Jumping to the conclusion that they are now Catholic, based on a single scene in a single episode is called faulty logic. Or unclear evidence. Or a weak argument. Until now I thought the Vatican was really into fact-checking. Didn't it take the Catholic powers-that-be more than a few years to come to the conclusion that yes, in fact, the Holocaust actually happened and was a really, really bad thing?

• "Few people know it and he does everything to hide it but it is true: Homer J. Simpson is Catholic," according to the Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano. 

Doh! Repeat after me: it's OK to lead with a quote, if it's a really good quote. IF we're going to ignore the fact this little gem is five years old, IF we're going to buy the argument that the Simpsons are Catholic, and IF we're going to accept the idea that the Simpsons being Catholic is good or that it matters at all, can we at least get a better quote? IF I were considering converting because Homer and Bart did (if they did) well, sorry L'Osservatore, you lost me at "...he does everything to hide it..."

Hey, I'm all for churches using PR. And I believe (to some extent) that "any publicity is good publicity." Unfortunately, this isn't. It's getting lots of airplay but none that really furthers the faith, good news, thoughtful dialog about religion. In other words, doh!

I'd love to see an effective PR effort  - like (pick a denomination) saying "God said meet me on Facebook!" or something even more relevant. Facebook may have had its 15 minutes...but the Simpsons,  converting to Catholicism? That's so 2005.

Recommended reading: Anything by David Ogilvy, a dead guy who's still relevant, or about him, like this:
http://www.copyblogger.com/the-david-ogilvy-playbook-for-business-blogging/

Short, sweet monthly caption contest

National Wildlife Federation editors post an image each month from the previous year's photo contest. Your mission, if you choose to accept it: write the winning caption. For rules and this month's inspiring photo, visit http://www.nwf.org/News-and-Magazines/National-Wildlife/PhotoZone/Archives/2010/caption-contest-2010-enter.aspx   
- and good luck! 

From National Wildlife Federation - credit Hira U Punjabi

Punctuality and Punctuation Take the Cake

So many articles have been written for writers about time management that no more should be written. Ever. Here's what you need to know: An effective writer finishes on deadline. The very, very rare writer finishes ahead of deadline. Too many ignore deadlines altogether; they are the ones that give all writers a bad name.

Earlier this week I finished a fairly large project - the completely updated, second edition of a 220-page nonfiction book. I finished about 90 minutes ahead of deadline. (Whew) I am sure it's not perfect; I hope there are more punctuation errors than spelling or factual ones; and I am grateful I'll have both an editor and a chance to proofread the book before it goes to press!

Luckily, this hilarious blog entry came my way just after I met my latest deadline, when I could truly appreciate it. If there's one thing bakers and writers can agree on, it's probably that deadlines AND punctuation "really!" do matter.

Enjoy!

Book recommendation for little grammarians

Punctuation Takes a Vacation 

by Robin Pulver

Haiku Contest: Perfect for Teachers - but hurry!

What did you do over summer vacation? Haiku about it! National Wildlife Federation's 'Be Out There' Haiku contest, like summer, is short. The deadline for submissions is August 31.

Entrants must be 18 or older but parents and/or teachers can submit haikus from minors. What a great writing exercise for the first day of school, eh? Find all the details here:

http://online.nwf.org/site/PageNavigator/BeOutThere_HaikuContest_2010      

(More about the haiku form below photo)

Don't worry if you're a bit fuzzy on Haiku form, they're easy to write. Actually, the original Japanese form is quite difficult, but the modern, simplified English version is a snap, consisting of three lines. The first line should contain five syllables, the second will have seven, the last line has five. No need to fuss over rhyme or meter. For the purpose of this contest, that's about all you need to know.

Literary sticklers will point out the Japanese haiku isn't a "short, easy" form of poetry; rather it's a "complex condensed" form.* A work of art, not a formulaic exercise. The key point non-Japanese poets miss is that the haiku is not a poem of 17 syllables, but one made of 17 syllables or less. And there are many other rules! A fundamental one: the haiku should be pure observation - no metaphoric images - and the observation(s) should concern an element of natural beauty. 

Another wrinkle in the American/English version of haiku is that, obviously, the form is designed around the Japanese language. The English translation of 'syllable' is a loose one, intended to describe a sound depicted by a single character, and a line in the Japanese language is not written left-to-right, but top-to-bottom.

None of which should take the fun out of haiku. Or the contest. Enjoy!

* Sagan, M. Unbroken Line: Writing in the Lineage of Poetry, (c) 1999 Sherman Asher Publishing.

Making your website work harder: FAQ pages

Think you know what belongs on your FAQ page? Of course you do - to some extent. But before you publish, reconsider from a different perspective: your users.

Notice I didn't say "customers."

Most FAQ pages have two very different audiences. One is the confused customer with a question about (or a problem with!) a product or service. The other is prospective customers.

Customers deserve answers to their frequently asked questions. FAQ pages that deliver helpful answers keep customers happy, coming back, referring their friends.

Prospects need answers to help them make decisions. How well you answer their questions is directly related to how soon you get the next sale.

Reconsider your FAQ page. Whose frequently asked questions does it answer? Does some of the information belong in a "Help" or "Getting Started" section?

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Many companies use FAQ pages to sell more than to tell. Want to sell more? Tell me about it!
Call me - I can help you review and revise your site: 330-673-9337
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