Back when computers were the size of your garage, programmers often summarized a particular situation as “garbage in, garbage out.” It normally referred to either bad data or bad instructions that, when fed into a computer, led to worse results. For example, if the programmer’s client didn’t provide a precise description of the program’s objectives, … Read more
Why do so many companies put people who are unable to communicate clearly in frontline roles? Whether it’s someone at the counter who can’t deliver a coherent answer to a customer question, or “Bill,” the highly accented voice that tells you he is really sorry you are having this problem, and then offers advice you … Read more
Recommendations to emphasize benefits rather than features when communicating are so old that I think they may date back to cavemen. Still, some marketers don’t understand the difference between features and benefits, so they miss out on an opportunity to connect more powerfully with their audiences. Simply put, a feature is some aspect of your … Read more
I was at a conference with a group of freelance writers when the subject of websites came up. One of the writers asked if there was any way to develop a website for next to nothing, and she was nearly overwhelmed with suggestions. My fellow attendees mentioned a host of templates, free sites, and other … Read more
Even if your job makes you say something 150 times a day, never lose sight of the fact that it may be the first time your audience is hearing it. I think about that every time I’m shopping in a store and the cashier or an employee on the PA mumbles “thank you for shopping … Read more
One of the most commonly misused word pairs is flare/flair, but it was distressing to see the Indianapolis Star make that mistake in a recent headline. The item was a brief review of a restaurant that serves Latin American cuisine, and the headline read “Brunch with Latin flare”. I assume they meant that the food … Read more
Looking for ways to increase your overall sales? Maybe there’s a way to increase the size of each sale you already make. One effective technique is suggestive selling, which fast-food restaurants do exceedingly well. “You want fries with that?” “Would you like a drink with that?” They don’t do it to annoy you; they do … Read more
Looking for a way to catch the attention of your audience and focus their full concentration on your message? Instead of telling them what you want to hear, ask them a question that matters to them. You may have heard that asking questions in headlines and opening statements is a bad idea. For example, I … Read more
I’m always fascinated by words that are frequently misspelled and expressions that are widely misused. Some may blame the mistakes on shared ignorance, but I think there’s something more insidious at work. I think mistakes are contagious. People who see the words misused lack confidence in their own knowledge and mistakenly believe that what they … Read more
The envelope arrived with stamp stating “Renewal Notice.” There was no return address, but I assumed that it was from one of the many magazines and newspapers I receive. That’s exactly how it looked, right down to the alphanumeric code atop the address label. It wasn’t. It was actually a pitch from a charity. … Read more