Anything else Archives - Page 5 of 9

SUCCESS STORY: COMMUNITY SCAVENGER HUNT

September 25, 2013 by Scott Flood

Our Community Bank has been serving Owen County and the surrounding area for more than a century. But in these days of megabanks and cross-county competitors, consumers may be less likely to choose a truly local bank. After all, it’s tough to for a smaller bank to catch their attention.

To reinforce the message that OCB has been an important part of the community for such a long time, and that they understand the needs of community residents better than anyone else, we developed an advertising campaign that featured local landmarks. While those landmarks may not have been tourist attractions, they were the source of community pride — such as the bulldog statue outside Patricksburg Elementary School or the giant chicken that once decorated a Spencer eatery.

USE SINGLE OR DOUBLE QUOTES?

September 18, 2013 by Scott Flood

I don’t know whether to blame the Internet for something I’ve been seeing more of lately: the use of single quotation marks (‘) where double quotes (“) should be used.

Many issues related to punctuation are a matter of style, syntax, or personal preference. But the rules on quotation marks are pretty clear-cut.

SUCCESS STORIES: HANGING AROUND THE OFFICE

September 4, 2013 by Scott Flood

B2B companies want to be noticed, and they need to remembered, so that when a company needs their services, they’ll call. But how do you do that in today’s noisy, fast-changing marketplace?

Russell Martin & Associates is one of the IT industry’s most-loved training firms. Instead of delivering the standard, dull training presentations, they’ve developed an intimate understanding of how people learn, and they apply it to helping project managers and others in the IT world improve their efficiency, quality, and workflow (among other things).

LOOSE LIPS (AND POSTS) SINK SHIPS

August 21, 2013 by Scott Flood

That headline comes from warnings issued to Americans during the World Wars of the last century. It was a reminder that sensitive data that was discussed publicly could be overheard by those working for the enemy. Military and diplomatic history is full of tales in which a careless remark doomed a battle or other operation.

The same holds true for the business world. In my ad agency days, I remember working on a hard-fought effort to keep a large client. Several people in the organization’s marketing department disliked my agency’s team and hoped to replace us with another shop that employed their friends. The run-up to the selection involved weeks of late hours and anxiety, because job cuts invariably follow the loss of a large account.

LESSONS ABOUT COPYWRITING FROM MY DAD, THE SALESMAN

July 24, 2013 by Scott Flood

I said good-bye to my father for the last time a couple months ago. His death wasn’t a surprise; his health had been increasingly poor for many years, and despite his doctors’ best efforts, his body just wore out.

Dad was a straight-commission salesman for nearly all of his adult life. In fact, he continued to sell well into his late 70s, when his health got in the way. He sold chemicals for industrial processes and maintenance. When a refinery needed to clean up after an explosion or a steel mill needed to degrease a rolling mill, he got the call. In his later years, most of his competitors were chemical engineering grads, but his customers placed more trust in his practical knowledge, despite the fact that he barely made it through high school. He was an extraordinary salesman, and that’s not just a proud son singing his praises — he received a constant stream of job offers right up until his retirement. (In fact, a salesman from a competitor once told Dad that his boss had instructed him to check the obituaries every morning, and if Dad’s name appeared, he was to target every one of his accounts. That’s praise, disturbing as it may be.)

JUST WHAT KIND OF WRITER ARE YOU, ANYWAY?

July 17, 2013 by Scott Flood

Although nearly everyone knows what writers do, it’s amazing how few people really understand how business writers earn a living. When people find out that I write, most make certain assumptions about what I do and why I do it.

For example, many people start talking about novels and writing books, and assume I must be furiously at work on a novel. When I explained that the writing I do is more prosaic and less about prose, they don’t understand. To many of them, writing isn’t legitimate unless it’s fictional or destined for entertainment.

CHOOSING CREATIVE SERVICE PROVIDERS, STEP 7: REPEAT BUSINESS

July 3, 2013 by Scott Flood

This is the last in a seven-post series on how to choose the right creative service provider (writer, designer, photographer, etc.) for your business or organization. This advice is based on what I’ve seen companies do the wrong way over the years. Hope you enjoy and find it useful!

What’s the best measure of client satisfaction? In most industries, it’s repeat business. That’s also one of the most reliable indicators in the creative services business. After all, most organizations have an ongoing need for services, and if they keep returning to the same provider, it’s a sign that they place a great deal of trust and see a lot of value in that provider. If you notice client relationships that are measured in years, rather than months, it’s a sign that your prospective supplier is doing something right.

Keep in mind that some client turnover is inevitable as client contacts change jobs, or business strategies change. And one-time projects may signal a special need, rather than dissatisfaction with the provider. But if there’s a pattern of long-term relationships, the odds are better that your organization will be happy.

CHOOSING CREATIVE SERVICE PROVIDERS, STEP 6: SUCCESS BREEDS SUCCESS

June 26, 2013 by Scott Flood

This is another in a seven-post series on how to choose the right creative service provider (writer, designer, photographer, etc.) for your business or organization. This advice is based on what I’ve seen companies do the wrong way over the years. Hope you enjoy and find it useful!

In business, most of us are judged not on how eagerly we try, but on how well we perform. You should expect no less from a prospective creative services provider. The primary focus of their work should be to support their clients’ business efforts, not to beef up their own portfolios. That’s why you should ask about challenges the supplier has solved for other clients.

Look for specifics, particularly where results are concerned. There’s a big difference between “I think the ad worked pretty well” and “the ad increased sales by 26 percent during the campaign.” Listen for both candor and enthusiasm. The supplier should be proud of a job well done, and he or she should speak favorably and respectfully of the client.

BONUS POST: A CRUMMY, DEPRIVED CHILDHOOD

June 3, 2013 by Scott Flood

This is a column I wrote several years ago, and thought was worth sharing again.

I guess it’s human nature for people to want their children to have the things they lacked as youngsters. Maybe it’s because we remember how badly we wanted the things our parents couldn’t afford or simply chose to deny us. Or maybe it’s because giving our kids abundance allows us to flaunt our own successes.

But as I get older (and presumably wiser – which my teenagers won’t confirm), I’m beginning to believe that the best way to give kids more is to give them less.

CHOOSING CREATIVE SERVICE PROVIDERS, STEP 1: AVOID HOURLY RATES

May 15, 2013 by Scott Flood

This is the first of a seven-post series on how to choose the right creative service provider (writer, designer, photographer, etc.) for your business or organization. This advice is based on what I’ve seen companies do the wrong way over the years. Hope you enjoy and find it useful!

The first step is making sure you avoid the biggest mistake of all, which is to ask your prospective provider “What’s your hourly rate?” Do that, and you’re probably not going to end up with the best provider for your needs and budget.