Stop. Think. Three more people lost their lives on Monday and more than 170 others were maimed through another senseless act of violence. Those at the scene yesterday rushed to render aid—to apply tourniquets, to carry people to triage tents, to whisk them away to cover. So how do you communicate caring the day after? [...]
Ready for another “Top 10” list? Er, “Top 4” list this time. This one published in Inc magazine’s July/August edition based on a CareerBuilder/Harris Interactive poll. This survey reports that 34 percent of employers have rejected a job applicant because of their activity on social media. The poll cites these top four reasons specifically. Job [...]
Every year my next-door neighbors host a Christmas party for approximately 800 to –1,000 guests. (Okay, I don’t have access to the actual guest list to count. But for the entire four hours, they as hosts stand at the door and greet people coming and going.) The party is so large that as guests [...]
What does your writing say about your personal brand or that of your company? For all the words you speak during the average day, my guess is that you write with far less confidence—and often less fluently. Yet your business and your brand depend on what your writing can deliver: attention-grabbing emails and letters to [...]
Does what you say sync with what you do? In addition to meeting your deadlines, achieving all your project goals, and staying within budget, establishing trust in your communications is vital to your career. In both oral and written communication, including your social media interactions, a lack of trust will lower your hallway credibility. And [...]
Whether blogging or tweeting, think tour guide. Consider past situations when you’ve been fortunate enough to have an experienced tour guide—possibly through the Smithsonian, the Louvre, or a historic center of interest. A guide doesn’t just function as a sign post: “Here’s an eighteenth century military uniform.” “There’s the kitchen.” “Turn left and then walk straight ahead and you’ll [...]
Learn how to use social media for business advantage from the big guys. Rather than shouting at the top of their lungs, “We’re the best!” to anyone who’s nearby, many Fortune 500 companies have representatives listening to what’s said about them. They search for questions about their products or services and provide helpful answers. They listen to complainers [...]
Sure, some people play in the tweet stream as a pastime. The same people may connect on LinkedIn for laughs. And they friend on Facebook for fun. Those statements were truer several years ago, when the sites were newer, than they are today. Nowadays, the stream has trash, LinkedIn has spammers, and Facebook can become frivolous. So if you want [...]
The “information should be free” controversy has been raging for the last several years with no signs of resolution. Big money rests on the outcome. Google argues their right to collect it, categorize it, archive it, and grant admission for others to get to it. A decade ago newspapers claimed they owned electronic rights of [...]
Customers communicate dissatisfaction—one way or the other. You’ll generally come out ahead if they tell the problem to you directly rather than to the rest of the world. Here’s what happened to United Airlines when they ignored Dave Carroll’s efforts to communicate the problem about his damaged guitar. On the other hand, here’s what happens [...]
