Category: Communicating

Race-related writing

When writing and speaking about race, it’s important to respect everyone. AP Stylebook provides excellent coverage on this topic.

AP Stylebook: Resource for race-related coverage

UPDATE July 28, 2020

The AP Stylebook’s updated race-related coverage guidance is open for public review. No login is needed.

Also AP Stylebook now recommends capitalizing “Black” and “Indigenous” when referring to race. I believe I found and corrected my usage in this article.

Original post written in November 2019

Because I rarely reference race in my writings — since people are people, I forgot to include it in my post on Equal Folks. I went to my number one source for word usage and grammar The Associated Press Stylebook otherwise known as AP Stylebook. As anticipated, my online AP Stylebook provides an excellent reference point for “race-related coverage.”

2007 AP Stylebook cover
My 2007 AP Stylebook. Now I go online for my word choice and grammar advice

Here’s what I found when needing clarity in your story:

  • Use “people of color” or “racial minority” when you refer to minority groups in general. Avoid using “minority” to describe an individual.
  • When describing people with more than one heritage or country of origin, you can use “biracial” or “multiracial.” Again, make sure the distinction supports your plot or story line; otherwise heritage does not matter.
  • Again, if needed for clarity of your story, use “Black” and “white” as an adjective: Black teachers or white teachers.
  • Use plural nouns only if limited space such as “…Blacks, whites, Latinos, and Asian Americans.”
  • Caucasian is not a synonym for “white.” AP Stylebook suggests avoiding it.
  • If under 18 years of age, use Black child. Same goes with “white” and other racial adjectives. If needed for your story, you can use Black girl or boy. Be aware of the historical connotation of the words we choose.
  • If over 18, always use man or woman in any race. Using boy or girl can be demeaning because people have been known to use those words to make themselves seem superior.
  • If dual heritage, use African American, Asian American, Filipino American, Mexican American, and Native American. AP Style no longer hyphenates the two. Accordingly, only use if the country of origin adds substance or clarity to your story line.
  • You need to also avoid using “Orient” or “Oriental.” The correct term for people in the East Asian countries is “Asian.” Use of the term “Indian” will pull your readers to the Asian country of India and their cultural heritage.
  • Hispanic refers to a person whose ancestors came from a Spanish speaking culture. Latino (male) and Latina (female) are acceptable; use Latin for gender neutral. According to AP Stylebook, we should be more specific when we can. AP recommends we use Brazilian, Cuban, Mexican American, and Puerto Rican instead.
  • When referencing the original inhabitants of a place, use the term “Indigenous.”
  • Also, AP Stylebook recommends referencing the tribe of an individual when writing about American Indians or Native Americans. AP Stylebook uses examples of “Navajo commissioner” and, “He is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma.” Use “Alaska Natives” when referencing Indigenous groups in Alaska. In Canada, native tribes use “First Nation.”

Society of Professional Journalists

Another great reference site on diversity issues comes from the Society of Professional Journalists‘ The Diversity Style Guide. This guide addresses nationalities, age factors, and religion in addition to race. Find out more on their website including additional writing style guides they have produced for professional writers.

I’ve listed additional writing guides and content resources in my post Resources You Can Use. These resources have taken me years to find. Check them out. There may be some link you need to move you forward.

Words matter; use them wisely.

Take care. Jan

P.S. You need an account to access the race-related coverage where I found this information. If you would like your own AP Stylebook access point, you can order online for $29 a year (as of this posting). You can also purchase a hard copy of the book. Either one works. The online version works best for me and my need for searching results through my browser — and desire to be current in my writings. If you write, I recommend you purchase.

Equal Folks

Equal Strokes for Equal Folks offers language alternatives to biased gender talk. This includes words to use for gender neutral speaking and writing.

Equal Strokes for Equal Folks

The other day a DJ on the morning show referred to a female as a “girl” who worked at a local gym. I noticed this as a common occurrence when he referenced women. I have yet to hear him refer to a member of the male species as a “boy” in an adult work situation. And…

He is not alone.

With the stroke of a pen and a flick of the tongue, influencers — such as DJs, podcasters, speakers, managers, and even coworkers — insist that “girls will be girls and boys will be men.” Really?

Really. To help him and all of us, I decided to build a table with the male and female counterparts. In my life, everyone one is equal. Kudos to Microsoft Office for recommending inclusive language when writing in Word.

To help remove bias speak, I offer the following tables.

Male Female Neutral | Gender Inclusive
Boy Girl Child
Man Woman Person | Individual | Adult
Guy Gal Person | Individual
Gentleman Lady Honorable- People |
Person | Individual
Dear Sir Dear Madam | Ma’am To Whom It May Concern |
Dear Member/Chair | Dear Editor
Mr. Ms. Mx.
Husband Wife Spouse
Father Mother Parent
Brother Sister Sibling
Househusband Housewife Homemaker | Stay-at-home parent
Actor Actress Actor
Chairman Chairwoman Chair | Chairperson | Coordinator | Head | Lead
Congressman Congress woman Representative | Senator
Congressional Representative | Legislator
Male Doctor Female Doctor Doctor
Doorman Doorwoman Door Attendant
Mailman Mailwoman Mail Carrier | Letter Carrier | Postal Worker
Policeman Policewoman Police Officer
FiremanFirewomanFirefighter
Steward Stewardess Flight Attendant
Waiter Waitress Server
He She They
Him Her Them
His Hers Theirs
Mankind | Manhood Womankind | Womanhood People | Humans | humankind | Humanity

Our language, and the words we choose to communicate, must reflect respect — even more so in the workplace. Equality starts with you. Words hold power; let’s use them wisely. To that end, please check out some rules I have found to further help you communicate better.

Inclusion and Acceptance

While taking harassment training at Quinnipiac University in April of 2019, I realized I had a few more descriptors to add to the list above. These are gender inclusive.

In the table below, I included words that demonstrate kindness towards people who may be different from us — or towards ourselves if it describes us.

My good friend transformed within a 60-day period — from walking normally to now using a wheelchair — and now a motorized wheelchair. It’s been a shock on us all. After my training, I changed my language use from “confined to a wheelchair” to “using a wheelchair.” I feel better knowing how to phrase her story with kindness when people ask me.

OffensivePreferred
DisabledPerson with a disability
DyslexicPerson with dyslexia
Confined to a wheelchairPerson who uses a wheelchair
Homosexual Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender
LGBT (Q at the end represents “queer” or “questioning)
Sexual PreferenceOrientation

This table can be expanded considerably when you check out the Society of Professional Journalists’ Diversity Style Guide. It also includes detailed lists for a kinder and gentler approach to communicating.

Another great reference article by Nehemiah Green I found recently comes from my Medium subscription. I recommend you read 70 Inclusive Language Principles That Will Make You A More Successful Recruiter (Part 1) and follow on to Part 2.

Race related writing

2007 AP Stylebook
My 2007 AP Stylebook has served me well as my “writing bible.” Their online version makes it much easier to search and follow trends.

I decided to write a separate post referencing “race” in your story. Check out my AP Stylebook: Resource for race-related coverage blog post for details.

I am updating this post as I gain new knowledge or hear something that I left off. I originally wrote this piece in November of 2018. Thanks for letting us be a part of your life.

Jan

P.S. Like Aretha Franklin, “All I’m askin’ here is a little respect…” (Lyrics at https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/2877312/Aretha+Franklin/Respectand song history at https://www.cbsnews.com/news/untold-history-behind-aretha-franklin-respect/)

Rainbow of people symbols
We’re all in this world together,. Let’s treat each other with respect and be equality minded with our words.

Great reference sites for writing and speaking

Society of Professional Journalists | Diversity Style Guide http://www.diversitystyleguide.com/

North Carolina University | The Writing Center
https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/
https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/gender-inclusive-language/

Purdue | Online Writing Lab | OWL
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/grammar/pronouns/gendered_pronouns_and_singular_they.html

Inclusion and Acceptance; check out GLAAD’s Media Guide http://www.glaad.org/sites/default/files/GLAAD-Media-Reference-Guide-Tenth-Edition.pdf

The Associated Press (AP) Stylebook https://www.apstylebook.com/

A 10 channel marketing mix

10 ways to channel the market place

With inbound marketing, you want to be where your customers expect to find you. For most organizations, marketing and promoting requires more than digital and public relations (PR). A good example of this is INC Magazines’ short video testimonial by Untuckit CEO and co-founder Aaron Sanandres on How This CEO’s Old-School Marketing Plan Helped His Company Take Off published in September of 2019. Originally, they relied upon PR alone. He started exploring with radio and figured out how to use it to increase sales of their shirts. They saw immediate results. They also bought advertising in a niche magazine. This works when you know your users.

Keep in mind when deciding on your marketing mix, each platforms’ audience will need to see your message at least seven times before you receive a return on your advertising investment. To do this most effectively, keep your same style and image with your type, photos, graphic, and messages by adapting them to the platform you’re using. A print ad does not bode well online just as Twitter does not translate to Facebook. You want your customers to visually recognize you on- and offline like the professional that you are.

Let’s look at the ten channels you can “mix together” to reach your audience multiple times with the same message or campaign. Choose wisely; stay focused.

1. Product Placement

When you see consumer products highlighted in sporting events, movies, and television shows, there’s probably a contract/business agreement behind making sure that particular brand can be seen by the audience. Normally, these agreements include exclusive rights in a product category. If you go this route, be sure to include a statement of exclusivity when appropriate.

These paid placements can increase sales when done right. As a case study, check out Ad Ages’ 2014 article How Coca-Cola’s ‘American Idol’ Deal Transformed TV Advertising.

Product placement can come in many forms to include paid advertising, sponsorship, in-kind donations, and financial support.

Make your product placement more than just a visual of your logo or brand name. To get the most bang out of your marketing dollars, address your relationship like a business partnership between your product and the host organization. For example,

Event Host Needs Product Needs
Sporting
Events 		Increased participation Increased Sales
Award
Ceremonies 		Improved prizes and give-a-ways Improved Audience/People Relationships
Concerts Talent Sponsors Digital word-of-mouth Crowd Sourcing

Always ask…

  1. What is the purpose of this partnership?
  2. What does each organization need out of this partnership?
  3. Is there mission compatibility between us?

At a local level, you could pair community theater with a locally owned boutique, a charity race with a coffee house, and a concert with an art show.

The skies the limit on what you can do when you approach the partnership with a win-win attitude for both organizations.

2 Print

Publishers often design tabloids, newspapers, and magazines to help promote specialized industries and communities. I always recommend supporting the communities where you reside through your advertising dollars. Follow their advertisement specifications.  San Antonio Magazine updates their Ad Specifications annually.

Self- promotion articles as “advertorials” offer a close and personal glimpse of your operation. My friend Jack sells real estate and has periodically placed an advertorial in East Wichita News. I found his 2017 add online on issuu.

If purchasing national advertising, be sure to study the publication’s audience and circulation audit reports. You want to make sure those readers are or could be your customers.

A great way to get your name and company name in front of your customers is through writing feature articles with photos and appropriate links. Most offer an internet version which gets you online. Smaller news organizations often appreciate the help. Stories need to be newsworthy, self-help, or human-interest topics. Send photos with captions if a publications audience would be interested in the subject of your photo. Self-promotional articles are taboo unless they are paid advertorials.

3 Radio

Successful radio advertising depends on frequency – how often the ad runs in a short time period. Multiple times during the day with a focused campaign provides the best coverage to promote a product. The return on your investment can be an expensive proposition if not done right.  INC Magazine’s How to Buy Radio Advertising on a Budget covers the basics in radio media buy strategy. Originally published in 2010, it’s still current today plus it includes industry links.

Supporting National Public Radio and Public Television in your area may also be an option for you. This is especially true if your product is business to business or in the service industry like law or accounting.

4 Television

Like radio, television can be an expensive proposition. INC Magazine also offers tips on buying television advertising on a budget.

When I worked for a television station in the 1980s, one of our furniture advertisers bought airtime after midnight. He targeted the three local stations and saturated their audience by consistently being there every night. You can use this same technique today because frequency is a key in any advertising and marketing mix. Focus on a few; repeat often.

Like the radio buy article, INC also offers How to Buy TV Advertising on a Budget. In addition to basic information, check out their industry links.

Television and radio stations include a strong web presence for their advertisers. Be sure they included both on your contract buy.

With streaming video, times have changed. Instead of actual airtime buys, you can incorporate TV advertising by tying your product promotions into the experience. For example, a local restaurant could promote home delivery to watch the new series release of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan on Amazon Prime or Netflix’s Stranger Things. Timing will be important to get the most out of new releases of popular series. A local clothing store could offer in-store alternatives to the casts’ wardrobe ensembles. A coffee house could offer a contest to create a coffee or select an existing coffee drink that could be a flavor favorite of popular characters from TV shows. Imagine what you could do with a tie in to VH-1 RuPaul’s Drag Race – makeup, clothing, gym membership, and more. Be creative. It just might work for you.

5 World Wide Web aka Internet

This medium is right for everyone whether you’re in retail, non-profit, business to business, or the service industry. You can showcase your products and services through videos, photos, articles, and events directly to the public.

Social Media

For social media, your best bet is to focus on what you can handle to keep it current and interesting. Sometimes that might just be one app or it could be the basic four or more. If you want to be a professional social media marketer, Hootsuite offers 17 other apps you may want to use for your trade 21 of the Best Social Media Apps for Marketers in 2019.

  1. Facebook
  2. Twitter
  3. YouTube
  4. Instagram

The web allows your customers to choose how much information they want, when they want it, and where they want it — at home or on the road. In retail, your best investment centers on your website. People expect for you to have one.

Website

Your website acts like the brochures of the last century. Depending on content, some brochures were tri-fold one page documents while others were slick magazines. It depends on your product and services as to how much content needs to be included. That’s the same for your website. Remember, less is more. (Find more of our how-to guidelines at Communicate Better.)

Just like newspapers of yesterday taught their readers what to expect; so has the web. The web even uses similar language like banner ad, above the fold, and more. “Above the fold” now refers to the area on your page that people see without scrolling. It’s the most important real estate on your website. Use it wisely.

Moderating the activity of what others post about you brings a challenge. When replying, I aim for a conversational tone with customers’ positive and negative comments. Most often, customers just want to be heard. Your response time can be important – critical if you allow comments on your website. If you allow, make sure you have to approve before posting. In addition, we recommend you have your settings to notify you when a site visitor comments.

Digital Advice

My reference point for design, content, and user experience on the internet has been the Federal Government:

These sites’ missions might be to provide communication guidance to federal employees and agencies, I use them because they’re free, available to the public, and are research-based in their findings and recommendations.

Be sure your website is available on any device, any time, and anywhere. If you’re like 99% of businesses, you will only need one website to be accessible to your customers. Make sure you update to the latest content management system like WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, and many others. I mention those three as they are easy to use for the non-developer.

Search Engine Optimization

It’s important that we use words our customers expect us to use. In addition to observation and research, you can also use tools to help you. Besides Google, one I have used is Answer the Public. The Search Engine Journal offers others in their article The Top 15 Free SEO Tools You Should Be Using. Check them out for your SEO marketing.

6 Mobile

Mobile is unique as it is the most personal mass medium there is. It offers us a direct relationship with our customers. Plus smartphones connect us in the real world through social media, meetups, web search, and location detection services.

I subscribe to Luke Wroblewski’s theory of Mobile First. This theory promotes designs that respond to screen size and provide future friendly coding to work – into the future. Think smart watches, voice search, and more.

Before you build your website, make sure the theme you use is responsive and can easily be updated when technology changes. Most are in today’s technical world.

7 Direct Mail Marketing

Email

In today’s communications, email ranks number one among consumers – for now. A database management system can help you systematically direct people to your website through regularly scheduled emails.

Study the messages you receive from your customers noticing strategy and usage of key words. Coordinate email messaging with online and offline promotions to include advertising materials, feature articles, special events, and photos reinforcing the same messages on various mediums.

The beauty of using a program like MailChimp and Constant Contact, you can send out bulk emails. If you try to manage a database on your own, chances are it would all go to the recipients’ “spam” or junk folders. There are other services out there. MailChimp and Constant Contact just happen to be the two that I have personally used.

U.S. Postal Service

I also recommend the U.S. Postal Service to help drive your target audience to your website and storefront. Check out their 10 steps to help create a successful direct mail campaign info-graphic.

You can hire a mail house or, the Postal Service recently introduced a “Every Door Direct Mail” service and made it easy to purchase online.  With this service you bulk mail to a carrier route without requiring labels. This mailing is more generic than individual labeling; it targets neighborhoods. For a local coffee house, bar, or retail center this might be exactly what you need. A postcard works best as the recipient does not need to do anything to see your message. Make sure it’s clean and clear.

8 Internal Communications and Marketing

Internal communications keep everyone in your workplace and community informed. Be authentic; hard truth is much easier to take than rumors. If you do not let your staff know what’s happening, they will make something up. Usually, employees lean towards a situation of fear or a feeling of not being important enough to know about the news or changes. This article The Cost of Poor Communications by the Society for Human Resource Management gives actual dollar amounts (in 2013 dollars). The New Hampshire Business Review’s Communication with your employees is a necessity for businesses speaks of the workplace culture of trust that good communication can bring. Both serve as two good reasons for communicating well and often to your employees.

Also your employees, suppliers, and contractors often make your best customers. It’s smart to market to them specifically. Ensure you have one of your best people managing this critical business communications product.

9 Onsite Marketing

Onsite signage helps visitors feel secure in knowing where they are or where they are going. The same can be said for a small retail store pointing to “sale items” and a 170,000 acre recreation area like  Land Between the Lakes showing visitors “you are here.” Visual signage helps customers quickly find what they want and improves their experience with your brand.

Ensure readability. I just visited an area where the print was so small that you had to leave your car. It was cold and rainy, so we did not read it. It’s best to have less information and more readers than a lot of information and fewer readers. After all, if people want more information, they’re trained to go online.

10 Quick Response (QR) Codes

When you include your digital media and physical location addresses on all platforms, you increase the odds for success in your marketing efforts. For easy access, I use QR-codes (Quick Response) to link to my digital media on any printed materials — this includes packaging and signing.

Because QR codes allow for instant access to additional information, you can generate a new code for special events, important updates, and more. Consumers expect QR codes in retail stores, museums, and self-guided tours. One more reason why “mobile” leads the design process.

QR Codes work perfect with onsite signage and mobile friendly websites. If you keep your linked web page up to date on your site, your outdoor or indoor sign can last through its entire expected lifetime because the content will be always current.

It’s a wrap

I hope this helps you to think beyond digital when looking into your next advertising and marketing budget plan. There is so much to gain with a solid marketing mix that reaches your customer and potential customer base on multiple platforms, multiple times. Remember to target where they already go when they search for information or products like you have.

Take care, Jan

Communicate Better

Break through the digital noise when you use these basic rules to communicate better. Good communication is required on the job for success.

If you want people to understand you better, follow these basic rules to communicate better and increase your success in life.

Shelves with collectibles
The KISS principle did not follow me to my home; only to my writing. I need to be watching more Marie Kondo https://konmari.com/

18 basic rules

  1. Adhere to the KISS principle – keep it simple stupid. Use it when you talk, write, and design.
  2. Use the BLUF principle – bottom line up front.  Great advice especially if you send out emails. Your response increases when your readers know what you want from them first thing. Buried calls to action (CTA) usually fail to be read.
  3. Follow the Golden Rule. Treat others the way you want to be treated. In the digital world when you do this, people will like you best. Especially when conferencing online as demonstrated with the Netiquette points from Touro College that I shared in Let’s discuss this — online.
  4. Remember the 4-1-1 rule when posting to social media. For every post about you, share four posts about other people/companies that compliment your personal brand. Make these original posts. Also share at least one post from another source. I often choose data on industry trends from sites like Harvard Business Review and Pew Research.
  5. Write in the active voice. Be direct. Have the person as the subject of the sentence connected to the action (verb). This rule took a while for it to be natural to me. I still fall into the “is – was – were” syndrome at times.
  6. Write in the positive. Eliminate negative words in your vocabulary as much as possible. How often do you like to hear a statement like — Your hair looks great, but did you intend to cut it that short? Each time you use the word “but,” you could be scratching a reader’s pain point. | If you want to ping an insecurity in your readers, you can lead with a negative and solve it in the positive in your blog’s title. For example: Why you were not chosen and they were?
  7. Use plain language. Write to 6th-grade understanding. Microsoft Word now has built-in grammar and spelling check that gives you the Flesch-Kinkaid grade level of your writing. This post scored at 4.8th grade. | You will find this tool under the “Review” tab far left — “abc Check Document.” I use mine so much it’s under the “Search” tab.
  8. Develop gender inclusive writing. If you listen or read any Seth Godin, you’ll notice his usage of female pronouns. I admit that at first this threw me off a bit. Lately he has moved more towards gender inclusive with his use of they and theirs. I have a blog that touches on inclusive writing – Equal Strokes for Equal Folks.
  9. Follow William Zinsser’s four principles for writers from his book On Writing Well. His book introduced me to humanity which could help to improve your writing. An excellent blog on the subject can be found at The Lone Technical Writer blog.
    1. Brevity
    2. Clarity
    3. Simplicity +
    4. Humanity
  10. Be sure to use real words – ban acronyms. Too many acronyms exist in this world to be clear on what your one means. Gone are the days where you can mention the meaning once and use the acronym thereafter. If the name of an organization is I Like Art and the Artists who Make Art, real words you could use to shorten it can be many. Just choose one to use consistently. You could use The I Like Art Organization, I like Art dot org (if that’s the URL), or even The Organization in short emails. Notice you can capitalize “the” when using the words “The Organization.” Be clear, use real words, and be consistent.
  11. Industry lingo can also be confusing to your readers. Use words that describe what you want to say. Help your readers feel smart.
  12. Edit content multiple times before publishing. Even when you think you have completed your editing; edit one more time. I edited cornerstone blog posts with each improvement of my skills or due to additional knowledge gained. This original blog post appeared while attending Quinnipiac for my masters. Today is September 27, 2019 and this is my 10th revision since January. I review for clarity, to add additional tips, and update current trends.
  13. Keep sentence structure simple.
    1. Keep sentences short – less than 20 words.
    2. Break a long sentence into two.
    3. Avoid connecting stand-a-lone phrases that create run-on sentences.
  14. Follow the rule of 3 in your writing and design.
    1. In writing, use lists of three words, sentences, or phrases. Pair words together in threes like mind, body, and soul.
    2. In design, divide your drawing board into threes — horizontally and vertically. Place the visual point of emphasis off center at one of the cross lines. That simple step adds movement to a 2-dimension piece of work.
  15. Add visual clues for your reader; they’ll appreciate you. Keep paragraphs at 1 to 3 sentences each. Use subheads when a topic changes or for emphasis. Bold words in paragraphs to draw readers to your message.
  16. Design for eye movement. People scan before they read. Your eyes follow a “F” pattern online. Your eyes travel across the printed page in a “Z” pattern offline. On web pages with minimal copy, your eyes may also travel in a Z-pattern depending on the layout.
  17. Use white space in your design. Our eyeballs get bombarded every millisecond we have them open. Guide your readers’ eyes to your important messages with the lack of noise. It works.
  18. Understand the Rule of Seven in your promotional messaging. Simply stated, if you want people to act on your “call to action,” they need to hear or read your advertisement seven or more times in relative short period of time. So if you want your audience to “buy, sell, or trade,” you need to tell them 7 times.

The more people you have that understand you, the more successful you will be in life, work, and happiness.

graphic of document w/two figures trying to communicate better Flaticon by geotatah
It takes two people to communicate and plain language to communicate better.

For more information on how to communicate better, check these sites out.

CMS Wire How people read online by Marisa Peacock on June 20, 2013 | Retrieved in March 2019 from https://www.cmswire.com/cms/customer-experience/how-people-read-online-infographic-021421.php

Company Folder How to Use the Rule of Thirds Effortlessly   by Vladimir Mandela on Company Folders on July 21, 2015 | Retrieved in March 2019 from https://www.companyfolders.com/blog/rule-of-thirds-graphic-design  

Goop The Scary Power of Negative Words by Habib Sadeghi | Retrieved in June 2018 from https://goop.com/wellness/mindfulness/the-scary-power-of-negative-words/

Plain Language.gov Federal plain language guidelines | Retrieved in March 2019 from https://plainlanguage.gov/guidelines/

Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL) Gendered Pronouns & Singular “They” | Retrieved in March 2019 from https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/grammar/pronouns/gendered_pronouns_and_singular_they.html

Science Daily True or False? How Our Brain Processes Negative Statements by the Association for Psychological Science on February 13, 2009 |  Retrieved in March 2019 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090211122147.htm

Touro College 15 Rules of Netiquette for Online Discussion Boards [INFOGRAPHIC] by Rachel with the Online Education Department at Touro College on May 12, 2014 | Retrieved in March 2019 from  http://blogs.onlineeducation.touro.edu/15-rules-netiquette-online-discussion-boards/

 Wikinut The Subconscious Mind Cannot understand Negatives by Mark Gordon Brown on August 8, 2010 | Retrieved in March 2019  from https://guides.wikinut.com/The-Subconscious-Mind-Cannot-understand-Negatives/q-qvv29w/

Watch this video for visual examples

I included some of the above in my first Pecha Kucha video that I completed for a master’s class on User-Centered Design in 2012.

Loyal Customers Wanted

Find out what technology to use to improve your customer relationship management.

Since the beginning of stone-age, traders have understood the importance of managing customer expectations. For over a century Dale Carnegie courses have taught students that same principle of “putting customers first.” I know because I am a Dale Carnegie Sales Course graduate.

We now call this awareness of customer service — customer relationship management or CRM for short.

With technology, our world has also become smaller while the number of people with whom we communicate has grown larger. The “Dunbar Number” of 150 people we relied upon in our past has exploded. Even in the smallest of businesses we require thousands of repeat customers to succeed.

CRM Software to the rescue

In our digitally networked society of today, we need help. We still want our customers to:

  • Feel important,
  • Find what they want, and
  • Come back for more with their friends.

Customer relationship management software takes a personal approach with your customers onto the digital platforms. It helps managers provide timely and customized information about products and services that interest your targeted audiences.

Customer purchases, social media followers, and eNewsletter subscribers can all be used to define your target market.  You can also use them to place specific sales items or products  in front of a smaller customer base.

You’ve experienced this. When you search for a product like bicycles, do advertisements for bicycles populate your feeds? That’s the search engine of Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft using the equivalent of CRM software. You just use it with a much smaller scale when you target your customers through your channels.

Placing products in front of your customers makes their purchasing decisions much easier. These product-feeds serve the same purpose as the aisle end-caps and window displays in brick-and-mortar stores.

One of the best articles that I found about CRM Software comes from Business News Daily. Check out Best CRM Software 2018 by Mona Bushnell, B2B Tech Writer at https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/7839-best-crm-software.html. Read about their recommendations of the top suppliers and with a detailed review. They also include an extensive alphabetical listing of other CRM software suppliers. You will find help in their companion piece about choosing a CRM supplier at https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/7838-choosing-crm-software.html.

Customer Relationship Management is here to stay

Even you have big data to mine in your social media, email lists, and sales reports. Take advantage of it. Using CRM software can help you manage customers’ expectations and provide a personalized experience through automation.

Post Script: Giving Credit where it’s due

I have not had the pleasure of using a customer relationship management software program yet. My knowledge is limited to research on the various CRM supplier websites. That being said…

I must give credit to HubSpot as a mainstay in my continuing education. HubSpot freely shares their knowledge and research through their blog, eBooks, and courses. I have encouraged staff to take courses in HubSpot Academy certification programs. My daughter earned her certificate in inbound marketing through them.

A recent example

Since we must adapt to technology, I want to better understand search engine optimization or SEO. A seismic shift  has occurred because voice-activated search invaded our living rooms with Google’s Home and Amazon’s Alexa.

I went to HubSpot for help and found How Do You Optimize for Voice Search? Our Experts Weigh In at https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/how-to-optimize-for-voice-search. Check it out if you’re interested.

Business News Daily identified HubSpot as the “Best CRM Software for Very Small Businesses” in their HubSpot Review. This is the extent that I know about their software.

I am not paid by HubSpot. I am just a grateful user of their knowledge base and wished to share this resource with you.

Acronyms defined

AI - Artificial Intelligence
aka - also known as
CE - Continuing Education
CRM - Customer Relationship Management
SEO - Search Engine Optimization

Reference sites

Business News Daily
https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/
HubSpot
https://www.hubspot.com/

Dunbar Theory

I find the Dunbar theory intriguing and have for years. This theory states there is a limit to the number of people we can truly socialize with — around 150. Find out more online to include these articles:

The Limits of Friendship by Maria Konnikova in The New Yorker magazine
https://www.newyorker.com/science/maria-konnikova/social-media-affect-math-dunbar-number-friendships

Dunbar’s Number in Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunbar%27s_number