Business communication

Women’s Business Webinar Tomorrow

July 30, 2012 by Art of Eloquence

You are losing customers daily…

because you are probably making the 15 Deadly Mistakes Women Make in Business!

Your customers will never tell you why they didn’t buy from you or why they didn’t come back to your site…but I will!

This webinar is like nothing you’ve seen! You’ll get no fluff here. You’ll receive one hour packed with information from a proven expert that will transform your business. Reserve your spot now and get my eBook, Say What You Mean When You’re in Business FREE!

Plus at the end of the webinar you will have access to the slide show with all of my notes so you won’t miss a thing.

For only a few dollars more than the cost of the eBook alone, you’ll get all three, but hurry. We will only be holding this webinar once, don’t be left out!

Click here to secure your spot now!

http://artofeloquence.com/webinar/

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Filed Under: Art of Eloquence News Tagged With: business, Business communication, communication, free eBook, webinar, women

World Handshake Day-Etiquette

June 20, 2012 by Art of Eloquence

Tomorrow is World Handshake Day and I thought this would be a good time to talk about what your handshake says about you, especially in a business setting.

Limp Handshake

A limp hand is never a good idea when it comes to business either for men or for women. Prospective employees with a weak handshake have not been hired. I even know of one or two employees who was fired after making a poor mpression on the owner or top level manager.

Another kind of weak handshake that makes a poor impression is the shaking of fingers. Shaking fingers may come off as condescending to women and is never appropriate for men.

Bone Crusher Handshake

A handshake should be a friendly or respectful greeting, not an arm wrestling championship. While you should return the grip in kind, you shouldn’t struggle for power. Even if the other person’s grip is too strong, you should maintain a comfortable strong grip.

An uncomfortable handshake is never a pleasant experience for anyone. It’s bad form to crush ypur potential boss’ hand. It may seem like overcompensating or showing off. When done to a woman’s hand, it’s especially unwelcomed.

Handshake Tips

1. Before you shake hands, introduce yourself and keep eye contact.

2. Pump your hand only 2-3 times. Less is more.

3. Shake hands from your elbow not your shoulder.

4. Don’t put your other hand on top; that comes off as weird with men and condescending with women.

5. End a handshake after 2-3 pumps or before the oral introduction ends. Any longer and it gets awkward.

6. If the handshake is awkward, either because of you or the other party, it’s best to just move on. Ask a quick question or make a comment to take the focus off the handshake.

Rememeber that a handshake is a big part of your first impression, especially in a business setting. Make the most of it.

For more information on business communication, check out Say What You Mean When You’re in Business. Be sure to download the sample lesson at the bottom of that page.

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Filed Under: Communication Articles Tagged With: bone crusher handshake, Business communication, Handshake, limp handshake, World Handshake Day

Business Communication Seminar Today

March 28, 2011 by Art of Eloquence

If’ you’re a Christian working a small business, you need to join me this morning!

You may not realize it, but almost every aspect of your business involves communication skills. The more effective you are, the more success you’ll have in your business.

Jill Hart of CWAHM and a sampling of Christian Work at Home Moms join me this morning (9am PST/12pm EST) to share tips and techniques for better communication with your customers, co workers, suppliers, employees and more. We’ll discuss tips for customer service, sales, marketing, your blog, website, dealing with co workers, social networking like Yahoo groups, Facebook and Twitter.

Join us via your computer:

http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/19736

Or call in to the show:

Phone Number: (724) 444-7444 Call ID: 19736

The audio will be available immediately following the show, but if you listen in to the live seminar, I’ll be sharing a voucher code to purchase Say What You Mean When You’re in Business for HALF OFF!

*SUBSCRIBE HERE*: for More Communication Fun, FREE Gifts and Exclusive Offers!

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Filed Under: Art of Eloquence News Tagged With: blog, business, Business communication, Christina Work at Home Moms, co workers, communication, customer service, CWAM, employees, Facebook, Jill Hart, JoJo Tabares Art of Eloquence, marketing, sales, seminars, suppliers, Talk Shoe, Twitter, website, Yahoo groups

Should advertisers know their place?

February 28, 2011 by Art of Eloquence

So far this year, we have discussed several aspects of the importance of communication in every day life. Where most people only think of communication as speech-making, we discussed that the most important communication is in our relationships. Well, so far, we have only discussed this in general terms. Starting this month, I’m going to begin our discussions on specific areas of life. This is a discussion so I encourage you to share your thoughts and feelings on the issues I’ll post the rest of this year.

This month is Business Communication Month here at Communication FUNdamentals, as is this month’s AoE Seminar Panel with Jill Hart from CWAHM.com (Christian Work at Home Moms) and her readers.

So to start off the month I’m going go in depth on an article I wrote a while back called, “12 Deadly Communication Sins of Advertising.” I’ll post on each of these marketing techniques during this month so that we can dissect it and discuss it in depth.

Since today isn’t March yet, I’d like to take this opportunity to post the beginning of the article to get you started:

12 Deadly Communication Sins of Advertising by JoJo Tabares

You don’t have to be a marketing genius to be able to spot a bad ad. Every consumer can pick them out; they are the ones that annoy us. They interrupt our day and waste our time. So why should we even have a discussion about bad ads? Because identifying a bad ad is what our customers do. We on the other hand are often oblivious to the miscommunication a bad ad can send to our customers!

As small business owners, we spend an inordinate amount of time trying to figure out what a good ad is. Finding the best possible combination of words, concepts and persuasion for each audience/venue is a daunting task and I don’t even pretend to be a marketing expert. However, as a communication expert, I know well the consequences of annoying a customer with salesy hype at the most inopportune time. By following some simple rules you can avoid making some of the most common business communication errors.

Error #1. Being an Uninvited Guest
Generally an ad, sales pitch or sales call is an unwelcome interruption for our customers. Even if they sign up for a double opt in eNewsletter, they are interrupted by their daily email to find our communication awaiting their immediate attention. We small business owners need to be sensitive to that. If we are to persuade this potential customer to take a look at our wares, we must communicate that what we have to offer is worth the interruption. Our first mistake is merely assuming that all of our customers are eager to see or hear what we have to say. When we understand that we are merely an unwelcome interruption to their day, we can begin to tailor our message accordingly. First we need to capture their attention in the headline. This headline must be tailored to the specific group of potential customers to whom you are speaking. Make sure that it addresses their needs! In an effort to sell more widgets, we small business owners tend to want to appeal to a wide range of customers. Think about how you like to be addressed. Do you like to be spoken to as if you are one of the masses? Or do you appreciate it when someone takes the time to find out what you need? We will discuss the body of the ad later on.

Another common error of being uninvited is to post an ad on an email group like Yahoo inappropriately. Many groups do not allow ads at all. Some groups allow ads only on specific days. To post an ad on a non ad day is almost an unforgivable sin. Spam is a big issue for people these days. It is vital to get to know your groups before you begin posting in order to avoid making a very bad first impression. Most of these ads don’t get read at all. These ads are quickly deleted and sometimes members will email the moderators asking that *justice be done*. 😀 Be careful not to leave a bad taste in your customer’s mouth or you will not eat of the fruit of success. Bad press travels ten times faster than good news and about a hundred times as often!

Along these same lines is the dreaded sales follow-up phone call during the dinner hour. If you call your customer on the phone, always make sure to call at a convenient hour. Don’t call during dinner! Yes, you will be sure to catch her in, but an old sales proverb goes like this: Hungry customer with dinner waiting is not in the market for whatever it is you sell!

Have you ever encountered a sales message that didn’t understand that presumed too much? One that didn’t understand that it was an unwelcome interruption and demanded you drop everything to attend to it? Perhaps it was a phone call? What happened and how did it make you feel about their offer/product? Please share!

*SUBSCRIBE HERE*: for More Communication Fun, FREE Gifts and Exclusive Offers!

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Filed Under: Communication Articles Tagged With: advertisers, business, Business communication, know their place, marketing

Ten Things to Post During Tough Times

June 28, 2010 by Art of Eloquence

It’s been a while since I posted an article about business on Communication FUNdamentals. The last seven weeks were devoted to homeschool articles. So this week I thought I’d bring you an article on blogging and social media. This week I’ll share ten things to post during the tough economic times. Next week I’ll talk about the ten things NOT to post!

10 Things to Post During Tough Times

If you are blogging or using social media for business purposes, it’s always a good idea to know your audience. What are your customers looking for? What do they need? How can you help them? In these financially tough times, I find that there are several things people are looking for and several things they are NOT. You can use this knowledge in order to be of use in a timely way.

1. Things that give them hope

People are struggling to make ends meet. They need hope. Post a short message of encouragement. Offer to help find something in your area of expertise.

2. Things that give them inspiration

Post an inspiring quote, an inspirational picture, a Bible quote. Give them an idea for a project they are working on.

3. Things that are a distraction

As making ends meet can be more than a full time job requiring many hours of dedication and focus, a small distraction is usually welcomed once in a while! People can’t go on long vacations, but you can offer a mini vacation just by posting a funny picture, odd fact, clean joke or note of encouragement. Anything that is a short distraction which allows them a tiny break in an otherwise frustrating day can be of immense help.

4. Things that make them laugh

Post a clean joke or funny saying, silly picture or even just a funny comment. Humor is a mini vacation! Humor helps a body release stress. Be someone’s hero and help them find something to laugh at when they are having a tough day. Be sure not to make fun of their struggle, but do introduce a little levity.

5. Things that educate them about the changing times

If someone is struggling to do something (especially if it is in your area of expertise, but even if it isn’t), offer to help them or educate them. Make a tough situation a little easier. They will never forget it!

6. Things that contain information about how to survive

If you have inside information or knowledge about how to survive a crisis someone is struggling with, reach out to them. Offer to share. Help if you can. As much as you can. You don’t have to spend hours with them if you don’t have the hours to spare, but help someone get through a tough time in any way you can.

7. Things that warn them of troubles ahead

Let folks know of scams you have encountered. Warn them of impending disaster. Help them avoid further disappointments. Take a few minutes to help someone else avoid the struggles you had to go through. Give them the benefit of your wisdom.

8. Things that help them make money for their family

I’m not talking here about blasting Network Marketing ad links all over Facebook, but if someone has said they are looking for a business, offer some suggestions. If you represent a company that might work for them, mention yours along with some others opportunities or ideas. Tell Mildred she might sell her artwork she dearly loves creating. Encourage Ignatz to look into consulting… then mention that you have an opportunity they may also want to check out.

9. Things that help them save money

Post any ideas or tips you have or find that help folks save more of their valuable income. If this is your business, offer some free tips once a week or so! Reply to someone who asks a specific question and needs a particular solution.

10. Things that bring them closer to God

Point them to God. Post scriptures that speak to their soul. Help Christians who are hurting by telling them how special they are to the Lord and to you. Tell the unbeliever that God loves them. Tell the believer who is questioning his struggles too! Post things that lead folks closer to or back to God. God can inspire hope and help change the struggles His children are going through.

What if your business has nothing to do with any of these ten things? Why share them in a blog, on Yahoo groups, Twitter or Facebook? Because if you help someone, if you reach out to them, if you care about them, they will care about you and what you do. If you don’t seem to care about them and offer to help, they will not care to know you, let alone buy green, speckled widgets from you.

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JoJo Tabares holds a degree in Speech Communication, but it is her humorous approach to communication skills which has made her a highly sought-after Christian speaker and writer. Her articles appear in homeschool publications, such as Homeschool Enrichment Magazine and The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, which also endorses her Say What You Mean curricula, including Say What You Mean Defending the Faith. You can also find JoJo on web sites such as Crosswalk.com and Dr.Laura.com. For more information on communication FUNdamentals and Christian-based communication skills for the whole family, please visit http://www.ArtofEloquence.com

For more articles on communication in business, check out the bottom of our Articles Page!

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Filed Under: Communication Articles Tagged With: Article, business, business article, Business communication, Facebook, tough times, Twitter, Yahoo

Say What You Mean When You’re in Business

October 14, 2009 by Art of Eloquence

This week I’m talking about social networking mostly on Facebook. Next week I’ll be talking about Twitter. Since many people use social networking sites for business, I wanted to share with you a resource Art of Eloquence has for small business owners.

Say What You Mean When You’re in Business!

87% of what you do all day is communication related. Make the most of it by learning some simple techniques that will drastically improve communication with your customers, business associates, suppliers, employees and/or downline. Studies show that effective communicators are more successful people who are comfortable making presentations or speeches are more likely to be successful. This Christian-based and easy to use, this is a great reference for those in direct sales and perfect for those just starting out in business! This PDF eBook is the culmination of my degree in Speech Communication and over 20 years of experience in business from sole proprietorships to network marketing to Fortune 500 Companies. Now you can be the expert and do the same things that I have done so you can increase YOUR success! Here’s what you will learn:

Over 100 tips and techniques!
Creating a communication package for your business.
How to present yourself as an expert in your field.
How to effectively handle customer service, complaints and returns.
Making Contacts
Effective use of networking groups
Handling kids and business.
How/when to share your faith
How to gain support from family and friends…And much, much more
Each chapter begins with a Bible quote
Shows you not just what to do but how to do it!

Here’s what a some customers had to say:
“There is a LOT of tangible information in this book! Usually, you have books that don’t give actual “what to do’s” when telling you about a topic. This book tells you what to do! It gives plenty of examples as well. So you have a book that is great from beginning business to end. I highly recommend this book for those of you who need to regroup from burnout in business and those of you just starting out. Thank you JoJo for writing this book. I’m keeping it as reference material and will make my employees read it as they are hired.” Susie Glennan, President – The Busy Woman’s Daily Planner

“I got my e-book – “Say What You Mean When You’re In Business.” I can’t put it down. It’s wonderful. I have only gotten through about half of it, but I have already learned so much and am already implenting many of the suggestions into my business practices. It’s great!!! My husband also has a separate small business and he’s been reading it too. I print out a couple of chapters…I read it…then pass it on to him and he reads it. Thanks again JoJo. Blessings.” Brenda, Brenda’s County Gift Shoppe

To help you communicate more effectively with your customers, business associates, suppliers, downline and/or employees, visit Art of Eloquence.com!

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Filed Under: Art of Eloquence News Tagged With: busienss owners, Business communication, communication, downline, employees, Subscribe Here!

Women’s Business Webinar Tomorrow

You are losing customers daily…

World Handshake Day-Etiquette

Business Communication Seminar Today

Should advertisers know their place?

Ten Things to Post During Tough Times

Say What You Mean When You’re in Business

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