Best Hits of 2009
I'm not delusional -- you didn't read everything I wrote in 2009. Here are some of my most visited posts:
It's 2010 and you have no idea what to say to clients and prospects.
Ever wonder how to recycle content from blog to newsletter?
What's the real scoop on high frequency stock trading in a jobless recovery?
When you get that sinking feeling that your email statistics aren't correct.
Before you fire up PowerPoint...
Your reputation as a spammer (yes, you may be one).
Why you shouldn't start your presentation with a fart joke.
How (and why) to shoot straight about your compensation.
With Winter Olympics a month away, I'm remembering the 1994 Tonya Harding-Nancy Kerrigan ice skating scandal. Take it from Team Harding, shortcuts often backfire.
Alas, I see professionals take shortcuts with their newsletters and email marketing efforts all the time. Nothing’s worse than a self-inflicted knee whack.
Be sure to scratch these six shortcuts off your list — they’ll definitely get you into trouble.
The Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank published an article comparing the differences in Canadian and US mortgage/housing experiences through this recession (spoiler alert: Canada might be the country that got it right).
Unfortunately, the paper meandered through data on housing prices, loan-to-value stats, delinquency rates, central bank target rates, and benchmark mortgage interest rates before getting around to contextualizing them.
I found myself thinking "Just say it! Get on with it!" The Fed's pattern follows most other business communications --leading the reader through a maze of data before telling the reader what was in store and why it matters.
See how I would have re-structured the report and join in the discussion -- there were several intelligent responses to the post.
Takeaway: Start with the conclusion, back it up with data, then tell the reader what they should do with their newfound knowledge.
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