Post by Jane K. Stimmler, contributing Women On Business writer I began watching football as a lark. The men I worked with seemed fascinated with the sport and regularly talked about it, so I became curious and started watching. Fast forward a couple of decades, and I am a diehard fan who listens to sports talk radio and for whom Sunday afternoons from September into February … [Read more...]
The Four Essential Elements to Your PR Toolbox
Part 5 of 7 Ever since the revolution of the Internet, more and more brands are becoming digital. To start playing with the big brands, smaller guys have to learn Internet based PR. They have to learn the right tools and tactics to stay ahead of the curve with the rest of the digital world. To be properly equipped, you are going to need the four following tools in your PR … [Read more...]
How Far Should We Go?
Most women love to help, to rescue, to make what hurts all better. We have been programmed for centuries to be the caretaker. It is often a wonderful and powerful position…. most of the time. Except when you are so tired you can’t see straight and someone still wants something from you. Except when resources are limited and guilt keeps you at the end of the line till … [Read more...]
Is Speed of Service an Added Value?
Customer service sometimes means how we approach our business...how we "do" our business. For our businesses to be profitable, we need customers and clients so we devote much time and attention to promotion and advertising. Another big percentage of our business is our interaction with our customers and clients in the buying and selling or product and service interface. A … [Read more...]
Breaking the “Instant Response” Cycle
Perhaps it's because of women's hard won reputation as excellent multitaskers. Or perhaps its because we all panic that if we don't put in our two cents instantly, we'll be ignored. But whatever the reason, too many of us have gotten into the nasty habit of being "overly responsive." As soon as our Blackberrys vibrate or we hear the ping of a new email arriving in our … [Read more...]
Learn How to Pitch the Media Correctly, without Upsetting Prospective Contacts
Publicity is more credible than advertising because it isn’t paid for directly by the company or person, while advertising space is. Public Relations specialists can't control the size of a write up as much as advertisers can. When your product, service, name, or company is in ink, it can generate great media attention, which is why billions of dollars are spent on PR every … [Read more...]
Without Walls
Honoring the 20th Anniversary of the Berlin Wall tumbling down reminded me of the children’s nursery rhyme-- “Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall Humpty Dumpty had a great fall All the king’s horses and all the king’s men Couldn’t put Humpty together again” Curious verse; so here is my interpretation. When we fall and perhaps feel … [Read more...]
Breaking the Stereotype Code: Do Women Really Talk Too Much?
We have come a long way since we won the right to vote in 1921. In just about 90 years we are no longer barefoot and pregnant. We can go anywhere on the planet with or without a man at our side. We can be called “Ms.” To our men’s “Mr.” and the word spinster has become archaic. (What would be a name for an elder man who did not marry?) We're finally becoming more equal in our … [Read more...]
Pitching the Media Correctly
Part 1 of 7 It doesn't matter whether you're a seasoned PR professional or a newbie, you'll need to know how to pitch the media correctly if you want to get publicity, interviews, articles and write ups about your business. With all the bad pitches and PR spamming, it is time to teach you how to do it the right way. By pitching the media correctly, you will see your … [Read more...]
How Much Help is Enough?
There is a pivot point we all need to find between being too caring or too cold when employees have personal issues. Women, hard-wired to be compassionate and consider others first, often get stuck in the caring rather than cold region. Here is an example: Roberta, a valued administrative assistant who does great work and is dedicated to her company had … [Read more...]