Archives for September 2014

Handling the “Haters”

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Oh my goodness. What a freaking roller coaster!

Last week I had my best week in business. Ever. Then on Monday morning, I get a “hater”. You know, that person who has been disappointed, or is frustrated and skeptical… or just plain mean.

Regardless of their motivations, when someone comes at you like this, it can really throw you for a loop. And make you question if you’re really cut out for this whole entrepreneurship thing.

This is normal.

In every business I’ve ever run, my biggest accomplishments were ALWAYS followed by comments, “feedback” and outright verbal blastings from people who saw it as their job to take me down a peg or two.

If you dare to grow into your greatness, and publicly share with the world your abilities, your accomplishments, and your aspirations – you are going be targeted by people who make themselves feel better by shooting others down.

Below is a screen shot of the conversation I had with a disgruntled person on Facebook. Her reaction was to the event posting on Facebook of most popular teleclass I’ve ever taught, “10 Things to do to Triple Your Income in 2015”.

If and when the naysayers come into your life, I hope this example helps you find a graceful way to handle one of the less pleasant aspects of success!

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6 Tips to Make Sure Your Emails Get Attention

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Recently I’ve received a series of emails from a committee I’m on that have been absolutely confounding. They are packed with details and usually include several attachments. They’re written with multiple fonts, plus bolding and italics being used with no rhyme or reason to the emphasis. It takes me forever to get through the emails, and, in the end, I’m left with NO idea if I need to do anything!

The good news? I was inspired to write this article. You’re welcome.

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Whether your emails include a sales offer, or simply a question you need answered promptly, here are my top six tips to your emails get more attention!

  1. Move your reader right away with your subject line. If you need a response, ask for one right in your subject line, i.e. “NEED RESPONSE ASAP”. I definitely capitalize when it’s urgent. My most effective subject line ever is “Quick question.”
  2. Keep it short. Especially if you use the subject line “Quick question”, don’t write a novel, or include an entire sales page. When I’m doing speaking inquiries (and this has worked for people looking for funding and corporate training opportunities as well), I use the “Quick question” subject line, and simply write, “Hi! Could you let me know the process for being considered as a speaker for your group?” I get a response about 90% of the time from complete strangers.
  3. Keep the fonts consistent. If you use a variety of fonts, your reader’s brain gets distracted trying to absorb both the message and the inconsistent fonts. This draws attention away from your message and call to action.
  4. If you have more than one point, number or bullet point the list. Visually, this makes it clear what your reader should be paying attention to. Ideas can get lost in the middle of paragraphs, and you can lose your reader.
  5. End with ONE question. If you simply want to start a conversation to build rapport, end with a question. My speaking inquiry above is an example of this, and here’s one more, “I’d like to be able to refer you, so could you describe your ideal client to me?”
  6. If there’s something you need your reader to do, make sure it is crystal clear. If you have a call to action – even if it is just a request to respond – make sure it is visually separate from the rest of the email.

BONUS TIP: If you’re looking to connect with someone, email them individually. When people know they’re in a crowd of others receiving an email, they feel they can hide and don’t need to respond.

What strategies have you used to get more responses from email?

Extricating Yourself From a Conversation

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Contributed by Dr. Marta Adelsman

You’re at a social event and someone corners you, talking at length about something in which you have no interest. Most hesitation to end conversations like this comes from a belief that 1) you will hurt his/her feelings, and  2) you are responsible for how he/she feels.

Rid yourself of the notion that either of these is true.  Then —
 
Don’t ask permission to leave the conversation.  
Politely inform the person you are doing so.

For example, “Please excuse me. I’ve enjoyed talking with you, and I also want to catch up with several others. Enjoy the rest of the party!” Then move away because the conversation is now over.  
 
If the other person doesn’t get the message, state it more directly: “I’m sorry for cutting you off. I’m going to talk with others now.”

Remember it’s not your responsibility how the other person feels. He or she has a choice to accept your action graciously or to go into drama about it. That’s not your concern. It’s not selfish to take care of yourself and what you need. You actually do both yourself and the other person a favor by telling the truth.

Dr. Marta Adelsman

Dr. Marta Adelsman earned her doctorate from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology in 1996. Four years later, she began her studies with The Institute for Global Listening and Communication. She became certified in 2001 by Dr. Carol McCall, the Institute’s founder, to teach the Listening and Communication Tools, which she incorporates into her workshops and classes. Dr. Marta also trained with the Institute to become a Life Coach in Communication. For more information about upcoming workshops, click here to contact Marta.