Vanya Wryter Consulting Services

Business Etiquette for Entrepreneurs

Life would be a little too easy if we could become an expert at one skill and then build a thriving business around it. Once we’ve figured out what we want to do, and we are open for business, we still have to market ourselves; otherwise, we may find ourselves waiting. Waiting like we do at a surprise party, wondering when the guest of honour will arrive. In this case, our guest of honour is our future client. And ideally, our future client would know how to find us. One way is to lead them to us with a trail of personal connections. You might have been thinking of bread crumbs, and metaphorically, you could think of it that way. Entrepreneurs are keen to add value and bring success to other people’s lives. If you aren’t in business to help others, then chances are, you won’t get far in your journey. After reading The 5 Essential People Skills by Dale Carnegie Training, I thought of some tips that really boost a business owner’s reputation and bring them more clients. I’ve even added some suggestions to the original list in the book. My biggest tip starts with the old adage, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” This bit of advice applies the moment you venture out to meet new people.

Social networking that grows your business

If you’re looking to increase your client base, always search for networking events that your potential clients could be attending. A glance at the event description will help you gauge the likelihood that your potential client will be there. If you’re not sure, then ask yourself what your potential client is looking for and whether this event could be the answer to their search. When you are at the event, interact with as many people as possible. These opportunities are like mini job interviews. Introduce yourself and keep the conversation light with social or general work topics that avoid debate and hostility. For example, sports, current events, and the weather are fairly neutral. You may even talk about your background and your work. When you are asked a question, try to keep your answers less than a minute long to avoid babbling. Show that you’re interested in the other person by using your active listening skills. Nod and acknowledge points that he or she is making. Use appropriate body language, such as maintaining eye contact and facing the person you are speaking to. If the person you are talking to is a little on the quiet side, guide the conversation with open-ended questions such as, “How long have you been in business?” instead of closed questions (that request yes/no answers) such as, “Have you been to this event before?” Instead of expecting to get something out of the meeting right away, give value first. Instead of just looking for potential clients, and abruptly ending the conversation when you realize this person will never do business with you, find out what you can do to give them value. Ask what brings her to the networking event to see what she is looking for. Maybe she wants a specific type of business connection. Ask someone to tell you more about his business and compliment him on an aspect that you like. This attitude of giving value will make you instantly likable. As you continue to network, your new business acquaintance might introduce you to others at the event. Having someone introduce you to a stranger makes it much easier to connect with others than by starting a conversation from the cold. Similarly, introduce people you’ve just met to others. At the end of the event, you may find yourself with a whole deck of business cards and possibilities. In summary: connect by talking about social topics, practice active listening, add value to others, and introduce new connections to your network.

Follow up with new connections as soon as possible

When you return to your office after a networking event, it’s easy to get caught up with all the tasks that you missed during your absence, and to fall back into your usual routine. Set some time aside to follow up with the new connections you made at the event. If you can, send them an email within 24 hours. Keep your new collection of business cards organized. I sometimes write a quick note on each one to remind me where I met each person. If you’re more ambitious, enter each new connection into a database. This way, if someone asks you if you know an event photographer, you have people you can recommend. As I go through the list of new connections, I also note who I said I would follow up with. Following up on promises is crucial when you have your own businesses. People get a sense of how trustworthy and reliable you are right from the start of your new connection. If you said you would shoot them an email to set up a meeting time, send that email to mention where you connected and remind them of the purpose of your meeting. If you said you were going to introduce someone to your network, email them to make the introduction. It’s possible a quick email to refer Pam, who you met at the networking event, to Steven, who you know is great at marketing, will start a series of opportunities. You never know. For example, Steven may thank you by sending you some real estate business from his network. Or Pam might send you useful links to websites that give you some good business leads. The possibilities from a single networking event can be very far-reaching. In summary, follow up with connections as soon as possible, whether it is to set up a time for another meeting, or to introduce people to each other from your network.

Check that your information is up to date and easily available

New connections will want to know more about you. First, if they met many people at the event, they might not remember details about you right away. Have some keywords on your business card that jog their memory. “Realtor.” “I help you with your marketing needs.” “Business consultant.” If your business card doesn’t have your photo, make sure your LinkedIn profile has one. They may look you up on LinkedIn to remind them who they were talking with about X business opportunity! Your profile may also have details about skills that interest them, even if it didn’t come up in conversation. For example, a woman I met was looking for someone with publishing experience, but we had only talked about marketing. When she saw publishing in my profile, she inquired about it. Your website is also an excellent source of information about you and your company. A new contact can find testimonials vouching for your great service. It is also where they can subscribe to your blog and continue to get information about your business niche. I started a partnership when a new contact suggested posting a referral to his company on my website. The benefit was my clients could enjoy a discount for his services, and he would pay me an amount for the referral. It’s not the same as an affiliate program, but it’s a similar idea. In summary, your LinkedIn profile and your website are ways to help increase your business. When someone refers leads to you, promote them back by sending business their way. You can also work out a type of partnership that is mutually beneficial.

Pay it forward

The overall idea for successfully increasing your client base is to pay it forward. When you meet someone new at a networking event, or even online through a LinkedIn group, add value to them first. Always add value first. Even if it’s just to compliment them if you can’t think of a way to help out their business. When you meet someone for the first time, listen intently and show interest in what they do. It will make a favorable initial impression. You want people to see how much you want to help others, and how much other people matter to you. Think of ways to help people without considering how you can get money back for your time. Entrepreneurs aren’t paid by the hour or by salary. They don’t necessarily get rewarded every two weeks for their hard work with a paycheque. Sometimes they send out all these good vibes, follow up on leads, and build new bridges… and don’t reap the reward until weeks or months later when a referral turns into a paid project or a lucrative partnership. Sometimes a promising lead turns into nothing. However, if you focus on paying it forward, if you work on helping others first, eventually, you start to get results! If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to make sure you don’t miss the next post!

Common Math Mistakes People Need to Stop Making

Remember how you were always told to pay attention in math class? If you did, then you wouldn’t have been caught making these common math mistakes. Take a look at these real-life marketing examples and see if you can catch where the math went wrong.

Math Mistakes that Cost Money

Remember when your math teacher taught you about fractions? Back then, you might not have realized how fractions could help you to decide which burger to buy. In the 1980s, A&W marketed their competition for McDonald’s Quarter Pounder.

The A&W one-third pound hamburger was a hit with customers who liked the taste and thought it was a better product than the Quarter Pounder. Both burgers were the same price. However, people thought that price-wise, the quarter-pound hamburger was the better deal.

Consumers believed that four was bigger than three, which meant that for the same price, a quarter-pound of meat was the better value.

Sometimes, marketers and businesses just cannot assume that consumers know how to compare fractions.

Best Value for Your Money

Sometimes a marketing blunder occurs because people just can’t do the math. At other times, marketers are counting on consumer math skills to influence what they buy.

Take a look at these price points. You can get the small fries for $6.00. Or you can pay a dollar more for twice the amount of fries at 32 oz. Seems like a bargain! Then you have the third choice, $9.50 for almost three times the amount of fries. Which one is the best bargain?

When considering the three choices, you’re not just looking for the best bargain anymore. You’re looking for the best value. The large size seems to be the best value for your money, as well as the best choice.

Think again, however. Do you want to buy 88 oz of fries? Sometimes the math isn’t about calculating the best value, but the best deal for what you need. If 32 oz of fries is enough for you, then paying a dollar more for twice the fries (32 oz) is the best choice.

One Little Dot Makes a Big Difference

How are your money math skills? In a few different price listings, we’ve noticed the placement of a little dot can make a big difference. Look at the picture that follows.

What would you rather pay for? 89¢ pancakes or .89¢ pancakes?

Well, 89¢ pancakes seem like a good deal. They cost less than a dollar. But .89¢ pancakes must be from another time! When was the last time you could buy something for less than a penny?

(In the USA, you might be able to find a penny in your pocket to buy your breakfast. In Canada, however, they stopped making pennies, so you can’t even find a penny for your less than a penny pancakes.)

How Much Are You Getting? Do the Math… If You Can!

Do you make mistakes when calculating how much value you’re getting? Someone made a math mistake with percents. See if you can solve the following math problem.

The previous laundry detergent size could wash 25 loads. The new, larger size laundry detergent can clean 53 loads. According to the equation on the ad, 25 + 25 = 53, or roughly double the number of loads for the new size. Seems like the new size is a better deal than the old one… until you notice another number on the bottle.

The new detergent size does 30% more loads than the previous one. The ad wants you to think that 30% approximately doubles what you’ll get with the new product. What do you think?

Key Takeaways

Paying attention in math class does have its benefits! Those math skills can help you to find the best value, catch misleading calculations, and avoid tiny but significant mistakes. Did you catch all the common consumer math mistakes right away?

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Powerful Persuasive Writing Tips You Should Know

Think of the last time you saw an ad that almost persuaded you to buy something you didn’t even need. Well-crafted words can be very convincing and powerful. They can influence your decisions.

Here are some powerful, persuasive writing tips you should know to write copy that convinces your reader to buy from you. First, we start with defining persuasive writing.

What is Persuasive Writing?

Persuasive writing is writing that gets your reader to agree with you. To achieve this, you’ll need to have facts, statistics, and other research from credible sources. When your point of view or opinion is backed up with strong and credible evidence, your reader is more likely to agree with you.

What Makes Persuasive Writing “Persuasive”?

Persuasive writing has three key elements. It has ethos, which is the beliefs of a group of people or a culture. If the writer seems to understand the beliefs of the reader, then the writer can write to the reader’s sense of ethos. The second is logos. The writer must appeal to the reader’s sense of logic by providing scientific evidence and facts. The third element is pathos, which is appealing to the passion and feelings of the reader.

If the piece of writing cannot appeal to the reader’s beliefs, sense of logic, or emotions, then it will have difficulty persuading the reader to agree with the point of view it is presenting.

How Can You Use Persuasive Writing at Work?

If your job is to influence people through the written word, then persuasive writing will be an extremely handy skill to have.

The marketing industry needs writers who can write to persuade customers to buy products and services. Advertising and marketing copywriters, for example, write copy for web content, email campaigns, marketing brochures, ads, and corporate brochures.

Persuasive writing skills are also needed for press releases, copy for fundraisers, and articles about government policies.

How Can Persuasive Writing Help Your Business?

Persuading your customers and clients to invest in your products and services is key to your business’s success. Dr. Robert B. Cialdini’s research on the psychology of persuasion has had a tremendous impact on marketing.

One concept he has proven is the principle of reciprocity. Humans naturally want to return favours and pay back debts. An example of this in marketing is a business that gives advice and tips its to website visitors in the form of free blogs, training courses, and PDF downloads. The informative, free content increases the likelihood that people will pay for the company’s products and services in the future.

Another principle is social proof: whatever most people are doing, then someone who joins the group will do the same, even if the behaviour doesn’t make logical sense. Consider how a worker may work a little longer just because everyone else in the department is working late. And think of the last time you decided whether to give a new restaurant a try because of how busy it looked. If you read about a trend that is popular with your age group, you’ll be more likely to try it.

Scarcity is another persuasive tactic. An ad for “the last available room,” “30% off your purchase today only,” and “offer ends at midnight tonight” will create a fear of missing out (FOMO).

Persuasive writing will give people the push they need to decide to subscribe to your email list, buy two for the price of one, sign up for a course, or invest in your consulting services.

Key Takeaways

Persuasive writing uses psychology to give people that nudge to make a decision now. It wins you over with logic and appeals to your emotions. It may even play to your fears (FOMO) or convince you to make a purchase because of the free value you have already received. Persuasive writing creates action through the power of words.

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Metaphor vs Simile vs Analogy: What is the Difference Between Them?

If you could paint a picture with words, what would that image look like? Writers use many literary devices to raise the quality of their descriptions from good to amazing. Three of these devices are metaphor, simile, and analogy. What are these three devices, and what is the difference between each of them?

Let’s take a look at what metaphors, similes, and analogies are and some famous examples of each. When you can create vivid descriptions using them, whether writing at work or writing a poem to a loved one, you can get your point across so much more effectively.

Metaphors Turn Ideas into Pictures

A metaphor compares two things that are different but have something in common. The comparison is indirect, like saying that one thing is like another.

To create a metaphor, think about the idea that you want to express. For example, you want to say that life sometimes feels unreal. What else feels like it isn’t real? Dreams. Movies. The theatre. When you have these two ideas, write the comparison. For example, we have this famous quote by a famous playwright:

“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances.”
William Shakespeare

A metaphor turns an idea into a vivid image. You can picture an idea, a memory, or a moment that a writer is sharing much more clearly when you use metaphors. Some writers use extended metaphors, which is the same as taking a comparison and expanding it over several sentences.

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul
And sings the tune without the words
And never stops at all.
Emily Dickinson

Metaphors are a succinct way to express a comparison as a vivid image.

Similes Describe Ideas Concisely

A simile is like a metaphor. It compares one thing to something else to make the description easier to picture in your mind. You can identify a simile by checking if the comparison uses “like” or “as.”

We use similes often in our everyday communication. They are especially effective because we can use a few concise words to express an entire thought. Think of the last time you said, “It’s raining like cats and dogs” or “that lecture was as exciting as watching paint dry.”

You could say, “He gave me directions that were really hard to understand. They were so confusing that I got lost.” Or you could say, “His directions were as clear as mud.” We’ve all seen mud before, so we understand just how confused you felt.

Similes can be brief and effective, such as this one:

“Life is like writing with a pen. You can cross out your past but you can’t erase it.”
E.B. White

A simile can also be an idea, such as “be like water” and extended to illustrate what it means to behave like water.

Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way around or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves.

Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.
Bruce Lee

Think of all the similes you use in everyday communication, in your emails, your texts, and in conversations. What similes do you use to convey your thoughts?

Analogies Explain by Comparing

An analogy is also a comparison between two things, but the purpose is to explain or clarify what you mean. Metaphors and similes are two types of analogies.

We use analogies often in everyday speech. They have found their way into movies and stories, and they are so popular that you can probably list several analogies from what you’ve watched and read.

One well-known analogy is “Life is like a box of chocolates – you never know what you’re gonna get,” fromthe movie Forrest Gump. Just like a box full of chocolates, life has many surprises.

Another is writer E.B. White’s famous words, “Explaining a joke is like dissecting a frog. You understand it better but the frog dies in the process.” Sometimes things are better when you don’t understand everything.

Key Takeaway

An analogy compares two things to make a concise explanation. Two types of analogies are similes and metaphors. A metaphor shows how one thing is like another, while a simile compares using “like” or “as.” Use an analogy whenever you want to explain something vividly, just like snapping a photo of your thoughts. It’s economical, precise, and impactful.

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Signs You’re a Bad Writer… and How to Improve

What is a bad writer? I’ve looked at over a handful of articles in search of an explanation of what makes a bad writer, and everyone seems to have a different point of view. Some say it’s the attitude to writing, and others say it’s poor writing skills, such as bad grammar and punctuation.

Writing is both a skill and a work of art, so you could say a bad writer is a mix of someone with a negative attitude to writing and weak writing skills. So how could a bad writer improve their technique? One way is to start by identifying the signs that they’re a bad writer.

Bad Writer Sign #1: Closed Off to Feedback

Bad writers dislike criticism and become defensive the minute they hear that their work is not perfect. They believe there is only one way to write a paragraph, one way to write a story, and that’s their way. They don’t want to see how a sentence could be rewritten to make the meaning clearer.

A bad writer is closed off to feedback and sees comments as an attack on them as a person. They don’t see constructive feedback as a suggestion on how to improve their writing. Instead, they see the comments as a suggestion that they are flawed as a person.

Bad Writer Sign #2: Working on Projects That Last Forever

Some writers blame writer’s block when they start a writing project and never finish. This project could be a short story, an essay, a poem, or a novel. They work on rewrite after rewrite but they never finish what they start.

Writing takes discipline, from setting goals to setting deadlines for completing those goals. A bad writer is constantly stopping before reaching a milestone such as finishing a chapter or completing the final paragraph of a story.

It’s difficult to improve your writing skills if you’ve never finished your first draft of a piece of writing.

Bad Writer Sign #3: Stale Writing Skills

Bad writers have limited vocabulary and sentence structure. They don’t expand their vocabulary to add more variety to their language. Neither do they try to write their sentences in different ways. Each sentence follows the same pattern so that their writing is repetitious.

When a bad writer doesn’t learn more vocabulary or open themselves to criticism, they may also be unaware of incorrect word use, such as mixing up their, there, and they’re; or similar words such as illusion and allusion.

How to Transition from a Bad Writer to a Good Writer

A good writer isn’t necessarily a perfect writer or the best writer. But a good writer will start by learning what they can about writing. They will finish the first draft and be open to feedback on how they can improve. They will work on revisions so that the third draft is an improvement from the first.

Improving one’s writing skills isn’t easy. To make a comparison, writing is like a muscle that can only be strengthened if you use it. With an open attitude to feedback and learning writing skills, a bad writer could become a good writer over time!

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