10 Can't Miss Article Topics Readers Will LoveWritten by Jessica Albon
Copyright 2003, The Write ExposureYou sit down to write first article for your third issue. That's when it hits you. There's nothing left to write about! At The Write Exposure, we get lots of panicked calls from clients saying, "I've run out of article ideas!" What we've found is that seldom has our client actually run out of topics, rather they've covered all topics that came most easily to mind and now are overwhelmed with possibilities. It's a little like being told to write a poem. Any poem. Limerick, haiku, whatever you feel like. It's a bit overwhelming, isn't it? That's why we suggest you brainstorm topics within these categories. So, next time you think you've run out of article ideas, why not brainstorm all of customer successes you could write about? Some of most popular newsletter article categories are: Customer successes. Has a customer used your product to produce an amazing result? Do you have a customer with a recent success your other customers could learn from? Whether it directly relates to your product or not, success is always newsworthy. Customer complaints. Receive a couple similar complaints lately? Address them in your newsletter (be sure to point out how you've responded and fixed problem). By addressing complaints in print, you prove your company is trustworthy and always improving. New products or services. Customers love word new. So, if you have a new product or service, don't hold back (just make sure it's really new!).
| | Become an Active ListenerWritten by Michelle L. Casto
438 words Become an Active Listener Contrary to what you may have heard, listening does not come easy for most people, yet it is one of most important skills we can use on job and in our personal relationships. Hearing is a biological function, most people can hear unless they are hearing impaired. Listening, however, is a skill which takes active participation and conscious effort. Listening takes words and sounds that we hear and interprets them. The importance of active listening cannot be overstated. In order to be effective on job (and in life), you must develop your listening skills. This means being actively engaged with person speaking by looking at them, asking questions, and reflecting back to them what you heard them say. There are three main elements to active listening: tuning-in, asking questions, and reflecting on what person has said. Tuning in means being fully present with person and eliminating internal or external distractions. Asking questions involves posing thoughtful, relevant questions to further understand other person’s feelings or thoughts. And reflecting involves repeating back to them in your own words facts, feelings, and underlying meaning of words. There are many benefits to becoming a good listener: better ability to help others, social acceptance and popularity, and ability to avoid problems that result from a lack of listening. To listen more effectively, clear your mind, maintain an open body stance and good eye contact, pay attention to not only logical content of message, but also emotional, and respond appropriately (by nodding, smiling, or asking a probing question).
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