CASE HISTORIES These can highlight your company's problem solving abilities. And well-written case histories are in demand -- by readers and editors alike. You can work with a single publication to place a case history or broadcast it to many publications.

TECHNICAL FEATURES Getting a technical article placed in right publication can enhance credibility quickly. To be successful this tactic must be backed with careful research and planning to ensure topic is timely. Usually you’ll work with a single publication to place a feature.

©2004 Clairvoyant Communications, Inc.

About author

Claire Cunningham, president of Clairvoyant Communications, Inc., has 20+ years’ experience developing and implementing successful marketing and communications programs. Sign up for Claire’s monthly newsletter, Communiqué, at http://www.clairvoyantcommunications.com Claire can be reached at 763-479-3499 (Fax: 763-479-2809, e-mail: claire@claircomm.com)

If you use IM to communicate with your customers and prospective customers, right IM software will actually analyze these communications and help you develop a list of frequently asked questions. FAQ’s are great time savers and effective business tools.

And IM is not impersonal. Use audio and video chat features and have a true face to face conversation without leaving office! Think of money you’ll save on traveling. Not only can you see other party’s face, you can see other things such as new product designs and product demonstrations. If it’s viewable, it can be seen using video chat.

If your business requires you to place international phone calls, you can save money on your phone bill, too. Adjust volume, record and playback, even use chat like you’re using a walkie-talkie so other party hears only parts of conversation that you choose. Pause, rewind and playback conversations, bookmark important points in your conversations, and search through past conversations by keyword or phrase.

Plus you can keep all of your contacts separated into categories yet contained in one easy to locate place. You can also have different contact lists under each of your various screen names.

And best of all, you can install IM software on your company network painlessly. Sharing files, communicating with co-workers, and knowing what’s going on in your office without leaving your desk is easy.

Trillian Pro connects to AIM, ICQ, MSN, Yahoo Messenger and IRC. And by using plug-ins, it can connect to many different services. Instant Messaging really is a valuable tool and one that will fit well into your business. Start chatting today!