Tracey Selingo « oh my! handmade goodness

Tracey Selingo

3 words to nix from your vocabulary today

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

I don’t know.

Those three words, said in unison and uttered without thought, whispered, spoken, screamed or umphed will slowly, but surely, do no good. It really doesn’t matter if you work independently or dependently. I don’t know is at the top of the toxic-communication chart.

Think about it.

“Does this come in blue?” I don’t know.

“Can you fix this for me?” I don’t know.

“Will you deliver that product by next week?” I don’t know.

Fail. Fail. Fail.

When a question is asked an answer is needed and wanted and hoped for and expected. I don’t know dismisses all of that with the shrug of a shoulder and the bat of an eye.

In the rush of daily business and life it’s important to remember that answers don’t need to be delivered immediately. Really. It’s okay to replace I don’t know with I’ll find out or let me get back to you. At least then you will show that you’re actively trying to help someone by answering their question.

As if that’s not reward enough, you might actually be surprised by what you learn when you start hunting for an answer.

Embrace the magic by sending your child a letter from Santa

Monday, December 5, 2011

Is Santa really there or not?

That’s a big question for a little munchkin. And if you’re the one trying to fill those enormous black boots this season then it’s fair to guess you’d probably appreciate a visit from more than one elf, for more than one day to complete more than one task.

Even though you may not realize it, whatever you do to make the holidays special for your children, nieces and nephews, cousins, neighbors and friend’s children creates lasting memories. Sounds cliche, I know, but it’s true. Sometimes it’s hard to remember that tid-bit when you’re trying to pull bunnies out of hats.

And that’s what brings me here today.

When my children were young, my mom (what an angel) would take the time to send them a letter from Santa. It was nothing more than a form letter that she used to fill in a few blanks. She sent the same letter for years and it was the highlight (yes, highlight) of the season for them. It was the highlight for me, too, because it was something that I didn’t need to add to my ridiculously long list of things to do.

You with me?

So here it is for your easy-peasy-fill-in-the-blank use. When you click for joy below the Google document will magically open for you. You can edit the document in Google or download a version to your computer, personalize, print and then mail to all the little (and maybe a few big) people in your life. There are four areas you need to fill in: child’s name, town, wish list and friends. That’s it. Wishing you a season that’s full of magic.

Give thanks with a free printable thank you gift

Saturday, November 19, 2011

If you find yourself staring at your calendar with bated breath, know this: you are not alone. There are only so many hours in the day, so many days in the week, so many weeks left before you’re expected to sprinkle joy dust all around your world. Sounds fun. And it should be. So what gives?

Life gives.

We’re surrounded by finely crafted messages of how to give, what to give and who to give to, when in reality we really just need to focus on what’s important this holiday season: giving thanks.

It almost sounds too good to be true, too simple to grasp, too easy to do. And it is. If you deconstruct your long list of gift giving can you possibly just give your customers a little package of gratitude? Yes, you can.

Nothing says thank you like a thank you note, or for this matter, a box full of them. It’s the gift that keeps on giving. Me to you. You to your customers. Your customers to whoever they choose.

You can download the complete thank you note and card pictured above right here. This compressed folder includes the following files:

A ready-to-print PDF file of the A6 thank you card and note, 2-up, on separate pages, with trim marks (if you only want the pdf file, please click here)
An Illustrator file containing the original artwork, so you can change the colors and elements to suit your taste
An InDesign file used to compile the templates, along with the Photoshop links for the artwork

You can send just the card or you can print an additional 5-10 blank notes and include them in your package along with envelopes so your customer can give thanks throughout the year.

If you need to buy paper, envelopes and clear sleeves for packaging, here are a few, great suppliers to get you started:

Now just take a deep breath and get gigging…time is ticking!

How to make your brand sing

Monday, October 24, 2011

Are you at a loss for words when it comes to your business? Does a chill run up your spine when you think about copywriting for your brand? Chances are, if we were in a room and I asked for a show of hands, the room would resemble a concert with a sea of fingers making waves in the air.

Finding the right message can make your brand a rockstar.

That’s because your brand is the promise of an experience. If you can wrap your brain around that one simple fact then you’ll be closer than ever to finding the words that will make your brand sing.

Start by understanding your fans.

You’re thinking: I’m not selling an experience, I’m selling soap…how can soap be the promise of an experience? It’s the experience of the moisture-rich lather; it’s the experience of the cucumber-fresh scent; it’s the comfort of clean skin after a hard day’s work. You see, this story has very little to do with the energy you’re pouring into making every bar of soap, and more about the need it fulfills in your customer’s world.

Your story, whatever your brand, is always about fulfilling a need. Maslow outlined these needs for us quite nicely way back in 1943.

Level 1: The need to live (air, water, shelter, food, sex, sleep, etc.)

Level 2: The need to be safe and secure (protection, security, order, stability, etc.)

Level 3: The needs for companionship and community (family, friends, work, love)

Level 4: The need for self-esteem (reputation, achievement, status, etc.)

Level 5: The need for fulfillment (personal growth, wholeness, happiness)

When you know how your product/service is fulfilling your customers need, you can shift your focus to how your brand meets the promise of that experience. That’s where you’ll find the gold. It really doesn’t matter if you’re selling coffee, cupcakes, hair clips or clay critters.

Finish by embracing the power of emotion.

When you bring emotion into the picture, you connect on a human level. When you connect on a human level, you build your brand.

The angst of writing fades quickly when you consider talking to your customer on a one-on-one basis. You don’t need to mince words. You don’t need to be fancy . You just need to be real. Write as if you’re talking to a friend (you are). Write as though you have something to promise (you do). Write as though your brand depends upon it (it does).

Editor’s Note: Tracey will be joining us as our #omhg co-host this Thursday (October 27) from 1-2EST on Twitter for a chat on making your brand sing. Leave your questions below as comments or come visit us on Thursday!

Three steps to overcoming social time delay

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Three Steps to Overcoming Social Time Delay Are you suffering from Social Time Delay (STD)? So many people have it and the worst news is: it’s contagious. It spreads with the touch of a button—almost any button these days—including send, tweet, like, comment and share.

It starts off innocently enough with a subtle plink, ding, plunk, quack. These are the disarmingly sweet sounds that now replace the heinous “you’ve got mail” of yesteryear. Each unique bell and whistle alerts you that someone, somewhere is poking and prodding you to take your eye off the prize. To read, look or respond. To waste time swapping stories around the watercooler. Before you know it, you’ve lost an hour tweeting it up with a friend, visiting a blog, facebooking your way through a conversation that, quite frankly, can wait.

I’m not suggesting you abstain from the watercooler. It’s completely necessary for your sanity, success, sense of community and ongoing quest for simple pleasure. I’m just saying, there’s a time and place when yukking it up doesn’t result in a loss of productivity during the workday.

Fret not, my social butterfly. There are a number of ways you can tone down the distraction, pump up your profitability and still have a little time left to play.

It just takes clarity and purpose. You need to determine why you’re sitting in front of that computer or tethered to that smartphone in the first place. If you very quickly analyze your profit stream, you can identify what, if any, social networking sites positively impact your bottom line.

Will an hour on twitter boost your profits? Maybe. Will thirty minutes on Facebook help you sell more widgets? Perhaps. And how about Flickr? What’s that doing for your bank account? If you’re spending more than an hour on any, chances are your not investing enough of your time and talent on your business.

So how can you keep your STD in check? Here’s a 3 step plan to get you started.

Determine what sites are a good fit for your business.

Are you completely devoted to Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Flickr, Tumblr, Pininterest? Do you find yourself roaming around in a long list of blogs? Is this a matter of business or pleasure?

If it’s pleasure then you need to allocated personal time—read: after work—to enjoy yourself. If it’s for business you need to categorize your reason for roaming around. Simply put: what sites offer you a return?

Do your Twitter lists provide much needed resources that improve your business? Do the bulk of your sales come from your Facebook page? Does your favorite blog empower you? Your answers may be yes, yes and yes which means you should devote a little time to each source every day; however if your answers are no, no and no then you need to level with your social addiction and step away from the delay it puts in your workday.

Designate a social hour that works for you.

Try to pinpoint one or two times a day when you’re least productive. When do you feel like you need a break? Steer clear of your fresh zones: first thing in the morning and right after lunch. The last thing you need to do is become socially engaged when you’re energy level is at an all time high—your work deserves the benefit of fully present, pumped-up you.

When you determine your social time zones, allocate only 15 minutes of your time. Set a timer if you need to. This may be difficult at first. On some days, it may be impossible. I’m willing to confess that I donate an hour of time on Twitter every Thursday from 1-2 just to walk into the bright and sunny #omhg chat fest. That hour of power offers more than just a sense of community—those inspirational, creatively-juicy chats help my business brain function. If my schedule is swapped, I forgo the fest and catch the transcript. It’s not as much fun, but neither is extending my workday, delaying a project, putting off a meeting.

Focus on your tasks at hand.

When you’re working, shut your virtual doors, disable your social plugs, mute that handy-dandy phone of yours. If it’s not work, it can wait.

If you follow these 5 tasks to a more productive day, you can reward yourself with a little extra chitter-chatter at task #5. Just don’t be surprised if you find a long bath and glass of wine more rewarding than a trip to the watercooler. Funny things happen when you keep your eye on your prize.