Communication Simplified

What's a perscription?

Lisa Munniksma — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 01:43:00 GMT

I don't know, either.

I think the Wal-Mart near my house meant to spell out prescription on the marquis out front, not perscription. I hope the pharmacists there are more careful with their work...

Do you Twitter?

Lisa Munniksma — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 01:49:00 GMT

Follow me at www.twitter.com/LisaMunniksma.

Read my tweets as managing editor for Hobby Farms and Hobby Farm Home magazines.

Every single solitary apostrophe

Lisa Munniksma — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 00:30:00 GMT

I was amused on a recent shopping trip when I found the following sign throughout the aisles of a national-chain shoe store. It's not funny, for sure, because of the chain of people who looked at this sign and then decided to hang it anyway: the slogan writer, sign designer, printer, national marketing manager, store manager, and each and every employee in that store.

The errant apostrophe was too good--not to mention obvious--to not share here.

In case you're not sure what's up, that it's should be its. That last line reads "And it is identical twin" as it stands. The apostrophe isn't possessive in the case of it's/its.

Time to get with the program

Lisa Munniksma — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 23:26:00 GMT

My horse got hurt a few weeks ago, and I realized of all of the first-aid items I had with his belongings, I hadn't grabbed extra leg wraps. (They were in another state with another horse.) I had one set of leg wraps, so he was good to go in his small paddock for the night, but with a forecast of steady rain, I knew he'd need a clean, dry set in the morning.

On the way home from the barn, I called Information and was put in touch with three farm- and horse-supply stores in the area. I knew they'd be closed when I called, but I wanted to know how early I could get there in the morning. Of the three stores I called, none had their retail hours on their answering machines. One didn't have an answering machine at all.

I've never done a formal poll, so I can't say this is the truth for sure, but if someone is calling your business after it's closed, they probably would like to know when you're open so they can, say, do business with you. Don't you think? Normal office hours of a service business are 8 - 5, so people would just know to call between those hours. But not every retail operation has similar business hours.

Putting your hours of operation on your website and your answering machine makes sense to me as a consumer. It probably makes sense to your other customers, too.

If you care about horses, you need to read this post

Lisa Munniksma — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 01:49:00 GMT

Unwanted horses is one of the biggest--if not the biggest overall--issues facing the horse industry today. If you care about the welfare of horses, please take a minute to take this survey. You can read more about it below.

Unwanted Horse Coalition Survey

You are likely aware of the problem of thousands of unwanted and abandoned horses in the United States. Some say the problem is an epidemic, however, much remains unknown. The first step toward a solution is to gather and examine the facts.

YOUR HELP IS NEEDED. The Unwanted Horse Coalition (UHC) is launching a nationwide survey of the problem and we're asking for participation from horse owners, equine associations, veterinarians, breeders, state and local law enforcement, and rescue groups. Our goal is to hear from everyone interested in the welfare of horses, which is why I'm asking for the support of every AHC chapter.

WHAT YOU CAN DO PERSONALLY. Please take the UHC national online survey by going online at http://survey.ictgroup.com/uhcsurvey/. Your answers will be confidential.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO SPREAD THE WORD. Please inform your members and constituencies about the UHC survey and encourage them to take the survey. To make it easy, we've developed templates you can customize and use in newsletters, publications and Web sites.

CAN WE COUNT ON YOU? If you can promote the survey to your members and constituencies, please let us know by checking in online today. You'll be asked to answer a few quick questions to help us keep the project running smoothly. This Web site also provides quick access to all of the marketing templates. If you have any problems opening or downloading these files, please call Cathy McCormick at Stephens & Associates at 913-661-0910, Ext. 115 for technical assistance.

Thank you in advance for your help. With feedback from every corner of the horse industry, we believe this is a first and crucial step in finding the solution for this devastating problem.

As the national association representing all segments of the horse industry in Washington, D.C., the American Horse Council works daily to represent equine interests and opportunities. Organized in 1969, the AHC promotes and protects the industry by communicating with Congress, federal agencies, the media and the industry on behalf of all horse related interests each and every day.

The AHC is member supported by individuals and organizations representing virtually every facet of the horse world from owners, breeders, veterinarians, farriers, breed registries and horsemen's associations to horse shows, race tracks, rodeos, commercial suppliers and state horse councils.

Spell check?

Lisa Munniksma — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 22:29:00 GMT

I spell-checked that last post before I made it live (a good policy, and one I might suggest for some other blogs I've read...), and I had to laugh at this:

"Blogging" isn't recognized by the spell check function on my blogging software. Really. Irony.

Managing change

Lisa Munniksma — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 22:21:00 GMT

I'm big on change. I love it. Too much of the same-old makes me sleepy. I wrote earlier about taking a three-month blogging hiatus for a cross-country move (big change)--and I just finished another!

Back in Kentucky now, I've signed on with Hobby Farms and Hobby Farm Home magazines as managing editor. I just wrapped up my first month, and I can say I'm hooked. I'm still freelancing my writing, editing and media relations, just less frequently now, as I do still need to sleep on occasion.

I hope to continue blogging on this sporadically occasional basis I've managed to establish. Stay tuned, and let me know what communication-related topics you want to hear about! If you entertain me enough with your message, I might even invite a guest post.

Bright green garage sale branding

Lisa Munniksma — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 18:34:00 GMT

Garage sale shopping is not my thing. I love a bargain, but getting a quality item from a garage sale can take a good deal of effort. Likewise, holding a successful garage sale takes effort and, believe it or not, marketing.

I was asked to go to some garage sales yesterday and reluctantly agreed. A whole community was offering garage sales at homes throughout the winding streets and seemingly countless cul-de-sacs. I wondered how in the world residents manage to find their ways in and out of the development, let alone one-time visitors to their sales.

Upon entering the community, there was a large, neon green sign that said "Garage Sale" and gave an address, clearly printed. At the next intersection, there was another large, neon green sign that simply had a black arrow pointing straight ahead. A few blocks later, the same arrow appeared on the same green poster board, directing sale-seekers to turn left. The garage sale was at the end of that street.

While we were visiting this garage sale, two people commented to the owner that they were happy to have those signs directing them. This owner branded his sale with his neon green signage--standing out from the few other, smaller white signs around the neighborhood--and made it easy for potential customers to find him. It turns out branding--using the same name, logo, tagline, or colors to identify your business's or organization's goods and services--works for everyone from business giants all the way down to the once-a-year garage sale hosts.

The premiere premier

Lisa Munniksma — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 21:24:00 GMT

The English language is funny. Not ha-ha funny but weird funny. Why do so many words have similar spelling but really mean very different things? I was reminded of one recently when I saw misuse of the word "premiere."

Premiere is the first public showing. As in: The movie's Paris premiere was a flop.

Premier is the best. Such as: She is the premier chef in Lincoln.

Expect to hear about more of these from me. It's like my public service announcement for the communicating masses.

Lost in translation

Lisa Munniksma — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 21:16:00 GMT

A brochure I wrote last year was reprinted in Japanese for a trade mission to Japan. That was pretty cool! Of course, I don't speak, read or write a lick of Japanese, so when my client asked to have this project printed, I went to someone who could translate the materials for us.

I received a letter in the mail this week inviting me to an event in Germany. I have to wonder if the event organizers paid someone to translate their letter or if they used one of those free online translators. If they paid someone, I hope they didn't pay very much.

I can figure out what this letter is saying ("Get ready for the future by firming up on the topic of..." and "This event will fire you with enthusiasm!"), but it's not said very clearly. That makes me sad because for very little money, this organization could've had the letter translated well.

Marketing copy is all about smooth, convincing prose. The way the words flow is just as important to the success of your project (your event, promotion or new product) as the execution of the project itself. If your target customers have to read and re-read your materials to understand your point, you're making them work too hard. As busy as we all are, your customers shouldn't have to take the time out of their days to try to understand what you're saying; they're more likely to put your message aside and forget all about it.

Whether you're translating your marketing materials into another language or just targeting them to your audience, do it well--or find someone who can do it well--or your efforts may be wasted.

Ad vs. press release

Lisa Munniksma — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 16:23:00 GMT

For one publication I work with, I compile industry news as part of my assignment. I rely on professionals to send information about promotions, educational events and anything else they want their potential customers to know about. Some of these folks do their own media work and others hire agencies to do the work for them.

In the cases of the do-it-yourself-ers, I get a lot of people who are comfortable communicating their news and who understand how and why to write a press release. I'm also contacted by some people who don't understand the difference between an ad and a press release. After getting one e-mail that began, "Please place an ad that says...," I realized there are a lot of professionals who don't know the difference between an ad and a press release.

In short:

An advertisement is media space that you purchase. In magazines, ad space is generally measured by pages and fractions of pages. In newspapers, it's usually done by the column inches that your ad will occupy. In television and radio, it's length of your commercial time. And on websites, there are endless ways to purchase advertising. Banner ads--often the first thought of for website advertising--are measured by size and placement.

Press releases, on the other hand, are not paid media coverage--or they should not be run only on a paid basis in a legitimate publication, but that's the subject of another post all together. A press release is a short news announcement from your company. Press releases are how I gather my information for the industry news section I mentioned in the beginning. Several examples of press releases are on this blog and on my website: April 19: Lisa is speaking at the Clinton County FEST, Coming Attraction... and Nadia Heffner Chosen as Trainer for Midwest Mustang Challenge.

When the e-mail came in that asked to place an ad, I knew what that person wanted was a mention in the industry news section, not a paid advertisement. Still, I wondered if a check in my name would follow. Needless to say, I haven't received one yet.

Poor communication is downfall of projects

Lisa Munniksma — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 21:21:00 GMT

According to a press release I received from ESI International and Independent Project Analysis, troubled projects are costing companies, organizations and governments (meaning taxpayers) billions of dollars. This isn't just a US issue; it's a worldwide problem.

A study conducted by the two organizations reveals 34 percent of all projects succeed while an average of 15 percent of all projects fail. Projects that are considered “challenged” – usually due to cost or schedule overruns – account for 51 percent of all projects.

"Projects with poorly defined scope, undeveloped teams, and whose cost and schedule lack detail at the time of execution are more likely to not meet business objectives,” said Mary Ellen Yarossi, director of the IPA Institute.

And all of these things relate back to communication issues. Poorly defined project scope and schedules lacking detail mean someone didn't relay their needs or vision very well. Maybe we all need to follow the public speaking mantra of "tell them what you're going to tell them; tell them; then tell them what you told them." Perhaps by the time we've gone through that process, we'll better understand how to carry out our own projects.

You've got your work cut out for you

Lisa Munniksma — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 14:34:57 GMT

The following help-wanted ad is worth a read. I'm not making up this job listing. This is an actual job listing (italics added for emphasis; identifying details removed):

Freelance Writer wanted for newspaper and or magizine articles...Pay flat rate per article. Must be acurate, concise, knowledgeable and possess good gramer skills.

Their new hire better be willing to proof help-wanted ads, too.

Three months

Lisa Munniksma — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 22:50:00 GMT

There's not really any good excuse for skipping out on three months of blogging. Maybe moving a business and farm halfway across the country while building a new website are OK excuses, though. In fact, that's what I just did.

Please help me in welcoming Communication Simplified to Lincoln, Nebraska. No, it's not as flat as Indiana. Yes, there's a lot of corn. No, there's not as much corn as in Indiana. Yes, there are cows, too. No, I have not seen any tumbleweeds. Those are pretty much the standard questions I've been asked since announcing the move.

Also help me in welcoming my new business presence to the World Wide Web: www.communicationsimplified.net. You'll find all of my new contact information there in addition to what I hope is a clearer, er, simpler explanation of how small businesses and nonprofit organizations can benefit from affordable, professional communication assistance.

And thanks for reading! I'll be back in less than three months.

Recognizing referrals

Lisa Munniksma — Wed, 07 May 2008 00:56:00 GMT

Many people are apprehensive when they visit a doctor for the first time. It is comforting to them when they have been referred by a relative or friend who is already a satisfied patient. This was the case recently when a new patient seen in our office mentioned that you recommended us.

That's the start to a really nice letter I received from chiropractor Beth Adams Spencer after sending a yoga-injured patient her way. (I know it's funny, but he was really hurting.)

Dr. Spencer has lots of neat client correspondence. In this case, I'm not even a client, but she thought to send her regards anyway. It's efforts like this that keep small businesses front-of-mind to clients and potential clients, especially while consumers in general are starting to be more mindful of where they spend their pennies.

Three cheers for Dr. Spencer!

April 19: Lisa is speaking at the Clinton County FEST

Lisa Munniksma — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 19:05:00 GMT

During the first-ever Clinton County FEST on Saturday, April 19, area business leaders and community members will be able to interact and learn about all of the educational and employment opportunities available to them. Also during the free event, freelance writer, editor, and media relations consultant Lisa Munniksma will be among the presenters with two interactive sessions for attendees and vendors.

At 1:15, Networking: Marketing Yourself will explore networking ideas and how the process of networking can improve career and business opportunities. At 2:15, Promoting Your Business will assist small business owners with options for effectively marketing their products and services to the community.

As a follow-up to her presentations at the Clinton County FEST, Purdue Extension’s Learning Network will host a four-part image-building seminar led by Munniksma. The seminar will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. on Thursdays in May (May 1, 8, 15, and 22). Pre-registration is required at $105 for the series or $30 per session.

In four interactive sessions, participants will learn about what contributes to a positive business image, how to examine a company’s or group’s image, and how to present the best image possible to your customers and community. Sessions 1 and 2 will cover your “Garden of Image” and image-building basics. Session 3 is about building an image by working with the media. In Session 4, participants will examine word-of-mouth marketing.

Lisa Munniksma has worked in writing, editing, and media relations since 1996. She’s been published in more than 35 publications and her clients have been featured on television news and profile programs and in trade and consumer magazines and newspapers. Lisa lives in Frankfort, Ind., and makes her home online at www.lisa-writes.com.

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Media mention

Lisa Munniksma — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 18:31:00 GMT

Just wanted to direct you to the April 11 issue of Doug Emerson's "Profitable Horseman" newsletter.

In writing about the impact that today's economy is having on the equine industry, Doug inquired about what we're experiencing in Indiana. I was happy to provide some input that's less depressing than what's being heard from mainstream news outlets, although I believe the outlook can be described best as cautiously optimistic.

Is that a gelding?

Lisa Munniksma — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 21:55:00 GMT

My horse Rooster and I had a great time at Linda Black's "Softer Side of Horsemanship" clinic this weekend at Cross 9 Ranch. I arrived on Friday afternoon along with my friend Susan. We quickly found ourselves helping out with farm chores, and soon after that, I stumbled upon the fodder for this blog post.

We were asked to move several horses to different pastures and to bring one horse back to the barn. No problem. With a few decades of horse experience between us, certainly we're over-qualified for leading around a few horses. We sent the first group of horses to their new locations without a hitch.

The original instructions for the second group of horses was that we were to put the mares that were in the paddock on the side of the barn in another larger pasture. We were supposed to leave Roy, the Palomino gelding, in that lot. We headed outside and looked at the three horses there. I knew all but one: CJ, Dolly, and a Palomino horse. I didn't think the Palomino was Roy, and I asked Susan, "Is that a gelding?" She said yes, so I figured it'd just been a while since I saw these horses (it had been since the fall, at least).

We delivered the two mares we knew and checked in again to see if there was anything else we could help with. We were asked why we didn't move the Palomino horse.

"Isn't that Roy," we both asked. Nope. The horse we left in the paddock was a mare. Roy is a gelding. Someone else already took care of him.

When I asked her about the gelding, Susan thought I asked whether Roy was a gelding, not whether that horse in the paddock was a gelding. How simple is that miscommunication? I thought I was clear in my question; but she gave me the answer to the question she thought I was asking. It's amazing how many times communication glitches like that happen with our horses, our customers, and our family and friends.

The good thing about horses, family, and friends is they (most) always forgive you; customers don't always forgive.

Award-winning magazines

Lisa Munniksma — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 14:38:00 GMT

I write for a really wide variety of publications, and I love the range of assignments they provide. Every day and every article is different. I also love the reputation that many of these publications hold.

Just yesterday, I received an e-mail from my editor at Lafayette Magazine saying the publication took third place in the Best of Gannett competition. This magazine is only a year old, but it's been well received in the community, and now it's being recognized by the industry.

Last year, Hoof Beats magazine won the General Excellence award for Association or Subsidized Magazine(circulation under 15,000) from American Horse Publications. Barrel Horse News won General Excellence for Best Tabloid/Newspaper--admittedly, I wasn't writing for them during this awards period, but it's exciting, nonetheless. Equine Veterinary Management received a General Excellence honorable mention for Self-Supported Magazine (circulation under 15,000). Western Horseman received a General Excellence honorable mention as Self-Supported Magazine (circulation 15,000 and over)--again, I started writing for them just this year.

There are other measures of merit that are worth paying more attention to, most important being reader and source satisfaction--getting the story right and making it useful. This week, I got a note from someone whose business we profiled in The Indianapolis Star's "Suburban Homescape" section. She offered to send a small token of appreciation. We don't accept gifts, but her thanks was a nice reward.

Family affairs

Lisa Munniksma — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 17:16:00 GMT

I am thankful to have had the opportunity to speak about image building and word-of-mouth marketing at the "Marketing Made Easy" seminar in Plymouth, Ind., on Tuesday. We had a good turnout of agricultural-business owners who wanted to learn how to better inform the public of the products and services they provide. I love talking with groups like this because their businesses are literally their lives. These folks are hungry for this kind of information.

I was taken by the passion they all exhibited for their businesses. In the beginning, the coordinator asked everyone to go around the room and tell us about themselves. The first participant to introduce himself first told us his name. Then he told us about his children. Right there, I knew this group was going to be different. This wasn't just a crowd of small business owners who are in business because they thought they would enjoy it--although they are doing it for that reason, too. This was a crowd of people whose whole families were involved in their businesses.

When your business is more than just a place you go to every day, you exhibit a passion that others don't regularly experience. I believe this passion is communicated to your customers. It shows in your products and services. I encouraged them to never lose that passion, because that's what will set them apart from others in their field.