by admin | Jul 10, 2014 | Uncategorized
When my business partner Claire Mazur and I developed the idea for our company, Of a Kind in 2010, establishing our voice was a serious undertaking. We were creating a website to sell pieces from up-and-coming fashion designers and also to tell their stories, and we knew that figuring out how to speak to our audience — not just what to say but also how to say it — would be key in shaping people’s perception of what we were doing and selling. Having come from the world of magazine editorial, cementing that tone was something I was excited to tackle. And though this project was especially crucial to our eCommerce business with its content-heavy approach, really, every company under the sun has to think about the voice and the personality of its messaging — how do you write an Instagram caption or respond to user feedback if you don’t know what your business sounds like? Read more about the 4 ways to nail your brand voice...
by admin | Jul 10, 2014 | Communication strategy
Do you have “ice breakers” (or short phrases) that you use to meet new people at events or for networking during your daily stroll around town? Since any opportunity is great moment for prospecting, this blog has some very interesting points that could help you develop your communication skills and, in turn, be more successful and attract new clients. However, even though the first point says to “give them (the ‘new’ person) the impression that you’re enthusiastic about talking to them,” I would like to differ and say that you should be genuinely excited about talking to new people and caring about what they have to say. Showing that you are genuine will “shine through” and really change the communicative and behavioral dynamics in a conversation. Some of the other points, like smiling, are important too. So, bookmark this one and re-read it before going to an event or meeting a new client! Read more about it...
by admin | Jul 9, 2014 | Communication strategy
It’s really important that you find effective ways to communicate with your staff. Buy-in from them is key to productivity and to keeping a loyal workforce; after all, you’ve invested in their development, now you want them to stay! Unfortunately the bigger you become, the harder it is. If you fail to rise to this challenge though, you’ll end up with a resentful workforce motivated purely by their salary, rather than driven by the overall success of the company. This was a dilemma we faced just over a year ago; while the company was booming, morale was in decline because, while the senior management were completely in the loop on all our plans for the future and where and why money was being invested, the majority felt in the dark. We weren’t making the effort to share news with them and as a result they rightly felt unconnected from the decisions we were making and the direction the company – and their future – was taking. Here are the key things we did to rectify the internal communication situation....
by admin | Jul 9, 2014 | Communication strategy
As communicators, we’re always looking for new ways to improve the way we write, speak and, well, communicate. Maybe we follow writing blogs to find tips or even watch YouTube videos on how to improve our public speaking. One thing that never seems to be talked about is how learning a second language opens a whole new window of opportunity to learn how other people in this big ol’ world are communicating and what we can take away from that. Here are my top four takeaways: 1. Things Don’t Always Translate Word for Word More often than not, phrases and sentences aren’t going to translate perfectly. You can’t read through a sentence, translating it word for word and expecting the combination to make sense at the end. You learn to look at the entire context of a phrase or sentence and make the connection to its equivalent in your native language. Being able to search for and find contextual connections in a second language makes it easier to do the same in your first. Read about them...
by admin | Jul 8, 2014 | Uncategorized
The next wave of Galaxy smartphones and mobile devices cannot come fast enough for Samsung. The electronics giant needs to get its mojo working again. Sales were sluggish during second quarter of 2014 – down 24% from last year — the Seoul, Korea-headquartered company announced in its earnings preview. Operating income of 7.2 trillion won ($7.1 billion) amounted to a two-year low for Samsung – and far below the analyst estimates of 8.1 trillion won. The company will release full earnings at the end of the month. Read more about it...
