The Federal Reserve left the federal funds rate unchanged at its meeting Wednesday. The central bank kept the door open to raising rates in the near future — something it has done twice already this year — provided economic conditions remain satisfactory. In June, the Fed voted to raise the federal funds rate by a...
Mortgage rates for 30-year and 15-year fixed loans, as well as 5/1 ARMs, all moved higher again today, according to a NerdWallet survey of daily mortgage rates published by national lenders Wednesday morning. The Federal Reserve announces its decision on short-term interest rates today. Another rate hike is not expected, because inflation — often a byproduct...
Customers like doing business with companies that not only provide strong services, but help them feel engaged or, at the very least, give them a sense of trust. Doing that can be tricky, though. That’s why we asked 15 members from the Young Entrepreneur Council this question:
RELATED: 12 Ways to Improve Your Customers’ In-Store Experience
RELATED: 5 Customer Service Lessons Every Business Needs to Learn
The post The Personal Approach May Be All You Need to Keep Customers Happy and Coming Back appeared first on AllBusiness.com
The post The Personal Approach May Be All You Need to Keep Customers Happy and Coming Back appeared first on AllBusiness.com. Click for more information about YEC.
I saw some interesting data that surprised me. I worked in technical sales where I expect there to be fewer women, but it’s not just technical sales that finds itself short of women. Overall, women are underrepresented in sales.
Here’s why I think this situation exists and what can be done to get more women in sales.
Here’s what the data shows. According to the report “Gaining the Talent Advantage: The Case for Gender Diversity in Sales” by CEB:
One of the reasons why there aren’t more women in sales is because women don’t realize that sales is a great career. When you were a kid, if you are female, did you think, “When I grow up I want to be a salesperson?” Probably not. There certainly weren’t any role models, and it’s not like the job description is everywhere. You might have thought about going into business, but not into sales.
Let’s face it. Whether you’re male or female, the same qualities are needed to be successful in sales. I advise my clients to hire salespeople who are politely persistent, optimistic, organized, curious, and creative. It may be more difficult to find women who possess those skills because, if presumably men are doing the interviewing, they may not know how to recognize those traits in women.
I suggest that my clients consider hiring women who’ve played sports since a person involved in sports knows how to lose. A sports background comes in handy when optimism is necessary to continue in sales. I also suggest finding women who volunteer and have led a volunteer organization or subcommittee. Nothing’s harder than leading people who aren’t getting paid; however, someone who’s been successful in a volunteer role demonstrates persistence, organization, and creativity—pretty handy skills to have in sales.
Some sales jobs do require overnight travel, others don’t. Some women think that they can’t manage a job in sales and also have a family, and this misconception keeps many of them from considering sales careers. The truth is a career in sales with a family is quite possible with some caveats.
RELATED: You Don’t Have to Be Superwoman to Be a Sales Success
Your choice of spouse is critical. I have had overnights twice a week consistently in my sales career. I did have help from my husband and I also had a babysitter. My husband and I coordinated our calendars and travel schedule so we could avoid being gone the same night. In over 15 years, we only had a conflict two times. One of those times was when I won a sales award trip—my husband, of course, came with me—and our daughter stayed with a neighbor.
Then again, you could choose a sales job with local travel so you avoid all overnights.
Sales is the best career for top performers. Why? Most sales jobs pay based on results, and top commissions get paid to the best salespeople. Data showing women getting paid less than men must have come from women not on commission.
When you work hard in sales, you tend to get better results. Lazy people should steer clear of sales. Most of the talented women I know work hard, so why not get paid for your hard work? And what could be better than not having a ceiling on your income? When you’re making a lot of money from selling, your company also is making more. Only a fool would change the compensation structure so a top performer would make less money.
Most companies are looking for a competitive advantage when they sell. Perhaps companies will work harder to hire women for sales positions, especially since organizations with high levels of gender diversity outperform their counterparts and a slightly higher percentage of women make their sales goals over men. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if one day hiring women in sales was recognized as a competitive sales advantage?
RELATED: 10 Reasons Why Women Kick Butt in Business
The post Why Aren’t There More Women in Sales? (And What to Do About It) appeared first on AllBusiness.com
The post Why Aren’t There More Women in Sales? (And What to Do About It) appeared first on AllBusiness.com. Click for more information about Maura Schreier-Fleming.
Bad business writing costs American businesses nearly $400 billion every year. Yup, $400 billion—with a “B.”
That’s according to Josh Bernoff, who conducted a survey about businesspeople who write at work. He says American workers spend 22% of their time at work reading, and also believes that more than a quarter of that time—6%—is wasted due to poor writing. And so therefore, 6% of the time we spend at work—and the money spent on those unproductive wage hours—is wasted, simply because we have to slog through murky words.
What’s 6% of your company’s spending on wages? At my company, it’s a sizable sum. Cash flow may only be a problem for 34% of small businesses, but who wants to waste anything?
So surely we need to change this. If we could just get rid of bad business writing, it’d be a 6% increase in productivity, right? Well, one blog post is a little brief for fixing this epidemic. But it’s long enough to give you the CliffsNotes version. And let’s face it… part of the reason I’m writing this—and you’re reading it—is because we all need to be briefer.
Let’s start with mindset first, and leave the grammar ‘til later.
It may be a harsh truth, but all good advertising writers know it: People don’t really like to read. Most of them won’t tell you that, of course. But people’s reptilian brains will avoid reading if they can—especially work documents.
Don’t believe me? Consider this: Infographics are shared and liked three times more often than blog posts. Really grasping this resistance to reading will do more to clarify and condense your writing than anything else. Once you understand how busy and distracted your readers are, you’ll know why convoluted sentences and windy paragraphs are death.
So be kind. Keep it brief. Keep it clear.
Here’s a corollary to the first point: Almost no one reads online—they scan. This can actually be a good thing. If you can write for scanners, you might just get your message across. Here’s how to make your writing scannable:
Understanding this scanning habit can be particularly helpful with emails, which make up the bulk of business writing. Most of your emails will be too short for subheads, but there’s one simple formatting tool that can double the readability of your emails: It’s the return key. Yep, just adding a few more returns to your emails can make them far easier to read. So let those sentences breathe.
RELATED: Is Bad Writing Costing Your Company Valuable Time and Money?
Clear writing requires clear thinking. And while writing can—and does—support and enhance thinking, it’s often best to do your thinking before you sit down to write. In other words, know what you want to say before you sit down to write.
Some writers have to spin this rule a bit. They’ll sit down and write a lot, simply to figure out what they think about the subject. Then they’ll go off and do something else for a bit. When they come back, they’ll sit down and write their piece all over, but this time knowing what they want to say. That second version of the writing is always better.
This reveals another old writing trick: Rewrite. Then rewrite again. Don’t just edit with a red pen, start a completely new version of the piece. It’s more work, sure, but you’ll be clearer, and your readers will appreciate it.
Most of you reading this are good communicators; some of you are great communicators. You speak clearly, succinctly, and effectively. And yet, as soon as you sit down at the keyboard, everything falls apart.
Maybe it’s because you think good writing is lofty (it doesn’t have to be). Or that writing by smart people is hard to read (not necessarily). But whatever it is that’s making you think you have to write like a lawyer or an academic, stop it.
Here’s my best writing secret: When I sit down to write, I imagine I’m walking out on a stage. The audience is people like you. What I type is what I’d say to them—or to you. I write exactly the words I’d want to say to you if you were here, and we were face to face.
Try that, and see if you writing doesn’t become more direct.
You can get help from apps or people. Here are your best options for apps:
Or consider hiring an editor. There are many editing services available for business writers. You could also find an editor-for-hire on Guru.com, Fiverr, or any of the other freelancing platforms. If you have a major report due, it might be the best investment of your career to have your writing professionally edited.
Good writing benefits everyone. It benefits you because it gets your ideas across—and it might get you a raise, too. It benefits your coworkers because they don’t have to struggle to understand you. It benefits your customers because it makes you easier to work with.
Always remember: Writing is a skill—not a gift. So before you send another email, review it. Check it with the Hemingway Editor or Grammarly. See if it can’t be shorter and clearer, and practice makes improvement.
RELATED: Typos on a Sales Letter? Please No!
The post 5 Simple Ways to Improve Your Business Writing appeared first on AllBusiness.com
The post 5 Simple Ways to Improve Your Business Writing appeared first on AllBusiness.com. Click for more information about Brian Sutter.
Bad business writing costs American businesses nearly $400 billion every year. Yup, $400 billion—with a “B.”
That’s according to Josh Bernoff, who conducted a survey about businesspeople who write at work. He says American workers spend 22% of their time at work reading, and also believes that more than a quarter of that time—6%—is wasted due to poor writing. And so therefore, 6% of the time we spend at work—and the money spent on those unproductive wage hours—is wasted, simply because we have to slog through murky words.
What’s 6% of your company’s spending on wages? At my company, it’s a sizable sum. Cash flow may only be a problem for 34% of small businesses, but who wants to waste anything?
So surely we need to change this. If we could just get rid of bad business writing, it’d be a 6% increase in productivity, right? Well, one blog post is a little brief for fixing this epidemic. But it’s long enough to give you the CliffsNotes version. And let’s face it… part of the reason I’m writing this—and you’re reading it—is because we all need to be briefer.
Let’s start with mindset first, and leave the grammar ‘til later.
It may be a harsh truth, but all good advertising writers know it: People don’t really like to read. Most of them won’t tell you that, of course. But people’s reptilian brains will avoid reading if they can—especially work documents.
Don’t believe me? Consider this: Infographics are shared and liked three times more often than blog posts. Really grasping this resistance to reading will do more to clarify and condense your writing than anything else. Once you understand how busy and distracted your readers are, you’ll know why convoluted sentences and windy paragraphs are death.
So be kind. Keep it brief. Keep it clear.
Here’s a corollary to the first point: Almost no one reads online—they scan. This can actually be a good thing. If you can write for scanners, you might just get your message across. Here’s how to make your writing scannable:
Understanding this scanning habit can be particularly helpful with emails, which make up the bulk of business writing. Most of your emails will be too short for subheads, but there’s one simple formatting tool that can double the readability of your emails: It’s the return key. Yep, just adding a few more returns to your emails can make them far easier to read. So let those sentences breathe.
RELATED: Is Bad Writing Costing Your Company Valuable Time and Money?
Clear writing requires clear thinking. And while writing can—and does—support and enhance thinking, it’s often best to do your thinking before you sit down to write. In other words, know what you want to say before you sit down to write.
Some writers have to spin this rule a bit. They’ll sit down and write a lot, simply to figure out what they think about the subject. Then they’ll go off and do something else for a bit. When they come back, they’ll sit down and write their piece all over, but this time knowing what they want to say. That second version of the writing is always better.
This reveals another old writing trick: Rewrite. Then rewrite again. Don’t just edit with a red pen, start a completely new version of the piece. It’s more work, sure, but you’ll be clearer, and your readers will appreciate it.
Most of you reading this are good communicators; some of you are great communicators. You speak clearly, succinctly, and effectively. And yet, as soon as you sit down at the keyboard, everything falls apart.
Maybe it’s because you think good writing is lofty (it doesn’t have to be). Or that writing by smart people is hard to read (not necessarily). But whatever it is that’s making you think you have to write like a lawyer or an academic, stop it.
Here’s my best writing secret: When I sit down to write, I imagine I’m walking out on a stage. The audience is people like you. What I type is what I’d say to them—or to you. I write exactly the words I’d want to say to you if you were here, and we were face to face.
Try that, and see if you writing doesn’t become more direct.
You can get help from apps or people. Here are your best options for apps:
Or consider hiring an editor. There are many editing services available for business writers. You could also find an editor-for-hire on Guru.com, Fiverr, or any of the other freelancing platforms. If you have a major report due, it might be the best investment of your career to have your writing professionally edited.
Good writing benefits everyone. It benefits you because it gets your ideas across—and it might get you a raise, too. It benefits your coworkers because they don’t have to struggle to understand you. It benefits your customers because it makes you easier to work with.
Always remember: Writing is a skill—not a gift. So before you send another email, review it. Check it with the Hemingway Editor or Grammarly. See if it can’t be shorter and clearer, and practice makes improvement.
RELATED: Typos on a Sales Letter? Please No!
The post 5 Simple Ways to Improve Your Business Writing appeared first on AllBusiness.com
The post 5 Simple Ways to Improve Your Business Writing appeared first on AllBusiness.com. Click for more information about Brian Sutter.
I saw some interesting data that surprised me. I worked in technical sales where I expect there to be fewer women, but it’s not just technical sales that finds itself short of women. Overall, women are underrepresented in sales.
Here’s why I think this situation exists and what can be done to get more women in sales.
Here’s what the data shows. According to the report “Gaining the Talent Advantage: The Case for Gender Diversity in Sales” by CEB:
One of the reasons why there aren’t more women in sales is because women don’t realize that sales is a great career. When you were a kid, if you are female, did you think, “When I grow up I want to be a salesperson?” Probably not. There certainly weren’t any role models, and it’s not like the job description is everywhere. You might have thought about going into business, but not into sales.
Let’s face it. Whether you’re male or female, the same qualities are needed to be successful in sales. I advise my clients to hire salespeople who are politely persistent, optimistic, organized, curious, and creative. It may be more difficult to find women who possess those skills because, if presumably men are doing the interviewing, they may not know how to recognize those traits in women.
I suggest that my clients consider hiring women who’ve played sports since a person involved in sports knows how to lose. A sports background comes in handy when optimism is necessary to continue in sales. I also suggest finding women who volunteer and have led a volunteer organization or subcommittee. Nothing’s harder than leading people who aren’t getting paid; however, someone who’s been successful in a volunteer role demonstrates persistence, organization, and creativity—pretty handy skills to have in sales.
Some sales jobs do require overnight travel, others don’t. Some women think that they can’t manage a job in sales and also have a family, and this misconception keeps many of them from considering sales careers. The truth is a career in sales with a family is quite possible with some caveats.
RELATED: You Don’t Have to Be Superwoman to Be a Sales Success
Your choice of spouse is critical. I have had overnights twice a week consistently in my sales career. I did have help from my husband and I also had a babysitter. My husband and I coordinated our calendars and travel schedule so we could avoid being gone the same night. In over 15 years, we only had a conflict two times. One of those times was when I won a sales award trip—my husband, of course, came with me—and our daughter stayed with a neighbor.
Then again, you could choose a sales job with local travel so you avoid all overnights.
Sales is the best career for top performers. Why? Most sales jobs pay based on results, and top commissions get paid to the best salespeople. Data showing women getting paid less than men must have come from women not on commission.
When you work hard in sales, you tend to get better results. Lazy people should steer clear of sales. Most of the talented women I know work hard, so why not get paid for your hard work? And what could be better than not having a ceiling on your income? When you’re making a lot of money from selling, your company also is making more. Only a fool would change the compensation structure so a top performer would make less money.
Most companies are looking for a competitive advantage when they sell. Perhaps companies will work harder to hire women for sales positions, especially since organizations with high levels of gender diversity outperform their counterparts and a slightly higher percentage of women make their sales goals over men. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if one day hiring women in sales was recognized as a competitive sales advantage?
RELATED: 10 Reasons Why Women Kick Butt in Business
The post Why Aren’t There More Women in Sales? (And What to Do About It) appeared first on AllBusiness.com
The post Why Aren’t There More Women in Sales? (And What to Do About It) appeared first on AllBusiness.com. Click for more information about Maura Schreier-Fleming.
