After sending out hundreds of emails, it was dead silence. It took me back to my audition days, when you’d go to the casting directors, they’d see you – and you’d wait by the phone for weeks hoping to get a call back. The difference between this particular scenario and auditions, is that you don’t have to wait for a call back to make your next move. This brings me to the follow up.

There’s a few reasons that it’s important to follow up with new contacts and potential clients:

• They may not have seen your initial email
• They may have seen your email, and have forgotten to respond
• They’re insanely busy (as most business owners are), and sometimes need a quick reminder

Often times, it’s not until you follow up that you get a response – and rightfully so! It doesn’t take much to send out an initial email, but the execution and follow through can show dedication and good business initiative.

Here’s a couple tips to keep in mind when constructing a follow up email

1. Keep it short and sweet – your initial email should’ve had more elaborate messaging, so if the reader is interested, they can look back.
2. Put the pertinent details in bullet points – be sure to summarize your previous message in quick, relevant pieces of information.
3. Concentrate on the benefits – make sure that the recipient knows what you’re offering them or their business.
4. Be personal – make sure to do a little research, and reference something they might identify with. It shows that you’re not afraid to do a little work, even in the beginning stages.
5. Don’t be a pest – always wait a couple days before following up. Remember: people are busy, and don’t like to be hassled. If they want to respond to you, they will.

Following up is an essential way to help ensure your success and show true business professionalism. It’s all about effort, people – the more you put in, the more you’ll get back.

As for my acting career? Well, lets just say I’m still waiting for my call back.

WHAT TO DO?

Effort is key. Whether you’re looking to make contact/pitch/converse with a new client, prospect or lead: it’s important to build and cultivate relationships. Everyone is saturated with emails/tweets/Facebook messages that lack any form of personality or personalization. It’s become so easy to quickly scan something that comes our way – or even worse, just plain delete the communication because there’s no emotion connection attached to the message.

Let’s all remember that even though we can hide behind the comfort of our screens, there’s more to online communication than simply pushing out messages and content. The way we communicate may have changed, but the way we retain and process information has very much stayed the same.

HOW CAN YOU IMPROVE?

1. Make sure you’re avoiding mass emails at all costs – take the time to personally address your emails, regardless of the content remaining the same. IT MATTERS.

2. Reference a touch point with the person you’re communicating to. A message is always well absorbed when common ground is established first.

3. Be human.  No one likes impersonal emails, messages or content. The computer didn’t generate this, YOU DID – so reflect that in your writing (it will be appreciated).

4. Make sure you’re relevant. Don’t waste people’s time! We’re all busy, so make sure the message is something the reader will be interested in. This will improve your credibility in the long run, making your communications “must-read” material.

5. PROOF READ. You have no excuses for spelling mistakes. On that note, please disregard any spelling errors in this blog. Seriously though: it’s effort, people.

Start to put these tactics into action, and watch your communication skills soar. It may be difficult and a bit taxing at first – but as any good business person knows: ALWAYS GIVE MORE THAN YOU GET.

Writers note: There are some workplaces and jobs where these may not be viewed as an appropriate format. However, if this is how you’d consider your personal brand to be represented on paper, perhaps the job isn’t for you.

THE RESUMES

Paolo shows amazing visuals to demonstrate his extensive knowledge and expertise. It’s good to have the traditional bits of a resume merged with image. Plus, his website rocks.. click image to visit.

Karina May demonstrates her work as a content editor. She used VISUAL.LY, a free inforgraphic service.

Michelle Magoffin’s resume has a LOT of content, but also a great amount of personality. She also offers the opportunity to scan the QR code on the image to access a traditional CV. Click on the image to see a larger size.

Hopefully these inspire you to shake up your resume a little bit to become a more competitive player in your job hunt. Do you have any other examples of great resumes? Share links in the comments.

Nowadays, it seems as though public relations professionals are everywhere. From wine tastings to product launches, they are the ones connecting the dots and making sure goals are met on both sides: the business and the consumer. Here’s why it makes sense to hire a PR professional for your business or personal brand…

Connections
Public relations is all about relationships. Seasoned PR professionals know that it has, and always will be, part of their job to network with media and influencers. Journalists and public relations people, especially in the lifestyle realm, enjoy a reciprocal relationship with one another. They each have something the other wants and needs to effectively to their job. The public relations professional or firm wants coverage for its clients and the media outlet’s life is made easier when an interesting product, business venture or other story is provided to them, with all the information neatly outlined in press releases and fact sheets. Most of the time, PR people and journalists are even friends. Either way, PR people provide access to an outlet that you may not have so easily available at your fingertips.

Ability to Cross-Promote
Public relations people are strategic, with an ear to the ground at all times as to what is going on in your city. This means that they are in-the-know when it comes to opportunities for exposure, whether that means the sponsoring of events, presence at (and access to) gifting suits and ability to cross-promote with other clients or initiatives of people and organizations in their network. For example, if your business is a gourmet catering company set to launch in the city, and your PR firm also represents a popular art gallery that is celebrating its one-year anniversary, your catering provided at the event will now be exposed to all of the media and influencers gathered to celebrate the now thriving gallery’s well-attended event. Similarly, a well-known author could hold a book launch at your new clothing store, drawing journalists and influencers to the store and exposing them to the space.

Writing Capabilities
Public relations professionals are good writers – it is a part of the job requirement. Their talent in the art of writing, and subsequent way with words, can make anything (i.e. you, your business or your product) sound like the best thing the world has ever seen. PR people have a knack for marketing as well, and know how to strategically craft a release to capture the attention of journalists, in everything from the email subject line, title and subtitle of the release. Furthermore, journalists (often bombarded with multiple releases per day) have zero patience for poor grammar, spelling errors or amateur writing. In other words, just because you received an “A” in high school English class, doesn’t mean you are the person best suited to craft promotional material.

Makes Your Life Easier
Public relations people save you time in doing things that may take you a while. They can whip together fact sheets (whereas it may take you days), can access journalists with a quick phone call (when you will likely have to plough through red tape), and have relationships with suppliers like printing houses and graphic designers who may offer discounts. In terms of marketing initiatives, where you and your team may waste countless hours in brainstorm sessions, PR people are able to think creatively and “outside the box” when it comes to both long-term strategies and accompanying tactics. PR people have seen it all and, even if you think you have come up with the best idea to market your business, it may in reality be so three years ago in the PR world.

Damage Control
It is the professional job of PR people to manage the reputations of their clients. A seasoned professional knows that his or her job goes beyond promoting their clients; they need to protect their client’s image as well and have been trained in the art of damage control and how to effectively manage any negativity surrounding your brand. A poor restaurant review can be turned on its head by a stellar media event, a lapse in judgment by a public figure can be mitigated by a strategically crafted statement for the media, and an accident or safety concern in your establishment can be addressed through access your PR people have to the media in addressing the public and assuring them that measures are actively underway to correct the problem or concern.

To see the article in it’s original post on Notable.ca, click here.