“If you can read this, thank a teacher.” This is how a post linked to by my friend and colleague Joan Vinall-Cox began. While blogger Ralf Schwartz suggested that the best way to thank your teacher is to teach others “by further developing what your teacher has taught you,” I think an equally excellent option [...]
Monthly Archives: March 2010
Awareness up with Earth Hour
At 8:30 p.m. tonight, it’s Earth Hour. Turn off your lights, and get off the computer! Critics wonder, what’s the point of turning lights off for an hour on one day when we abuse the Earth for the other 8,736 hours in the year? But I truly believe that the buzz around Earth Hour does [...]
Are you coming to the IABC party?
Woo hoo! Toronto is getting ready. Some 1,400 of our dearest communicator friends from 40 countries are coming to our backyard for the 2010 IABC World Conference June 6-9. And it’s going to be one heckuva barbecue! Well, OK, it’s not going to be a barbecue, but it’s going to be fun — and yes, [...]
Newsletter points to ponder
I’m working with a new client who wants to introduce a newsletter for his customers, and I thought the discussions we’ve been having might be of interest to other people. So here are just some of the points to ponder if you’re thinking of a newsletter (either print or electronic): Purpose: What do you want [...]
Watch out for jargon 2
Among the many sports my family watched during the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics was one that vividly reminded me to watch out for jargon. I’m talking about curling. I’ve never curled, so I found the unfamiliar lingo quite confusing. The commentators talked about a runback double, draws and takeouts, a shot rock and a hammer, [...]
Customer disservice files
Can you tell me… Why my bank has hired people to make “courtesy calls” to customers — which seem to be thinly disguised ways to sell other products/services — but cannot tell me that they have discontinued my paper statements? I have no problem getting my statement online, but I suddenly realized that I hadn’t [...]
Posted in The Red Jacket Diaries blog Tagged Communications, Customer service, Rants Leave a comment
A day for word nerds
It’s National Grammar Day today. Read up on grammar myths, send an e-card, have fun with grammar and more with Grammar Girl Mignon Fogarty here. And be sure to go forth and write well!
Sue awards her own gold medals
Phew. It’s been all Olympics, all the time for the past two weeks, and I’m ready to say goodbye to the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. But first, my own gold medals go to the things I loved about these Winter Olympics: Patriotic feelings. Canadians are normally shy about this, at least compared to Americans, but [...]
Posted in The Red Jacket Diaries blog Tagged Communications, General nonsense, IABC conference, Marketing 2 Comments
