A client called yesterday in a bit of a panic, wondering if I could revise a news release for her by end of day. This is the kind of thing I often refer to as “pulling a rabbit out of a hat.”

I was already juggling a number of projects, but this is a long-time, valued client and I thought it could be done relatively quickly. So I met my other deadlines and then worked late on the “rabbit.”

The very first thing I did was change the lead sentence. By remarkable coincidence, Ragan.com CEO Mark Ragan today posted a link on Twitter on this very topic, pointing to a classic Steve Crescenzo column called “Dumping C.R.A.P. on reporters.”

In it, Steve rants that the “trained monkeys” who write most news releases follow this formula for the lead sentence:

Name of company + everything great about this company that nobody really cares about + bad verb + bad quote by a guy with too many titles.

My client’s release originally began with “Name of company + something great about this company that nobody really cares about” plus that other classic: “today announced” (as if the “announcing” is the news). And took 42 words to say it. The actual news event was in paragraph two.

I rewrote the lead to start with “Employees of [Company]” and link to their involvement in the event that was the “news.” It took only 18 words, and I was able to work in “polar bears,” which you have to admit is pretty awesome. I pushed the “something great about the company” to paragraph three, and included some facts that were relevant to the event.

My client was happy with the result, but I was worried some of the executives might have changed it back. She just called, however, and said they went with the revision. And she appreciated the link to Steve’s column, which gave her a laugh.

The bottom line: With news releases, as with newsletter articles, look for the news and put it up front. Your readers will be more likely to read it, whether they are employees or journalists.

Toronto-area independents, join the Halton-Peel Communications Association next week for a peek under the blog hood!

HPCA’s social media expert Rob Clark will discuss web analytics, and his colleague Kyle McKeown will talk about inbound marketing and search engine optimization. A couple of HPCA guinea pigs (including me) have offered their web sites for closer inspection.

The event takes place Wednesday, May 26 at the Halton Region Museum, 5181 Kelso Road in Milton, ON (at the Kelso Conservation Area, between Appleby Line and Tremaine Road just south of the 401). Networking starts at 6:30 p.m. and the presentation runs from 7 to 9 p.m.

The event is free to HPCA members and only $20 for guests. Guests, please book your spot online.

See you there?

Oh, those funny folks at Honda! They’re doing a good job of keeping in touch with me, long-time Honda owner that I am. But their enthusiasm for selling me a new car always seems to overtake their good sense.

I bought a 2009 Honda Civic last year, and I’m happy with it. But one of the first pieces of mail they sent me after the purchase was a flyer promoting their new 2010 models.

Today, they sent me an e-mail. Surprise! It recognized that I am celebrating the one-year anniversary of my purchase.

“We appreciate your loyalty to our dealership and invite you to take advantage of the coupon below,” the note said. I wondered if my “owner loyalty certificate” would cover a free oil change, or maybe a half-price car detailing. No, it was $500 to use on my next vehicle purchase.

In small print was the note that the coupon expired within 30 days.

I guess despite the fact that I kept my last Honda for 10 years, having my newest car turn one year old means it’s time to get rid of it.

What I learned from my correspondence from Honda is that it’s not enough to know a few things about your customer. You have to pull together all the pieces of information you have on your customer — remembering to find and include the information held by other departments in your company (hello, Sales? meet Service). Did she just buy a car a month ago? Then there’s probably no reason to send her news about the latest model. Did she keep her last car for 10 years? Then a promised discount to buy a new car after just one year is not likely an incentive.

If you don’t make the connections, then you’re just wasting your time.

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 put us in the Olympics, especially on home turf, and watch out for the flags, red & white clothing, Canadian flag tattoos and spontaneous outbursts of our national anthem. Come to think of it, it’s kind of like the Canadian hospitality suite at the IABC World Conferences.

The feeling of goodwill that seemed to permeate the games. Well, until it came down to the big Canada vs. USA hockey game, when it was all GO CANADA on our part. (Thank you, Team Canada and Sidney Crosby, for letting Canada win gold and USA silver 3-2 in overtime. We may have lots of Americans on our Canadian teams, but we consider it Our Game.)

The unusual medals, a collaboration between artist Corrine Hunt and designer Omer Arbel. Each medal is unique; find out how here.

The crazy sports like ski cross that have athletes flinging themselves down steep slopes and runs with seemingly reckless abandon, although I know it’s only hard training that makes it look easy. And the snowboard races! And wild ski tricks!

CTV ran a great series called “How tough are these sports?” In it, various athletes tried a different sport than usual to see just how difficult it really was. So figure skaters Jamie Sale and David Pelletier discovered working with speed skater Denny Morrison that the skates and the method used for speed skating are quite different. Ditto for hockey player Georges Laraque, who had fun with short track skater Olivier Jean learning that racing isn’t as easy as it looks, and hockey player Wendel Clark, who strapped himself in to play sledge hockey with the Canadian Sledge Hockey team.

CTV ran another great series called “Difference Makers,” hosted by Rick Hansen, himself a difference maker. Hansen is the “Man in Motion” who pushed his wheelchair through 34 countries in 1985, raising funds for spinal cord injury research and awareness of the potential of people with disabilities. The series pays tribute to the extraordinary people who have helped Canada’s Olympians and Paralympians overcome their personal and athletic challenges.

Norway’s men’s curling team and their crazy pants. I didn’t exactly love the pants themselves, originally made famous by golfer John Daly, but I sure did appreciate the sense of humour the team had wearing them.

Here are some of the things that don’t get a medal:

The use of “medal” as a verb, as in, “She’s expected to medal in this sport.” I think I also heard “to podium” as a verb. Ughhhh.

How it so often seems to be all about winning gold, and seldom is a silver or bronze medal won; instead, it’s “settled for.” I think any medal is a real achievement, especially when you look at timed sports where athletes set personal records and finish mere fractions of a second apart.

The “I believe in the power of you and I” line  in the stirring song, I Believe, sung by 16-year-old Nikki Yanofsky. Grammatically speaking (word nerd alert!), it should be “you and me,” since “of” is a preposition and takes an object, as pointed out by grammarian Joanne Buckley.

CTV’s official Olympic coverage site, which wanted to make me “upgrade my browser with the latest version of Microsoft Silverlight” to watch the Canadian gold medal performance of ice dancing, and any other videos on the site.

What did you like or not like about the Olympics?

At two recent networking events, someone commented that I am always well-dressed. A translator I once worked with was surprised to find, when we finally met in person, that I wasn’t the scruffy, unwashed writer he had expected.

People imagine that independents sit around in our bathrobes and fuzzy slippers, and therefore we don’t know how to clean up real nice.

First of all, I do not work in my bathrobe. I shower, put on makeup, get dressed (usually in jeans and a t-shirt or sweatshirt) and am at my desk by 9 a.m. Freelance writers may have freedom, but they must also be disciplined and professional.

Second, I usually work with and for corporate communications people. They are a well-dressed crowd. I am part of that crowd, even though my office is at home. So when I leave my office to meet other people, I like to look the part, and that means a jacket over a skirt or pants, if not a suit. Even if the event involves other independents, not corporate communicators, I like to look professional. If I know the group, I might wear jeans (dark wash or black), but I’ll still have a jacket on top.

In fact, a nice jacket — like the red one that gives my blog its name — is pretty much the independent gal’s secret weapon. Throw a jacket on, with perhaps a striking necklace and lipstick, and people will always think you are well-dressed.

It isn’t frivolous fashion. You are marketing yourself even before you open your mouth, and image and appearance matter if you want to be taken seriously.

Last night at a networking event given by IABC/Toronto’s Alliance of Independent Practitioners, or AIP, I shared why I volunteer, as did Leslie Hetherington, Donna Papacosta, Barb Sawyers and Lee Weisser. AIP is a sub-group of IABC that supports more than 100 independent communicators, offering professional development and networking opportunities that address our particular needs.

I’ve blogged before about the value of volunteering in earning referrals that help you diversify your business. At this event, we talked to the group about why we have volunteered for AIP in the past. Here are some of the thoughts I shared:

You can volunteer in an area you already know, which may help you more easily fit volunteering into your daily life. This also showcases your skills. For example, my volunteer activities often involve writing, which is what I do for a living.

You can volunteer in an area where you’d like to gain some experience or knowledge, or maybe something for your portfolio. I didn’t know much about e-newsletters before starting one for AIP, and I was glad to learn more about them.

Volunteer in an area you feel passionate about or that has some importance to you. At the point where you’re thinking, “Someone should…” or “Why don’t they offer…”, that’s where you should also be thinking, “this group needs X and maybe I can help.” Most of these organizations are only as good as their volunteers, and you shouldn’t wait for someone else to provide what you think is missing. I joined the board of AIP in 2004 because the group seemed to be floundering, and I did not want it to disappear. A 2007 Toronto chapter OVATION award is recognition that our volunteer work was able to make a difference.

Most indies get much of their work through referrals and repeat business. For people to be comfortable referring you, they have to be confident that (a) you have the skill and talent to do the work, and (b) you can be trusted to meet deadlines. That means you’ll make the referrer look good.

In my own volunteer work, I was able to show that I met both conditions. I gained new business, from people I worked with directly in AIP and from people who read my writing in the newsletter, and I gained more visibility. I also referred business to some of the people I got to know better through volunteering. We all got to practice skills like leadership, teambuilding, time management and creativity, and we made new friends. Sure, sometimes it got a little hectic trying to fit the volunteer work in with paying work, family and friends, but life is already a balancing act, isn’t it? I find it all works out, and maybe all you have to “sacrifice” is time in front of the television.

So if you don’t already volunteer, try it. Take baby steps. Offer to write an article for the newsletter, or take RSVPs for an event. You’ll make new friends, strengthen your connections and build your profile. And you’ll make sure that the events and organizations important to you will continue.

Just don’t sit back and expect someone else to do the work for you.

While decluttering my office this week, I ran across a battered 1981 edition of The Canadian Writer’s Market. In it I found 32 pages of agency listings, each entry with a pencilled X or check mark beside it, plus new telephone numbers and scribbled names. I was a newlywed, had just moved to Toronto and was moonlighting as a freelance writer while searching for a full-time job.

Oh, those glory days. I absolutely HATED cold calling. Most people do.

Cold calling is exactly that, cold. The rate of rejection is high; even the best salespeople can take 10 calls to get three meetings. Although you shouldn’t, it’s hard not to take it personally. But sometimes you have no choice.

Here are some tips to get through cold calling:

• Be positive. Look at it this way; you have a valuable service that the right person will be glad to know about. Your job is to find that person.
• Don’t take rejection personally. In fact, don’t even think of it as “rejection.” Think of it as confirming that you don’t need to spend time following up with this person.
• Think about and practice what you’re going to say, but don’t launch into a canned speech that doesn’t leave room for a comment or two.
• Keep your introduction brief. Mine was: “I’m a freelance writer, and wonder if your company occasionally uses freelancers.” Yes, and the conversation continued. No, and I thanked them for their time and ended the call.
• Keep the focus on the people you’re speaking with and their needs. Follow their lead. Allow a natural conversation to develop.
• Some experts advise calling early in the day or late in the day. You’re not as likely to get an administrator or other gatekeeper.
• If you get voice mail — and it’s hard not to! — don’t leave a message on the first attempt. But if you can’t get through after another try or two, leave a brief message. Plan ahead what you’re going to say. Say your name and phone number slowly.

I have not had to make a cold call for many years, thank goodness. These days, besides repeat business from existing clients, I am more likely to get referrals from people I know through networking and volunteering, both options that are much warmer than cold calling.

Do you use cold calling? What tips make it a successful tactic for you?

A thank you card arrived today in my mail, signed by someone I had never heard of. Turns out she is part of my local library’s summer reading program, just one of the programs the library notes it is able to run thanks to me and other donors to their literacy efforts. “Ella” carefully printed out why she loves the program: “It’s good for my brain to read.”

What a terrific follow-up marketing piece.

I can think of a few marketers who caused the opposite reaction and missed an opportunity, although I won’t name names:

• My cellphone provider: A three-year contract was coming to an end. In the weeks leading up to the anniversary date, I noticed an increase in call-centre calls (identifiable by call display; I did not answer them, and the callers did not leave a message). I was thinking about switching providers, because I didn’t want to sign up for the same length of time or the same relatively expensive plan, complete with monthly system access fee, and I wanted to add the ability to send text messages without being charged as much as the old provider. Still, the old company could have tried to keep me as a customer. If they were the ones calling, they could have left a message. Or they could have contacted me by mail, noting that the anniversary date was approaching and offering some attractive options to encourage me to stay. No, they did nothing, and I went to a different provider. I ended up with a shorter term, less expensive monthly fee, more options, no system access fee and a better phone.
• The local spa:  About a week before my birthday, the local spa sent me a certificate worth $10 off a treatment; a nice gesture. Unfortunately, it had to be used within about a week and I didn’t have time to use it. Here’s what they could have done: contacted my husband, who has bought me certificates there before, and offered him $10 off any certificate he might buy for me for my birthday. They get the sale and the brownie points that go with giving a discount; he gets a deal and brownie points, too; and I get to use the treatment! Sounds like a winner all around.
• The local wellness centre: Earlier this year, I went through nearly weekly treatments for a sore shoulder. First, it was physiotherapy. Then, I tried acupuncture. The acupuncturist/wellness centre director also tried a cold laser treatment. Nothing really did much, and we discussed “doing nothing” as an option before I agreed to try therapeutic massage. I tried one session but didn’t find it much help either, so opted for doing nothing but continuing the exercises the physiotherapist had originally given me. Still, I found it surprising that no one at the centre contacted me in the months since I’ve been there to ask how the shoulder is, offer a free evaluation of the shoulder or suggest an alternate treatment. But maybe I’m expecting too much.

It’s a good reminder to look around and see if there’s a marketing opportunity your business is missing.

USB drives are useful. Mini highlighters are cute. There are magnets, keychains, stress balls, lanyards, mugs and sports bottles everywhere. But THESE are cool ways to promote your company (sadly, not available to Canadians):

*  Sharpie will personalize your pen — nothing hateful or obscene, please! — for $11.99 for six. Be inspired looking at samples done for a wedding, Valentine’s Day, a graduating class and more.

*  M&Ms can also be personalized with your name, company name, URL or very short message up to eight characters on each of two lines. You can try different things and see how it looks on the candy model. I could fit “Get It” on one line and “Write” on the next. You have to buy a minimum, such as 20 1.7-oz bags for $3.99 each or 20 1.6-oz silver tins for $4.25 each. Or get a bulk five-pound box for $130 and repackage in your own containers.

*  Lego figure as a business card. Only available to certain Lego employees, and not available to you or me, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want one!

Thanks to Andy Sernovitz for the link to the Sharpie site.

A card arrived yesterday the old fashioned way, in the mail with postage stamp and all. It was from my friends at the local Honda dealership. Since I have just closed the deal on a new car, I thought it might be a “thanks for buying our car” type of card. Silly me! It was a card inviting me to a “Private V.I.P. Customer Sale” with special pricing authorized for current Honda owners and their family members.

You could probably make the case that the card might have been put in the mail the day before I actually bought the car. But that doesn’t excuse the e-mail version that arrived today, four days after the big purchase, inviting me to the same V.I.P. sale. (This, by the way, said “RSVP by April 14″ and it arrived April 16.)

Talk about the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing!

Today’s lesson, kiddies: Update your customer records as significant events occur. If you can set up your system to trigger a follow-up survey after a car is brought in for servicing, surely you can set it up to cancel messages about car sales to someone who has just bought a car from you.

P.S. I was glad to see that the “special discounts and financing” were the same as those offered in person. Who wants to be offered a sale price after you have already bought at a higher price?