Students Of Success

In the midst of hundreds, if not thousands, of résumés
recruiters and employers receive for any given position, your
résumé needs to stand out from the crowd. You must make the
Hiring Manager want to read your résumé more thoroughly than
just the rudimentary 10-20 seconds the vast majority of your
competition will warrant. The way to do this is by designing an
accomplishment driven résumé.

What makes a résumé that is focused on achievements so
effective? Most job seekers tend to list their responsibilities
of their past and current positions. While this may be
important, it should not necessarily be the focus of your
document. The higher level the position you are seeking, the
more crucial the accomplishment aspect of your résumé. You need
to provide proof of the results you were able to achieve with
the implication that you can bring the same, if not better,
results to your future employer.

Say for instance, you are a CPA. Your current résumé states
things such as “Control accounting activities”, and “Invest and
manage cash activities”. What does that really say about your
abilities? How does that differentiate you from all of the other
CPAs out there applying for the same job as you? It doesn’t. You
need to show the potential employers what you can bring to their
organization. Now is the time to brag. How have you improved a
company’s bottom line? Have you spearheaded any projects that
resulted in increased revenue, company savings, or employee
morale? That’s the kind of information that Hiring Managers seek
out amongst the résumé clutter.

Your résumé is your own personal sales pitch. Keywords are an
integral part of that pitch. While you are describing your
accomplishments, be sure to use powerful keywords to signify the
importance and magnitude of those feats. It is not the time to
be modest. Use strong action verbs that really drive home what
you’re trying to say. Use industry terms, where appropriate, if
you are seeking a job similar to your current position. The
company will understand this terminology and be relieved to know
that you are competent enough to comprehend them as well.

Another significant part of an accomplishment driven résumé is
the format. Do not clump your achievements and responsibilities
together. You can write an overview of your responsibilities in
a paragraph and then highlight your accomplishments with
bullets. You don’t want to have everything in a paragraph, and
likewise, not everything in a bullet format. You must draw the
reader’s eye to the important parts that you really want to
sell. If everything looks the same, nothing will stand out.

Using these techniques, you are on your way to writing an
accomplishment driven, extremely effective résumé. Your
potential employers will not only see what you have achieved in
the past, but what you could offer them in the future.

Do you send out press releases? Have they brought you
financial rewards?

If not, you may want to rethink how to write a good one–one
that gets noticed, published, and most important, gets a feature
story. If editors notice and love your press release, they will
want to interview you for a feature story. A feature gets a lot
more attention than a news release.

Author’s Tip: Editors and radio v talk show producers want and
need human interest stories, and newsworthy stories. You have
what they need is solutions to problems their particular audiences
have. You have 7 seconds or less to impress them. So write an
outrageous headline. Then, be able to prove it.

Examples: The Antidote to Depression is Passion (for book
entitled “Passion at Any Age.”) or “Outsell the New York Times
bestsellers Without Breaking a Sweat!” (John Kremer’s headline
for his San Diego seminar above, www.bookmarketing.com) or
“Don’t Drive in Traffic, Don’t Look For a Parking Space, Don’t
Dress Up and Don’t Worry About the Weather!” Teleclass.
(Judy Cullins’ upcoming teleclass “How to Write an eBook or
Other Short Book–Fast!” www.bookcoaching.com)

Advantages of getting a feature story: You get more editorial
space, worth anywhere from $1500 to over $5000 depending
on which paper accepts you. This “free advertising” is worth
seven times as much as an ad because it implies the newspaper
endorses you.

Bonus Tip: Always ask the interviewer is there is any problem
with putting your ordering information into the feature. What
good is a feature if your audience can’t get in touch with you?
They usually say yes.

My Success Can Be Your Success

The San Diego Union responded to my press release, “Seven
Sure-Fire Ways to Sell More Books Than You Ever Dreamed
Of.” They gave me space worth $2000 of ad space this time.
Funny, they didn’t even interview me. The columnist created her
own story. She used this heading: “Workshop Guides Novice
Book Authors.” She said that seminar participants could be the
next John Grisham. In bold letters inserted in the column, she
wrote, “This workshop covers topics such as how to launch your
book’s first-year sales, how to get free publicity, how to jump
start a marketing plan and how to sell your book before it’s even
published.”

The Financial Rewards?

My phone rang off the hook for over a week. I took over 100
calls, taking reservations. I had far more people want the seminar
than I had room. The rest I invited to future seminars.

I collected over 60 email addresses. To each of them I sent my
monthly eNewsletter “The Book Coach Says” with a special
offer on one of my How to Write and Market Your Books Fast
Kits. I sold each participant a special report for $5, over $300 in
all. Other sales amounted to over $300. I was also paid for the
seminar by my sponsor. I got four new bookcoaching clients
worth thousands of dollars over the next few months. I got new
attendees to my free seminars on book writing–some of which
became clients.

That year, twenty-four of my clients published their books. They,
in turn, told others of their satisfaction. I became a respected
book coach who attracted through my web site, teleseminars,
eNewsletter and clients–many more clients!

At the same time, I have created several new books to help
writers who may not be able to attend my seminars or hire me as
their coach.

Take advantage of the press. Write an outstanding, outrageous
headline aimed at the editor. When it sparks an interest you will
get your feature story!

About the Author

Judy Cullins: author, publisher, book coach
Helps professionals manifest their book and web dreams.
Special Offer: Quadruple Sales Kit at “Discounts of the Month”
http://www.bookcoaching.com/discounts.shtml
Send an email to mailto:Subscribe@bookcoaching.com
The Book Coach Says… includes 2 free eReports
mailto:Judy@bookcoaching.com
Ph./Fax: 619/466/0622

I believe that public speaking can be rewarding in many ways. First of all it can provide you with an opportunity to earn a fantastic full time or part time income working from home. Groups, organizations and businesses are always looking for informative, entertaining speakers to address their members at banquets, annual meetings, conferences etc. As you become well known as a speaker the invitations increase. Word of mouth is still the best form of advertising. As your reputation spreads you will find people from outside your local area approaching you to present to their group. Since I began my speaking career I have spoken to numerous groups throughout Canada and the United States. Not only are the financial rewards terrific, but I get to travel, all expenses paid, meet new people and see new country. What a great life and what great rewards for doing what I love to do.

Another appealing feature of a speaking career is that you control your own schedule. You accept only those engagements that fit nicely into your other family duties and obligations. If you want a month off, you just don’t accept bookings during that time. When you add this to no traffic jams to face twice a day and no boss to contend with it starts to hit you just how appealing this career is.

Not only do you determine how many speeches you would like to give per month but you also can negotiate how much you will charge per speech. When just starting out in the speaking business you will receive in the neighborhood of $200.00 per presentation. Within a year you could be receiving between $500 and $1000 per talk. Not bad part time money for doing something you love.

I like to have a fee range to accommodate the various budgets of different groups and to provide room for negotiation. I am in the business of opening doors of opportunity not closing them because my fee is rigid. This is entirely up to you. I know speakers who will not negotiate their fees. That is their choice.

If you just want to speak locally you can. If you want to spread your vocal wings across the region and the continent the possibilities are endless. Marketing yourself and your service will bring opportunities galore. If you have a computer and are online you can advertise on your own web site. This brings inquiries from all over the planet and spreads the word about your speaking topics and availability to millions of potential clients.

Added Benefits of a Public Speaking Career

1. Public speaking builds confidence. When you experience the thrill of holding an audience in the palm of your hand and receive their appreciative applause your confidence soars.

2. Public speaking boosts your self esteem. When you see the audience relate to you as someone who really knows what you are talking about your self esteem increases. And we all can use an increase in self esteem.

3. People start looking at you in a more positive way. Even if you never use your public speaking skills in giving formal presentations, people will notice that you are more articulate and confident in expressing an opinion or sharing an insight. You will discover that they begin looking to
you for advice and opinions on many issues.

4. It helps you become a more organized thinker.. Planning, writing and delivering a well researched , well organized presentation has an overflow effect in other areas of your life. You begin to plan and organize your thoughts more effectively.. This is especially helpful in your
career or business. When your manager or supervisor asks your opinion on some work- related issue you are better able to express your ideas in a clear, concise and well organized manner.

5. Public speaking begins to alter your self perception. As you begin to use the skills involved in public speaking you will notice that you begin to start talking to yourself in a more positive way. You begin to see yourself as capable and confident.

6. By accepting the challenge to speak in public you begin to explore and actualize your own potential. Many of us go through life not realizing how much we are capable of achieving. Public speaking is an effective tool in the process of self discovery.

7. Public speaking gives you the courage to break out of your comfort zone. I believe that the comfort zone is the enemy of human growth. When we are too comfortable where we are we tend to become stagnant. Speaking in public pushes us out of the comfort zone and reveals to
us our enormous capabilities.

If you feel compelled to share your expertise or message with others do so. Start slowly and start small but start. The benefits and rewards are tremendous.

Mike Moore is an international speaker on the role of humor in human relations. Mike’s articles and cartoons have appeared in publications throughout the world. For more on what Mike can do for your organization visit http://www.motivationalplus.com

http://motivationalplus.com/cgi/a/t.cgi?speakbiz

There’s one skill you can develop that will boost your confidence, credibility and career. It’s public speaking. If the very thought makes you queasy, you’re not alone. For some people, only death is more frightening. For others, death is preferable. Are you the latter? Avoiding the spotlight? Suffering not just butterflies but sheer panic? Dry mouth? Shaking hands? Flushed or pale face? If this sounds like you, then consider overcoming—or at least controlling—your fear. You can start by attending a Toastmaster’s meeting and picking up a couple of books for additional help.

Forget any ideas you have that Toastmasters meetings are intimidating. You might think you’ll encounter only eloquent and self-assured speakers which would make you even more self conscious, but that’s not the case. You’ll find a variety of members, ranging from those who recently joined to those who have been members for years. They represent diverse lifestyles and occupations and varying levels of education. What do they have in common? Almost every single one joined because they were afraid of public speaking just like you. This isn’t a place for polished performers to show off; it’s a place to learn and practice. Those members who dazzle with each speech…they’ll be your mentors. And, trust me on this, each fellow member will be rooting for you to succeed.

In a typical meeting, lasting 60 to 90 minutes, the Toastmaster will introduce two to three speakers who will give their prepared 5 to 11 minute talks. Their evaluators will follow with a short, gentle but fair critique. Everyone in the group will also fill out a critique which the speakers take home with them to review. The Table Topics Master will present the meeting’s theme and ask questions of attendees who will reply with one to two minute impromptu answers. Members (who have been given advance notice) will provide the inspirational pledge, word of wisdom, mentor moment or joke, or serve as timer, general evaluator, grammarian, vote counter or “ah” counter. The idea is that everyone will have a chance to speak, no matter how briefly. At the end of the meeting, Best Speaker, Best Table Topics and Best Evaluator are voted on and ribbons are awarded. And surprise! It’s all fun. (Table Topics can be scary but it’s great practice for thinking on your feet!) Membership costs approximately $20-25 for six months including chapter fees; check with your local group for exact costs. You’ll receive several manuals to get you started and a booklet for your evaluators’ critiques. As you accomplish the speaking goals in the manuals, you move up to different levels and receive certification for those achievements.

Do this for yourself…find a local Toastmasters group at www.Toastmasters.org and commit today to attending one meeting. You might try several groups in your area, meeting at different times of the day, to find the one where you’re most comfortable. Guests are free, so you have nothing to lose. This one simple step right now could make a huge difference in your future. Dave Hershman, a proponent of Toastmasters, says in his book, More Income with Less Stress, “Public speaking is such a great tool because not many people do it well or effectively (if at all). Attend any marketing seminar and they will tell you to market by making yourself look different. People then spend thousands of dollars concocting major schemes to shoot themselves from cannons…Look at me; I am different. In reality, it only takes something everyone already has to look different: your mouth. You should do it and do it well because your competitors can’t.”

For additional help, if you’re truly frightened of public speaking, read Janet Esposito’s In The Spotlight: Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking and Performing. The author herself suffered with this fear for years before using her training as a psychologist to study the cause behind the problem and develop a method for overcoming it.

If you’re just a little nervous before speaking and would like to improve your technique, try 10 Days to More Confident Public Speaking published by the Princeton Language Institute and Lenny Laskowski.

How will public speaking boost your career? Every marketing guru tells you to visit any group where you can promote your business. “Speak to them,” they say. “Hold a seminar.” For instance, if you’re a loan officer, the group may be MLS meetings, real estate offices, homebuyer seminars, and of course, the Chamber of Commerce, Lions Club, Rotary Club, Leads Club and so on. That’s good advice if you can speak with authority and confidence. You’ll be able to do that with the help of Toastmasters. Maybe not tomorrow or next month, but eventually you’ll receive a big payoff and be proud of conquering your fear. And if you can speak comfortably in front of a group, imagine how easy your one-on-one presentations will be!

Here’s a tip that applies to this and every other idea you consider: If you don’t take some action within the next 24 hours, the odds are you won’t ever act on this idea. So do something now, even if it’s only writing a note on your calendar to find a Toastmasters group. That’s a start.

About the Author:
Sharon Hassler was a successful loan officer and real estate agent in Southern California, then served as Communications Manager for First American Title-Arizona for 11 years. She is President of Go Get Experts, owner and operator of GoGetLoan.com, a web page directory for mortgage brokers and loan officers, along with GoGetEscrow.com, GoGetNotary.com and GoGetRealEstate.com.

Copyright © 2005, Go Get Experts, for GoGetLoan.com. All Rights Reserved. Permission to reprint this article is granted if the article is reproduced in its entirety, without editing, including author’s information. When using this article in magazines or newsletters or online publications, please include the full URL or a hyperlink to http://www.GoGetExperts.com

Marketing your Book cover, Spine and Information.

Whether you’ve written your book or are just starting out, having an eye catching cover is a must. Did you know that customers may be looking over your book for 10 seconds or less? A good book cover entices the customer to want to read more information and to result in a purchase. To accomplish this, you need to know what catches a customers eyes. A good place to start is your friends and family. Ones that you trust. Ask their opinions. If you’re uncomfortable with asking your inner circle or would like your book’s cover to be a surprise, look to the net. You can post your book’s cover idea and receive feedback. Only post your idea on the net if you trust it won’t be stolen. When deciding to create my book cover for Mysterious Chills and Thrills for Kids, I looked at many other ones in the children’s field. I kept in mind which book covers attracted me and for the ones that didn’t, why it didn’t. Keep in mind that not everyone is going to agree with your taste.

The same applies to your back cover information about your book. If the book is fiction, you’ll need to ensure the customer that their entertainment dollars are worth purchasing your book. If your book is non-fiction, show the customer the benefits of purchasing. Can it help solve a problem? Many customers want to know that they are buying something that in some form can benefit them. You’ll also need to show how your book is better than then next one in it’s category.

Don’t forget the spine and price. If your book is spine out, it’ll need to attract the customer’s eyes. When they pull out your book, the price can turn a purchase away. Look at other books in the field and price accordingly. Much lower prices than your competition may appear to sell more but may give the idea that your work isn’t as good.

Self publishing, Small Press or a Large Publishing company, either way your book is competing against others out there. Make it count!

About the Author

Content Producer and Children’s Author of Mysterious Chills and Thrills for Kids.
http://www.laurahickey.com

If you learn how other people make money online, I mean really study how it’s done and ask a lot of questions, there is no reason in the world you cannot make money on the internet as well.
How do people make money with websites? There are literally tens of thousands of things people make money on from the net. From hard goods of all kinds (anything that can be shipped, including cars and boats!) to information and memberships.

People make money selling insurance, car parts, reports on every imaginable topic people want to know more about, selling affiliate products, and even fundraising for charity!

That’s right! People make money helping their favorite charities raise money. By creating an in-demand product for a charity to sell to their members, and letting them keep at least 50%, you can make money as a professional fundraiser.

I know someone who makes money selling a dog biscuit and dog food cookbook! That’s right, a cookbook for dog lovers to make treats for their pets. I told you! Anything goes on the net as long as there are buyers looking for what you sell.

It’s truly mind boggling how some people make money online. You just have to be creative and understand how the net works and how people shop online. You have to know how to get into the search engines so people can find you.

And most of all you need a couple good ideas, or find other people with great ideas and sell THEIR stuff for commission! There is no excuse for failure – the world of internet marketing is your oyster!

There are tons of resource sites that can help you understand every single minute detail of making money online from setting up a website to choosing a hosting service to taking credit cards and filling orders. There’s nothing else like it in the world.

I have a site that helps people find ways to make money online. I make money with information products, and help others learn how to make money online doing the same thing.

Some people make money on Ebay auctioning things people are searching for right now all over the world. Still other people sell their time as Virtual Assistants helping busy executives and other business owners complete mundane but important tasks the business owner has no time to do.

With some referrals, over time you can be busier than you ever imagined with clients beating down your door because they heard you do great work at reasonable rates. All this without ever meeting ANY of your clients face-to-face. Working online makes working for people in other countries a snap, as long as you speak the language, it’s no different than if the person you sell to or work with lives right down the street.

Bottom line: You CAN make money online if you are the type of person who is a self-starter and motivated to work toward your goals even when the going gets tough.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Darrell Knox is a writer and entrepreneur with 15 years of home business and marketing experience.Website: http://cgi.tripod.com/lazaraus26/cgi-bin/index.pl

A Barrel of Fun – Book Review
By Lisa M. Hendey

Rarely do you crack the spine of a book put out by a religious publisher and find yourself giggling out loud, but this was my recent experience while enjoying A BARREL OF FUN (Kregel, April 2004, paperback, 224 pages), the latest from British co-authors J. John and Mark Stibbe.

Written in an A to Z format, the collection features humorous vignettes, definitions, quotes & quips, and even a few great cartoon drawings. Far from just a joke book, however, the book also includes numerous, thought provoking stories, prayers and letters.

The perfect resource for anyone who finds himself speaking before a group or writing about matters religious, A BARREL OF FUN includes a note to church magazine editors from the authors granting conditional reprinting privileges. Readers are encouraged to enjoy and share the material included in the book. Much good and many smiles will doubtless be produced by those who read and share the pearls of wit and wisdom found in A BARREL OF FUN.

For more information or to order A BARREL OF FUN visit http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0825462207/digitalcropper-20

Lisa M. Hendey is webmaster of numerous family oriented web sites, including http://www.CatholicMom.com, http://www.ChristianColoring.com and http://www.digitalcropper.com. A wife and mother of two sons, she is an avid reader.

About the Author

Lisa M. Hendey is webmaster of numerous family oriented web sites, including http://www.CatholicMom.com, http://www.ChristianColoring.com and http://www.digitalcropper.com. A wife and mother of two sons, she is an avid reader.

Reduce your fear of speaking by taking the following steps.

1) Conduct Research.

Visit or call key participants to ask them what they expect from your presentation. That is, what do they want to learn from it? What do they already know about this topic? How will your presentation help them? Such conversations enlist these people as your allies during your presentation. It also helps you learn what people expect, so that you can deliver it. This is like collecting the answers to an exam before taking it.

2) Prepare.

Write an outline, and if possible write a script for key parts of it (such as the opening and close). Then practice giving your presentation, without reading the script until you know it so well that you can deliver it conversationally. Avoid trying to memorize a script. That makes things too complicated and difficult. Practice your speech anywhere and at any time. For example, you can talk through parts of it while jogging, working on chores, or taking a shower.

3) Rehearse.

Practice your talk in the meeting room with a group of friends, coworkers, and (if possible) your boss. Ask for their comments on how to improve your talk. Also, use this as an opportunity to become familiar with the room and any equipment, such as a projector.

4) Be the Host

Arrive early so that you can meet and greet the attendees before your presentation. Shake their hands and thank them for coming. Introduce yourself to them and engage them in small talk. (e.g., “How are you?”) Act as if they were guests coming to your party. This converts them from strangers into friends.

5) Expect Success

Fantasize doing a wonderful job. If you let nightmares run through your mind, you will scare yourself. Give yourself confidence by expecting to do well. Know that everyone wants you to do an excellent job.

Steve Kaye helps leaders hold effective meetings. He is an IAF Certified Professional Facilitator, author, and speaker. His meeting facilitation and leadership workshops create success for everyone. Call 714-528-1300 for details. Visit http://www.stevekaye.com for a free report.

I had the hardest time finding decals on the web. Not just any
decals, but ones that come on rolls and are printed with my own
designs. This seems like such an easy task until you delve in to
Cyberspace. I was trying to think of different categories that
might work for me. I obviously tried “Decals”, but most all of
the results were for preprinted items that had nothing to do
with my business. I simply wanted something I designed to be
printed on rolls of decals so that I could apply them to my own
merchandise. I decided that the word “Decals” referred more to
the automotive industry, i.e. dragsters, funny cars or Nascar.
Decals for model trains also make some sense.

I chose to try different words that might give me better
results. I tried the word “Labels” but most of
the results I found were for record labels or crazy things like
labeling you code in Programming Languages. I have a hard enough
time surfing the Web let alone program an application. I am not
in the record business so these links were useless. Address
labels as a result were a bit friendlier to my actual search,
though I still had not achieved my goal. Why don’t the search
engines open up categories like these to information that is
more relevant to the topic I am looking for?

Finally I tried “Stickers” and had a
bit more luck, but nothing to sneeze at. I mean, who isn’t
looking for Scrapbook Stickers:) Do people actually have
scrapbooks devoted strictly to stickers? I wonder they would be
interested in one of my stickers if I could find anyone to print
them? Internet bumper stickers seem silly also, as do textbook
disclaimer stickers.

I did finally find a company under each of these categories that
in fact print decals on rolls with my own designs. I have tried
each of them and the prices and final products were fantastic. I
checked to see that each had the capability of working with my
artwork and even creating a logo or design for me. All three
were willing to help with this procedure and they actually made
changes to the artwork I supplied without charging me, though
these change were pretty minor. I would recommend any of the
three companies listed below to get you out of a jam.

Decals123 - http://www.decals123.com Label-Exchange -
http://www.label-exchange.com Stickers Exchange -
http://www.StickersExchange.com

When I was a magazine editor, I worked with a freelance writer who could turn deathly-dry subjects like business insurance and corporate taxation into compelling, easy reads. How? By using tools of the fiction writer’s trade.

Whether he interviewed a source in person or on the phone, he amassed an amazing array of details. Then he would craft a narrative–complete with scene-setting details, dramatic tension, and sometimes even dialogue– that would hook the reader after the first five words. His articles would begin something like this: “Even from the 28th floor of the Boring Building in downtown Metropolis, John Doe can hear the rumble and roar of I-89 as it threads through the cloverleaf three blocks south of his office. He knows that many of the Clueless Company’s eighteen-wheelers travel the road every day bearing widgets and whats-its to ports and airports across the country, but Doe never pauses to worry whether they’ll jackknife and spill their precious loads. That’s because Doe, the controller of CC, recently upgraded his company’s liability policy to guarantee $1 billion against losses.”

Many writers would have begun the article with a summary of the issue or an assertion–”It’s important to have liability insurance”– and piled on the facts and statistics. While it’s still possible to write a good article this way, which one would you rather read?
Whether you’re writing an article, marketing collateral or a sales letter, stories will make your copy come alive like nothing else will. And when you can engage your reader, you’re one step closer to winning him over. Note that for simplicity’s sake I’m using the terms stories, anecdotes, and narratives interchangeably–and loosely. However you parse them, they all paint word pictures that make a bull’s eye for our emotional right brains. Countless neurological studies confirm that people process information better when it’s presented in story form. When not connected by narrative, facts, statistics and logic have to go through too many filters before they trigger a visceral response.

You don’t need to have the talent of a Hemingway to use story forms in business communication. Consider the experience of Robert McKee, a Hollywood screenwriting guru who has recently started attracting executives, entrepreneurs and office workers to his wildly popular $600 Story Seminars, according to Dan Pink’s fascinating new book, “A Whole New Mind.” Here’s Pink quoting McKee: “Although businesspeople are often suspicious of stories…the fact is that statistics are used to tell lies and damned lies, while accounting reports are often BS in a ball gown. . . If a businessperson understands that his or her own mind naturally wants to frame experience in a story, the key to moving the audience is not to resist this impulse but to embrace it.”

I’ll concede that I don’t always practice what I preach. But I’ve found that thinking in terms of story right from the get-go helps me discover what I want to say much more easily than if I were relying solely on expository techniques. Of course, stories require more research. Yet putting in a little more time on the front end can pay dividends at the keyboard.

That said, here are some research tips to help you discover and create stories that will help influence your readers:

1) When interviewing a source, ask them to recall the funniest or most surprising experience they’ve had with the subject at hand. It’s helpful to give interviewees the questions in advance so that they’ve had time to recall anecdotes. Remember to ask for elaboration so that your writing will be full of concrete details. Or you can create your own anecdote by having an interaction with the subject and writing about it, or watching the interviewee relate with his or her employees or public and then retelling it in your copy. And don’t overlook photos as a memory trigger: Ask questions about pictures displayed in the office or ask to see a photo album or scrapbook. There’s a story behind every picture, as you’re sure to find out.

2) Befriend your company’s librarian, archivist or unofficial historian. Sometimes the only thing it takes to unleash the floodgates of memory is a little curiosity on your part. You could end up with enough anecdotes to last you through several writing projects.

3) If you don’t have company testimonials, seek them out. Use short versions for your Web site and brochures and longer ones involving scene-setting details–exactly how a product or service helped your customer–for annual reports and sell sheets. If you already have a file of testimonials, re-interview these customers/clients–expressing your continued gratitude, of course–and try to elicit some detailed stories.

Suzanne is a public relations consultant, award-winning copywriter and e-zine publisher based in Raleigh, N.C. She can be reached at suzanne@suzannewood.com or by phone at 919-789-8446.