It’s summer and that’s usually a time when more reading is done. Given that I thought I’d depart from the topic of newsletter marketing to share some of what’s in my library. In no particular order, here are seven titles that have helped me grow both personally and professionally…here is what I am feeding my mind! 

1. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
2. The Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren
3. No BS Direct Marketing by Dan Kennedy
4. Success Is an Inside Job by Lee Milteer
5. Raise the Bar by Mike Vance and Diane Deacon
6. Today Matters by John Maxwell
7. First, Break All the Rules by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman 

Since I’m a little off topic today I also want to share with you something that has had perhaps the greatest impact on my business — joining a mastermind group. What is a mastermind group? It can best be described as one part board of directors and one part peer-advisory group. A mastermind group is a group of like-minded individuals who come together to contribute to each others’ success in a spirit of harmony and partnership.

The POWER of the mastermind experience is that it can lift your mind and vision to enable you to see things that you otherwise could not, most likely because you are too close to your business. Here’s the real secret — great minds don’t always think alike! That’s why the best leaders turn to mastermind groups. Just imagine sitting around a table with successful people from many different fields and walks of life, and having them freely, openly, and confidentially share what they would do to grow your business. My mastermind group is responsible for me starting my third business, which I will tell you about in the near future.

So what’s in your library that you’ve enjoyed reading? Drop me a note and let me know; I’d appreciate your recommendations.

The entire purpose of generating a monthly newsletter is to establish effective communication with your customers, clients, patients, and prospects.  Effective communication plays a pivotal role in acquiring positive feedback from your customers.  In order for one to convey their personality through their newsletter, establishing communication with customers is integral.

Your way of thinking and speaking should be conveyed through your writing style.  Charisma and personality are pivotal ingredients readers look for in newsletters.  If you have those two ingredients you can almost guarantee yourself a steady customer base.

Speaking in first person is the most effective way to write conversationally.  It is important to use the word “you” as much as possible, and it is also a good idea to include personal examples rather than ones that are general.  For example, “In this month’s issue we have an included an offer specifically for valued customers like you.”  This type of writing style instills a special connection with your customers.

Once I was skimming through a newsletter for Endless Vacations and found an article about cruises.  I thought, “Wow this is great!  I’ve got to tell my wife about this tonight!”

They wrote the article in Q & A interview format, which was convenient because I was able to pick out the questions and answers I was interested in.

I think it’s important that I cite a few of them because I think it will illustrate my point even further.  This article is about ocean liners.

The conversational tone and writing was very personable and kept my interest.  It was as if someone was talking to me through the article.  One of many questions that caught my attention was about sea sickness.  It said, Question: “I’ve heard that crossings are often rough.  Will I get seasick?”  For the answer the article spoke about giant efficient stabilizers on the ship that reduced rocking up to 85%.  Passengers on board would feel little more than gentle rocking with waves as big as twenty feet.

Another question that caught my attention was “Uh-oh, the waves are actually getting pretty rough out here.  And I’m feeling a little punk.  Now what?”  This type of writing style reflects the personality of the author.  The article is also very informative with over the counter remedies that prevent seasickness.

Here is the last question I will cite.  “I’ve never cruised because I’m afraid I’ll feel trapped.”  The answer was very humorous.  It said, “Excuse me, but have you seen the size of these ships?”

The Q&A style is an excellent example of establishing rapport utilizing conversational tone and knowledgeable information, and the same time entertaining the reader in a more intimate way.

Utilizing the Q&A style for your articles in your newsletter templates is an excellent idea.  You can prompt the answers you want in interviews by creating questions in this format.  You can hone this skill by doing mock interviews with people you know.’’

Readers love writing with charisma and personality.  Your customers will keep subscribing to your newsletter as long as it contains these two important ingredients.