This is an older sample of a fake yellow page directory invoice. Domain and hosting invoices look very real and have fooled a lot of business owners.
The people we work with are receiving more fake bills than ever before. We're getting copies from clients, we're seeing them in the mail and in email - and they are looking like real invoices.
We have many smart business owners who we work with. I am surprised monthly by how many of these owners or managers have paid fake invoices. To their credit, these invoices look real. But read the documents carefully and MOST say that they are not an invoice, but an offer of services. Services you already have with another vendor. So please be wary when seeing a new bill for your domain name, hosting or email.
Currently we are seeing fake invoices for domain name or web hosting. Bills come in saying you owe them $250 for your domain name for the next year and say that you are in danger of losing your domain name. Realize a domain with us is not only safe, it will rarely be more than $25 per year. We've seen fake hosting bills for as high as $800 per year. Our hosting is right around $270 per year.
We recommend you keep your domain name, hosting and email with ONE trusted source. Then, you know at all times where your important web assets are, and it's much easier to make changes and update your website when your data is all in one place.
Unfortunately, we are also starting to see fake medical bills and attorney bills. Most of these scams are targeting older people, who diligently pay bills as soon as they are received. A unique target has been people starting a trust. There are public notices announcing the trust, and unscrupulous people see the notices and send invoices hoping for payment without providing any services. These companies are not related to the legal firm you've used. This scam preys on a person's lack of knowledge of process and these invoices are frequently paid. So KNOW who you are working with. Don't pay bills you don't recognize. If in doubt share them with your medical provider, attorney or agency.
As a free service, you are welcome to bring in any invoice that you suspect is not real. We can quickly look at it and tell you if it is an honest invoice or a fake. Send an email scan or photo to info@poolecommunications.com, send us a fax copy at 573-221-5161, or just come on by for a quick visit. We'll get right back to you and let you know what is real and what is fake.
We're here to help. Let us know how we can help your business.
© 2024 Poole Communications
As the Zoom Brady Bunch squares pop up one-by-one on screen, the vibe of any virtual meeting hangs in the balance. To make sure your next online gathering becomes an oasis of energy instead of black and white name tag portal of doom, observe the following 10 Do's of Zoom:
Turn on your camera. Your meeting mates deserve to see your reactions and contributions. Appearing on screen shows that you are ready to contribute and your colleagues matter to you. They can visit an art gallery if they want to see portraits, avatars, or sunset landscapes. If there are legitimate or technical reasons for not using your camera, consider catching up later or share the reason why your video is off through the chat or an email prior to the meeting.
Show up early. Make time to log in to the Zoom at least five minutes early in case of technical glitches. If you are the first one in the meeting or placed in a waiting room, it shows you are eager and prepared.
Avoid distractions behind you. Your spouse scanning the fridge or curious child peeking around your shoulder are unwanted distractions. Others joined the meeting to see you, not random surprises in the background.
Keep it short. The average zoom meeting lasts 31 to 60 minutes and today business people spend about 23 hours a week in virtual meetings. Shoot for meetings that are 30 minutes or less, action-focused, and packed with value.
Get into work mode. Perhaps your top half is dressed for business and your bottom half looks ready for bed, but your demeanor, tone, and topics of conversation should be focused on work, not on what is happening at home.
Mute yourself. No one can predict who or what noise may pop up during a meeting. Focus on the speaker, raise your hand through an icon, post a question in the chat, or patiently wait your turn to talk. (Pro tip – hit the space bar to unmute yourself for a quick response.)
Stay put. Resist the urge to rock back and forth in your chair, get up to grab a drink, and no matter what, don't take your laptop or phone with you to a bathroom break.
Be engaged. Virtual does not give anyone permission to be void of energy. Be engaged in the conversation even if it is through non-verbal reactions. Look at the speaker (not yourself in the camera), ask questions, and prepare points to share with the group. Be the reason someone was glad they joined the meeting. Plus, being plugged in means you'll never be serenaded with a chorus of, "You're on Mute!"
Avoid eating. Meetings are not lunch dates. No one wants to see you munching on a muffin or chomping on chips, and they certainly don’t want to hear you doing either.
Forget Fido. We all love our four-legged friends, but they weren’t invited to the meeting, so don’t show up with a plus one.
Put on a pleasant face. I know this sounds odd, however how many meetings have you been to and it looks like folks are just mad... or sleeping? Put on a pleasant face and pay attention. There just may be something you learn and you want to portray a pleasant, professional image.
Follow these 10 Zoom Do's and save as many colleagues and clients as you can from the black and white name tag portal of doom.
Visit our Insights and pick up some quick tips for your business. Subscribe to our newsletter to be sent regular tools and tips.
© 2021 Poole Communications
For more reading:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/seven-rules-of-zoom-meeting-etiquette-from-the-pros-11594551601
https://hbr.org/2017/07/stop-the-meeting-madness
If you really want to get to know your customers, walk a mile in their shoes. Not ready to lace up your sneakers for that tall task? Consider penning a persona instead. Before you start this process, please make sure the time you are spending will result in REAL value to your company or your project. We have seen an over use of personas that end up being more busy work that real research. If you are going to do this, do it right and realize that it will take some time.
Businesses can mine existing data to craft a short story about a customer to unlock new ways to present messages, products, and services to gain better leads and increased sales. Research shows that 71% of companies who have personas exceed prospect and revenue goals and 36% of companies reported shorter sales cycles. Again, exploring and using the data you’ve found is critical. We’ve seen quite a few companies go through the work of building personas and take the additional time to think the process through and apply the data to real customers.
Persona Defined
A persona is a summary or fictional story of someone who represents your target audience. It documents the specific characteristics of your best customers beyond their buying history.
How to create a persona
Using customer and product data, write a few sentences describing key aspects of a model customer’s lifestyle that add personal context to the basic demographics of age, income, education, and location.
Here are seven key components of a customer’s persona and examples for each:
How to find the data to build persona components:
After gathering the data for a customer persona, add a catchy name, brief description, and a stock photo to bring the story to life. Here’s an example using basic demographics and sample data components from above:
Mama Michelle
A single mom on the move personally and professionally.
Michelle is 38, has an estimated income between $40,000 and $55,000, has completed some college, and lives in a rural area. She is a single mom, works at a medical office, and hopes to get a promotion to gain confidence and be an example for her two kids who she transports to and from soccer and school activities. In her limited free time, Michelle checks Twitter for news; Instagram and Facebook to catch up with friends and family; and Pinterest for dinner recipes. She watches Netflix late at night while checking emails after the kids go to sleep.
The power of a persona is using the information to drive marketing and product decisions from “Mama Michelle’s” perspective. Before launching a new campaign, ad, or product line, businesses might ask:
“What would Michelle need?”
“Would Michelle see this?”
“What image or message would resonate with Michelle?”
“Will this product be accessible to Michelle at the time she needs it?”
“Could Michelle afford this?”
Poole Communications can help you dive into the data and develop personas to connect with your customers’ perspectives to make more impact with your marketing.
Visit our Insights and pick up some quick tips for your business. Subscribe to our newsletter to be sent regular tools and tips.
Research
Research: http://www.itsma.com/importance-of-developing-effective-personas/Buyer Personas - 33 Mind-Blowing Stats - Boardview
Buyer Personas drive sales. Early adopters of Personas are showing a significant boost in ROI, and we've collected a…boardview.io
© 2021 Poole Communications
Here is an example of my video conferencing set up at my office.
Download a printable copy here: PCZoomWhitePaper
When you're done go to our Insights and pick up some quick tips for your business. Subscribe to our newsletter to be sent regular tools and tips.
© 2020 Poole Communications
Just when you think you have the current social media scene figured out, a new platform, updated feature and enhanced algorithm makes you feel like you are in the dark again. Instead of searching around the social world with two hands and a flashlight, try using five W’s and an H. Find out the Who, What, Why, When and Where of each of the six significant social channels’ key audiences and How you can create content to make an impact with them. Search no more. Here’s the current social media scene.
Who: Two billion users are active on the platform each month, with Generation X and Millennials leading the way according to the Spredfast Social Media Audience Guide.
What: According to the same research, Facebook is the best platform to grow a small business and is most useful to retail, media, financial services, and healthcare industries.
Why: The audiences on Facebook go there to discover new products. In fact, 30% of retail shoppers who recently made a purchase discovered a new product on Facebook.
When: On average, the Spredfast guide says that users hang out on Facebook 35 minutes per day and Sprout Social shared that by far Wednesday is the best day to post on the platform. Specifically, businesses should make their move at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on hump day.
Where: More Facebook users view content on mobile devices than they do a desktop.
How: Based on Spredfast and Sprout Social research on the 5 W’s covered above, businesses can reach Facebook’s key audience base by launching new products on the site through images, videos, concise descriptions and links to buy within the same post.
Who: Of the 800 million monthly active users on the platform, ladies and teens comprise the majority of the Instagram crowd according to Spredfast’s research. Females between the ages of 18 to 29 make up the largest demographic and 53 percent of teens use the platform to learn about new products.
What: Retail, sports and automotive businesses can find their niche with Instagram.
When: According to Sprout Social, the best times to post on Instagram are Wednesday at 11 a.m. and Friday between 10 and 11 a.m.
Where: Most users view Instagram on mobile devices.
Why: This highly visual platform is the place audiences look to learn about new products, follow brands, and check in with influencers to see what they are saying, learning, doing, wearing and buying.
How: Announce new products, show influential people in your industry and community using and talking about those products. Better yet, become an influencer in your industry by sharing how your products and services make their lives better.
Who: There are 317 million active users tweeting, and the majority of them are men.
What: Best platform for sports, media, financial services and healthcare industries, but not the place for retail.
When: Businesses will have the best results by tweeting on Wednesdays and Fridays at 9 a.m. according to Sprout Social.
Where: Contrasting with its social cousins Facebook and Instagram, Twitter faithful tend to check the site on desktop devices more than they do on mobile screens.
Why: Audiences head to the platform to get scores, news, reviews, deals and ideas.
How: Post coupons and news about your business and link to your website. When they have more time, they may switch to your Instagram and Facebook feeds to buy your products
Who: LinkedIn is the place to reach other businesses, business owners and professionals. The largest demographic on the platform is between the ages of 25 to 34.
What: A key industry served well by this professional platform is financial services. It’s also the place for business to business marketing and not so much for retail traffic.
When: According to Sprout Social, the best times to post are Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to10 a.m. and at 12 p.m.
Where: Given its professional niche, more users check the platform at home or work, which means their use is on desktop rather than a mobile device.
Why: The audience links in to make job searches, research companies and network.
How: Connect with this platform’s users by posting open positions and sharing research on your product or service. While you are at it, link up with like-minded businesses or research your competition.
Who: This is the space to connect with the guys. Males between the ages of 35 to 44 are the largest user group. Another fun fact Spredfast found is that YouTube’s channels reach more 18-49 year olds than any cable network in the United States. YouTube is second only to Facebook in monthly active users boasting a healthy 1 billion each month.
What: Industries related to media, sports and automotive sectors are served well by this platform.
When: YouTube’s myriad channels draw in users an average of 40 minutes a day.
Where: People are tuning into watch on mobile devices more than desktop computers.
Why: Tubers hang out on the site to interact with brands and follow content creators.
How: Businesses can publish video content showing the benefits and uses of products and services to directly engage with audiences and push them to a website to convert into sales.
Who: The ladies love Snapchat.
What: Retail, media, and sports sectors should snap away with this platform’s audiences.
When: The ladies (and others) open the app 25 times each day.
Where: Snapchat only lives on mobile devices.
Why: Snappers use the platform for its privacy - they control how long and who sees their posts - and of course for the pretty filters and lenses.
How: Use filters for your business and create quick and fun content that is lighthearted and hip. If you want more tips, follow Snoop Dog and Spencer Pratt, they seem to have it all figured out and have the largest following.
Need more help with the current social media scene? Need a strategy or ideas for posts? Give Poole Communications a call. We can help. 800-900-3635.
Sources:
https://assets.khoros.com/content/tipsheets/2018-Social-Media-Demographics-Spredfast.pdf
https://sproutsocial.com/insights/best-times-to-post-on-social-media/#times-fb
When you're done go to our Insights and pick up some quick tips for your business. Subscribe to our newsletter to be sent regular tools and tips.
© 2019 Poole Communications
As a business owner, it seems like media love from any platform comes with a price tag. If only you could become the media’s valentine. Wouldn’t it be nice if they pursued you for something other than a monthly advertising invoice? Or maybe you have dreamed of a reporter showing up at your storefront with a bouquet of free air time to spotlight your business.
Be Prepared
That dream date can happen if you are prepared with the right content at the right time. Content is the heart of every story, blog, and social media post. Reporters need quick access to experts, facts, statistics, trends, and testimonials to tell stories that are meaningful to audiences.
Your expertise, industry knowledge and experience could be the perfect match for a reporter on any given day, but you have to get in the dating game to start building the relationship and really become the media's valentine. Here are a few ways to get your business noticed by the media:
For example:
Amy Smith, owner, Smith Heating and Air Conditioning (Phone, email, web, social contacts)
Ten year’s experience in residential and industrial HVAC systems
Expert in electrical safety, home energy efficiency and indoor air quality
Next, identify a few journalists in your area who report on topics related to your industry and send them your expert profile through multiple channels. (Social media, email, hand-written note, phone call)
Use facts and figures about your business and create brief, but meaningful tip sheets or infographics. Focus on ways to help the public save time or money, prepare for the future or avoid a crisis as it relates to your product or service. Periodically share your tips with media contacts. Use social hashtags and tag reporters. Example: 3 Ways to Save Money on Energy Costs #energysavings @nbcreporter
Find out what is trending on Twitter, look at what others are talking about in your own social media feeds and track stories in the national news. Connect your expertise with those topics and ask the media to consider you for an interview to share how the topic may impact your community, customers or industry.
Journalists have very tight timelines. If a reporter calls for an interview, that interview may need to take place on the spot, or scheduled in one to two hours. If you ask for time to prepare, you may miss your opportunity. By having topics and tips ready you can quickly accept the request. Reporters will remember your responsiveness and likely reach out to you again. This will help build your reputation as a thought-leader in the industry.
It Takes Time
Finally, it takes time and effort to become the media's valentine, but creating connections and content could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship with no price tags attached.
