There were 350 emails in my in box this past Monday morning. It’s incredible how much information gets passed from one entity to the other in this age of instant communication. Rifling through the detritus, it quickly became apparent that only ten or twelve of those 350 were addressed to me by people I actually know.

How do you make yourself stand out when an avalanche of communication comes sweeping onto the desktops of your colleagues, customers and prospects every day? It’s not easy to draw lines of distinction when a heartfelt message threatens to become a commodity.

Here are my top three tips for making your communication stand out.

1. Have a subject line, not just with email but with everything. What makes your message a priority for the person you’re communicating with?

2. Build on relationships. If “Tom” recommended that you reach out to “Julie”, make sure Julie knows that. A common acquaintance or referral means you’re not just SPAM to someone who might benefit from knowing you.

3. Hand write a note. Okay, beat me with a soggy Snickers© bar for being old-fashioned. “Thanks” via email doesn’t cut it if you want to stand out from the crowd. Who can you thank with a note today? Who can you thank everyday? Make it a practice to mail at least two hand-written notes every workday.

Have a story to share about making your communication stand out? I’d love to hear it, and feature your effective communication in an up-coming newsletter. Please email me (or write me a note!) with the subject line “Communication That Works”

Mike around the United States

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For details on upcoming events and presentations across the country, please visit http://www.mikefaber.com/work.php

Looking to build membership in your Association? See Mike’s latest article with valuable tips on recruiting at http://www.wict.org/WICT/Membership/RAM/Faber.htm

Mike Faber
Phone 720-851-5208 Toll Free (outside Colorado) 877-262-2402
On the Web www.mikefaber.com