When I was teaching a class about job hunting, one of the parts that students had the hardest time grasping was networking with live people they didn't know.
They didn't know how to start conversations. Anum's column provided some good, and clever ways, to do just that. If you're stuck trying to start conversations, try these. What is the worst that can happen? Someone walks away or says no? As a recruiter or salesperson you should be used to that already so what do you have to lose?

Ev

22 Conversation Starters For All Our Networking Needs

By Anum Hussain
Are you from Australia? Because you meet all my koalifications.
Conversation starters like the one above give me joy daily. I follow Tinder Nightmares, an Instagram account surfacing real stories from real users. But deep behind the comedy of these sometimes desperate attempts to trigger a relationship is a real issue ...
Starting conversations is difficult. And awkward. And just all around uncomfortable. 
While I may not be a Tinder user, I can relate to the struggle of starting a conversation at conferences, social events, and even internal company parties. Even when I'm speaking at conferences, I often hide in a corner avoiding the pre-presentation cocktail hour until it's my time to get up and speak.
To help poor souls like myself, I reached out to some of the most well-connected folks I know. In the presentation below, you'll find 22 unique conversation starters - which means If you're looking for the generic, "so what brings you to this conference?" you've come to the wrong place.

1. "Have you found a place to put your coats / bags, or are we just holding on to them?"

2. "Are you Italian?"

People always want to know why you think they’re Italian. This anonymous contribution comes from someone who says the line “does wonders on Tinder.” That must mean it works at conferences, too, right?

3. "After this, I'm thinking of flying to France, Hong Kong, or Rio. Which should I go to? Why?"Contributed by: Mark Roberge, Chief Revenue Officer

4. "Are any of you experiencing issues connecting to the Wi-Fi?"

I mean, the answer is almost always ... "YES."

5. One time I introduced myself to someone & we wound up helping each other a ton. Let's make it round two? Contributed by: Matt Bilotti, Student Investor

6. "Mind if I squeeze in and share this cocktail table?"

While this yields a one-word response, it serves as a staring point for approaching someone. 

7. "That's a sweet startup tee. I think I've heard of that company ..."Contributed by: Harvey Simmons, Marketer & Product Evangelist

8. "Is your phone dying too? There's got to be somewhere to charge this."

Lingering around a charging station is also a great way to meet others doing the same. 

9. "I like your bag. Where is it from?"Contributed by: Sasha Hoffman, Entrepreneur & Biz Dev

10. "Know anywhere I can get some good food or drinks around here?"

 Even when the answer is “no,” we may find  a new pal to go on a drink-finding journey with. 

11. I'll be honest, the only person I know here is the bartender, and I just met him. Mind if I introduce myself?

12. Looks like I'm not the only crazy chick who showed up in heels. How are you holding up all day?

13. Gotta love  bathroom wait lines, am I right?

No. No one loves these lines, but might as well chit chat while we wait.

14. I'm tired of chatting with my colleagues - I see ‘em all the time. What are you all  talking about?Credit: Pete Holmes

15. I'm not sure I knew what to expect when I came here. Have you been before?Contributed by: Meghan Anderson, Product Marketing Director

16. "How are you guys getting to the next event? Want to share a cab?"

Oftentimes, people don’t have a plan yet. Offer a ride-share and secure yourself a set time  to connect with them.

17. "Have you  downloaded the  mobile app? Which sessions have you selected through it?"Contributed by: Rachel Sprung, Product Marketing Manager

18. "If there’s one question you don’t want me to ask because you’re sick of answering it, what would that be?Credit: Conversation Arts

19. "You guys look like you're having the  most fun here, mind  if I join this conversation?"Contributed by: Corey Eridon, Managing Editor

20. "Is it quieter on  this side of the  room? I can hardly hear over there."Credit: The Muse

21. "Have you checked out [XYZ]  app? What did  you think?"Contributed by: Brian Balfour, VP of Growth

Simply replace [XYZ] with the hottest app of that year - Twitter, Whatsapp, Snapchat, etc.

22. Man, I hate networking.

Might as well start with the one thing just about  every attendee has in common. ;)

If you got to the end of the post, you may enjoy hearing that upon using the "koalifications" pick-up line on my best friend, she responded with, "yours are irrelephant."

19 Networking Tips I'm Sick Of Hearing

I thought this was a new spin on common advice.

Nice take Anum!

Ev

Blah Blah Blah ...
19 Networking Tips I'm Sick Of Hearing
 
 by Anum Hussain

Here's the thing: I have a personal vendetta against 99% of the networking content on the internet.
Every piece regurgitates the same pointers on perfecting business cards. Every article repeats outdated advice on how to work a room. That's why, for the past few months, I've attempted to surface real, actionable methods for building relationships. I've gathered stories on hustling for connections, uncovered email templates that trigger responses, and more.
But today I'm taking a break from all that. Instead I'm going to have some fun by featuring just about every tip you've already heard.
So if you're looking to be an old school networker and bask in some awkward fun while neglecting how social conversations have evolved over the past ten years ... then this 18-step process is for you. Shall we enjoy it together?

Step 1: Research a few people you want to connect with prior to the event.

Step 2: Eat a proper meal to avoid chatting fatigue.

Step 3: Learn big, fancy words to impress people with.

 Step 4: Take a moment to boost your self-esteem before working a room.

Step 5: Don't be afraid to enter the room. You went there to network afterall.

Step 6: Approach someone new and say hello.

Step 7: Give them a firm handshake so they know you mean business.

Step 8: Then employ the buddy system to divide and conquer.

Step 9: Keep your introductions brief and to-the-point.

Step 10: Look really interested even when you have no idea what someone is saying.

Step 11: If that doesn't work, just sprinkle in pop culture references.

Step 12: If all else fails, say something super inspirational to sound super smart.

Step 13: Just make sure you're not the jerk on the phone the whole time.

Step 14: Don't be afraid to admit when a conversation isn't benefiting you.

Step 15: Know when to end the conversation.

Step 16: Hand out your perfectly polished business cards to stay in touch.

Step 17: Send professionally-written follow up notes to everyone you meet.

Step 18: If they ignore you, keep following up. Don't stop until they respond.

 Step 19: And of course, dress to impress for post-conference parties.

Tired of all these so-called tips, too?
If you're looking for modern, effective networking pointers, I recommend these posts that over 35,000 people have already found helpful:

• 19 Subject Lines Stats Impacting Our Email Open Rates 
• Here's My Free Template For Tracking Personal Connections
• How I Identify The Right People For My Professional Network

Networking vs. Being a Creep

People I talk to often say they don't like networking events because they don't know what to say to people. Matt Bilotti wrote a fun article about how to get started talking to others at a networking even or any social occasion.
How many of these techniques have you tried?
Ev


How I Approach Strangers Without Being a Creep
Matt Bilotti  approach-strangers-networking

I'm at an event. I don't know anyone here. I'm standing by the food to make it look like I'm thinking about what to eat. I'm trying to look like I'm too cool to talk to anyone.
Really, though, I'm secretly hoping and waiting for someone else to come and say hi. 
There's many articles online about how to "work a room," but they all advise the same thing: Break out of your comfort zone. This typically comes paired with a graphic like so -

But hardest part isn't getting out of your comfort zone; It's knowing when it's appropriate to join a group of strangers without being that person who suddenly initiated an awkward silence.

As uncomfortable as it may feel, there's really no way to avoid wandering around the room for a bit while feeling like that creepy dude or dudette lurking. I've picked up a few tips to keep myself from looking suspicious when I wander: 

  Keep a drink in your hand - even if it's just water. 

  Listen carefully while casually strolling through groups. 

  Walk slowly to get a gauge on what's being discussed.

While walking by slowly a few feet away from a group, I give myself at least 15 seconds to gauge their conversation. Within these 15 seconds, I look for any of the following five signals that it's okay to start talking to one or all of the folks in the group. 

Signal 1: Someone is bored or ready for an escape.
Is one of the individuals in the group glancing off into the distance at least twice within that 15 seconds?
Are they a third or fourth person in the group and clearly looking in a different direction with the others?
This is the perfect opportunity to target this unengaged individual, make eye contact, and free them from their misery by smiling and introducing yourself.

Signal 2: Someone is using drawn out words, filler words, or single responses.

There are a few words that, when used repeatedly, trigger that a conversation is ending - or at least that one person is done with it. Examples include ...

• Mhhm
• Yeahhhhh
• True True
• Cool ...
• Yep
• Yeah
• Nice

Hear these words repeatedly? BOOM. Jump in. These people are done with one another, making it the perfect time to approach.

Signal 3: Someone has their feet pointed in another direction.

This may sound silly, but if somebody is standing in a group conversation but their feet are clearly pointed in a direction outside that group or the person they're speaking with, they are most likely ...

• Not interested in what the other person is saying
• Looking to move in that direction in the near future
• Leaning up against something with swag - in which case, they might not be looking for any conversation at all.
  

Signal 4: Someone is taking deep breaths or nodding slowly.

If one person is ending their sentences with long, deep breaths, it generally means they're ready to move on. Beyond the big breaths, from my experience, nothing is as crystal clear as when someone is nodding their head slowly. This is typically a big sign that the individual is tuned out.
I've found both these instances to be great opportunities to approach that person and spark a conversation.

Signal 5: Someone is wandering around confidently looking for conversation.

When I notice somebody else is wandering around the room on their own or look like they're employing the same strategy as me, I try to intercept their path and make eye contact.
Sometimes they're hoping to find someone like me to chat with. Other times, they may have their own agenda that doesn't involve me. I can typically sense this when they don't return my eye contact and keep moving around.

These five key signals come into play at every event I attend, resulting in at least five to six valuable conversations. No awkward introduction, no awkward interruption, just a natural start for both me and the person I'm talking to.

What Passive Candidates Really Want

It is a candidate driven marketplace for sure, especially in IT.
What will attract these candidates?
Thanks for the insight Ron!
Ev
A Heck of A Nice Guy

The Truth About What Passive Candidates Really Want
the-truth-about-what-passive-candidates-really-want
by Ron Stewart

nShare556

 

Expect to see a surge in the recruiting of passive candidates. While only 25 percent of global respondents from LinkedIn’s research are actively looking for work, 45 percent of candidates say that they would be open to speaking with a recruiter, which means that the passive talent pool could be a great source for finding fresh candidates. But how do you convince candidates who are satisfied with their job to make a switch?

Here are three things that can make the difference for a successful hire and what notable business leaders have to say about them. 

Figures First

While many commentators claim that money isn’t a main motivator, LinkedIn’s recent survey begs to differ. In fact, both active and passive candidates cite money as a top priority when it comes to a new job. For passive candidates it is actually the No. 1 pull factor for deciding to change careers. While active candidates sometimes prioritise opportunities for advancement and more challenging work, financial incentives — including annual salary, compensation, and benefits — are all contributing factors to motivate passive candidates to take on a different job role.

“Compensation and perks can open doors and entice a candidate,” says Sabrina Balmick, marketing manager for ACA Talent. “With a more competitive compensation package, your company will be able to attract better quality candidates who are serious about building a career with your organization.”

Work/Life Balance

Next on the list of pull factors for passive candidates is work/life balance. Employees are increasingly placing a higher value on their time, and will factor this in when contemplating a job offer. Many passive candidates want their jobs to be challenging and rewarding — but not take up their entire lives. The prospect of time at the end of the day to pursue their hobbies, head out with friends, or home to their family could very well entice candidates to make the switch.

“It’s important for businesses of all sizes to ensure that their employees have a good work/life balance,” says Tim Kitchen, founder of online marketing company, Exposure Ninja. “Many of my employees have the benefit of remote working and flexi-time. Everyone wants to be able to find the work/life balance that works for them and this is a good way to do it. And it means that when my employees are on the clock, they’re on fire.”

Company Culture

Professionals around the world agree that whether their prospective company is a good place to work is a highly important factor. 56 percent say the company’s work culture reputation is most important factor when considering a new job. 85 percent of active candidates and 90 percent of passive are passionate about the work they do, and a company that appreciates their work is essential. As a result, company branding and social media presence is more important now than ever.

“Culture eats strategy for breakfast,” is the phrase coined by Richard Plepler, CEO of HBO. Plepler is a leading advocate of transparency in the workplace, creating a company culture where employees feel able to contribute. He further said in an interview with the Financial Times: “The work environment that we create has to be transparent. Everyone can say what’s on their mind and once we make a choice, everyone is behind it.”

The Truth of It

When it comes to recruiting passive candidates, those pull factors need to be ever so slightly stronger. While a bigger pay packet might be the main draw, don’t overlook the importance of providing employees with a good work/life balance and creating a strong company culture.

March 2015 Jokes

Need a little laugh?
You'll get a little laugh from these jokes!
Thanks for reading my blog!
Ev
A Heck of A Nice Guy

What is a Mummy's favorite type of music?
Wrap!

What are two things you can NEVER eat for breakfast?
Lunch and Dinner

Knock Knock
Who's there?
I eat mop.
I eat mop who (say this fast and see if you get the answer)

Effective Prospecting: Quality Over Quantity

Effective Prospecting: Quality Over Quantity 
from
Miller Heiman.com
Prospecting-Quality-Over-Quantity

Think about how many times since you began selling you heard someone say, “I wish I’d never closed that order.” And then consider how many times you’ve said it yourself.  Why does this happen? Because the sales professional allowed himself to believe that it’s quantity, not quality, that counts, and so ended up selling to a customer with a nonexistent match to their product or service. Learn how creating an “Ideal Customer Profile” will help you separate your best prospects from the ones who will prove to be liabilities.

The Ideal Customer Profile’s aim is really twofold: to anticipate problems in your current customer base, and as a sorting device that will help you cut down on those prospects you probably shouldn’t be working with in the first place—leaving you with a shorter but real prospects’ list. Your own personal Ideal Customer Profile will be based on your current and past accounts; you can then use that profile to test the real prospects of a winning sale with all of your current sales objectives.

1. Create your Ideal Customer Profile. Make five columns with the following subheadings:
   1. Best Customers
   2. Characteristics of Best
   3. Ideal Customer Profile
   4. Characteristics of Worst
   5. Worst Customers


2. Identify your best customers. List your best current and past customers, not prospects—be sure to limit yourself to accounts where you’ve already done business. Concentrate on those accounts that have given you the maximum number of wins and minimal trouble.


3. Identify your worst customers. List your worst past and current customers. Concentrate on those accounts where either you or the customer—or both of you—have lost even though you’ve closed the order.


4. List best customer characteristics. List those characteristics that are common or unique to the “best customers” you’ve just identified.


5. List worst customer characteristics. List those characteristics that are common or unique to the “worst customers” you’ve just identified.


6. Create your Ideal Customer Profile. Study the lists you’ve just made of “best customer” and “worst customer” characteristics and distill out of those items a new list of characteristics you consider the most significant to put in your Ideal Customer Profile column. (Note: When assessing “worst” characteristics list, your takeaway will be the opposite of the significant items listed there, i.e., if a common characteristic of your “worst customers” is that they’re “unable to make decisions,” write in the ICP column something like, “Has a process for making buying decisions quickly.”) Then zero in on the five most significant characteristics. These five characteristics will form your Ideal Customer Profile.


7. Test your current accounts. Measure a current account you’re working on against each of your five ICP characteristics, asking yourself for each one, “How well does this particular customer match with this ideal characteristic”?

You now have a useful screening tool for both sorting your prospects and anticipating problems. Once you know how close (or not) a given account is to your Ideal Customer Profile, you’ll be in a better position to make a decision about how to improve your strategy for that account.

Honesty

"It is a well known fact...Vulcans do not lie," as Spock said in many Star Trek episodes.
Being honest is my #1 rule of sales.
never-lie-to-client
On a recent sales call a prospect said to me the number one rule she has when building a relationship with the recruiter or staffing firm is if the recruiter is honest.
Being in the staffing industry I'm amazed how many clients and candidates think recruiters are being dishonest. It almost seems recruiters fall somewhere in between life insurance salespeople and used car salespeople on society's stereotype pantheon of "people you don't want to believe (For the record I also worked in advertising sales and door-to-door vacuum cleaner sales, two more on that infamous pantheon)."
Yes, there are scuzzy recruiters out there just like in any profession.
That isn't true for the vast majority of people in this profession.
Almost all of the recruiters I know are solid professionals who have the best interests of their candidates and clients in mind. Insurance, cars, radio ads, vacuum cleaners are an easy sell compared to the recruiting industry.
Recruiters deal in the toughest commodity to explain, demonstrate, and control...people. Recruiters also have to make two sales for every candidate placed in a job. One sale is made to the candidate that they should apply for the job, and the other is to the client that their candidate is indeed the best person for the job. That is why being a recruiter is the toughest sales job I've ever experienced.
why-recruiting-is-toughest-sales-job

I agree with my prospect that honesty is the key to a good relationship, however I want to focus on a part of this problem that people outside of the recruiting industry might not understand. Honesty is a two way street and requires the client company to also provide honest information about the position they are looking to fill and the person they want to fill it. It also requires the candidate to be honest about their intentions and goals as well.

How many times as a client have you heard a recruiter say "we can fill that position" and then never hear from the recruiter again?

How many times as a recruiter have you heard a client say "it's not about the skills they have but if they are a culture fit," and in the end it really was about the skills.

How many times as a recruiter or client have you heard a candidate say "it's not about the money, it's about..." and then when you present the offer you find out the candidate accepted an offer for $2,000 more even though the benefits, schedule, life balance, etc., is better at your company than the place they accepted?
I guess it was about the money after all.

Sometimes you as a recruiter CAN'T fill a job order.

Sometimes as a client you just need someone who CAN DO the job, and although culture fit is ideal, pressures or deadlines dictate you just need someone with the right skills.

Sometimes as a candidate it IS about the money.

It is okay to share these things with each other!

Good recruiters aren't making up stories when they contact a candidate and are full of enthusiasm for the job. Good recruiters have asked the client enough questions and probed deep into the needs of the job, that they believe the candidate they are contacting can indeed be the solution to the client's open position. The disconnect comes in when a client, candidate, or recruiter says one thing (or doesn't say something) to the other party and it doesn't work out, and that makes everyone look foolish and wastes time.
Let's all drop the deflector screens and provide each other the information needed to help each other succeed.

My tagline for many years now is "A Heck of A Nice Guy."
I don't think you can be nice person without being honest.
Just waving a little flag for me with the above comment. LOL!
Thanks for reading!
Ev
A Heck of A Nice Guy

Buying Signals

Adam Boyd is a sales trainer for Market Sense and someone I had met on a couple of occasions and he appears elsewhere on this blog.
can-social-media-replace-cold-calling
Below is an article he wrote for his blog on buying signals.
When you are sitting across from a candidate or client, how do you recognize if they have bought what you are telling them?
Thanks Adam for the article!
Ev

Buying Signals
by
Adam Boyd
buying-signals

Years ago, I sat in a meeting with a couple of executives in Austin, Texas. I had not uncovered any really compelling reasons for them to change course. Even though one of the executives was the sole source of new business for the company, and their six sales reps were posting goose eggs, they felt good about their company and their direction. They either weren't comfortable opening up to me, or were oblivious to their concentration issue. However, one of the partners asked me what it would cost to help them.
Sensing that a discussion of money at this point was premature, I instead asked, "Well, are you sure you want my help?" He sort of laughed and replied, "When someone asks about price, that's usually a buying signal." Got me on that one. And he invoked old-school sales terminology, to boot. Prospect -2, Adam - 0.

Buying signals..... If you aren't familiar, these are the divining rods of sellers, indicating someone's desire and readiness to purchase your product or service. Some examples include:

• Leaning forward or changing their posture
• Smiling, or making more direct eye contact
• Making "interested" sounds (I'm not kidding)
• Asking about price, warranties, or guarantees
• Asking for a demo. Or asking for a second demo
• Asking very detailed questions about your offering

Maybe those do signal a desire and willingness to buy. In the case of body language, it might be that they're uncomfortable in their chair, or from standing still for so long. Asking about price might be a way to get rid of the seller, or to gain information they can use against a competitor. Asking for a demo might be because they simply love new technologies, or to see if they can reverse engineer it in-house. The reality is that these "signs" could be good, they could be bad, but we really don't know.
What works much more effectively than a sales ouija board or magic 8 ball is getting simple answers to straight questions. Elite sellers find out, from the prospect, answers to the following:

• Why are you looking?
• What else are you considering?
• Why have you not bought those?
• When do you need it? Why then?
• Do you think we can help?
• Do you want our help?
• Do you have the money? Will you spend it? Under what conditions?

These aren't sexy, but elite sellers get these questions answered. They can then forecast more accurately and close more predictably than sellers who try to interpret a bad case of indigestion or gas on the part of the prospect.
What tools are your people using to qualify or disqualify opportunities?

More Funny Job Ads

I've written thousands of job ads over the course of my career (on this blog there are several places to find my advice on what makes an effective recruitment ad). Some time ago I posted some of the most clever ads and some with funny mistakes.
10-funny-job-ads
Below are some more examples. Bravo to those who came up with the clever ideas, and thanks for the laughs for the ones who made the unintentional mistakes.

 

This ad campaign has gotten Dice a ton of publicity, especially in California where drivers get a chuckle while stuck in traffic.
 

Funny and clever! 

 

I've had internships like this. In the creative world you have to take jobs like this to break into the industry. At least it's honest! 

Crude as it is, it gets attention.

 

Math + lack of proofreading = comedy

 

I believe his daughter filled his job.

 

Inventive.

 

Now we know the secret about how the coffee is made in these machines

 

Who hasn't wanted to at least once?

I wonder if sharks with lasers on them are involved?

 

I'm not sure what they were trying to say. "Salad" maybe?

 

Thanks for reading and laughing!

Ev

A Heck of A Nice Guy

five-writing-tips-that-can-double-your-salary

Thanks Bruce! This is definitely true!
Ev

five-writing-tips-that-can-double-your-salary

by
Bruce Kasanoff
Entrepreneur. Writer. Speaker.
Co-author of Smart Customers, Stupid Companies. Every person matters.

It is impossible to overstate how much we rely on written words to get what we want.
Are you making your writing as powerful as possible?
 By improving your writing, you will change the arc of your career. You can literally double or triple your salary, because effective leaders get paid much more than "muddled thinkers."

Your first reaction may be to doubt my salary claim, but let's start with your resume.
A well-written one can be the difference between a big job and a dead-end one. Now consider what you do for a living... effective writing can make a huge difference. For example, a researcher who can write effectively might get five or even ten times as many grants over the course of her career.
If you are an up-and-coming leader, the ability to use words to motivate others can easily double your rate of advancement. We all know people who are obviously intelligent, but just can't seem to consistently offer a series of actionable recommendations. Such people aren't worth nearly as much as their colleagues who communicate with clarity.
Print out this "business writing cheat sheet" and use it whenever you have to create a powerful document... even if it is just a short email:

1.) Have a repeatable message. Most of the stuff you read has no clear message, which makes it nearly impossible to repeat. In our digital age, being easily repeated is the difference between fame and forgotten.
To give you one example, search engines put clear and focused pieces much higher than random and rambling ones; this fact impacts all business writing, even pieces that will never be posted online.
Creating repeatable messages is one thing it takes to deliver on the premise of my headline. In most companies, it takes more than one person's agreement to double your salary. The people who control your fate must be able to easily grasp both your messages as well as the value you add.
Ask yourself: why am I writing this piece? What do I want the reader to learn? Even more importantly, what do I want the reader to do after reading what I wrote?

2.) Know your audience. If you write everything in the same style, you are - sorry - an ineffective writer. You must adapt your style and approach to match the needs of the people you wish to influence.
The odds are that your boss doesn't think like your subordinates, or your friends. The people in Accounting don't think like the people in Marketing.
Some of us like facts and figures, others crave stories.To get a message into someone's brain, you have to package it in a form they can process. For some people, that means using 100 words or less; for others, it means including three pages of support materials.
Ask yourself: who is going to read this, and how do they think? To get a clue, re-read anything they have sent to you.

3.) Be powerful, not passive. Powerful professionals DO things; they don't sit passively while others take action. But huge numbers of professionals write in the passive tense, like this:
After careful consideration, our department's new operating policy was approved this morning by the management team.
What a lousy way to try to get others excited. Far better to write:
We just created five simple principles to make daily life in our department easier and simpler.
Whenever you write, show people how and why to take action. Demonstrate that you are doing the same. Empower others. Get them moving ahead.

4.) Use examples. Without examples, your words are little more than abstract thoughts, and most people ignore abstract thoughts. There are good reasons for this; we all have daily pressures, and if you don't know how to implement an idea, it isn't useful to you.
Examples show readers how to implement your ideas.
If you are suggesting that your boss approve a new expense, tell him or her why the expense is such a good investment and give examples of how it will support your group's goals.
Every year in my town, the Board of Education fights for more money from the Board of Finance. And every year, concerned parents stand up and give heartfelt examples of how children will be hurt if the school budget is cut. Such stories don't always work, but without them our school budget would be much smaller than it is today.

5.) Use more pictures and fewer words. There's a reason why nearly every LinkedIn article starts with an image; more people read articles with images.
The same is true for nearly every document. Some people think in pictures, others in words. If you fail to include pictures, you will fail to reach some people. Plus, you can use images to draw attention to your key points.
Just as importantly, don't waste words. In fact, you might want to write "don't waste words" right above the screen on all your digital devices. I'm serious. Only use as many words as is necessary to get your point across clearly, and no more.

Bonus tip... write at least three drafts! People hate this tip, but the hard reality is that you need to rewrite your first draft, and to keep rewriting until you've accomplished all five of these tips.
I write at least three drafts of everything, even emails. When I violate this principle, I regret it. By regret, I mean: years ago, not rewriting cost me a raise, it cost me more than one client, and it cost me some friends.
Rewriting doesn't require hours of time. You can rewrite a short email in two minutes. Don't skip this step! The more you polish your words, the higher your career will soar.
For those of you who prefer images to words, here's a visual version of this article...