What Is Your Favorite Online Communication Medium?

A couple weeks ago, I asked if you prefer writing or speaking, but let’s get a little more specific in regard to the way you like to send and receive information online. Whether it’s email, through blogs, video or audio, there are many ways to communicate online.

What are favorite ways to send and receive information online?

What’s Your Biggest Asset (Permission to Brag Included)?

We may not be perfect, but we all have special gifts we bring to our online businesses. Here’s your turn to be proud of your biggest asset and even brag a little.

What is your biggest personal asset when it comes to your online business?

What Are Your Top 3 Traffic Sources?

Now, I’m not asking you to divulge your secrets, but I find it interesting to know how people generate traffic to their websites.

My top 3 sources for this website are:

1. Repeat visitors.
2. Organic search traffic.
3. Links from other websites (Top: Twitter)

How about your traffic sources? What are your top 3?

What Do You Prefer: Writing or Speaking?

I’ve always had trouble expressing myself verbally. Whether it was expressing my feelings, explaining a process or even sometimes regular old conversion, I’d often clam up.

CONFESSION! Even now, when I’m interviewed, I write down my answers in advance because the thoughts just don’t come together. I need to write things down to get my thoughts in order.

Of course, not everyone is like that. Others loathe writing and will take speaking over writing any day. And the lucky ones are good at both.

So what about you? Do you prefer writing or speaking?

Who Would You Most Like to Spend 30 Minutes With?

We all have role models, teachers and influences when it comes to our online business. Sometimes we have the opportunity to learn from them through their books, courses and other teachings - but it’s not always possible to speak directly to some of our greatest mentors.

If you could spend 30 minutes alone with anyone who could be influential to your online business, who would it be? Why?

Do You Have More Time For XXX?

We all have our reasons for starting our own online business. It may be to be our own boss, to earn extra income or to fulfill the desire to be an entrepreneur. But you may have also had dreams of having more time. More time for family, a hobby, relaxation, travel or…

So, if you started your online business to get more time for [insert your goal here], has that dream come true? If not, what’s keeping you from it?

Do You Restrain Yourself with Customer Service Emails?

Customer service is NOT an easy job. I think it’s even harder when it’s your own business that you’re supporting the customers for because…well, it’s quite personal. That’s why I have someone else to handle my customer service inquiries in a professional way.

My Question: If you do answer your own customer service emails, do you find you have to restrain yourself to be polite sometimes? I mean, I know most of us wouldn’t go on the defense actually belittle a customer, but do you have to hold yourself back just a little?

Getting Better Results from Outsourced Help

Sometimes it’s easy to become frustrated with hired help, particularly when they’re virtual and you can’t be there to look over their shoulder. But take a moment to consider that if you’re not getting what you want from your contracted help, part of the problem may lie with you and your communication.

Here are 3 thoughts to gett better results from your outsourced help:

Know exactly what you want, give clear instructions and anticipate questions. Unless your helper happens to be a bona fide mind reader, you’ve got to put some effort forth in the way you put out assignments.

The simple fact of the matter is, the more information you can give your contractor, the more likely they will do exactly what you want. I always recommend that you keep a growing library of checklists or training sheets that outline some of the common tasks in your business (by the way, we have premade and customizable ones here).

Always include important details like log-ins, length specifications, time alloted for the task, story angles and specific topics…and just about anything that is relevant to your particular task.

Err on the side of caution and request an outline / plan. For example, if you’ve given a content writing assignment, get your writer to give you an outline of the angle and the specific points they’ll be making. If a copywriter is writing a sales letter for you, ask them to confirm the story/angle they’ll be taking and the various components of the letter. If you’re having some programming done, have them give you a quick outline of the program features to make sure you’re on the same page.

And don’t worry, we all make mistakes - from both sides. When you give your contractor an assignment and you’re not satisfied with it when it comes back, take the time to see where you could have communicated better and do it better next time. You should also give your contractor feedback on where your communication broke down, but realize that if you weren’t clear in your instructions, you should pay for your contractors time to fix the errors.

It may seem like a pain in the rear to have to spend so much time on communication (I mean, why not just do the work yourself if it takes THAT long?!). But communication does get easier with practice and as you develop your relationship with a particular contractor.

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