Category Archives: tips

How to follow a Twitter chat

Written on November 23, 2009 by Stephanie in PR, Technology; twitter, Uncategorized, public relations, tips
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woman at computerHave you ever walked into a room where everyone was talking, engaged in an activity and it seems like everyone knows what’s going on but you? Now imagine they’re talking 90 miles a minute. That’s what attending your first Twitter chat can feel like.

The best way to follow a chat in Twitter is to use a client like Tweetgrid, HootSuite, Tweetdeck or Tweetchat. I’ve found it easiest to follow a chat if I do a search for the hashtag the chat is using, the moderator’s twitter stream, @ replies to my name for starters. I have consistently had the most luck with Tweetgrid, and I recently learned it was developed in my home state of North Carolina — so I’m recommending it to you. One more cool thing about Tweetgrid: you enter the hashtag of your chat and Tweetgrid adds it to all your tweets so you don’t have to re-enter it and the character counter includes it so you don’t go over 140 characters. Here’s a peek at one setup I use a lot.

Using Tweetgrid for #journchat

Using Tweetgrid for #journchat

Now that you’ve seen how I keep up with a chat, here are some tips for participating without annoying regular chatters:

1. Check the moderator’s Twitter stream for preliminary information about how to join in.
Sometimes this is in the steam, sometimes there’s a link to a place where you can read some basic rules about how this chat likes its members to participate.

2.  Retweet the moderator’s questions to give everyone participating a chance to see them.
Depending on the speed of the Twitter client other folks are using, they may be answering questions 1 and 2 while your moderator is on 3 or 4. Retweeting the question helps pass along the information.

3. Use Q1, Q2, Q3 etc., when you are answering the question.
Example: Q2 No, the press release isn’t dead, but needs to be rethought.

4. Watch your character count.
If your answers are less than 140 characters, they are easy for fellow chat participants to retweet  without changing or with adding a quick comment. Aim to leave 10-15 characters free if you can.

5. When you see a good answer, go ahead and retweet it. Even if you don’t agree with it.
You can mention that you agree, disagree, or spit out your Diet Coke when you read it. Retweeting a comment is a great way to further the dialogue and keep the conversation going.

6. We don’t have to all agree, but we do need to respect other opinions.
There can be some good dialogue going on, but remember it’s a conversation and not an argument.

7. Follow people you find interesting or retweet.
It’s a great way to find new tweeps with a provocative point of view. And if you happen to be pithy and find a lot of new followers after a chat because of your comments, you can follow back, thank them or just engage in a conversation with the new folks you meet.

There are chats ranging from interest in journalism/PR to small businesses, to blogging to personal finances. Meryl K. Evans (@merylkevans) started a list on her blog that has since become a Google spreadsheet updated by many folks. Find a chat you might be interested and mark your calendar. Remember, the comments fly by quickly, and you might need a little practice before you keep up. If you  need more time, you can always perform a search using the hashtag after the event to read the comments at your leisure.

For those of you who are old pros at Twitter chats, what advice would you add?

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Talking to fill the silence

Written on August 12, 2009 by Stephanie in celebrity, media relations, tips
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If you’ve ever been interviewed by a journalist, you may have experienced a tactic designed to keep you talking. You’re answering, you’re answering, you finish — and silence. The other guy doesn’t say anything, doesn’t ask the next question, just looks at you expectantly. So you start answering again. And maybe putting your foot in your mouth.

That’s talking to fill the silence. Don’t fall for it. It’s one of the oldest tricks in the book.

How I wish some folks caught in the media glare would get that: Jon and Kate Gosselin, SC Gov. Mark Sanford, maybe even Katherine Heigl. I’m talking about you. There comes a time when the rest of us just do not need to know anything else about your personal lives.

Honest.

But there may come a time when your company or organization faces this interview tactic. Remember, answer the question and then stop. Here are some other tips for facing the media:

  • Don’t blame
  • Don’t repeat a negative
  • Don’t volunteer tough topics, especially when you don’t really know the answer

To be fair, the Gosselins and Katherine Heigl are considered to be celebrities and their representatives apparently believe in the old adage “There’s no such thing as bad publicity”. Their tendency to spill is most likely less about being caught by an interview trick and more about the quest for fame.

And your organization probably isn’t raising sextuplets and divorcing, mysteriously disappearing from important governmental duties or starring in a summer movie. So you don’t have to talk about those things.

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How to get great customer service

Written on March 22, 2009 by Stephanie in customer service, tips
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As a rule, I generally get good customer service. It’s not perfect all the time, but more often than not, I get the help I need. My friends have always asked how I do it, so I thought I’d share the information that has helped me. Here are my top 5 ways to get great customer service.

1. Be polite. Along the lines of “You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar”, being polite to the person taking your order, helping you with a return or explaining that it will take six tries to fix your home PC (this really happened to me!) will get you further. You may be caught in a frustrating situation, but raising your voice or cursing will only alienate the person who has the power to help you.

2. Ask for what you want. Do you want store credit or cash for that return? Do you think your PC should replaced under your extended warranty? Did your favorite restaurant change the menu, removing your favorite lunch dish? Ask them to help you out. Try these magic words “It would really help me if you could …” or “What I’d really like to see is …”.

3. Know the rules. Sometimes you may think you’re getting a bad deal because you don’t know the terms of service. Even though the sign on the shelf says the razor blades are on sale, the circular actually says you need to buy two packages to get that deal. So berating the cashier won’t help you here. Knowing the rules also will help you when you do have the right information, and the cashier or representative does not. Asking for a manager here can also help you out.

4. Take good notes. Especially if you are dealing with something over the phone. Write down the name of the person you are talking with, the date you talked (even the time!), and summarize the situation in a note. Write down any case numbers or incident numbers. If you have to call again, you can reference that call and the representative may be able to find that conversation in their computer system. Be prepared to recount your understanding of the call, and be sure to politely but firmly correct any misunderstandings on the other end. Their notes might be different than yours. If you reach an impasse, ask for a supervisor.

5. Turn your adversary into an ally. If you start a confrontation, you’ll just reach the stone wall of “I can not help you with that at this time.” (Which may have you wondering — then at WHAT time can you help me???!! — but don’t say that out loud.) Take the position that you’re both in this together and you both have the same goal: reaching an amicable solution to the problem, especially one that’s in your favor. Use some humor. Listen when they explain the situation. Repeat back to them:

So you’re saying that my extended warranty allows you to try to fix my PC three times? But I have had six visits from a technician.

Oh, I see — you count the number of parts shipped to me and not tech visits. So if this last one doesn’t work?

Oh, so what you’re saying is that if this last part does not fix my problem, you will send me a replacement PC at no cost to me? I understand your system now.

Good luck. Do you have any tried and true customer service tips? Let’s share them in the comments.