I hope you all had a loverly Thanksgiving. We had a marvelous, laid back weekend. Just what was needed.

Hopefully you all have contacted your clients at least once; reminding them you are there for their health and to make their season lighter. There is still time if you haven’t. Postcards, greeting cards, newsletters, regular letters or emails. Whatever works for you and your clients, wheresoe’er you get your products.

And, as moronic as it feels to be bringing this up, you need to start thinking about Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s is only 6 weeks into the New Year and is the 2nd highest holiday for gift certificates — Christmas being the first. I’ll remind you again, but you need to start cogitating on it. *Sigh.* I know.

Websites
Has anyone heard of and/or worked with Juliet Austin? I came across her the other day. Her free articles are quite good and worth a perusal at least. Take a look at the one on enlightened marketing. It the same kind of approach we try to instill in our products so, you know, I have to agree with her 100%.

I found HalfOfUs when I checked to make sure I was spelling “half” correctly (you know how sometimes words don’t look right?). It’s a site for people (specifically higher ed students) dealing with depression and its effects, eating issues, anxiety/stress, etc. I thought if any of you worked with clients who are dealing with this in their lives this may be a good resource. It has a special section for younger soldiers returning from exotic, dust blown parts. I wish I could find one as good for more “mature” people. Let me know if you have one you’d like to recommend.

Blogs
Okay, here’s a goodie by an MT and her bartering experiences. There were some eyeopeners there, for sure. Her whole blog may be of interest to some of you. Read the About page to see if she catches your interest.

Check out 3 Reasons why Purpose Is Essential in Business. I particularly agree with the second point.

Articles
While Deepak Chorpa isn’t my go-to guy for a pick-me-up I did like one of his more recent articles on How to Be Happy in a Recession.

And a final nod to my favorite guys at Get to the Point. Here’s a good thing to keep in mind while we make a concerted effort to reach out to our clients with specials and discounts: “Communication almost always results in questions,” says Service Untitled. Be prepared with clear, concise answers and a friendly, helpful attitude.

No matter how clear you feel you’ve been in your mailings or flyers, someone will always read it a different way. Hey, if clients are calling you to find out more, it’s a great opportunity no matter how you slice it.

All my best,
Eileen