Bending Words to Your Will, Episode 115

with Travis VandeNoord on August 18th, 2016

This week I’m really excited to bring on the husband of OfficeHours.fm friend and listener, Krissie VandeNoord. I’ve said it on the show before, but one of the best things about podcasting is the different people you meet and I’m excited for the opportunity to introduce you to Travis VandeNoord, someone I (and probably you?) wouldn’t have met if not for the show.

Now, for a little more about Travis…

English teacher by day, wordsmith and lover of people by night. As someone who geeks out crafting and bending the written word, Travis engages readers and communicates a clear, poignant message. You can often find Travis writing content for North UX or handling client communications. He genuinely loves connecting with people and learning more about clients on several levels. He uses these personal relationships to better understand how North UX can help deliver content and help the clients communicate their company’s message in a genuine voice. Travis believes in the power of words and helping people find their voice.

Watch this episode

Show Notes

Travis VandeNoord is a teacher who enjoys crafting and bending the written word and creating clear emails for his wife, Krissie, at their company North UX Design.

Travis teaches AP Literature and teaches students how to read and write clearly.

Crafting Emails

Try to communicate genuinely and get a clear message across to the reader
You can craft a “stylish Email” by providing the important information without getting wordy.
A good email should not be more than a half page long.
Keep the sentences in your email clean and crisp.
Compact Emails are easy to search through when you need to find something in your inbox.
Make sure on a response to an email that you can separate them with topics. This will keep your organized.
Try to follow up a phone conversation with an email (within 48 hours) to clarify the conversation and get the discussion in writing.
Create an email template for communication where easy changes can be made (ex: name, update and the process that you will use in your work).
Keep your email professional and leave out technical jargon and slang.

How to get a Response to Your Email

You want your email to get the potential client to engage in a conversation with you.
Avoid phrases like “at your earliest convenience” or “when you get the time”.
Have the potential client want to meet with you because of your expertise. Turn the “maybe” into a “yes” by removing the fear of not having the recipient respond.
Write your email communication with precise, confident language. If you are looking to build a relationship make sure you are writing with confidence.
You are the expert at what you do.
Follow the email with a phone call followup addressing something in the email..

Important Links from this Episode

North UX Design
Krissie VandeNoord
Loop Conference
Travis VandeNord
Office Hours Community