Blog

Another PSA for meetings: be a better attendee

Listen, ask questions, take notes, ignore your smartphone and other tips to help you be a better meeting attendee.

July 27, 2016

A PSA on running more effective meetings

We’ve put together a PSA – which stands for preparedness, structure and action – on how to run outcome-oriented meetings.

July 20, 2016

Idea-generating tips for financial services pros

Here are five easy ways for you to generate more great ideas.

July 13, 2016

Audit your marketing materials to align with your sales team

Those materials you produced a while back are being used, and your sales team may be wondering why they haven’t been updated.

July 6, 2016

Top 11 reasons to create clear brand guidelines

If you work at a smaller financial services firm, you may not have a brand guideline doc yet. The rules may be in your head … or they may be in constant flux. It’s time that changed.

June 22, 2016

How to lead a brainstorming session

If you’re a project manager running a brainstorming session, here are a few ways to make the best ideas see the light of day.

June 8, 2016

How to turn lemons into lemon meringue pie

What should you do when good assignments become a challenge? You suck it up and make the most of it. There’s value in all projects.

May 11, 2016

How to communicate with investors about underperformance

Practical tips on how to communicate with investors about short-term underperformance.

April 20, 2016

No time for writer’s block? Banish it forever

Nobody has time for writer’s block, and yet it happens to the best of us. Here’s what you can do when the words won’t flow.

April 13, 2016

Make the most of interviews with subject matter experts

If you’re in marketing communications and are asked to interview one of your company’s subject matter experts, be thankful for the opportunity.

March 30, 2016

Daily practices to help you write better

Although every writer is different, a few tips are universal. Here are some rituals and daily practices to help you produce better copy.

March 16, 2016

Hook ‘em with a strong call to action

Today’s post explains why calls to action are important, for your readers and your results-focused writing.

March 9, 2016

6 writing quotes – and how they apply to financial services...

There’s nothing like a good quote for sharing an insightful and inspiring message. Here are a few classic quotes about writing – and our thoughts on how they apply to financial services writing. “Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader – not the fact that it is raining, but the feeling of being rained upon.” […]

February 24, 2016

Strengthening the writer-editor relationship

Being a good editor involves a lot more than being an expert on grammar and spelling. Good editors work with writers through every step of the writing process. They may set an editorial calendar to help writers come up with relevant topics to write about. They reorganize and restructure documents so that a writer’s words flow and […]

February 17, 2016

When you get good press, keep the momentum going

If you’re in financial services media relations or corporate communications, you know it’s challenging to earn positive press. Compared to the U.S., we don’t have many trade outlets to pitch. So, when you do score some good press, pat yourself on the back – and then get back to work because your job is only […]

February 10, 2016

Good, bad and ugly: The changing rules of grammar

Since the dawn of time – or at least since the first cavemen started chiselling on stone tablets – people have debated what constitutes proper use of language. Fact is, grammar is fluid and as times and trends change, writers adapt the rules – for better or worse. Here are five examples of grammar faux […]

December 2, 2015

Automated or custom portfolio manager commentaries? Why not both?

Fund companies used to have a writer sit down with a portfolio manager (PM) to hear how the PM’s fund did over the past reporting period, and then the writer would distill that information into a concise commentary for the PM to review and approve. Not anymore. More and more companies are looking for alternatives […]

November 11, 2015

Web design languages for complete beginners

Thinking about updating your website and wondering how it’s done? Well, if your energies are focused on your clients, not website construction, we’re going to briefly explain how three web design languages – HTML, CSS and JavaScript – are used to build a website. Knowing this isn’t going to help you build a website. But […]

November 4, 2015

Be great at meetings – tips for hosts and attendees

Meetings: are they critical interactions or time killers? Depending on the day and your mood, your opinion probably changes a little bit. Today, let’s call them a necessary evil. And, if you’re going to host or attend one today, we’ve put together a few best practices that ensure you’ll take a leadership role. If you’re […]

October 28, 2015

Working with millennials

As the oldest millennials reach their mid-30s, they’re turning their minds to big financial goals, like saving for retirement or their kids’ education. At the same time, slightly younger millennials are getting serious about their careers and saving for their first homes. Whatever stage they’re at, millennials are a key demographic advisors should be striving […]

October 21, 2015