009: Say What You Mean

02/04/15 • 33 min

Women Rocking Wall Street - A podcast dedicated to women in financial services

Say What You Mean

Did you know the average employee spends about 28 percent of the workweek managing their inbox? Writing and reading emails takes a lot of time! Think of all the hours you’d save and the ways your business relationships would improve if everyone said what they needed—quickly and clearly. That’s why I’ve invited Susan Weiner to chat with us in this week’s podcast about the link between effective email communication and business success. Susan is a prolific editorial contributor who’s built a successful career through writing and editing articles and commentary for investment and wealth management firms. She also has a fabulous Investment Writing Blog and even wrote a book about financial blogging. (Sign up for her newsletter to receive her free e-book, “Investment Writing Top Tips.”) On this week’s episode, Susan walks us through some great tips for improving our emails, from targeted subject lines to summary sentences. As Susan says, a great email subject line is like an airport landing strip—without one, you have to survey the entire area to find a spot to land.

By appealing to the reader’s interest and quickly summarizing the action needed, communication and efficiency will improve. Not only does this save everyone time, but it also creates a more positive work environment. When we all understand each other, business runs smoother.

Be sure to tune in next week, when I invite Constance Freedman, managing director of Second Century Ventures, to speak with us about nailing your niche.

Say What You Mean

Be sure to tune in next week, when I invite Constance Freedman, managing director of Second Century Ventures, to speak with us about nailing your niche.

Previous Episode

008: Navigating Negotiation

Jackie Harder: Navigating Negotiation

The new year offers a chance for renewal and improvement, making it the perfect time to sharpen your negotiation skills. Many companies are gearing up for their annual reviews, so it’s important to prepare now for getting the salary you deserve. On this week’s episode, I’ve invited Jackie Harder, founder of Key Dynamics Coaching & Consulting, to offer some great tips for helping women successfully navigate negotiations in the workplace. The first step, Jackie says, is realizing you don’t need to be afraid to ask for what you want.

Negotiating doesn’t have to be scary; all you need is confidence and practice. If you believe you deserve a pay raise and do the legwork preparing your case, your chances of getting what you want are considerably higher. And even if the answer is no, remember that every moment is a chance to learn. Maybe hearing “no” compels you to move on to another job opportunity, or perhaps it gives you a deeper understanding of what you can improve. Companies are willing to pay extra for quality work and a quality personality—so don’t ever sell yourself short!

To speak with Jackie, email [email protected] or call (305) 451-9295. You can also sign up for her free webinar on Feb. 18 to help prepare for the big negotiation conversation!

Stay tuned next week for guest Susan Weiner, a writer-editor who will share her best communication tips with us. (You’ll also find out how to get a free copy of her e-book.)

Next Episode

010: Nail Your Niche

Constance Freedman: Nail Your Niche

What can you bring to the table that’s unique and valuable, both professionally and personally? On this week’s episode of Women Rocking Wall Street, Constance Freedman shares how she found her uniqueness, and I hope it inspires you to find your niche as well. Constance has quite an interesting story, beginning her career as a real estate agent during college, where she studied information systems and technology. After graduating, she spent seven years at two different technology companies, garnering lots of great opportunities during the .com boom. Little did she know, both her technology and real estate expertise would converge to create the perfect career path for her. Today, she is the managing director of Second Century Ventures, initially capitalized by the National Association of Realtors. “It was an opportunity for me to pull all of my background together,” Constance says. Second Century Ventures began by investing in tech companies that were pushing innovation in real estate and its related industries. In 2013, she launched Reach Growth Accelerator, providing companies tools for success like education, mentorship and insight. And in 2014, she was recognized by Crain’s Chicago Business as one of the 40 Under 40.

Constance’s story begs the question—how can you leverage your experience to carve your own unique career path? As Constance tells us, it involves a mix of having intention and an open mind. In addition to using past experiences to move forward, always keep an eye on new opportunities and try new things that help push the limits. “The intentional aspect is to always look for the next challenge that may create opportunity,” she says. I encourage all of you to keep one eye on your past experiences and the other eye on future opportunity.

Stay tuned next week for my talk with wealth psychology expert and author Kathleen Burns Kingsbury, whose company mission is to teach financial services professionals how to communicate better with clients.