EMAIL REMAINS ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE CHANNELS AVAILABLE TO MARKETERS. HERE’S HOW TO MAXIMIZE YOUR RESULTS.

Despite the emergence of new marketing channels that promise to deliver stellar results, email marketing continues to shine in terms of effectiveness and return on investment. Email also enables you to segment your lists to customize your message, nurture prospects and customers no matter what stage of the buying process they’re in, and measure results fairly easily. To help you make the most of your campaigns, we asked Liz Willits, an email marketing expert, for advice.

Connecticut Innovations: Thanks for talking to us, Liz. Email is such an important channel for driving sales and engagement, but first, it has to reach its intended audience. What are your tips for improving email deliverability?

Liz Willits: Email deliverability is a complex topic, but there are three powerful ways to keep deliverability high. One: Only send emails to people who ask to receive them from you. Do not buy an email list! Two: Send emails your subscribers want and expect to receive from you. Three: Clean your email list to remove disengaged subscribers.

If you’re following these three best practices, you’ll likely avoid most deliverability issues.

CI: That makes sense. It’s a pretty rotten brand experience to get email you didn’t sign up for—or messages that aren’t on topic. What about open rates? What are a few proven ways to boost those? It’s not all about the subject line, right?

LW: Your subject line is important, but it’s just one of many factors that impacts open rates. Here are a few other best practices for boosting open rates:

• Improve your email deliverability. (See above.) If your email deliverability is poor, fewer people will see your email in their inboxes, and consequently, your open rates will be low.
• Send valuable content to your subscribers. Subscribers will stop opening your emails if they’re not valuable. To make sure this doesn’t happen, send educational, humorous or helpful content to subscribers on a regular basis.
• Clean your email list. No matter how great your email marketing strategy is, there will be people on your list who don’t open your emails or engage with them. After a while, you should remove them from your list, for three reasons. First, disengaged subscribers hurt your email deliverability. Second, email marketing platforms typically charge based on how many subscribers you have, so removing disengaged ones will cut your bill. And third, removing disengaged subscribers will increase your open rates by removing people who never open.

CI: Here’s something we struggle to explain to the rest of the team: What’s a good email open rate?

LW: Aim for at least 20 percent or higher, but keep in mind that email open rates vary with different types of emails. For example, with an automated email welcome series for new subscribers, you should aim for open rates of 35 percent or higher. To maintain good email deliverability, make sure you’re hitting at least a 20 percent open rate.

Keep in mind, though, that open rates are not entirely accurate, and here’s why: Email marketing platforms can’t actually track open rates, because ISPs, like Gmail and Yahoo!, don’t share their users’ open-rate data with email marketing platforms. To get around this, email marketing platforms insert a tiny, invisible image in every email. When this image loads, it’s tracked as an “open.” However, this tends to be a somewhat inaccurate method, because many people set their inbox preferences so that images don’t automatically load. In this case, they might open every email, but your email marketing platform won’t track it as an open.

CI: Good to know. Another thing I wanted to ask about is preview text. Can you tell our readers what it is and how you set it up?

LW: Sure. Preview text is the unbolded text that appears to the right of your subject line on desktop devices and below your subject line on mobile devices. It can add context to your subject line, and when used well, it can increase your open rates. Many email marketing platforms have a field where you can add preview text, but the steps to set up your preview text are different in each email marketing platform.

CI: Great. We’ll make sure to add it. Speaking of email marketing platforms, which do you recommend for startups with limited budgets?

LW: I recommend ConvertKit, AWeber or MailChimp. They’re all affordable and reliable platforms.

CI: Let’s wrap up with a tip about what not to do. What’s the biggest mistake marketers make with email marketing?

LW: The biggest mistake marketers make with email marketing is buying an email list. Not only is it rude to send emails to someone who didn’t ask for them, but it’s also a great way to permanently damage your email sender reputation and deliverability. And it’s illegal in many countries and some states. On top of that, it tends to be ineffective. Your open rates and click-through rates will likely be poor.

CI: We all know someone who has been guilty of buying lists—at least in the early days of using email as a marketing channel. Great advice, Liz. Thanks for your tips!

LW:  Any time!

As we start to think about getting back to the office and returning to some sort of normalcy in the workplace, whether we are a startup or a well-established company, we will need to understand how we can best operate in a post-COVID workplace environment. If COVID has taught us anything, it’s the realization that organizations must adapt, embrace new ways of thinking, learn from this experience and remain flexible. That’s a lot to grasp. The bottom line is, we will return to the workplace, and the workplace will be different.

Many of us have returned to the workplace in varying degrees. We may be experiencing a hybrid situation working some days in the office and some at home, a totally remote arrangement with the option to come into the workplace as needed, or even a full-time situation with all employees returning to the office.

There is no doubt that the perception of what an office should be has changed. We all know that. But what do we do to make it a more productive workplace, safer than it was before, and provide an environment that can adapt for the future? How do we create an environment that transitions from and improves upon the work-from-home (WFH) environment that the majority of us have experienced for close to a year?

Here are some thoughts.

There’s no place like home.

Many of us have gotten used to a home environment for working. Although there are obstacles to overcome, such as children engaging in remote schooling, pets barking, household members conducting business simultaneously, lack of the right tools, internet connection issues or the multiple interruptions that WHF provides, it still has some strong benefits. Home is a safe and welcoming environment. It’s comfortable, warm, light-filled and familiar. Removing the daily commute from the equation, we can spend more time working and less time traveling (along with the added benefit of helping the environment). Those attributes are good things and, in most cases, increase our productivity. It’s important that the new workplace not only embrace the benefits of working from home, but also improve upon them.

Like our homes, the post-COVID workplace needs to be perceived as warm and inviting, and the psychology of color is playing a more critical role than ever. The use of colors that create a sense of calmness and a positive outlook, while reinforcing our need to be connected to the outside environment, can only help an employee’s well-being and mindset. Color can set the “tone” for a successful workplace and support a positive and rejuvenating space.

Comfortable and inviting seating (think of working on your couch or in your favorite armchair at home) will not only connect us with our home but also provide opportunities to engage with others in a different and relaxed way. Why sit at a conference room table to meet with prospective employees or clients when a relaxing living room arrangement may foster a more open and productive conversation? This “Resimercial” approach will inspire employees and guests, creating a calming atmosphere that puts people at ease. Providing different types of furniture in different settings also reinforces wellness. Accessory furniture, materials, lighting and other design elements reinforce this relaxed environment, while reducing stress and making employees happier. Instead of rushing home when the workday ends, employees may linger at the workplace.

Safety First.

With everything we have experienced during the pandemic, employees ultimately want to feel safe in their workplace. We feel safe at home because we control that environment to a certain degree. But in the office, it’s not quite the same. We certainly don’t have the same control. So what makes an environment feel safe, and how do we reinforce that perception? How do we create an environment that will prove to be safe, post COVID, and also prepare us for a future pandemic? The best approach is to take the unknown factors out of the equation.

A “clean” environment is key, but do we know how well our workstation, door hardware, touch surfaces and countless other items we interact with daily are cleaned? OK – time to put your scientific hat on and stay with me. Post-COVID office design will incorporate materials that are self-cleaning as well as safe for the environment. Work surfaces, countertops, seating and associated fabrics for the office are taking a cue from the medical industry. Antimicrobial and self-cleaning characteristics that limit the growth of bacteria, viruses and fungi are being used in workstations and seating. MicroSilver technology is being used in surfaces that emit silver ions for the lifetime of the material without ever wearing off. It’s a good time to be a scientist, but a good time for workers, too.

Besides your workstation, it’s likely you will encounter doorhandles, elevator buttons, appliance devices and other touchpoints within the office. Let’s remember the sobering fact that 80 percent of infections are transmitted by hands. Simple hardware solutions involve hands-free devices, while touch-operated hardware may use Silver Ion wraps. These wraps, used on door hardware, reduce bacteria by 99.9 percent. Elevator buttons and other touchpoints can be covered with skins that provide a continuous self-cleaning surface. Although a rigorous cleaning protocol is still important to assure a safe work environment, these technologies make these surfaces self-cleaning and puts less emphasis on the worry that a daily cleaning protocol is not 100 percent effective.

Beyond material choices, the air quality of our post-COVID office space is critical. At home, you have the opportunity to open a window or take breaks outside at multiple intervals. That’s not as easy in an office environment. Some solutions to increase air quality, depending on the capability of the HVAC system, involve changing air filters from Merv 8 to Merv 13. More elaborate and effective upgrades involve bipolar ionization systems that work with existing HVAC systems. This technology releases ions throughout the space. Ions are naturally occurring outdoors. These ions form bonds with other particles within the space that cluster together. The larger the cluster, the more effectively your HVAC filtration system filters them out of the air. With improvements in ventilation, everyone breathes easier, both literally and figuratively.

OK – Everybody Spread Out … and Think Outside the Box.

We all have likely heard of the six-foot rule – stay at least six feet away from others who are not in your household to prevent COVID transmission. So, in an office environment, the simple thought is to spread out workstations and general seating, allowing us to be separated by at least six feet. But do we really know if that is the correct distance? And in a post-COVID environment, are we designing a workplace with less densification only to revert back to more densification if conditions change favorably? The answer lies in going beyond the six-foot rule and designing a space that is flexible and adaptable.

A space that can adapt to changes in densification without modification to the furniture or major construction is preferred. Let’s call it “futureproofing,” for lack of a better term. Fewer physical walls and more space created by flexible, lightweight and adaptable furniture or movable elements enable the user to best organize the space based on its current or future needs.

Workstations may be set up as “free-address” stations – that is, employees share workstations in lieu of having permanent ones. This setup allows for flexibility in a hybrid workforce and reduces overall real estate needs. Creative orientation and configuration of workstations will keep employees socially distant when required, and the work areas can be easily modified for greater densification when appropriate.

The reception area should no longer serve one function. A check-in station within the reception area that allows for safety temperature checks, hand sanitizer, masks and dedicated floor surfaces to remove contaminants from shoes would be beneficial. Think of the reception area as a high-tech welcome center for guests and employees.

Private, heads-down areas will remain an important component of the workplace. Many of us have enjoyed being able to concentrate at home with minimal interruptions. The post-COVID workplace will need to accommodate such private workspaces. The workplace will provide more phonebooth-type spaces than in the past. Traditional offices will be used for not only private areas to work, but also small gathering places, huddle rooms, virtual meeting rooms and other uses. All of these types of spaces will work best as more open (rather than enclosed) spaces with acoustical materials to limit sound transmission.

Technology continues to transform the workplace and improve on how we meet and communicate virtually. The post-COVID workplace will incorporate broadcast studios (small rooms for two or three people to use comfortably and remain socially distant) and open, collaborative areas that provide a more comfortable approach to connect virtually with those outside the office (or even inside the office) in an open and relaxed setting. Open, collaborative areas offer the best opportunity to meet and stay safe, providing a relaxed area for working and meeting with others. When privacy is a concern, fabric or metal curtains provide just enough privacy for concentration while being totally flexible. Technology improvements for meeting and communicating will make these areas function better and more efficiently.

Organizing the office into “districts” will be advantageous since it allows teams to have all the functions of the workplace grouped within their area (i.e., huddle rooms, heads-down private areas, copy areas, offices, coffee bars and other functions) while reducing the threat of entire-office contamination if a team member gets sick. Circulation paths within the neighborhood and workplace will widen to not only allow more distance between users but make the circulation path more functional for other uses.

Biophilic design will become even more important in a post-COVID workplace. The need to connect to nature through natural lighting, external views, ventilation and sustainable, earth-friendly materials will help reduce stress and enhance creativity.

Who Has the Crystal Ball?

No one can predict the future, but we can learn from the past (and present) as we move toward a post-COVID workplace. We know working from home has worked, to some degree. We know we must embrace technology. We know our workplaces need to be less static and more flexible. We know the home environment makes us feel safe and comfortable, and we like that. We know we will continue to connect virtually (both inside and outside the office), and our workplace will need to make that connection easier and more fluid than ever. We know we will need private and collaborative spaces, and those spaces are best served as open, flexible and acoustically secure areas. We know we work best when we interact with one another, so collaborative spaces and returning to the office will remain important. We know our employees and guests will want to perceive that they are in a safe environment, so everything from the materials we use to how we safeguard those entering the space will be important. We know that what we envision today will need to evolve to something different tomorrow.

So, we know a lot. And with that knowledge, we will create a workplace that meets the functional needs of the office. And we will rely on our creativity to design a destination that exceeds what we thought the post-COVID workplace could be. Our inventiveness will produce an environment that will attract talent, providing an atmosphere that is exciting, invigorating, inspiring, memorable and compelling. A place that supports the culture of the company and its mission. A place that looks different and transcends what it was before. A place that will make us leave home.

Article submitted by:
Thomas J. Quarticelli, AIA LEED AP BD+C
Principal
Amenta Emma Architects
242 Trumbull Street, Hartford, CT
860.549.4725 XT. 118

GOOD UX IS IMPORTANT. HERE’S HOW TO DELIVER IT.

A good user experience can help your company boost conversions, retain customers and reduce support costs. Ken St. Onge started the UX Writing team at The Hartford and is now director of User Experience for the investment and insurance giant. Here, he answers our questions.

Connecticut Innovations: Thanks for taking the time to talk with us, Ken. Tell us: Why is UX such an important issue for startups to address?

Ken St. Onge: Most startups deal with new products, markets, business models or brands. So they start with an uphill battle to win people over. A good user experience helps people “get it.” It makes it easy to understand the startup’s unique value. That’s especially true when a startup does things digitally. There are so many great apps and experiences out there that people have become conditioned to expect good digital experiences. So if you’re a startup, you need to get digital right. Plus, when you have a great digital experience, the market is more likely to see you as innovative. Finally, when you have a strong user-experience mindset, you make better products. Design-thinking lays the groundwork for you to reconsider some basic ideas about what you do and how you do it. You’ll make things better and make better things. Ultimately, that’s what gives you the best shot at success.

CI: Who in the organization is ideally suited to champion UX as a goal? 

KSO: Everyone. But certain roles help set the tone. For smaller startups, it’s anyone in a design role, whether they design the product, the app or the website, or other ways to access the product or its features. They need customer-centric thinking. So does anyone in a product management or product ownership role. They’re usually making regular decisions about how to evolve the product, so they need to understand a user’s point of view. The same goes for service, sales and anyone who has significant touchpoints with customers. They need to make sure they deliver an experience that meets the organization’s goals. Finally, leadership support is critical. The founders and senior leaders need to believe in the power of great experiences and make sure everyone else understands why they’re important.

CI: You’ve said that people should design the user experience holistically. What do you mean by that?

KSO: A user experience is not an isolated thing. You must look at things end-to-end. Consistency matters. If it’s delightful to buy your product, but difficult to get service, you have a lot of work to do on the experience side. That’s why a tool like a customer journey map makes a big difference. It helps you understand how every touchpoint affects a user. Emotion is a fundamental component of any product, so make sure you really understand the emotional aspects of the experience. Once you understand how users experience things, you can start improving. But be consistent with your brand and experience goals. And design in a way that lives up to your standards at every phase of the journey. That’s how to create delightful experiences and remarkable brands.

CI: Why is digital content so fundamental to user experience? 

KSO: Great writing matters now more than ever. Content intertwines with the product. It’s a major way that users experience it. So you need to look at copywriting as a key business and design function. But no matter who does it or what you call it, recognize that the way you write and say things matters.

Designers and product teams in many different industries have started to realize how important writing is to the experience. It’s a particularly hot topic for startups these days. It’s also the basis for a new field known as UX writing. UX writing basically means the buttons, help text or other guidance you read inside of apps. In our case, it would be what you read if you were to log in, pay a bill or check your policy, for instance.

I’m proud to say we were ahead of the curve at The Hartford. We created a UX writing team almost four years ago to make sure that our writing is consistently clear, compelling and easy to understand. When a user goes online to pay a bill, for instance, UX writers have already gone through every step in the process to make sure the instructions were easy to understand, and that users could do what they needed to do quickly. It’s never over. We constantly test it and try to improve based on feedback. Good design is iterative. It never ends.

CI: How do you define “plain language”? 

KSO: In general, plain language means words that everyone understands. It means communications without jargon or phrases that confuse people. It means short sentences and simple explanations. In health care, plain language has specific rules and regulations. But the basic idea is the same: It’s a way of writing that’s accessible to everyone.

To me, the most important thing is where you use plain language.

CI: Many people think it’s about dumbing down content, but that’s not it at all, right?

KSO: Plain language makes your brand approachable because it helps people understand what you’re offering and how to get it. A great experience starts with clarity. Plain language is the best tool to help you simplify things and bring that clarity.

Plain language is also important because it speeds users through the buying process. When you clearly spell out what to do and why, it helps eliminate friction in the sales process. The same is true for people who need service or help. Plain language makes it easier for users to help themselves. Phone calls and service help are a significant expense for startups, which tend to run pretty lean. Plain language can help you chip away at those costs.

One more thing: Plain language is critical in business-to-business sales, not just consumer-facing sales. Research backs this up. Business users may be savvy about a particular topic or product category, but that doesn’t mean they like technical information, run-on sentences and jargon. They’re just like you and me: They want things to be as clear as possible. No matter who you’re writing to, just write like you talk. People will get it. You’re in business to win customers. You won’t win them with confusion.

CI: A few years ago, everyone wanted to hire a content strategist, and now it’s all about content design. Why the shift? And what do you recommend that a startup, with a limited budget, focus on? 

KSO: Like anything innovative, there’s a lot of specialization in digital fields. Those roles sometimes overlap, but there is a bit of difference. I associate “strategy” roles with using content to drive awareness—finding prospects and converting them into leads. That means planning SEO or social campaigns, for instance. “Design” to me deals more with the building blocks of an experience from awareness to sales to service and so on. It’s the stuff people look at during a digital experience. The designer’s mindset is more about transparency, so they often think in plain language. The strategist’s mindset is more about winning eyeballs and breaking through the noise, so they think more in keywords. They both use words, but with different goals and in different ways.

If I were working on a digital startup right now, the first thing I’d do is look at every screen and element and really read what’s going on. Keep doing it over and over. Criticize it. Rewrite it. Ask the rest of the team how it sounds. Try to follow your own instructions and see if they make sense. There are simple tools like readability checkers that can help tell you how difficult it is to read something. Use them. Get it down to something really, really easy and see how the flow looks. Does it still make sense? Keep trying to simplify until it’s as simple as it can be. If possible, get some customers and watch how they use your application. Ask them questions about what they’re doing. Watch where they speed through things. Take note of where they get tripped up. You’ll soon start to figure out what, if anything, needs changing. Once you do that, never stop. Make it a habit.

CI: You say that user experience should progress as an evolution rather than a revolution. What do you mean by this? 

KSO: Ideas constantly get perfected. That’s the nature of design. Even if a revolutionary idea or product is great right out of the gate, there will always be room to evolve and improve. The surest path to greatness is to be deliberate and thoughtful in how you change things. As you grow, you get more users. That means more feedback and insight into what works and what doesn’t. It shows you opportunities and weaknesses, and you can evolve the design to be better. Those thoughtful evolutions compound over time and add up to big changes. So even if you were revolutionary to start, it’s your evolved design that keeps pushing toward success.

CI: Thanks for sharing your expertise with us, Ken.

KSO:  My pleasure.

INCORPORATING DIVERSITY INTO YOUR HIRING PRACTICES IS A SMART MOVE. HERE’S WHAT TO DO NEXT.

Countless studies have shown that diversity is good for business. Having a diverse mix of employees leads to a better understanding of your customers and prospects, better creativity, and higher profits. Prioritizing diversity in your hiring practices is a great first step, but it’s also important to think through what happens after the hire. For guidance, we turned to Michele Lanza, a diversity, equality and inclusion specialist. Michele drew on her more than two decades of human resources experience to launch WorkWider, a career and recruitment platform she created to support underrepresented communities, including BIPOC, LGBTQ, veterans, people with disabilities and neuro-differences, women and those over age 50. Here, she answers our D&I questions.

Connecticut Innovations: Thanks for agreeing to this interview, Michele. Let’s dive right in. Most of us have an idea of what diversity is, but perhaps not inclusion. Can you explain the difference?

Michele Lanza: Diversity and inclusion go hand in hand. Many organizations leap into hiring underrepresented talent as a way to address a lack of diversity in their organization, but hiring diverse talent is just one step. Companies also need to build and foster cultures of inclusion—those composed of varying races, cultures, genders, ages, etc., and, equally if not more important, cultures where everyone feels valued, recognized and heard—where all employees feel welcome to show up and be their full selves. Companies can hire underrepresented talent, but if those new hires are joining an organization that is not inclusive, they won’t stay long.

CI: That makes sense. Can you tell us what companies that have inclusive cultures are doing right?

ML: Companies that are getting it right are focusing on their cultures. They are working to ensure that underrepresented employees feel included, that they have the ability to share their perspectives and ideas, and that they have a seat at the table where decisions are being made.

CI: How do you hold inclusive meetings? Are there ground rules?

ML: Personally, I have been working hard to make sure I, as a leader, am building a culture of belonging in my workplace. That includes making some changes to how I run meetings. Here are a few things I’ve implemented that have gone a long way:

• When new people join a meeting, we all introduce ourselves, including our pronouns.
• We take turns taking notes. It shouldn’t always be the most junior person that gets this job. This allows for more equal participation at all levels.
• I give everyone the opportunity to speak. Extroverts can fill up space, so I work hard to make sure the introverts have the opportunity to share as well.
• I try really hard to not speak over people, though that’s still a work in progress. This gives people with different styles the ability to contribute at their own pace.

CI: These are all great ideas . . . speaking over people is something many of us struggle with. Building off of that: Is meeting moderation a skill anyone can learn?

ML: Yes. Like any skill, meeting moderation needs to be learned, and it takes practice. For some, it comes easily; others have to work harder. One of the most important skills for running inclusive meetings is for moderators to learn to recognize their own biases and address them.

CI: Studies show that women and others belonging to minority groups are often interrupted during meetings. How should meeting leaders tackle interruptions?

ML: There are certainly polite and diplomatic ways to conduct meetings where interruptions can be discouraged by simply “giving the floor” to someone who is speaking to complete what they wish to say. Simply saying, “I don’t think X had the opportunity to finish their thoughts. I’d like to hear the rest of what they have to say,” can go a long way toward making everyone respect whoever’s turn it is to speak. Additionally, meeting moderators should make a conscious effort to call on people who have not had the opportunity to speak. This ensures that everyone has an opportunity to share.

CI: Are there different considerations for D&I when you’re hosting a conference or other event?

ML: When hosting people from outside of your organization, it is important to understand beforehand who will be attending. Thinking through how to build an inclusive environment is critical. Is the facility wheelchair accessible? Are there gender-neutral bathrooms on site? Is there a prayer room? These are just a few examples of things to consider when trying to build a conference that is inclusive.

CI: Now that many of us are remote, are there different considerations for addressing inclusion during virtual meetings?

ML: Moving forward, many companies will have to rise to the challenge of having a mix of onsite and remote workers. Navigating this new environment can be tricky. Many of the same tools used for in-person meetings also apply to virtual ones. However, the new norm we find ourselves in has also made us more aware of individual people’s needs. Factors to consider include childcare issues, time of meeting and learning to be OK with interruptions. Not everyone on your team may have a quiet or private place to take a meeting. I think we are all getting used to kids, cats, dogs and family members unexpectedly joining meetings.

CI: Any other tips for entrepreneurs who want to be more inclusive?

ML: Entrepreneurs need to know that the business case for diversity and inclusion has never been stronger. Organizations with inclusive cultures are more innovative, are more agile, have better business outcomes, are more likely to be high performing and are more likely to meet or exceed financial targets. Companies that want to be more inclusive can start by using online resources like WorkWider. I created the platform as a way to promote more diversity, inclusion and equity across all industries. Entrepreneurs would be best served by discovering our vast pool of top talent across a wider range of groups like BIPOC candidates, veterans, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities, neuro-differences, women and people over 50.

CI: Thanks for sharing your expertise with our readers, Michele. Almost everything you recommend can be implemented immediately, which is always a plus. We appreciate your time, and your efforts around D&I.

ML:  My pleasure.

State employees reduced average emissions by 60 percent during COVID-19—the equivalent of 27,461 gallons of gasoline consumed, or 41.3 homes’ electricity use for one year. Let’s continue the trend. We have tips, courtesy of GreenerGovCT.

What is GreenerGovCT?
GreenerGovCT is a state initiative that challenges state agencies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, curb wasteful water use, and reduce the amount of waste disposed at state facilities over the next decade.

Cynthia Petruzzello, Connecticut Innovations’ vice president of compliance and senior sustainability officer, and Sara Donofrio, CI’s marketing technology manager, are part of the initiative, which Donofrio said she joined because it affected her on a personal level. “I was trying out methods to save on plastic use at home and became very aware of the waste I (and everyone else) produces daily,” she said. “Concerned, I made small changes and encouraged my family to follow my lead. Since I had cut my hair short, I knew I could easily switch over to shampoo and conditioner bars. I also switched to toothpaste tabs and began reusing the soap dispensers in the kitchen and bathroom. Being in that mindset made me more aware of the overuse and waste that takes place outside the home. The GreenerGov initiative offered a way for me to continue to make changes beyond my own household. I’m excited to take part.”

Energy Saving Tips

GreenerGovCT offers five tips to help Connecticut residents lower your carbon footprint and save money. Give one—or all—a try.

Use the dishwasher. If marital spats are any indication, there is a right and a wrong way to load a dishwasher, but what’s not in dispute is the fact you can save $1,300 worth of energy by using the machine vs. washing your dishes by hand. Save even more energy—and water—by turning on your dishwasher’s eco setting if it has one.

Compost. Cut down on food waste—the number one material sent to incinerators and landfills in America—by turning your food scraps into nutrient-rich compost. (You could also stop buying vegetables you never end up using, like Brussels sprouts. And if you figure out how, let us know). 

Make an energy savings plan. Whether you’re a UI customer or an Eversource customer, you can get a free energy analysis that will help you take control of your energy use. Try it—you’ve got nothing to lose, except for, you know, bigger bills.

Boost your bulbs. Make the switch from traditional lightbulbs to ENERGY STAR-certified LED lightbulbs, and you’ll enjoy efficient light that lasts 10 to 25 times longer. (Traditional incandescent bulbs release 90 percent of the energy they use as heat.)

Lower your energy bills. Check out EnergizeCT.com for rebates and incentives. https://energizect.com/rebates-and-incentives

Looking for some quick and easy at home waste-saving hacks?

• Use coffee grounds at home for gardening (CI’s new coffee machine recycles pods and we send the remaining grounds for composting.)
• Switch to reusable bags
• Don’t buy bottled water
• Avoid paper cups and other paper liquid-holding containers as they have plastic linings and can’t be recycled
• Change to paperless billing
• Purchase food items using Imperfect Foods/Misfits Market
• Buy second-hand clothes

Whether you’re working remotely due to the pandemic or you’ve been doing it awhile and want to improve your game, we’ve got you covered. Our best tips below, from people who have it down.

Communicate Better with Your Manager

“Be deadly serious about your daily meetings. Even if you need to drop everything you’re doing or don’t have much to report—call in for the daily meetings. Make it a habit, and make sure you exchange a few words with your manager every day.”
—Nina Krol, outreach specialist, Zety

“Don’t be afraid to take the initiative for scheduling or improving remote meetings. Ideally, remote work communication strategies should come from the top down, but that’s not always the case.”
—David Cusick, chief strategy officer, House Method

“Communicate your schedule with your manager right off the bat. Set the ballpark hours when you’ll be working and available to chat, including the best timeframe for check-ins. It’s especially important to do this if you’re a working parent juggling multiple roles throughout your workday. Let your boss know your hours so they can’t make so many assumptions about your productivity or habits.”
—Ty Stewart, CEO and president, Simple Life Insure

“The key components of being a good remote worker are communication and reliability. How do you know if you’re communicating too little or too much? My rule of thumb is to make sure your work is done on time and to touch base with your manager periodically to see if there is anything you can take off their plate. But managers are busier than ever, so don’t overdo the communication and become a nuisance. The other important factor of working remotely is reliability. Many companies are anxious about not being able to constantly monitor their team and are looking for staff to step up. If you’re asked to do something, get a due date and get the work done. If you have calls or meetings, be present and do your homework beforehand. Your manager should be able to call on you via phone or email like they would if they were knocking on your office door.”
—Brendan Heffernan, writer/editor, Dunk or Three

“If a question or concern requires an in-depth explanation, use a video platform to share screens. These platforms provide more responsive dialogue compared to emails that may get lost in the shuffle.”
—Shannon Walker, founder and president, WhistleBlower Security

“Asking for feedback from your manager is one of the easiest and most effective ways of communicating efficiently and better.”
—Antreas Koutis, assistant administrative and HR manager, Financer.com

“Always follow up with an email to recap objectives after a meeting. Attach deadlines to each to make sure you’re aligned with your team and boss.”
—Eva Peris, cofounder of Wanted

“Many teams struggle with finding the most amazing tool out there. The tool really isn’t the problem, it’s agreeing on the tool. The best thing you can do is get clear with your manager on the communication method they prefer and then agree on how you will communicate. For example, I know that an email will get seen within 24 hours, but if something is urgent, I will send a text message.”
—Allison Chaney, chief digital training officer, Boot Camp Digital

“Remote employees can improve their communication skills by learning about their manager’s preferred style, frequency and method of communication. Some managers prefer to only hear from their employees at the weekly round-up, whereas some prefer daily updates over Slack or a project management tool. By understanding how, what and when their manager expects to hear from them, remote workers can answer questions before they arise. There are two ways to understand a manager’s communication style: observation and questioning.”
—Nelson Jordan, conversion copywriter, digital marketer and host of the Working from Home podcast

Communicate Better with Your Peers

“Most of the time, employees are too focused on a task to actually explain why they need the task completed. Communicating to your teammates why you need that task delivered at a certain time will help them understand how they can contribute.”
—Eva Peris

“Come to an agreement on how members of the organization will communicate with each other. No one method of communication is the best all the time. When an immediate answer is needed or the issue requires discussion, use the phone. For communication that needs an answer within minutes, use text or a chat app. For issues that need a reply within a couple of days, use email. For phone calls that need preparation and focus, use an autoscheduler so a specific time is set aside on each person’s calendar for the call. It sure beats telephone tag. I use a free service called Meetingbird.com.”
—Dr. Frank Buck, author of Get Organized!: Time Management for School Leaders, FrankBuck.org

“When it comes to communication, you don’t want to be on either extreme. It’s annoying to coworkers if you’re constantly messaging with updates and questions, which can distract them or break their focus. On the other extreme, if you never update coworkers about your progress or reply to messages, it could prevent them from doing their job properly, or lead to redundant work. A good gauge is to compare the frequency of your communication to others on your team. You shouldn’t consistently be the one sending the most or the least messages.”
—Matt Erhard, managing partner, Summit Search Group  

“Respect your colleagues’ needs and preferences when it comes to communications. If you don’t know what those preferences are, ask! For instance, you might know your colleague has a toddler at home. Phone calls might be easier than stationary video calls, since they allow your colleague to talk hands-free away from a screen while multitasking with their child.”
—Ty Stewart

“We’ve seen a lot of success by adding new Slack channels for office-cooler conversations. We’re sharing recipes, movie recommendations and weekend travel pics from our team around the world…find out what your coworkers enjoy, then suggest a topic based on mutual interests.”
—David Cusick

“Agree on a communication platform that is easy for everyone to use. My coworkers and I use Google Hangouts. I leave the window open all day and immediately know if someone needs something. We also have shared calendars, so if someone is not answering immediately, we know they’re busy or in a meeting.”
—Allison Chaney

“Apart from attending the daily huddles, make sure you socialize with your colleagues once in a while. Slack helps work colleagues stay connected and share ideas daily. You can set up a dedicated channel for funny memes or pictures of your pets—something to help you blow off steam and share a laugh. You can also hop on a Zoom video call and play online games. There’s plenty to choose from, including Pictionary, e-charades or Cards Against Humanity and other group activities that span from strategy games and puzzles to those that are more about making each other laugh.”
—Nina Krol

“Here’s the cure-all: virtual working sessions. We are a company that was born online, so we had to get good at this from the get-go. The main issue we had was creating a sense of togetherness. My cofounder works from Ecuador and I from Chicago, and we have team members hopping on from Virginia. We set up two- to three-hour sessions each week for team members to work together. There is no agenda, and employees come and go as they please and work on whatever they please. The result: Team members are three times more responsive on their projects. Goals are actively set and hit each week, and team members say they feel like they’re part of a team again.”
—Rishav Khanal, chief executive officer, inPerson

“Be an exceptional listener. People are desperately looking for other people to listen to them. While your coworker speaks, be present. There is a reason why you have two ears and one mouth. Use them accordingly!”
—Andreas Koutis

“Whether you are senior or a newbie, keeping your [communication] lines open to everyone is one of the best forms of virtual respect you can give. If you want your private number kept private, have a separate phone that people can call with work-related problems. Allow everyone on the team to feel [they can] call you because you are the person who’s a call away.”
—Alicia Hough, corporate wellness expert, The Product Analyst

“Make sure your message is suited to the medium you’re using. If you have a quick question that will require a one-word answer, like Is this blog post approved to go live?, use an instant messaging tool. If it’s a topic that requires in-depth discussion, like We need to talk about this presentation for the Q4 board meeting, book a video call at a time when all parties are able to concentrate on the task at hand.”
—Nelson Jordan

“Open your webcam. Also, if you have colleagues in a different time zone, take note and message them during their working hours.”
—Owen Drury, digital editor, ODDigital

“Work ahead of deadlines to avoid creating emergencies. Sometimes you need a piece of information from someone else before you can move forward on a project. Allow plenty of time in case the other person is unreachable or swamped with work. Don’t let procrastination on your part create an urgency on their part.”
—Frank Buck

“My number-one advice: Condense your communications into as few messages as possible. One of my communication pet peeves is when people send out five one-sentence emails in the span of an hour when they could have sent one message if they thought through what they wanted to say from the beginning. This is especially important if you’re sending messages to a group. Multiple messages lead to multiple reply threads, and that kind of clutter causes confusion and information to be missed.”
—Matt Erhard

Limit Distractions

“Get a room. No room? Get a designated corner, space or table just for working. Avoid working from bed or a couch, because only a few can.”
—Owen Drury

“Stay off social media. Period. It’s a time suck, and I am a digital marketer whose job is to be on social media all the time. Do your best to avoid personal social media site-checking, and stay focused on your tasks. Set deadlines so you’re focused on completing the task vs. whatever is distracting you.”
—Allison Chaney

“You can’t always control distractions, but you can control how many of them you perceive. Having background noise can help block out audible distractions. Don’t use something that’s equally distracting (e.g., don’t turn on the TV).”
—Matt Erhard

“Dealing with distractions as a remote employee is the key to productivity. If you find yourself checking social media as a form of procrastination, use tools like WorkMode and StayFocusd to block access to your accounts for a pre-set period. If you find yourself turning on the TV for background noise, unplug it at the start of every workday or relocate to another room with fewer distractions. If you find yourself distracted by notifications or emails, make it known to your coworkers that you’ll only be available between certain times for productivity reasons.”
—Nelson Jordan

“Distractions can happen anywhere in any environment, and a dedicated workspace may not always be feasible for employees working from home. Decluttering the dedicated space will help provide a more productive environment.”
—Shannon Walker

“Using the Pomodoro Technique® is my one and only tip. Divide your time into ‘Pomodoros.’ Each is a set of 30 minutes where 25 minutes are for work and five minutes are for rest. During the 25 minutes, set yourself a task and do not focus on anything else. After 25 minutes, spend five minutes on a distraction of your choice. These five-minute breaks are mandatory even if the task isn’t finished. After five minutes, start the next Pomodoro and continue the task or start another task. This method has improved the productivity of my entire team.”
—Will Ward, CEO, Translation Equipment HQ

“Avoid distractions by having interesting work at hand. Plan your day the evening before. Establish your ‘Fab 5.’ What are the five items that represent urgent tasks that significantly move a project forward? Put those at the top of your task list. I assign a ‘Priority 1’ to them in Remember the Milk™ [a to-do app]. That puts them at the top of my ‘Today’ list. Break projects into bite-sized pieces that can be accomplished in one sitting. When things are hard or ambiguous, we resist them. Facebook is never ambiguous. It’s easy, and it’s interesting. That’s why people get sucked in.”
—Frank Buck

“Distractions are a part of working. The secret to hacking your own focus is to establish at-work routines. That means working the same hours every day in the same dedicated workspace. It also means scheduling periodic breaks.”
—Ty Stewart

“Distractions are a hard one. I’ve tackled them a few ways: Using extensions/apps to block websites such as Facebook during work hours, [following] the Pomodoro Technique (either 25 minutes working followed by a 5-minute break, or 50 minutes/10 minutes) and altering work hours. If you want to start at 7:30 a.m., and you’re allowed to, do so! I get more distracted in the afternoon, so I make sure to work hard in the morning so I get a lot of work done before lunchtime.”
—Rhiannon Moore, hiring manager, evopure.co.uk

“Mark out your deep work time in advance, and let your employer know you’ll be doing so. Mute notifications, put on noise-canceling headphones and have your to-do list lined up. You should know the approximate [number] of hours it takes you to finish key tasks. If you still can’t handle them even with distractions blocked, track your time and discuss a solution with your manager. You may simply be overburdened, and now you have the data to prove it.”
—David Cusick

Set Boundaries

“A team, not just an employee and her manager but the whole team, should set expectations. Define core working hours, say 10 a.m.– 4 p.m., when everyone’s around and responsive. Outside of that, people can set their [own] expectations, e.g., ‘I start at 7 a.m. because my kids end school at 4 p.m., so I’m not available after 4:00 except for emergencies.’”
—Mark A. Herschberg, author, The Career Toolkit: Essential Skills for Success That No One Taught You

“If you can’t follow a schedule or are unable to set boundaries, you need self-control. Words of motivation or self-motivation are useful to regain some balance. Don’t work [during] your break hours or you’ll end up exhausting and stressing yourself, which will reduce your productivity.”
—Rolf Bax, HR manager, resume.io

“Employees who find themselves working all the time should try bullet journaling to track working hours. If journaling is hard, use software that tracks your time. At the end of the day, go through the amount of time you worked. Do this every day. After a week or two, you’ll notice changes in how and when you work. Simply raising the awareness of your process will autocorrect most unhealthy habits that lead to a lack of balance.”
—Will Ward

“It’s far too easy to answer the email that comes in at 9 p.m. and end up still staring at the screen three hours later. Habit is the key here. At the beginning of the day, clear some time for the tasks that are important to you. They could be personal tasks, activities like exercise or deep work that require your full concentration. Protect these hours fiercely. Every day, I begin my morning with yoga and reading. No matter how hectic my day becomes, I know that I’ve accomplished two things that make me feel good and move me forward. I don’t open my laptop, look at emails or think about work until these two things are done. Remote employees can also benefit by implementing a ‘hard stop time.’ This is a time where no matter what is going on, they’ll close the laptop, put the phone down and concentrate on something else. If there are days where you have to break this, that’s fine; just realize that on other days you’ll have to stop earlier to make up for it. If you’re breaking your hard stop almost every night, you need to rethink what’s most important to you. If that’s work, fine, but make sure your family and friends are on the same page—otherwise it’s not fair to them.”
—Nelson Jordan

“This issue is very common, especially for those who don’t have a lot of experience working remotely. There are two common scenarios here. First, employees don’t set boundaries with other people and get overwhelmed with requests. Second, they don’t set boundaries with themselves and end up becoming the victim of an ‘it’s never enough’ mindset. The first step to fixing this issue is self-awareness. You need to be brutally honest with yourself and identify the problem. Once you do, set clear boundaries with others and with yourself. At the beginning of each workday, review your objectives and priorities. Ask yourself: What do I need to accomplish today to feel comfortable switching off? Write everything down and commit to switching off your computer once you accomplish those objectives so you can enjoy your well-deserved rest time.”
—Jimmy Naraine, entrepreneur, Udemy teacher

“When working remotely, it’s easy to get carried away. Put together clear mini-guidelines on when to work and pick a definitive end time to wrap up the workday. You should be productive and execute on your deliverables, but not at the expense of burnout.”
—Max Woolf, career expert, Resume Lab

“Schedule things that cause you to have to stop. I like scheduling a 6 p.m. yoga session, because I know I have to stop work at 5:30 or I’ll miss it.”
—Allison Chaney

“Do a ‘fake commute’ by leaving the house for a quick walk before the day starts. This might feel silly, but I’ve tried it, and it’s quite a nice way to start the day!”
—Rhiannon Moore

“I’ve found a combination of a time-tracking app and break-time alarms to be helpful in reining myself in. It seemed counterintuitive at first, but tracking time helps me keep an objective view, and I find it’s easier to force myself to step away when I can see I’ve already put in eight productive hours. As for the alarms, I set one to tell me when it’s time for lunch, a second to indicate it’s the end of the day, and a third 30 minutes after that—the ‘no, really, stop working now’ alarm.”
—Matt Erhard

Avoid These Common Mistakes

“Recognize the communication styles and timing of other people. It’s easy to walk by someone’s desk and see that they’re busy. It’s harder when they are at home 50 miles away. You can send them an IM, but the message notification may distract them. Talk with others on your team about when and how to interrupt each other. You may even want to set aside specific blocks of time when people understand that everyone is ‘heads down’ and won’t respond to calls, emails or IMs.”
—Mark A. Herschberg

“When working remotely, especially from home, it’s easy to forget that we are meant to be professional. The neuro-associations in our brains say: home = informal. As a result, it’s common for remote workers to make the mistake of not taking certain parts of their work seriously, for instance, participating in video conferences in inappropriate clothing and not making sufficient effort to ensure that the background looks professional.”
—Jimmy Naraine 

“One big mistake is when employees are not responsive online when teammates reach out. If you are completing a task when someone messages you, let them know that you are completing a different project and that you will get back to them as soon as possible. If you are hard to reach during work hours, your colleagues will have a negative perception of your work ethic and communication skills.”
—Shannon Walker

“I see a lot of folks answer communications a little too directly. You know they’re not being short on purpose—the online-only medium robs them of body language, tone and other cues we use to establish rapport in person, so it can be more challenging to convey personality and warmth through text while staying on task.”   
—Ty Stewart

“If you’re communicating via a text medium, avoid sarcasm unless it’s blatantly obvious. If you’re having trouble understanding what a coworker is saying, paraphrase what you think they’re saying back to them to make sure.”
—Melanie Musson, insurance expert, USInsuranceAgents.com

“Be open and transparent with your manager, because they are your safety [net] when things go south. The biggest mistake is to keep managers [in the dark] while you fix errors, because there’s no assurance whether you’ll be able to do so efficiently, and the blame will still be put on the manager. Consider the pros and cons of your actions and how it will affect your upline and downline.”
—Alicia Hough

“Some employees show no interest in others’ work or in socializing. If you attend a daily huddle, pay attention. Say hi, share a short story. Ask how others are doing with their projects. Actively socialize and exchange ideas with your coworkers.”
—Nina Krol

“One of the biggest mistakes I’ve seen is people multitasking during Zoom meetings. It’s obvious if you aren’t paying attention on Zoom, and it’s really disrespectful to your team.”
—Colin Palfrey

“Not replying to emails on time or canceling one-on-one sessions creates trust issues between your teammates and you. It also makes you seem unreliable.”
—Azza Shahid

“Slacking off on work or frequently taking breaks just because you can is a mistake people often make. It’s important to keep in mind that you’re still at work and to function as you would on a normal workday.”
—Shruthi Rajagopal, digital marketing executive, Clariti app

“A big mistake is not communicating at all. When you’re silent, it raises questions for many people; they wonder if you’re even doing any work. So, clearly communicate your goals for the week. It’s ok to say ‘I’m time blocking and unavailable for four hours so I can focus on this project.’ If you’re producing results, you don’t need to check in as often.”
—Allison Chaney

“Connect with the people most directly linked to your job, and don’t forget to respect hierarchy when working across cultures. Sometimes the person you choose to [go to] first offends another.”
—Katherine King, founder, Invisible Culture

“Don’t be the guy who always wants to correct other people.”
—Andreas Koutis

“Being too intimidating [is a mistake]. Employees, especially those who work in the corporate world, should learn the usefulness of being socially adept and approachable. There’s a positive impact on productivity when employees know they can lean on you and talk to you about any topic.”
—Alicia Hough

“The biggest mistake remote employees make that adversely affects their teammates’ perception of them is assuming everyone knows what they know. As a remote employee, it’s better to over-communicate than under-communicate—no one wants to guess a project’s status or feel like the last to know. If you’ve had a discussion with one team member about something the rest of the team needs to know about, send them a quick summary. You may not realize it, but they may have been waiting on that information to start their tasks.”
—Nelson Jordan

“Don’t be a robot! Some people seem to believe that a kind personality is unprofessional, but adding a smiley face to the end of a WhatsApp message when you’re logging off for the weekend can make it clear to your manager and coworkers that you’re a nice person. I’m sure you can figure out when it’s not appropriate.”
—Rhiannon Moore

“Nothing hurts peoples’ perception of you more than [your] failure to communicate. Silence is deafening. If you’ll need a few days to gather information, respond to the email and say so. Avoid having the other person wonder if you even saw their message.”
—Frank Buck

“Because workers are monitored less (no coworkers to peek on them, no managers to pass by their desk), some splurge on leisure activities during working hours, which affects their efficiency and productivity. There’s no better time for employees to prove themselves. You’re blessed if you’re still employed.”
—Owen Drury

“Recognize there are highs and lows to transitioning to something new. At first it may be exciting and daunting. It’s a bit of a roller coaster, but with time the ride gets more familiar and normal.”
—Katherine King

Master these tools to be a better remote worker:

• Google G Suite for documents, emails, schedules and cloud sharing
• Slack for communicating with small teams and sharing documents
• ImageOptimizer for resizing, compressing and optimizing image files (this is important when sending out large images and you want to save on bandwidth)
• Grammarly for finding and correcting grammatical mistakes in written documents
• Self Control for avoiding distracting websites so you can focus on work (it’s free)
• Dropbox for free cloud space up to 2GB
• Yanado for managing inside Gmail
• RealTimeBoard to use as a regular whiteboard

—Skyler Reeves, president and CEO of Ardent Growth

WHEN IT COMES TO SELLING, WORDS MATTER. HERE ARE THE ONES TO USE.

Pop quiz: What percentage of buying decisions are made subconsciously? Twenty percent? Thirty? Fifty? Guess again. Recent research puts the figure at a staggering 90 percent. Nancy Harhut, co-founder and chief creative officer of HBT Marketing, has built an impressive business tapping into that subconscious by writing marketing copy influenced by neuroscience. After she knocked our socks off at the 2020 Content Marketing Conference, we asked her to share her techniques with us here. Luckily for us, she said yes! 

Connecticut Innovations: Thanks for lending us your expertise, Nancy. Let’s dive right in: The fact that nearly all buying decisions are made subconsciously is remarkable. Is this what got you interested in studying neuroscience and how it impacts marketing?   

Nancy Harhut: It is an impressively high number! I first saw this stat in Gerald Zaltman’s book How Customers Think. In fact, he puts that number at up to 95 percent. Not long after that, I read Robert Cialdini’s Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. Between those two books, I was hooked. I began applying what I’d read to some of the real-world marketing challenges my clients faced, and when the results were good, I just kept on going. 

CI: What are some words we can use to our advantage?  

NH: There’s a lot of research (in-market, heat mapping, eye tracking) that proves some words are more important to marketers than others. These words have the power to leap off the page or screen and attract the human eye like a magnet. That’s why I refer to them as “eye-magnet words.”  

As people are skimming and scanning, which is often what they do before they commit to fully reading something, these words attract their attention and make it more likely they will engage with the content. So, I recommend using them in “high-read” pieces of marketing real estate, such as email subject lines, content titles, ad headlines, direct mail teaser copy and the like. Some of these words include you, free, new, now, discover, alert and the target’s name. 

CI: Can you give some examples of how certain phrasing influences how people respond? 

NH: Social scientists have found that the words we use to describe something influence our perception of and reaction to that thing. Think of someone describing a glass as “half empty” or “half full.” That colors how you see the glass.  

Researcher Elizabeth Loftus conducted an experiment in which she showed people a video of a car accident. After watching the video, some people were asked to estimate how fast the cars were going when they “crashed.” Others were asked to estimate how fast the cars were going when they “contacted.” The first group estimated 40.8 mph, while the second group estimated 31.8 mph—a difference of over 28 percent. Remember, everyone saw the same video. The only difference was the verb used when people were asked about it. 

The Journal of Consumer Research reports that framing a shipping fee as a “small $5 fee” resulted in a 20 percent lift in sales versus calling it a “$5 fee,” even though people know how much five dollars is. And an Unbounce study found that referring to a special deal as a “giveaway” instead of a “promotion” increased the conversion rate by 50 percent. 

I worked on a campaign where I positioned the CTA to increase the target’s insurance coverage as a way to avoid being below the midrange amount the insurance company offered. That resulted in a triple-digit lift in sales over the control. 

CI: What is the information gap theory, and how can marketers use it to their advantage? 
 
NH: Behavioral economist George Lowenstein found that if there is a gap between what you know and what you want to know, you will take action to close that gap. Marketers, of course, want people to take action, so using information gap theory can be very helpful. For example, writing headlines or subject lines that begin with Who, What, Where, When, Why or How is a good way to tee up an information gap. Similarly, offering to provide the answer to “the best…” or “the worst…” or “the most…” can also work. People are curious, and they want to find out the answer so they can close the gap in their information. Finally, numbered lists can also be used to prompt people to take action to find an answer. And numbers are especially good, because the human brain craves ease and order, and numbers naturally promise that. 

CI: We’ve heard you say that people are twice as motivated to avoid pain as they are to achieve pleasure. Makes sense, but does negative messaging bring down the mood? Or brand perception? 

NH: Good question! Touting the benefits or advantages of a product is a proven marketing approach, and I’m not suggesting we walk away from that. However, social scientists have found that people are more motivated to avoid the pain of loss than to achieve the pleasure of gain. So, a little well-placed loss aversion can be a powerful marketing tool, while still enhancing brand perception and leaving the target feeling good. 
 
For instance, instead of focusing on all the wonderful things that will happen if you buy my product or service, how about pointing out the terrible things it will help you avoid instead? Or consider saying, “Don’t miss” instead of “Take advantage of.” Both can position your company as helpful, which leaves a good impression. 

One of my favorite examples of using this technique was for a conference that was making a time-sensitive offer. Their email subject line said, “Don’t pay an extra $300” for the event, instead of “Save $300” on the event. 

CI: You talk about overcoming objections before you can persuade. How do you go about figuring out what those objections are if you have a new product or service? 

NH: First you need to put yourself into the mindset of your customer. Think about why they may be hesitant to do what you want them to do. Maybe they aren’t familiar with your company. Maybe they think your price is too high. Maybe they worry the product or service won’t be as good as you claim it is. 
 
If you’re able to, conduct some research to inform these hypotheses. Ask your first customers why they did business with you. Ask them what almost held them back. Ask your salespeople and customer service reps what they hear from prospects in the market. If you’re able, have a researcher speak with prospects you didn’t convert, as well as “suspects” (people you believe should be in the market but haven’t yet had contact with you). You can even type your product category into Google and see what people say about it. 

Once you’ve developed an idea of what the biggest objection is for your target (and it may vary by segment), you can brainstorm which behavioral science principles to test to overcome it. 

CI: Our readers may be surprised to learn that people make decisions for emotional reasons and then justify them with rational ones. Why is this, and how do you address both in your copy? 
 
NH: It can be surprising to hear, and even more so if you’re in a B2B setting, where you may think all decisions are carefully thought out. And while it’s true that some decisions do prompt a lot of consideration, many others happen reflexively, driven by emotion. Neuroscientist Antonio Damasio studied people who’d sustained damage to the parts of their brains that control emotion, and he found that they were virtually incapable of making a decision—even one as simple as what they’d like to eat for lunch that day. He showed that humans need to draw upon the part of the brain that controls emotion when making decisions.  

Keep in mind, though, that people will often tell you that they made a decision for a specific reason. This is the rationalization that comes later, because people themselves don’t always know why they do what they do. 

As a result, marketers need to provide both the emotional hook that prompts purchase and the rational, supporting reasons that justify it in their communications. For example, you may buy that new BMW because of the way you’ll feel driving it into work, but you’ll tell your coworkers about how well engineered it is. So, your copy would need to get the target to imagine how she’ll feel driving the car, and then include some solid proof points that speak to why it’s a smart purchase. 

CI: What is the Von Restorff effect, and how does it apply to marketing?  

NH: Social scientists have found that humans are hardwired to notice and remember things that are different. Researchers believe this may go back to our caveman days, when something new introduced into the environment could pose a very real life-or-death threat. All these years later, people are still hardwired to notice something that stands out from its surrounding environment.  

Marketers can use this in a variety of ways. Email subject lines that have the first word or two enclosed in brackets have shown a double-digit lift in opening rates (Worldata) because most subject lines do not contain brackets. Direct mail envelopes made of paper that feels soft or that have an unusual shape are other examples. So, too, are digital ads that involve motion, which serves to draw your attention away from the static content on the site where they appear and direct it to the ad. 

CI: How about the Zeigarnik effect? 

NH: Social scientists have found that people have a desire for completeness. We don’t like to leave things incomplete. We like to finish what we started. It’s why cliffhangers work so well in the media. We want to find out what happens, how the show ends.

Marketers can employ the Zeigarnik effect by opening with a story. They can also use progress bars to indicate something’s been started and isn’t yet completed. Sending an email reminding someone that they left something in their e-commerce shopping cart, or that they started to personalize or customize a product but haven’t yet finished it, is a good example of the Zeigarnik effect being used in marketing.  

Research even shows that giving someone a frequent shopper punch card that has the first square stamped results in that person being more likely to make the subsequent purchases to fill the card than giving the shopper a blank punch card, even when the actual number of purchases involved in both cases is the same (e.g., 10 squares with the first square pre-stamped versus nine blank squares). 
 
CI: How can our readers keep up with neuromarketing trends? 

NH: There is some good information out there. I listen to podcasts by Roger Dooley, Kenneth Kinney, Adam Grant and Shankar Vedantam. I read the blogs that Robert Cialdini and Dan Ariely publish. Tim Ash has a new book about neuromarketing out.   

And if they’re interested, people can also find some timely interviews and posts in the news section of my agency’s website: HBTmktg.com. 

LEARNING A NEW LANGUAGE AND GETTING EIGHT HOURS OF SLEEP MAY BOOST YOUR BRAINPOWER, BUT YOU PROBABLY DON’T HAVE THE TIME. HERE’S HOW TO DO IT INSTEAD, ACCORDING TO A NEUROSCIENTIST.

It’s Official: Memory Complaints Are Universal

You’re introducing your coworker to a new hire, giving a presentation or answering a question about a critical metric when suddenly, you can’t recall the name/key point/piece of data you need. Maybe you feel embarrassed by your gaffe, or frustrated with your lack of recall, or perhaps you worry there’s something wrong with you. You’re not alone. “Memory complaints are universal: We all have them, and we all dislike the experience of not being able to remember something at a critical time,” says Dr. Heather Collins, a cognitive neuroscientist and speaker. But what can you do about it?

Your Memory Isn’t the Problem

The first thing to know is that your memory isn’t the problem. “The most common pitfall with a ‘bad memory’ isn’t actually memory itself, it’s attention,” says Dr. Collins. “For your brain to make a memory, you first must pay attention to the thing you intend to remember.”

Since they’re so busy, entrepreneurs can easily overlook the importance of paying attention, but paying attention is critical to memory making. “If you’re having a conversation with somebody, take a moment to think about what they’re saying instead of how you’ll respond. If you’re watching a presentation, separate the information you want to remember from the irrelevant information that can be tossed aside,” Dr. Collins says. Doing this allows you to focus on creating a strong memory you can recall rather than a weak one you can’t.

How Memories Form

Your hippocampus is a small, curved structure near the center of your brain. It’s associated with learning and emotions, and is involved in the formation of new memories, but it doesn’t work alone. “The hippocampus works in collaboration with other brain regions to form a network that represents each memory,” explains Dr. Collins.

How can you use this information to your advantage? “Don’t just repeat the word, phrase or point [you’re trying to remember] over and over, because you’re likely to forget much of the information if that is your only strategy,” says Dr. Collins. “Instead, associate the to-be-remembered information with everything else you know. For example, if I ask you to remember ‘apple,’ start by creating a mental image of an apple, which will form a link between your hippocampus and the vision areas in your occipital lobe. Next, think about a specific apple, like a Granny Smith apple, and what it tastes like, feels like and smells like. Maybe think of a story about an apple, such as the time you knocked over a stack of Granny Smith apples at the grocery store.”

Dr. Collins says this imagery and sensory information creates a broad representation network including your somatosensory cortices and your frontal lobes, and will ensure that you create a powerful memory. “Be specific and include as many contextual details and stories as possible.”

While this technique takes work, it’s worth the effort. “Have you ever tried a new weightlifting program or exercise class? It was probably difficult and awkward at first, but then it became part of your routine as you gained experience. Creating a powerful memory is just like that,” says Dr. Collins. “By engaging in this cognitive effort now, you are training your brain to create powerful memories with each important encounter. After a while, your brain will do this automatically and it will feel effortless. Not only will you generate lasting memories, but you will also free up your cognitive resources for other critical tasks.”

Running on Autopilot Kills Memory Making AND Creativity

If sharpening your focus can boost recall, can it help in other areas, such as creativity? You bet. Operating on autopilot can be restful, but it can also lead to missed opportunities and missed connections.

So what is autopilot, and why is it bad? “Autopilot is a form of automatic thinking that requires few resources, minimal effort and even less mental awareness,” says Dr. Collins. “During autopilot, your default mode network is active and humming, but complex networks involved in thinking, reasoning and decision-making are passive.” (If you’ve ever found yourself thinking “What did I just do?” or “Where did the time go?,” chances are, your brain was on autopilot.) Dr. Collins likens the phenomenon to a car idling at a stop sign. “It’s on, but it isn’t going anywhere. To shift your brain to active pilot, you need to give it some gas.”

Why fight autopilot? Because it can have serious consequences. “When your brain is on autopilot, you fail to think creatively, fail to identify solutions and fail to engage in high-level problem solving,” says Dr. Collins. “Being on autopilot also limits your effectiveness in performing important tasks, taking on challenges and achieving goals. Your options are fewer, opportunities are missed, and there is a narrowing of potential connections made between you and your world.” Not a good state to be in if your company’s success depends on your ability to continually innovate!

Killing the Autopilot Switch

Turns out, switching your brain fully on is easy—as is not letting it switch off in the first place. You simply have to rely on external cues. “When your brain slips into autopilot, you’re unlikely to be aware of small internal signals that indicate you’re not performing at your best,” says Dr. Collins. “External cues help you snap out of autopilot and can prevent your brain from slipping in the first place.”

You can create an external cue by setting a timer on your phone or computer. “Think about how difficult your task is and set a reasonable time limit for the project. The key is to make it long enough to accomplish meaningful progress but short enough to prevent your brain from slipping.” Aim for 20 minutes or less; research suggests that your brain’s default mode network needs to refresh that often.

To keep your brain from going on autopilot in in-person settings, like meetings or presentations, Dr. Collins suggests asking someone who is attending with you to prompt you every so often with a meeting-related question. Alternatively, you can take notes—with pen and paper—every 2–5 minutes. (Don’t take notes on a digital device, since they’re distracting; if you use a device at all, make sure it’s as a timer only.) Another effective method is asking questions. “When you ask questions, you engage your brain’s frontal cortex,” says Dr. Collins, who explains that this is the region of the brain where critical cognitive processes, such as reasoning, thinking and decision-making, occur. “Keeping your frontal cortex active ensures that you’ll be ready to engage in complex reasoning and decision-making and won’t be caught off guard.”

Finally, reframing business activities may help you see them in a new light. “Many times, we walk out of meetings or presentations believing they were worthless, but if we don’t do our part to get the most out of every professional situation, we have done ourselves a disservice,” says Dr. Collins. Even a dull presentation may contain a few gems. Make sure to fully engage, and you might just find a few you would have otherwise missed!

For more tips on using neuroscience to your advantage, watch Dr. Collins’s TEDx talk.