The Scratch Post
How to get companies to use less plastic
Lots of conscious consumers reach out to brands about reducing their plastic packaging. However, if done wrong, those messages may never make it to the right people, or they may be ignored altogether. Here are 3 common mistakes we’ve seen, and what to do instead.…
7 common misunderstandings in multicultural customer care
Brexit, “Make America Great Again”, Narendra Modi’s Davos speech about globalisation losing its lustre: those things can’t fool us into thinking that globalisation is over. Every business now sells to a multicultural, multilingual audience. In this article, we’ll look at 7 common conundrums that can get in the way of building rapport with customers who speak a different language, or who live in a different culture — and how to solve them.…
13 Words and Expressions to Avoid in Your Customer Care Replies
One of the most frequent requests we get: a page that contains words or expressions that should be avoided in replies to customers. So, here it is. 13 examples of what not to write, and what to write instead.…
5 Tips for Consumer Questions About Your Business Ethics
Critical consumerism is on the rise — fortunately! This means people are more likely to ask your support team about ethics and sustainability. Sabine’s put a company to the test. See why the response she got isn’t good enough — and what you can do so your team gives a better one.…
13 things to look out for when hiring a trainer
Corporate training is a huge industry. In the UK alone, there are thousands of training providers helping businesses improve the skills of their staff. Add overseas providers into the mix, and finding an external trainer worth their salt becomes a massive task. This 13-point checklist is designed to help you quickly assess trainers — and find someone who’s able to make a real difference in the training room.…
4 Reasons Why Your Website May Not Get You the Sales You Want
When you’re able to establish trust with a web visitor quickly, they’re more likely to stay on the page, take in your entire message, and click through to buy from you. We’ve identified 4 common mistakes that can put people off when they first come to your website.…
Email Clinic #1: Ethical Hour — Making Newsletter Subscribers Feel Good About Signing Up
Starting a series of posts in which we take a close look at one specific email — putting a positive spin on “copy teardowns”. About these Email Clinics Copy “tear-downs” are having a bit of moment on the internet. For years, we’ve resisted the urge to take part in this movement — even though we LOVE looking at specific copy examples in detail and suggesting improvement ideas. The thing is, we don’t like criticising brands behind their backs. So we’ve developed…
Do the words you use “have your BACK”?
Words can make it or break it — in life and in business. From not-quite-convincing declarations of love to inadverturtledly cringeworthy product packaging: Valentine’s Day is always a good reminder that it’s worth spending some thought on how you want to come across, and what words you want to use. Awww, don’t be so enthusiastic, you’re making me blush.Photo by DESIGNECOLOGIST on Unsplash Sweet tortoise! Probably the most romantic animal on earth. Yep, we focus on love letters…
How to Generate Business Insights from Online Reviews
Knowing your customers is the single most important business superpower. And still, many brands are satisfied doing a bit of market research and running a few focus groups — essentially, collecting a bunch of opinions. But to really get under the skin of your customers, you need to be able to read the values that are expressed in those opinions. That’s what this article is all about.…
Storytelling for Change: The Supermassive Ultimate Guide
It’s THE buzzword of the late 2010s. Everyone and their goat is talking about it. Google has 137 million results for “storytelling”. It’s time to Kondo-fy storytelling so you can throw all the Storytelling-for-Business-BS out the window and get back to making a ruckus. (27-minute read)…
Creating Welcome Emails that Engage Subscribers for the Long Term: The Definitive Guide
You probably know about the power of email marketing to boost your sales, inspire people to take action, and build relationships. And yet, many businesses send Welcome emails that say little more than “thanks for signing up — please whitelist our email address”. With Welcome emails getting 86% higher open rates than other newsletter emails, that’s a tragic loss of a brilliant opportunity to leave a strong first impression and engage readers from the get-go. So in this definitive…