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Quote of the Week
Newsletter Archive
for June 18, 2003
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Power Quotes
for Business from WriteWorks Agency
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Don't
be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an
experiment. The more experiments you make the better.
— Ralph Waldo Emerson,
19th-century American
writer and philosopher
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Key Point
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Fearing
death, many have never really lived. If you want to do anything
extraordinary in your department, in your division or with your
company, make Emerson's words your creed. If you want to do something
significant in your family, your community or your world, then make
Emerson's words your battle cry. Great things take brave and bold
steps.
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In Sales and Marketing …
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Successful
marketers are those who not only come up with new ideas but then act on
them, taking risks by launching into unexplored wildernesses. Most of
those I've known in marketing take few chances, trying to follow the
successes of their predecessors or their competitors rather than blaze
their own trail. Too many marketers seem to act more from the desire to
protect their jobs than from the desire to take chances.
Can
you blame them? Certainly we know of those who took chances and failed.
Nike, often heralded for its landmark promotional creativity, has also
made memorable marketing blunders. You may recall in October 2000 when
Nike had to pull an advertisement off the air that was
deemed offensive. Narrated by a runner, the advertisement
described a model of Nike running shoes as preventing him from
"rendering me a drooling, misshapen, non-extreme-trail-running
husk of my former self, forced to roam the Earth in a motorized
wheelchair with my name embossed on one of those cute little license
plates you get at carnivals or state fairs, fastened to the back."
Gutsy. Too gutsy. Downright offensive.
Or,
what about when Democratic gubernatorial candidate Kathleen Sebelius
made a competitive jab by describing driving on Missouri roads as
"much more terrifying to me than the attacks on the World Trade
Center." You could call this creative ... a groundbreaking attempt
at humor. You could also call it poorly timed and offensive. Most of us
chose the latter. She apologized.
While
the Nike Corporation and Kathleen Sebelius regret their actions, let us
not forget their many successes, brought about by bold living and a
willingness to see life as "an experiment." Without a doubt,
"There are risks and costs to a program of action, but they are
far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable
inaction," said John F. Kennedy, echoing Emerson's bold 19th
century sentiments.
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In Speech and Writing …
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Apply that
"life is an experiment" attitude when preparing a speech or
important document. Rather than deepen the ruts of your standard ways
of communicating, break free from them; experiment with your words. Is
there a more colorful way of saying it? What if you
used more emotional words instead? Or less? Can you say the same
thing fewer words? Could you use an analogy to express your message
more memorably? What if you used shorter sentences?
Remember: "The more experiments you make the better."
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In Life ...
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Boldness is
the common characteristic of the very young. Yet, as time passes, we
all learn how painful it can be to boldly go
... the wrong way. So we choose safety and caution. Yet Ralph Waldo
Emerson encourages us to see indecision and timidity as foolish!
Sure, we all feel most comfortable in the easy chair of
status quo living. But significance belongs only to those willing to
step outside that which is comfortable. Commit this week to try
something new -- to blaze a new trail. Be strong and courageous about
it. Take this first step toward extinguishing lukewarm living in your
life.
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What is Your Favorite Quote?
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Do you have a favorite quote that has either served you
inspirationally in the workplace or has been a nice bit of spice in
speech or in writing? Write
and tell us about it. We may feature your quote in a future issue
to inspire others.
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When Your Words Must Count …
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Count on WriteWorks
for world-class writing, editing, and
proofreading. We wordsmith proposals, presentations, white papers,
marketing materials, articles, reports, speeches, manuscripts, help
files, instruction manuals, and more. We ensure that your words
succinctly and effectively bring your message home.
With
our network of top-flight freelance writers and editors, we match your
project with the perfect wordsmith for your project, big or small. Call us today to
discuss your needs and learn how easy — and beneficial! — it is to do business with us.
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Copyright 2002
WriteWorks Inc.
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