There are three purposes for blog categories. 1. Search Engine Optimization One use of blog categories is that it helps with search engine optimization (SEO), which allow the search engines to better find and list posts. 2. Reader Engagement The second use of blog categories is to help readers find similar content. For example, if […]
Use a Quality Assurance Program to Improve Your Call Center By Peter Lyle DeHaan, Ph.D. In the last issue, we talked about improving your call center by providing ongoing skills training. Now we’ll continue the discussion by addressing a quality assurance (QA) program. In the call center industry, everyone’s talking about providing quality transactions. Quality […]
Each chapter in my friend’s book starts with a quotation. Most of the quotes came from internet sites. She wonders if she needs to include a page citing sources where she obtained each quote. Here’s what I said to her. For Traditionally Published Books For traditionally published books, your publisher will have its own requirements […]
Many people were amazed and impressed that my web address matches my name: PeterDeHaan.com. It is my main author website. I’ve had it for almost twenty years. When I registered it in 2000, it was not hard to procure a domain name matching one’s given name. (At the time, DeHaan.com was also available, and I […]
You Can’t Schedule for the Unexpected, but That’s No Excuse to Be Unprepared By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD Traffic at many call centers fluctuates with the weather, affecting some centers more so than others. Of course, non-weather-related events can also impact call traffic. This includes natural disasters, pandemics, riots, the threat of violence, media-produced frenzies—and […]
I’d love a literary agent who would handle shorter pieces, such as articles, short stories, or poems. Unfortunately, they don’t. Literary agents handle books. They only deal with book-length projects. Agents earn commission on projects sold. The payoff for shorter pieces is too small for them to spend time pitching them. They need to invest […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD Several years ago, there was a time when I lost my Internet connection. Although I had a lot of work to do, I couldn’t think of anything I could accomplish without Internet access. It was about a quarter to twelve, so I took an early lunch. An hour later it […]
A publisher is interested in some devotionals a friend wrote. They pay an honorarium of $35 per item, and then they want full rights forever. My friend wonders if this is typical and fair to sell full rights for a piece? First, I don’t think anyone can make decent money writing devotionals. They do it […]
Balance the Need to Protect Your Client List with Your Desire to Close Sales By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD When telephone answering services overhaul their websites or seek to tweak its content, many services wonder if they should post a partial list of some of their major accounts. Some answering services do this, and I […]
For too many years my goal in writing was simply to write faster, but I did nothing to learn about writing or how to write better. That was a huge writing mistake. Yes, the experience of writing so much was good, but I wasted a lot of time by not studying the craft. It’s only […]