This article highlights the growing adoption of a new technology by profiling how hospitals and cancer clinics worldwide are using it to meet both patient needs and institutional objectives. It is meant to be of interest to both clinicians and administrators.

Tip: Try this cheap and tasty wrinkle fighter
Tip: Think this thought to curb overeating

Here are some lessons to draw from the RealAge subject lines:

Keep it short. You don’t want your most important words truncated by an email app, so keep to 50 characters or less.

Use plain, specific words. Words like cheap, tasty, wrinkle, curb.

Ask for action. This goes for internal emails to colleagues, coworkers, and even bosses, too. (Examples: “Review this plan by Friday” or “Need your recommendation to cut costs” )

Give thought to word order. The same idea can be written in many different ways. Which of the following makes the better subject line?

Subject: MetaCafe Insider Shares Video Campaign Secrets
Subject:  Video Campaign Secrets from Metacafe Insider

Well, that all depends on what you think the recipient cares about most: Metacafe or video campaigns.

Bottom line: Subject lines are the most important part of any email message. Don’t toss them off, or the message may get tossed out.

If you use a transcription service, here are some tips to get the best results:

• Schedule in advance. Make sure the transcriber can deliver what you need when you need it. I can’t always schedule ahead, but when I can’t I try to allow extra time for turnaround.
• Provide a word list. If the content is specialized, give the transcriber a list of names, technical terms, acronyms, and arcane words used.
• Be clear about your expectations. The transcriber will likely ask if you need a verbatim transcription, with all the ums, ahs, and false starts. For my purposes, I like the transcriber to clean these up for me.
• Ask about acceptable formats. Does the transcriber prefer mp3 or some other format? Transcribers can usually convert formats for you, but it takes time and, as a result, may cost a little extra. I record in dma but convert to mp3 because file size is smaller. I  To convert, I use Switch Sound Converter software because it is very easy to use.

Is there anything you would like to add, Wendy?

This customer success story tells how, with a contract, an architecture, and an extremely short schedule, supercomputer company Cray, Inc., collaborated with Synopsys Professional Services to deliver an IP block that stretched the design limits of current technology. My objective: tell a complex story in a clearly understandable way.

Monthly newsletters keep this client in regular contact with customers. They work because they are:

• Brief. Articles are no more than 150 words each. The newsletter is never longer than two pages.
• Timely. Each issue contains time-sensitive material with links for the customer to act on immediately, such as a limited-time discount.
• Consistent. The format is the same for every issue. Consistency reinforces the brand and saves time.

This two-page, quick-read format packs in a lot of information, hitting the problem, solution, benefits, and results at a glance. This approach works best when you have measurable results and powerful testimonial quotes.

Try this. A rap session for the writer.

Definition: Rap session is an informal discussion held especially by a group of people with similar concerns.

Instead of sending the writer off with a list of people in your organization from whom to collect input individually, get everyone in the same room to talk to the writer at once. The room will begin to vibrate as the conversation gets rolling. People will agree, disagree, tell another story, laugh and before you know it the real passion will start to come out. This more free-wheeling approach will help the writer understand your company or product better than one-on-one interviews and will help the writer breathe life and energy into the brochure, article, etc.  This worked really well with a recent client who had been previously disappointed with a brochure (written by another agency).  The group session was lengthy and some people had to come and go, but they all knew each other and they became more and more animated as they talked. I got to see what the other writer didn’t have the opportunity to see. And the client liked the results.

Reaching “C-level” decision makers is a challenge for many companies selling high-tech products. This brochure addresses the business reasons to buy capital equipment even in challenging economic times. It was designed as a magazine article and published standalone as well as in a high-quality customer magazine.

Newsletters can build your credibility as a leader and an expert in your field. This newsletter was part of a larger program to increase awareness in the US of a company and product well established in Europe.