Communication Articles

Logic Principle
In our non-stop quest to understand and control the world around us, we seek rational truth that makes sense to us. Logic uses evidence and scientific laws with cause-and-effect arguments to incontrovertibly prove a point. What makes sense must be true, right?

Our need to appear rational with others brings much logic into our discussions where we attribute causes to events and actions. The actual truth and real logic are often relatively unimportant as compared with the social benefits of appearing rational.

Conversations and debates are filled with people who are desperately seeking to impose their logic over that of others and aggression often replaces rationale, particularly if they feel that the other person's logic is superior. A cold, logical argument may thus fail to convince others.

For logic to be most effective, there needs to be additional work done to manage emotions.

Logic is not always logical. What persuades us is the appearance of logic rather than something that follows the strict rules of argumentation. False logic appears in such ways as:

Convoluted rationale that confuses and leads the listener to assume it is true.
Bold assertions of logic ("It makes sense, doesn't it?" or "It stands to reason that...").
False data that follow logical rules and inevitably lead to false results. (The focus on the logic often acts to distract from the false data.)

Understand the real logic of both your and their arguments. Also understand the social and emotional situation. Succeed and Mr. Spock would be proud.

For more persuasion principles, see www.ChangingMinds.org BACK

Objectivity Principle
Have you ever been in a conversation where the other person said something like "Let's look at this in another way. If you stand back and look at the problem objectively, it seems less important."? Taking an objective stance has a calming effect, helping people to see things as they really are or from a different viewpoint.

Objectivity works in two ways. First, it helps to remove emotion, allowing people to think more rationally. The other use of objectivity is that it provides neutral territory that allows an equitable discussion to take place.

When we say "be objective" we typically mean a number of things:

Be unemotional, not getting agitated or distressed in any way.
See things as they really are, not from a personally biased viewpoint.
Be neutral, understanding both points of view.

An objective viewpoint is thus more realistic, fairer and far more likely to be result in an agreeable resolution to human differences. Objectivity is the opposite of subjectivity. A person who has a subjective viewpoint sees things only from their own position, complete with all biases, internal mental models and so on. The problem with a subjective point of view is that it is invariably different from everyone else's subjective viewpoint.

Think of a time when you were upset or angry. Relive the experience, seeing things through your own eyes again. Notice how you start to re-experience the emotions. Now imagine floating out of your body and looking down on the scene. Notice now how the emotions are less. Standing back and literally seeing the situation from an external viewpoint has the very useful property of removing emotion. This is a very helpful tool for calming people down and assisting them to think more rationally.

An objective viewpoint is a neutral territory where both people can meet. In particular, it plays to our need for fairness. The neutrality of an objective view lets us both look from the same position, and if we cannot do this then at least we can get someone else to do it. This is the role played mediators, judges and other intermediaries who stand in the third place.

In a conversation or relationship there are three positions. The first position is me, my subjective self. The second position is you, the other person, and your subjective viewpoint. In argument and discussion we tend to see only these two positions. The third position is the objective viewpoint, as a neutral observer watching the discussion from outside. Anyone watching the conversation is, in the third position. Either or both of the participants can also find this third position.

When you are being drawn into a discussion, take the objective third position. Stand back and look down on the situation. Take time to understand both yourself and the other person.

You can do the same for the other person, helping them to take a more objective position. You can also do the reverse, dragging the other person down into the subjective and emotional position from which they cannot see what is happening in the bigger picture.

For more persuasion principles, see www.ChangingMinds.org BACK

Pull Principle
Lead them such that they choose to act. Pulling a person in motivation means creating conditions that they chose themselves. It means showing them how something else will be beneficial to them. It means them deciding rather than you deciding.

Most methods of persuasion are based on creating pull rather than push, which is generally coercive in nature. Pull creates desire. It is about making the other person want what you are offering. It is subtly changing how they perceive the world such that they see what you have and want it. Once you have created desire, then the internal tension set up in the other person will lead them in the right direction.

Push and pull are a matched pair: Pushing is the stick to the carrot of pulling. It is fishing rather than shooting. It is creating desire rather than creating fear. It is creating attraction rather than repulsion.

In motivation, pushing is a business management method while pulling is used by leaders. Pulling is more difficult than pushing, but is ultimately more effective. When you push, you do not know what direction the other person will take. It is like the sheepdog running into the flock of sheep: they all head off in different directions. Pulling has just one direction. It is like being the shepherd, towards whom the flock will move.

Use push and pull together: Push just to break people away from their current position. This will cause confusion, after which you can much more easily pull them. This method is used by martial artists in such as Aikido and Tai Chi Chuan.

Learn to pull. Creating pull means creating desire. Creating desire means knowing not only what people want but how they decide what they want, and working at this process level. Also balance push with pull. Sometimes people need a shove to get them going.

For more persuasion principles, see www.ChangingMinds.org BACK

Perception Principle
Perception is reality, so manage perception. The reality within each of our lives is how we create meaning and hence perceive the world around us. Perception is often a long way from reality, but what changes our mind is.

What I see is based on what I believe is really there and the models of reality that I have created. Many studies have shown that our minds helpfully will ignore bizarre and unexpected things in what we see.

If you try to persuade me using things that I do not accept or understand, then I will not be persuaded, even though the evidence you offer may be overwhelming.

Manage perception before reality. Work from what people believe. Stand and walk a mile in their shoes. Fit what you say into their mental models. Use their language.

For more persuasion principles, see www.ChangingMinds.org BACK

HOA Website Information
Accurate and reliable HOA information is extremely important for homeowner associations. Prospective buyers, real estate agents and title companies need to know who to contact to provide sale closing information. HOA members need to know who to contact for general information, rules enforcement and money matters. Providing the information online provides for 24/7 self-help and reduces time requirements for both the board and management. Providing contact information conveys openness and responsiveness.

Try these steps to guarantee your contact information is useful to your community:

Provide board member contact information as long as the individual approves releasing this information. If not, have an HOA phone number with voicemail and an HOA email address like info@nottacarecondos.com

If you have committees, describe each committee’s duties and the names of those that serve

Post a calendar that includes board, annual and committee meetings as well as social events and major renovation events (painting, roofing, etc.)

Provide as much self-help information as possible like newsletters, governing documents, approved budget, reserve study and rules.

Update the contact information when there is a change

While organizing and updating this information does take some time, in the long run, it will save time and time is money. BACK

6 Habits of Likable People
Likable people are charming. They're genuine. And they can make an entire room full of people smile. But when you meet someone, after "What do you do?", you're out of things to say because you're shy and a little insecure. But you want to make a good impression. You want people to genuinely like you. If I show you I'm genuinely happy to meet you, you'll instantly start to like me. And when you do, it will help calm my nerves and let me be myself.

Here's how likeable people do it: They lose the power pose. This is the one your parents may have taught you: To stand tall, square your shoulders, stride purposefully forward, drop your voice a couple of registers and shake hands with a firm grip. It's great to display nonverbal self-confidence, but go too far and it seems like you're trying to establish your importance. That makes it seem like it's more about you than it is the other person.

No matter how big a deal you are, you pale in comparison to South Africa’s Nelson Mandela. Mandela steps forward with a smile and bends ever so slightly forward as if to bow. This is a clear sign of deference and respect. So, the next time you meet someone, relax, step forward, tilt your head towards them slightly, smile, and show that you're the one who is honored by the introduction, not them.

Touch can be very powerful. It can influence behavior, increase the chances of compliance, make the person doing the touching seem more attractive and friendly. Go easy. Pat the other person lightly on the upper arm or shoulder. Make it casual and non-threatening. Mandela touches the forearm a second before he shakes hands. When combined with his posture and smile, it comes across as genuine and sincere. It is a key component in liking and being liked.

Likeable people are masters at Social Jiu-Jitsu (SJJ), the ancient art of getting you to talk about yourself without you ever knowing it happened. SJJ Masters are fascinated by things like how you transformed a tedious PowerPoint into a TED Talk-worthy presentation. SJJ Masters use their interest, politeness and social graces to cast a spell on you. And you like them for it.

Social Jiu-Jitsu is easy. Just ask the right questions. Stay open-ended and allow room for description and introspection. Ask how, why and who. As soon as you learn a little about someone, ask how they did it, why they did it, what they liked about it, what they learned from it or what you should do if you're in a similar situation.

No one gets too much recognition. Asking the right questions implicitly shows you respect another person's opinion and, by extension, the person. We all like people who respect us, if only because it shows they display great judgment (wink wink).

Everyone is better than you at something. Let them be better than you. Don't try to win the "getting to know someone" competition. Try to lose. Be complimentary. Be impressed. Admit a failing or a weakness. You don't have to disclose your darkest secrets. If the other person says, "I just closed a big deal" say, "That's great. How did you pull it off?" Likeable people focus on what they can do for you, not for themselves.

The standard conversation close is "Nice to meet you", nodding as you part. It’s totally forgettable. Instead, shake hands again, use your free hand to gently touch the other person's forearm or shoulder. Say, "I am really glad I met you" or "I really enjoyed talking with you". Smile. Not the insincere salesperson smile that goes with, "Have a nice day!" but a genuine, appreciative smile. Making a great first impression is important, but so is making a great last impression.

All these techniques take practice. Accept that being a little more deferential, genuine, complimentary and vulnerable means putting yourself out there. Accept that at first it will feel risky. But don't worry. When you help people feel a little better about themselves, which is reason enough, they'll like you for it. And you'll like yourself a little more, too.

Excerpts from an article by Jeff Haden BACK

7 Persuasion Techniques
Persuasion began with the Greeks, who emphasized rhetoric as the highest form of communication. Rhetoric was the ability to persuade in any circumstance. The Greek philosopher Aristotle listed four reasons why one should learn the art of persuasion:

1) Truth and justice are perfect. If a debate is lost, it is the fault of the losing speaker.

2) It is an excellent tool for teaching.

3) A good rhetorician needs to know how to argue both sides to understand the whole problem and all the options, and

4) There is no better way to defend yourself.

While many people don't like to sell things, most find themselves having to persuade someone at some point. Persuasion can be a useful technique in the homeowner association setting. Whether it’s rule compliance, settling a dispute or getting someone to pay up, persuasion reduces confrontation. Here are seven things that the most persuasive people consistently do:

1. They Are Purposeful. Truly persuasive people have power and use it sparingly. They understand that most conversations do not require trying to get someone to do or accept something. Persuaders advocate an idea with power and persistence.

2. They Listen. Persuasion is only half the equation. You can't persuade effectively if you don't know the other side of the argument. Others assess how receptive you are to their point of view by how well you listen. Listen for objections which must be resolved. Listen for points of agreement which can be shaped into consensus.

3. They Create a Connection. You'll persuade people more easily if they are open and aligned with you. Persuasive people look for ways to help establish emotional bonds and shared objectives. They show empathy for your position and make it known that they are on your side. They wait for you to give them permission to advocate their approach.

4. They Acknowledge Credibility. Persuasive people value your opinion and will validate it. This makes it harder for you to dismiss their point of view. When you are persuading people, reinforce their credibility rather than dismiss them. Then they'll be more likely to pay you mutual respect in exchange and be more open to the merits of your view.

5. They Offer Satisfaction. Smart persuaders know that they don't have to win every battle to win the war. They give ground when they can and hold ground when it matters. Choose being successful over being right.

6. They Know When to Shut Up. Wearing people down is not an effective persuasion strategy. Persuaders carefully support their arguments and then they step back. In the words of sales trainer J. Douglas Edwards, "Whenever you ask a closing question, shut up. The first person who speaks, loses."

7. They Know When to Back Away. Urgency is the enemy of persuasion. Deep ideas require time and thought to take root. Great persuaders provide the space and time to carefully consider their position. They know that nothing is more powerful than you persuading yourself. That almost never occurs in the presence of the persuader.

The next time you want to persuade someone of something truly important, follow these seven tips, make your case and walk away. If they aren’t persuaded, you were probably wasting your effort in the first place.

By Kevin Daum BACK

7 Deadly Networking Sins
From networking events to social networking sites, opportunities to "connect" abound. Exactly how do you make the most of every introduction? Let’s start with what not to do. Whether you associate the "seven deadly sins" with medieval religious teachings or modern-day entertainment, they can be applied here to build your reputation and influence. Be sure to avoid these seven deadly networking sins:

Pride. If you don’t believe in you, who will? Self-promotion requires tact. Toot your horn too often or too loudly and all you can expect is a wave of unreturned messages and deleted connections. People are attracted to authenticity. Crafting a false image is a turnoff to all.

Solution: Share your accomplishments and the spotlight with those who contributed to your success. You might even score bonus exposure by reaching beyond your network.

Greed. If your concerns are your only concerns, why should others care about you? But when you seek to meet others’ needs and do a great job, they’ll be more inclined to reciprocate. Reversing that sequence will surely prevent it.

Solution: Focus your message and the needs of your audience, not what you’re looking to promote.

Lust. If you’re lusting after the attention of others, your otherwise professional efforts can lead to a very unprofessional reputation. Nobody invites crossing the line of acceptable and professional efforts with that of becoming a pest revealing personal cravings over that of the other's needs.

Solution: You can’t force someone to reciprocate. Do what you said you’d do or send what you promised and let the rest happen naturally.

Anger. If you read a comment with unintended sarcasm or interpret a short missive as an angry one, you might be tempted to reciprocate in kind. The power of a smile and laughter can produce priceless and ever-expanding opportunities, but the consequences of discourtesy are immediately and potentially irreversibly destructive.

Solution: Consider communication carefully, particularly when using email or texting. Responding in anger can destroy your reputation and your relationships.

Gluttony. If you’re sending mass emails or group texts in an effort to save yourself time and effort, you risk losing the opportunity for the gesture to be regarded as sincere and to be taken seriously. By default, "mass" is mutually exclusive of "personal."

Solution: Balance group messages by inviting personal responses of interest. Or, better, communicate one-on-one whenever possible.

Envy. If you’re building yourself up at the expense of others by putting them down, your need for the spotlight will backfire. Don’t focus on what others have. Set your own goals based on what you have to offer, not what you seek to gain from them.

Solution: Congratulate others on their successes instead of stewing on what you haven’t yet accomplished.

Sloth. If your efforts border on the apathetic, you need to shape up, perhaps in more ways than one. A lack of drive and determination to exercise meaningful connections and capitalize on opportunities will only result in relationship atrophy.

Solution: Schedule regular communication and be sure to engage when opportunity presents--most certainly at social gatherings. It may be drudgery as the start of any exercise regimen can be, but positive results will prove worth the time and effort.

Each and every one of these sins is easy to fall prey to but just as easy to avoid. However, it does take conscious thought, determined actions and purpose of focus to realize optimal relationship value that rewards all parties all the time. There is no value in being unlikable. Generally speaking, the complete antidote to the seven deadly sins is nothing more than simply being nice to all people all the time. In fact, some experts estimate that simply being nice can result in a 30 to 40% increase in success over those people that are not nice. Who ever thought that simply being nice could pave your road to success?

By Mike Muhney www.VIPOrbit.com BACK

New Years HOA Resolutions
From time to time, homeowner association (HOA) members get crosswise with board members due to a disagreement or misunderstanding about rules, procedure or policy. Here are 27 ways to resolutions to improve:

1. I will follow the Golden Rule: Treat others as I would like to be treated.
2. I will not refer to the HOA board members as "they", since board members are HOA members as well who pay assessments and volunteer their time to serve.
3. Since I can't fire or evict my neighbors, I will find ways to be neighborly.
4. I will assume our board members are doing their best and give them the benefit of the doubt.
5. I will assume that the board is competent and honest.
6. I will remember that a "my home is my castle" attitude does not work in an HOA. Enjoying the benefits of common interest living means agreeing to share.
7. I will ask for clarification before criticizing or accusing.
8. I acknowledge that the board has more information than me and I need that information to have an informed opinion.
9. I will take support efforts to grow reserve funds and maintain the common elements.
10. I will read the information the HOA board sends to me.
11. I will become familiar with our CC&Rs, bylaws and rules to avoid confusion and disputes.
12. I will review the annual budget and reserve study and ask questions about significant deviations.
13. If I ask to review records, I will respect the board’s and manager’s time and ask only for what I really need.
14. I will ask the board to follow open meeting requirements and only handle in closed session the limited items allowed.
15. I will review the published agenda before attending board meetings.
16. I will organize my open forum remarks and understand that the board may not immediately have an answer to my questions or suggestions.
17. I will use my open forum time to inform the board, not to argue.
18. I will not interrupt board meeting discussions or encourage others to do so.
19. I will volunteer for a committee to help share the board’s load.
20. If I disagree with the board, I will provide suggestions and information, rather than criticize.
21. I will find positive ways to enhance the image of our community.
22. I will try to settle disputes with my neighbor before complaining to the board.
23. I will exhaust all possible solutions when I disagree with a board decision before calling an attorney.
24. I will participate in all member votes.
25. I will encourage the board to join Community Associations Institute and hire CAI credentialed managers.
26. I will find ways to thank our HOA volunteers and manager for their service.
27. See Item #1.

The board can make mistakes but keep in mind that the board is composed of members just like you and working for free. Resolve to cut them some slack.

By Kelly G. Richardson - Richardson Harman Ober PC BACK

Persistence of Perception
We develop patterns of thought that shape what we perceive and thus what we think about new information that comes our way. We persist in or hold on to thinking that connects with the mental perceptions we have already formed in our mind. So as we go through life, our mind fills in the gaps between our experiences with the same familiar thinking. It connects our thoughts to keep them as consistent with what we already think.

Call it a persistence of perception. We perceive what makes sense to us. We then develop beliefs and opinions around what is consistent with what is already there in our heads. Anything that is inconsistent with that image or contrary to our current ideas or thinking, seems to go unnoticed or is consciously ignored, so that we may maintain that continuous, uninterrupted picture of our world.

Just as what we see is governed by what we think, so what we perceive as real—our feelings, thoughts and assumptions—is based on what we think is real. It sounds obvious but it has far-reaching, often overlooked, implications.

Our mind is constantly trying to make sense of our world. We pull in dissimilar information and our mind tries to connect it with what we already know. To facilitate this process, we create mental models that filter everything we experience.

International consultant and author Luc de Brabandere reminds us in his book The Forgotten Half of Change, "It is not a question of intelligence, but rather one of our perception of the world around us.... We see and hear things in a variable way, and certainly differently from one another, because only the hardware is common to all of us. We can even become blind or deaf when confronted with some situations that will be glaringly or blaringly evident to others. It is therefore hardly surprising that, from time to time, we do get stuck." Stuck in the same old thinking.

The mental gymnastics that our mind goes through can stabilize us, but it can also leave us out-of-sync, chasing dragons and acting on what doesn’t really exist or isn’t even true. We can often find ourselves reacting to people and situations in ways that are inappropriate, as our reality is skewed. It can cause us to be rigid and unteachable thus impeding our growth. This is especially true when something is discussed or brought to our attention that doesn’t fit in with what we want, or how we want to live or explain our lives, or more importantly how we think about or see ourselves.

U.S. Supreme Court justice Benjamin Cardozo, renowned for his integrity and elegant opinions once remarked, "In the life of the mind as in life elsewhere, there is a tendency toward the reproduction of kind." In other words, we like to keep on thinking the same kinds of things that we always have thought, and this is nowhere more apparent than in the things we think about ourselves. We are predisposed to think things about ourselves that make us feel good and that keep all our thoughts connected and flowing together smoothly. We often surround ourselves with and get feedback from friends that think like we do and that will reinforce our view of ourselves. We generally don’t like thoughts or a world around us that makes waves, especially when it affects our self-image. This tendency can protect us but it can also limit us when it comes to growing and understanding more and taking in a bigger picture.
We tend to view our problems too with the same lens or viewpoint that we always have. First century philosopher Epictetus observed that "it is not the things themselves which trouble us, but the opinions that we have about these things." Much later Shakespeare echoed this thought by writing, "There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so." Thinking about ourselves or seeing a situation in the wrong way can literally condemn us to relive the same life and situations over and over again. Our life won’t change until we change our thinking.

Authors Yoram (Jerry) Wind and Colin Crook explained in The Power of Impossible Thinking, "We increasingly live in a familiar world that can be considered as a benign illusion—benign, because it helps us move through the world efficiently, but an illusion nonetheless."

What this means is what we think is all inside our head. We filter what we perceive. We see what we want to see and call it real or true. It is important to realize that what we think is actually shaped by what we already think. This should cause us to proceed with caution, but all too often we plunge ahead confident that we "know" what we think we know. We need to rethink our assumptions with some degree of humility. We need to ask ourselves if that which we think or perceive is so, is so because of what we have already programmed our minds to see. We need to wonder if the problems we see in others are getting through our filter because those problems are part of our own thinking.

By and large we ignore reality in favor of the truth we create in our own heads. In Confronting Reality, authors Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan agree that generally we see the world as we want to see it. They write, "Avoiding reality is a basic and ubiquitous human tendency. [Most people] often do it unconsciously but also may do it knowingly; sometimes it seems, there’s just no choice." It is so easy for us to get stuck and think of ourselves in the way we have always thought of ourselves. The problem is it skews reality by blocking out the truth we might otherwise be learning. So we create myths about ourselves.

In June of 1962, President Kennedy spoke at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. The context of his speech was economics, but I think you will see his comments have application in other areas of our life as well.

He said, "As every past generation has had to disenthrall itself from an inheritance of truisms and stereotypes, so in our own time we must move on from the reassuring repetition of stale phrases to a new, difficult, but essential confrontation with reality.

"For the great enemy of truth is very often not the lie—deliberate, contrived and dishonest — but the myth — persistent, persuasive and unrealistic. Mythology distracts us everywhere."

The myth is quite often more dangerous than the lie. The myths we create about ourselves can be more dangerous than the lies we tell about ourselves. The lies we can identify and we know they are there. They are deliberate. But the myths are persistent, reassuring and created automatically so that we deceive ourselves. Our own mythology distracts us from growth. Again, we become people who will not learn. We become unteachable.

We frequently think things don’t apply to us because we’ve already thought them through. However if we are growing, we should begin to find a deeper meaning to what we think we already know at the very least. Perhaps there is even room for improvement, we just don’t see it. So we need to rethink, to reframe, to go back over it again and again. To learn we need to unlearn. And to grow we must change the way we think about ourselves.
Again in The Power of Impossible Thinking the authors explain, "If we can understand that the majority of what we are seeing and thinking at any given moment is coming from inside rather than from external stimuli, we make a great leap forward."

Ana s Nin, in a more lucid moment wrote, "We don't see things as they are, we see things as we are." Emerson wrote, "People only see what they are prepared to see." As we go through each day, our experiences and observations change us. So what we didn’t see yesterday we may see today, but only if we are consciously going over the old material in our heads and are challenging what we think about ourselves on a daily basis.

Unless we make a conscious effort to break this cycle, this persistence of thought, we will continue to reproduce yesterday’s thinking. It is a self reinforcing cycle that gets us nowhere. Left alone, this mental inertia will cause us to miss the benefit of our experiences, our observations, and self study. Neither personal growth nor growth in our knowledge base isn’t logical and it isn’t automatic. It takes doing what we are not naturally inclined to do and it takes a lot of effort. Often getting out of our own way is the first step in the growth process.

Significantly, that growth growth depends on the questions we ask about ourselves, not the answers we habitually get. Author Antony Jay revealed that, "The uncreative mind can spot wrong answers, but it takes a creative mind to spot wrong questions." What's needed is a creative mind that can switch gears and see from a new perspective. We need better questions, not the same old answers. If we’re not growing and deepening our understanding, we’re not asking the right questions.

Ask questions that cause you to rethink your assumptions. Is the problem really a problem? Is what I am doing or thinking working for me? What should I stop or start thinking or doing to change my situation?

Part of the problem is that the solution is often paradoxical to what we already think—which is why we are stuck. Thinking outside our normal frames of reference makes it possible to see unexpected solutions. Looking at something differently or from someone else’s point of view often brings the solution dramatically into focus.

Moving forward from a persistence of thought requires that we look at our thinking in a new light and then to reframe it. We should begin to challenge the way we think and as a result the way we act. New behavior will follow from a new way of thinking. To paraphrase President Kennedy, the time has come for us to move on from the reassuring repetition of stale thinking to a new, difficult, but essential confrontation with the reality of ourselves. Only then can we grow.

From www.foundationsmag.com BACK

eNewsletters
In homeowner associations, consistent and effective communication is extremely important to build consensus and to keep the gossip mill at bay. Besides the timely distribution of meeting minutes, newsletters are key to this charge. While printed newsletters have been the norm (and local printers thank you), the internet offers a wonderful alternative to publish newsletters online and eliminate printing, mailing, labeling and postage costs.

eNewsletters offer a number of really cool features that printed copy either can’t or would be very expensive to duplicate. They can include color for no extra charge so pictures, graphics and fonts can shine with chromatic intensity. The same feature for printed newsletters ratchets up the cost considerably.

Text, graphics and pictures can be hyperlinked to the HOA’s website or other internet locations. Newsletter ads can be linked to the vendor’s website where the vendor can prattle on endlessly about the benefits of product or service. You can even add sound and video features to really jazz it up!

eNewsletters can be delivered to the reader in a variety of ways:

eNewsletters appear within the email message itself and include all the newsletter bells and whistles like fonts, color and graphics. Internet websites like www.ConstantContact.com offer customizable newsletter templates that are easy to use, track delivery and other ingenious features.

PDF Newsletters convert word processing documents into a Portable Document Format (PDF) using Adobe Acrobat software. A companion software called Adobe Reader is available free at www.adobe.com to enable viewers to open PDF files. PDF newsletters can be mailed as attachments or posted on the HOA’s website.

Word Processor or Publisher Software Newsletters. Both Word and WordPerfect have newsletter composing capability. There are also newsletter specific software like Microsoft Publisher that are layman friendly and come with templates and other helpful features. These files can be distributed as email attachments.

When crafting the newsletter itself, there are a number of basic formatting recommendations:

Use of Fonts. Use only a few different fonts and type sizes. Newsletters are commonly done in Times Roman (this article is written in Times Roman) and Arial which are easy to read. Choose one of these for your basic text and several of the thousands of others for titles. Use bold, italics and color sparingly and for emphasis only.

Use Columns. Follow the example of magazines and newspapers by using two or three columns. Articles are much easier to read in that layout.

Use Pictures & Graphics. Images make the newsletter more eye-catching. But keep the file size small (10-50k) so they don’t slow the load time for viewers that are still using dial up connections.

Use Text Boxes. Text boxes are floating fields can be placed anywhere in the newsletter either lining up with columns or straddling them. The background can be shaded with color and the borders have a number of options.

Getting the word out that the eNewsletter is available is a snap. Simply email to a distribution list that it is available either as an attachment or include a link to the newsletter’s location. It’s helpful to include a brief description of articles to woo better response.

One obstacle to eNewsletters is delivering the goods to computer challenged members. But let’s face it, there is a high price associated with printed communications in both labor and hard costs. These costs often discourage newsletter production or reduce the frequency.

Fortunately, there is no law that says newsletters, meeting minutes and other HOA communications (other than legal notices) need to be snail mailed. To encourage use of email delivery, why not give consenting members a credit of $25 a year? The HOA will save an unnecessary expense, reduce paper needs and the members that drive the savings enjoy the savings.

If your newsletters are not all they could be, why not explore the fascinating world of online publishing? Dramatically lower the cost and production work while improving the quality of the product. This is good news indeed. BACK