Amber Van Karsen, Author at Craft Your Content

All posts by Amber Van Karsen

fifty shades of grey

Fifty Shades of Sh*t

The 90s anti-drug public service announcement of actress Rachael Leigh Cook bashing a frying pan around her kitchen just popped into my head. “Any questions?”

This is your brain.

fifty shades head

This is your brain after reading Fifty Shades of Grey.

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How to Avoid Cliches Like the Plague (See What I Did There)

That’s so cliche.

Am I the only one who reads this phrase and hears a sixteen-year-old girl snapping her bubble gum and twirling her hair?

Cliches are phrases or words that started off interesting and impactful, but have been so overused that they’ve become comfortable, perhaps even predictable. Comfortable isn’t good. In the business world, comfortable is boring, and boring isn’t good for business.Continue reading

Thanks in advance

Thanks In Advance

In recent years, there has been a tendency to communicate via email in a lazy and unprofessional way. Informal communication between two friends is one thing, but addressing the CEO of your company with ‘Hey Mr. Jones’ will leave Mr. Jones with the impression that you’re sloppy. When promotion time comes around and your name is brought up, do you want Mr. Jones to immediately think ‘sloppy’?

‘Thanks in advance!’ is another common email etiquette faux pas. You might believe that it has become so common that it is accepted, but I’m here to tell you that it definitely is not.Continue reading

The Only Decisive Question You Should Ask in Sales

Politicians and professional salespeople aren’t the only ones skilled in the art of selling.

Believe it or not, we are all selling something.

If you’ve ever recommended a movie or a restaurant, you were selling someone on something you believed to be a worthy investment of their time and money. If you ever went on an interview, you were selling yourself.Continue reading