Even in a world where shocking images are delivered on a daily basis through the Internet and cable news channels, what is happening in Haiti right now is difficult to comprehend. The devastation is so complete — both physically and emotionally — as survivors try to hang on, the displaced seek shelter and the world tries frantically to find ways into the tiny island nation to care for its people with supplies and hope.

And there is hope.

Millions of dollars have been raised by Americans texting to relief agencies. Small volunteer medical and recovery teams are flying in every day without regard for themselves to be part of the effort. In the coming days and weeks, there will be more high-profile pleas for support and updates from the media on progress being made.

But while this event is an almost immeasurable tragedy, the possibility for good to come from it remains.

The biggest challenge for us, as comfortable, rich (even in a recession), well-meaning Americans, is to resist tragedy fatigue. It is easy to get emotionally involved from a distance for a short time. Our hearts sink at the site of sheet-draped bodies in the streets, and they rise with the rescue of a family from the rubble. But what happens a month from now? Six months from now?

The health-care debate will be back in full swing soon, with a fight over cap-and-trade legislation not far behind. Tiger Woods may re-emerge, and there is certain to be a celebrity doing something really stupid to captivate us for a couple days somewhere along the line. It is way too easy to slowly push extended human suffering onto the back burner every time something new pops onto the radar screen.  

So what is the answer? I certainly don’t know, but the ongoing tragedy in Haiti has made me think about the suddenness of circumstances and how easy it is to think we have all the time in the world to do what needs to be done. How easy it is to watch TV at night instead of spending time on things that can make a difference to someone else.

So how does good come from this? Well, other than delivering much-needed immediate relief and contributing however we can, we can allow it to change our lives. We can develop a love for people we have never met. We can be less selfish and show more urgency for the things with eternal consequences. We can get off our butts and do something that matters.

That way, just maybe, six months from now, we will still be interested in the plight of the Haitian people, many of whom will still be homeless, hungry and in need of some compassion. Let’s hope so.

In my business, every day is different, which is a big reason why I like it so much. Over the last two days, I have been writing about the falling price of recreational land in southwest Georgia, the governor’s visit to a local manufacturing company, and the virtues of a new wellness center.

Tomorrow, it will be law enforcement and eye care.

My job allows me to learn a little bit about a lot of things, which can be very dangerous during times when my inner Cliff Claven emerges with one too many “little known facts.” Whether at a business networking event, or facing the temptation of Twitter and Facebook begging me to post an interesting tidbit, I do my best to show restraint. After all, it is in my best interest not to get into a deep conversation about something I really know very little about.

The fact is I don’t need to know a lot about the subjects on which I write, because it is my job to find the people who do, ask them the right questions and then make it understandable and even compelling to the reader. That is what writers do. That is what we get paid (a little bit) for.

Whether it is an in-house marketing manager or an outsourced writer or editor, using experienced communications professionals really does make a difference. Especially when times are tough, small-business owners and managers should stick to what they do best and find the right people to help where needed.

It allows them to stay focused on their business. And it helps people like me look smarter at parties.

Dave Fiore is the founder of davemail.

I need to be honest about something. After a few weeks of monitoring online conversations through TweetDeck and Google Alerts on the subject of email newsletters, I had become a bit disheartened. There apparently are a lot of people out there complaining about getting newsletters they didn’t ask for, can’t unsubscribe from, or simply add to the chaos of their bulging inboxes.

Does that mean that email newsletters are no longer viable, and we will be communicating in 140-character chunks for the rest of our online lives? Hardly. In fact, after momentarily doubting my life calling and expenditure of all available (and future) funds, I was struck by a bolt of truth that reminded me why I remain so excited about this powerful tool.

People simply don’t care about things they don’t care about, so when you try to send them something they didn’t ask for, the reaction is rarely positive. The davemail business model is based on providing a way for our clients to reach the people with which they have permission to communicate – their customers, clients, members or supporters. In other words, they are talking to people who will gladly listen.

To keep them listening, they need to provide useful, informative content delivered creatively and consistently – which is where we come in. Just as with dating, getting someone to go out with you once hardly means you are headed for years of marital bliss. You have to work for it, not take them for granted and throw in a surprise once in a while.

So it’s OK that people complain about the newsletters they shouldn’t be getting in the first place. They have a right to be mad. Just as they have the right to let a business know they don’t appreciate getting coupons three times a week by clicking “bye-bye” at the bottom of the mailing.

As the recipient, you are in control. And as the sender, it is our job to keep it real so you stay with us. And that is a challenge that makes me smile.

I was walking through Wal-Mart the other day, when I passed three young kids just kind of messing around.  As I zipped pass them on my way to find a phone cord, the biggest one looked around and said, “Hey, where’d Mom go?” After paying attention long enough to make sure they connected with someone, I went on my way thinking about how applicable that question is for business. (Kind of weird, I know.)

Those kids had only one point of reference for where they were supposed to be, what they were doing and why they were even there. And it was no longer in sight. They knew they needed to find it before they really got lost (and probably got in trouble). How easy is it for us to lose our focus and get distracted  — and lose a lot of ground before we even realize what happened?

We can get caught up doing all kinds of things related to our business that over time, can cause problems. We can get over-distracted by social media, we can read too many how-to or motivational books or check out one too many blogs on the greatest new software. We can even turn legitimate networking into just hanging out.

Sounds like fun, but if we linger too long, and our focus on the core tasks slip, we can find ourselves standing in the aisle looking at each other wondering where everyone went.

Dave Fiore is the founder and CEO of davemail.

While waiting for my 15-year-old daughter to exhaust the rest of her allowance at the mall (with the help of a friend), I sat in the café area at Borders reading the September issue of Entrepreneur. I was pleased to come across an article entitled “The Twittering Class,” about the use of social media tools, but was flabbergasted by how far the article missed the mark.

How many experts out there, much less regular business people, are simply missing the point of Twitter as it relates to business?

The author, Mikal E. Belicove, is a consultant, who according to the magazine byline, specializes in Web site usability and business blogging.  I’m sure he knows his stuff, but his cursory, shallow evaluation of Twitter demonstrates a fundamental lack of understanding of not only the potential, but also the purpose of the microblogging tool.

Belicove writes that because tweets (Twitter posts of 140 characters or fewer) have a short shelf life, they cannot replace Web sites or blogs in driving sales (half true – they can drive sales, but not in the same way).

He then says this: “Twitter is better for company announcements, spotting trends, conducting polls and posting on new products, services and in-the-moment specials…remember to include strong calls to action in your tweets.”

What? While Twitter certainly is useful for trend spotting, that advice is the fastest way to get yourself unfollowed by just about everyone. Twitter is not a sales flier. It is not a bulletin board on which to post your latest “Everything Must Go” sales event. It is not even a place to describe your services and then close with a strong call to action.

Twitter is a place to develop relationships. To contribute to the conversation. To share ideas. To be encouraged. To be social. And yes, to share with others what you do – in the mix of a conversation – just like you would do face to face.

Do you walk into a room and immediately start telling every person you see about how great your business is or how they can save 20 percent this Saturday? If you do, you shouldn’t, and if you don’t, you should show your Twitter followers the same courtesy.

The sales will most likely come if you let it happen naturally. People want to do business with people they know – not a salesman who happened to gain access to them. Give it time, listen and be a real person first, and then Twitter really can be a great tool in your sales arsenal. 

Dave Fiore is the founder and CEO of davemail.

Running a business well is like riding a bike. Not because you never forget how, but because getting off to a good start does not always ensure long-term success.

Riding a bicycle in a straight line, even pretty fast, is easy to learn, as my son discovered right away. But a couple days ago, we went for a little skills training. Instead of just riding around the block, we spent some time at a nearby cul-de-sac going really slowly and working on fundamentals. I would have him make sharp turns and maintain his balance by shifting his weight, turning the front wheel and pedaling just enough to stay up.

He thought it was kind of dumb at first, but I think he started to like it as he got the hang of it. It is empowering to realize that you are in control and feel like you can handle anything that comes your way.

It may not have been as fun or flashy as speeding down the street, but how often is the road straight for very long? How often can we get away with not making adjustments? It helps to have some skills when the inevitable speed bumps get in the way.  

Are we just riding fast with our businesses or learning everything we need to be in control – at least of how we react to change? Especially with start-ups or restarts, we often feel compelled to do the things that show the most progress first – at the expense of the fundamentals. This is not a good time to lack skills.

Back to the bike lessons – after about five minutes, my son wanted us to start chasing each other around the circle and riding in opposite directions — coming as close to each other as we could without crashing.

Actually, that might be better practice for real life, after all.

Dave Fiore is the founder and CEO of davemail.

I need a new smartphone. My Palm Treo was the victim of an office mishap and needs to be replaced. Even with my insurance, a new phone will be only $50 more, so the search is on. In posting my quandary about whether to stay with Palm (Pre), slide over to Blackberry or make the jump to an iPhone, the response from my online friends has been quite interesting.

Even though I never directly asked for opinions, one group was very vocal about expressing their affection for their mobile device. You could call it iLove.

The passion that iPhone users display for their devices is almost scary. They love their phones. I mean, really love them. If you were a lazy researcher (which I have never met, BTW), you could take the ratio of iPhone responses to everything else and predict that about 90 percent of all people with mobile phones are using the darling of the AT&T wireless family.

In truth, there are many more Blackberry users in the world, but you would never know it. How many of them would stop a stranger in the street to tell them how much they love their phone? Or offer a quick game of Mario Kart?

The obvious question here is how do we take a small share of the market and energize our base to the degree that it seems we are the industry leader? How do we create raving fans (with a nod to Ken Blanchard) and get them to spread the word?

Well, unless you have the equivalent of the coolest, sleekest phone ever created, you had probably better focus on the basics of delivering a good product and offering over-the-top customer service.

Getting even a few people talking, especially if they are the right people, will be a huge step in the right direction.

PHONE UPDATE: I ended up going with the Blackberry Tour, which just became available through Sprint last week. I absolutely love it, and it is perfect for what I need a mobile device to do.

Dave Fiore is founder and CEO of davemail.

UPDATE: The show is now online. Click, stream and listen.

UPDATE: Due to operator error, the show will re-air on July 22 at 9:30 p.m. Thanks, AmyLynne for agreeing to a do-over.

As president of Confidential Shredding and Recycling, AmyLynne Aldredge, along with husband Steve, has adapted to a changing business environment with innovation and creativity. CSR was recently named Small Business of the Year (1 -4 employees) by the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce and continues to thrive in a tough economy. Learn how when you join us this Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. on davemail radio.

Call-in Number: (347) 838-9150. (You also can listen to the show anytime by clicking on the episode in the player below.)

I spend a lot of time talking about why davemail is a great alternative to online, do-it-yourself email marketing services. Lost in my enthusiasm, however, is the simple truth that there may be one or two of you out there who are not yet sold on the value of an email newsletter in the first place.

So I am putting away the sales hat and speaking from the heart. Whether you do it yourself, assign it to a competent staff member or outsource it to a highly trained, experienced, creative, dependable writing and design team (let’s call them davemail for purposes of illustration), email newsletters are worth a look.

Here are my top nine reasons why:

9. Let’s start strong. Email newsletters can save you tons of money over traditional printing and mailing. Tons.

8. Speaking on tonnage, sending 100,000 emails instead of printing traditional newsletters saves more than 2 tons of paper (and a lot gas and postage-stamp glue).

7. It is more important than ever to strengthen relationships with existing clients, customers or members, and regular communication is the key to building those bonds.

6. Legitimate email newsletters are a form of permission-based marketing, which means you send only to people who want to receive them. Spam is always a no-no.

5. Email newsletters are timely and interactive, allowing instant feedback and action.

4. Well-written email newsletters provide a good balance of useful, reader-centric content (80%) and appropriate sales-based information (20%).

3. Professionally designed email newsletters provide seamless branding and cohesive elements that drive readers to action.

2. Senders can track results, with access to detailed reports on cool stuff such as open rates and click-throughs.

1. With davemail, you don’t have to worry about any of it. We can do it all for you. Seriously.

Ever notice how many things seem like they should be fun until you actually do them? What is really sad is that we have done most of those things before – and we should know better.

For me, many of those misguided notions of fun involve shopping of some kind. Going to the mall sounds appealing every six months or so, and even yard sales have a certain pull until the reality of sifting through piles of outdated electronics and battered sports equipment while sweating through your shirt sets in.

For me, though, it is the call of the mega-bookstore that snags me most often. Now, I like bookstores, and I like browsing through “my” sections and the magazines. And since I generally only go into bookstores when I am with my wife, I like that part of it, too.

The problem lies in the innocent-looking but soul-sucking rows of bargain tables offering $2 and $3 books on every subject imaginable. Books-A-Million, in particular, has more linear feet of bargain books than anyplace I have ever seen.

It is not the bargains that bother me, but rather the overwhelming pull they possess to attract my wife to start at one end and shuffle ever so slowly down the line — combing through the piles with great intensity and expectation.

She loves it. Me? Not so much. But I dutifully follow for a while until my repeated sighing causes her to insist that I check out the business magazines.

It really does amaze me how patient and determined she is to find just one or two deals that will save us money and serve a significant purpose. Unless you own a bookstore, however, it is highly unlikely that your customers are going to be that patient.

We need to do a better job of communicating the benefit of what we offer right up front. Make it obvious from the first few seconds they enter your store, visit your Web site or encounter you at the coffee shop. Our 30-second elevator speech should not just be about what we do, but rather focus on how we can help.

Most potential customers are not going to spend an hour inching their way through your business looking for the thing they can’t live without. It is our job to point it out to them right away.