Writing Business Messages
« Previous EntriesFlip a Coin? Using Negative and Positive Messaging to Motivate Change
Friday, January 29th, 2010Let’s say I hand you a coin and ask if you want to flip it, with the following conditions: Heads, you lose $100 and tails, you win an undetermined amount. How much would you need to win to agree to flip the coin?
For most people, the answer is about $200, according to Nudge: Improving Decisions [...]
Ten Ways to Write Without Apology
Monday, November 16th, 2009Where do the apologies that creep into our writing come from?
Thinking about that as I was writing the pieces on apologizing, and reading your comments and feedback, I kept on coming back to fear.
That fear comes in many guises (and you probably have your own home-made version):
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Using the Correct Tone
Tuesday, May 5th, 2009Click to play:
The best writing sounds like you. When you speak, you change your tone depending on your listener. For example, you speak differently to your supervisor than you do to a family member. Tone applies to writing as well as to speaking.
Creating a "You Attitude"
Monday, May 4th, 2009Click to play:
Want your writing to hit home, present you in the best light, and get results? You can do that by creating a “you attitude.”
Effective Communication: Important Things to Remember
Monday, May 4th, 2009Download this PowerPoint file
In this 34-slide, highly illustrated presentation, you’ll learn key points about communicating effectively.
At Hallmark Cards: The Writer’s Wall of Shame
Monday, August 11th, 2008There exists a place—a solemn hall of shame, of sorts—where the profane, snide, and otherwise inappropriate greetings cards you always wished for go to die. There they hang in all their unread glory, rendered incapable of wrecking their sardonic brand of havoc on the generally unsuspecting population. For employees at Hallmark’s Shoebox division who make their living [...]
Guide to Grammar and Writing
Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008An extensive guide to grammar and writing with a wealth of materials to use and enjoy.
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Help With Your Holiday Writing
Wednesday, July 9th, 2008With the holiday season upon us and the end of 2007 approaching, I want to share some resources and templates for your holiday business writing. Here are past blog entries that people have found helpful:
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Best Practices for Bullet Points
Monday, July 7th, 2008The days of long sentences in long paragraphs are long gone. Our readers need to retrieve information fast. An excellent way to help them do this is to lay out information in bulleted lists.
Definition: A "bullet point" is an item introduced by a dot ("bullet") or a similar icon, like this:
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Fighting the Non-Sexist Language Battle
Thursday, June 26th, 2008Sexist language consists of various words and terms that foster stereotypes of social roles based on gender; chairman and workman’s compensation are two examples.
Status quo debaters argue that the English language has struggled along fine with the language as it is, so why should we change now? Don’t we have better [...]
