Business Writing

What's Wrong With This Writing?

Last week I wrote the flyer for a business writing class I am offering online for the first time: Writing Tune-Up for Peak Performance. In the flyer, I included brief examples of typical business writing that needs tuning up. Thinking you might enjoy testing yourself on the items, I have... Read more →

Being Kind Even in Disguise

This week I deleted a comment left here. The meat of the comment made sense, but it closed with this command: "Get with the times and get down off your high horse." As a proponent of excellent, courteous business communication, I deleted the comment because it ended with a rude... Read more →

Writing to Your Unemployed Friends and Acquaintances

I have written a lot about writing condolences to people who have experienced a serious loss--deaths in the family and environmental tragedies. But recently I caught part of a KUOW radio program The Conversation, which focused on Unemployment Etiquette. I realized that messages to those who have lost a job... Read more →

Letting Them Sweat--How to Weaken Relationships

My friend Cindy, who runs a training company, told me about an apparent negotiating technique I was not aware of: letting them sweat. Cindy had prepared a proposal for a prospective client. Shortly after the client received the proposal, all communication stopped. Emails from Cindy's staff received no reply. Phone... Read more →

Taining Opprotunities

Did I get your attention with that heading? It got mine. This heading was featured prominently in a marketing email from a well-known training company: Additional Taining Opprotunities Underneath the heading was a nice photo of the Seattle skyline and the words "In addition to our Seattle schedule, we also... Read more →