Julie Maddock, Author at BusinessWritingBlog

Active Voice vs. Passive Voice in Business Writing

People love to tell others what to do with their voice: “Lower your voice,” or “Save your voice.” And one suggestion that causes a lot of confusion is: “When faced with active voice vs. passive voice in your writing, use your active voice when possible.”… continue reading

The Importance of Knowing Your Audience

Business communication comes in many forms and spans international borders, cultures, and demographics. Therefore, you must know precisely who your audience will be—their background, demographic traits, their knowledge of the subject already, and their expectations of your presentation. It can be easy to turn off… continue reading

Presentation and Formatting

How to Properly Format Your Business Documents

Simple and effective formatting is a powerful tool in your writer’s toolbox. It can help to transform a lengthy, redundant, and boring (gasp!) business document into a concise and visually-appealing presentation. Learn how to do so correctly and watch your writing skills dramatically improve. Why… continue reading

Business Communication

When and How to Use Jargon

The business world is inundated with jargon—and its effects can range from merely annoying to completely obscuring the meaning of something. Some people rely too heavily on jargon in their writing. And because it’s easy to use—trendy catchphrases you’ve picked up from others—you may find… continue reading

How to Write ____

How to Write a Great Call to Action

Persuasive content writing—website pages, blogs, marketing campaigns, newsletters, and digital ad copy—all have one thing in common. They demand the perfect call to action. If you need more subscribers, sales, or a jumpstart to your leads-to-conversion rates, then it’s time to use a great call… continue reading

Etiquette

How to Avoid Politics in Business Writing

People dig into their political views like an underwater pipeline entrenched on the ocean floor. Agreeing or disagreeing with their perspective can make for an awkward conversation at best and a heated debate at worst. Therefore, avoiding politics in business and business writing is the… continue reading

Resumes and Cover Letters

Winning Intro Sentences for Resume Cover Letters

You’ve perfected your resume and are ready to start sending it out. However, writing the cover letter is proving to be a bit challenging. You want to attract the attention of a potential employer immediately. And the cover letter is how you can make that… continue reading

Presentation and Formatting

How to Cite Your Sources

Everyone wants credit for a job well done. And in business writing and communication—from emails to company-wide internal memos to detailed reports—you want to receive due credit for your writing skills. But if you choose to “borrow” ideas, quotes, or data from another author, it’s… continue reading

Business Communication

Tips for Replying to an Angry Client

It’s a part of doing business—you get an unexpected email from an irate client, and they choose to take out their frustration on you. Yikes! And it’s only Monday morning. It stings a bit when you’re the recipient of such a rude email. Although you… continue reading

Author Archives: Julie Maddock