Business Communication Archives

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

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

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

Business Communication

How To Cite Sources in Business Proposal

Having a great business idea is just the first step toward being a business owner. The second step, which is the most crucial, is having a business plan. The business plan outlines what your business will be, the market, your customer base, your marketing strategy,… continue reading

How to Write a Letter of Resignation

You finally have the guts to leave your job, be it for a better opportunity, a new business venture, personal time, or simply because you can’t take it anymore. So what’s next? The dreaded letter of resignation, of course. Writing a letter of resignation is tricky… continue reading

Business Communication

How to Write for Senior Executives

When you and I don’t work efficiently, we may waste time, money, supplies, and opportunities. But imagine the waste involved when the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and other executives at “C-level” work inefficiently. Beyond the cost of their time, executive inefficiency can rock an entire… continue reading

Business Communication

Should a Company Be “It” or “We”?

In the past week, two clients have written to ask whether they should refer to their company or division using the singular it or a plural pronoun. Below are their examples, slightly disguised. The underlining indicates the pronoun they doubted. Company X wishes to express our… continue reading

Business Communication

7 Tips for Communicating Data

After you have worked hard to collect meaningful data, the big challenges are how and how much to communicate. Consider these tips when you work on your next report or presentation that includes data. 1. Focus first on your message, not on the numbers. When… continue reading

How to Introduce Yourself to a Stranger

I received a LinkedIn request from someone who wants to connect with me. This was the entire message: Lynn, I’d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn. Jeni I do not know Jeni. I do not know why she wants to be… continue reading

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