Talk Archives

Why Teach Business Writing?

I spent Friday in Portland, Oregon, at the regional conference of the ATD (Association for Talent Development) Cascadia Chapter. My husband Michael and I spent time there talking with training professionals about business writing. And why should anyone care about training employees and managers in… continue reading

Everyone Can Write Better

This week I led a business writing workshop with nine very smart business people. They do important analytic work for their company, which is the best in its class. Why, you might wonder, were sophisticated professionals in a business writing class? They were in class… continue reading

A Cure for Writing Pains

At the end of business writing classes, I usually ask participants whether they got what they came for. They typically talk about the value of the writing tools, strategies, practice, and other class content and how they are going to apply their learning back on… continue reading

Mispeller? You’re One of a Select Few!

I just found excellent validation for spelling mistakes and typos. When I checked my blog statistics to see which search strings had brought people to this site, I noticed that someone visited tonight looking for a "solitication letter." How had that brought the searcher to… continue reading

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Tips

Visual Attraction

Because today is the birthday of our fabulous desktop publisher, Debbie Esposito, I have been thinking happily of what Debbie has brought to our printed materials: Class, professionalism, and visual appeal When I walk into a room to give a marketing presentation or… continue reading

When Good Writing Goes Bad

In my business writing classes, I see a lot of very good work: beautifully written sentences, attractive formats, positive language, well-organized information, flawless punctuation. Nevertheless, when we sit together in small groups to discuss participants’ drafts, the reaction of readers isn’t always what writers had… continue reading

Should Business Documents Be Interesting?

A business associate wrote to me today about a disagreement she is having with a colleague. He believes that his extensive vocabulary (with words such as erroneous and ameliorate), complex sentence structures, folksy cliches, and rambling style make his business writing more interesting. She disagrees.… continue reading

A Word to Forget–Please!

Minutes ago I picked up my home phone. The "caller" was a recorded message. The unheeding voice said, "We hope you are enjoying our holiday catazine you received in the mail." Catazine? Of course! It must be a combination catalog-magazine. And here I had thought… continue reading

How to Be More Efficient: A Consultant’s Confession

Last week I received a detailed, well-written email from a new client. She had laid out a series of questions for me about an upcoming workshop. I responded to each question within the body of her original email. That way, she would instantly know which… continue reading

Our Living Language

Don’t despair that your teenage son’s vocabulary seems limited to Uh huh, Sweet! and ‘sup (for "What’s up?"). And don’t fret that smiley faces have replaced perfectly fine words in email. The English language is still breathing and evolving. Consider these new words and expressions,… continue reading