Business Writing

Note Takers, Don't Work So Hard!

The other day I taught the online class Meeting Notes Made Easy. No wonder most of the people had enrolled in the class: They were working way too hard. When I reviewed their sample meeting notes, I found huge amounts of detail. The note takers explained new procedures in detail.... Read more →

A Case Study on How to Sell in Email

In our business writing courses, people often ask how to write persuasive sales messages, and the topic is popular among the emailed questions I receive. In response to the interest, the current issue of our free e-newsletter, Better Writing at Work, includes a case study analyzing a sales email that... Read more →

Some Dos About Don'ts

I like the don'ts included on a package of gel "window clings," that is, window decorations, I have had on my office window during the holidays. The don'ts below are taken directly from the GelGems window clings package: Don't give GelGems to children under 4 -- they're a choking hazard.... Read more →

Newsletter Content Readers Can't Resist

If you want people to read your online or printed newsletter rather than deleting or discarding it, give them irresistible content. The current issue of Better Writing at Work, our free monthly e-newsletter, covers 13 types of content your audience will read and value: News they can use Practical tips... Read more →

Tips on Preparing a Toast

In companies around the world, a season of festivities is about to begin. A calendar of special professional dinners and holiday parties will take place from now through the beginning of January. Many of those events will involve a toast. This is a time when people raise their drink glasses... Read more →

Giving Thanks to Customers, Employees, and Others

UPDATED IN OCTOBER 2016 In the United States, Thanksgiving Day takes place on Thursday, November 24. If you have U.S. customers, clients, employees, colleagues, donors, members, consultants, or friends, Thanksgiving is a good time to remember them. The national holiday is celebrated by nearly all Americans. Why not thank your... Read more →

Essentials of Emails That Sell

I am working on business writing skills with a team that writes emails to sell their company's product. Here are the 12 essentials for sales emails I created for them. Would you add any essentials to this list? Grab the client in the subject line and opening sentence. Create a... 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 →

Words That Guarantee Better Meetings

In a communications class this week, I worked with some managers and directors who recognized their many meetings were not as productive as they should be. Part of the problem was that their meetings did not have a stated purpose with specific outcomes. Sure, they knew they were getting together... Read more →

Choose the Right Verbs for Shorter Meeting Notes

The other day when I led the online course Meeting Notes Made Easy, an attendee I'll call Sheila asked how to avoid going into too much detail. Sheila worried that she usually writes a transcript, when what people need from meeting minutes are key points, decisions, and action items. Yet... Read more →