Choosing the right words: 6 sure steps for business writers
“You are such a fun writer. I love the tone.” One of my clients rewarded me with that positive feedback yesterday. I smiled and glowed for a few minutes, warmed by her appreciation. Then I looked at my...
View ArticleTo master the message, master the interview
Have you ever … Summarized the work of a team, hoping your perspective matched your colleagues’ experience? Written a message or presentation on behalf of an executive, praying they would approve your...
View Article3 habits to practice to give good phone
“You give good phone.” Someone said this to me years ago. A client? A co-worker? I don’t remember. I do know the words were intended as positive feedback for my professionalism (not as some Urban...
View ArticleVerbal identity: you can be consistent without being monotonous
This week I spent some time advising a communicator who’s working to improve her company’s understanding of verbal identity. Many organizations have visual identities that specify how people must...
View ArticleContain your brain, frame your message
Sometimes my mind wanders. In writing, this can be a creative bonus. My thoughts venture far enough to see the subject from a new angle. After a leisurely stroll or vigorous hike through my...
View ArticleWhen alone with your thoughts, be sure to have at least 39
I love brainstorming. Put me in a room with a white board, a dry erase marker, and a few smart, playful colleagues, and we’ll talk and laugh and mind-map our way to astounding ingenuity. But sometimes...
View ArticleGetting unstuck: 10 ways to obliterate writer’s block
You have something to write. A reply to a challenging email message. A brief or presentation about a new project. A post for the blog you swore you would maintain. You are fully aware that this content...
View ArticleQuit wasting time and money on newsletters
Newsletters are junk mail. Newsletters are items we are quick to pitch or delete. Their greatest value may be that fleeting sense of satisfaction we feel as the trash hits the bin. We’ve eliminated a...
View Article10 Commandments for Business Writers
1. Thou shalt not express your interests without first considering what matters to your reader. 2. Thou shalt not mindlessly copy and paste from previous communications, but instead choose the right...
View ArticleIn business, the best writers are strategists
People pay me to write, to choose the right words for their business messages. They also engage my mind for “bigger” aspects of communication—the kind of consulting assignments I used to refer to as...
View ArticleWanted: poets to turn corporate speak into messages that matter
You know what the business world needs? Poets. Poets carefully choose and arrange words to express an idea, paint a picture, or tell a story. When you’re communicating at work, isn’t that exactly what...
View ArticleEven the editor needs an editor
David Remnick is editor of The New Yorker. He’s an accomplished writer, responsible for all the content in one of America’s most respected magazines. Writing must be easy for him. Right? Perfect prose...
View ArticleWriting at work: use boundaries for maximum creativity
This post originally appeared on the StoryStudio Chicago blog, where Beth Nyland teaches “Words for Work” classes—including a self-directed, online course in Business Writing Fundamentals, available...
View ArticleIt’s time to divulge your communication super power.
As a person who writes at work, what are your opportunities, and what are your strengths? This is how I invite people to introduce themselves in my writing workshops. In response, people are quick to...
View ArticleYour business needs a writers’ room.
Writing by committee sucks. You know the pain. Over days or weeks, contributors cobble together a draft, then pass revisions around by email. One sorry soul amasses and interprets feedback, negotiating...
View ArticleAsking for feedback will make you a better writer
Confidence is attractive. And for a writer, it’s an advantage. When you can see the standout qualities in your work—when you have confidence in your strengths—you’re likely to keep writing. More...
View ArticleFour writing strategies to help you get a little action
“This is just FYI.” Next time you draft that sentence into a business message, stop. Admit that you are either: 1. Wasting your recipient’s time. or 2. Lying. You wouldn’t really bother your busy...
View ArticleDo you need permission to break the rules?
You are smart and capable, and very much prepared for the job you do today. Except the writing. Somehow, the rules and ways you learned in the past aren’t doing you any favors when you face the blank...
View ArticleIn vocabulary, bigger is not better
“Research and write a biography of a person you admire.” Unintimidated, my fourth-grade classmates and I embraced the assignment. We named and studied our heroes, both living and long-gone. One picked...
View ArticleThink you can’t take creative chances? Liar!
You face the blank screen. Fingers curved over the keyboard. Preparing to put new words on a new page, you are on the brink of creative action. But then you stop, distracted by the default option....
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