Whether you consider yourself to be a skilled writer or you dread reaching for the keyboard, writing probably plays a critical role in your daily work. You may not be authoring articles for professional journals, but you probably have to create emails, memos, reports, and other items that require some writing skill. Following a few … Read more
He stared at me through steel-blue eyes, lower lip quivering in some weird kind of suppressed rage or unbridled contempt. I had just broken Rule Number One: I had suggested he might be wrong. “Think I don’t know who my customers are?” he seethed. “We did twelve million in sales last year. You really think … Read more
I’m often hired to write biographies of top execs for company websites, proposals, and other uses. Then I’m asked to rewrite them because one of those executives insists they be drier than a mouthful of rice cakes in mid-August somewhere just west of Tucson. You know, bios can be pretty important. You might dismiss them … Read more
Looking for a new way to promote your organization and establish credibility among your audiences? Perhaps you need to find a ghost. No, I’m not suggesting you tag along with Scooby-Doo and Shaggy to a creepy tropical island (besides, we already know that the caretaker is the guilty party). Nor do I think your global … Read more
Nobody reads copy anymore. At least that’s what everyone tells me. Nobody pays attention to the printed word, so keep it to a minimum and don’t even think about using a word with more than two syllables. Much as I hate to admit it, there’s some wisdom behind that. Couple the oversupply of information to … Read more
You can use them advertising, mailings, in email newsletters, on your website, on social media, as articles in trade magazines, in brochures — no matter how you communicate with your audiences, there are ways to incorporate case studies.
You’ve got 60 seconds to pitch your company’s most important prospect. Go! “Well, your industry is increasingly competitive and margins are shrinking, leading many of your competitors to bypass the traditional distribution network for more streamlined channels. That puts you in an unfavorable pricing environment, which is causing you to lose market share at an … Read more
As people move closer to top management’s ranks, they discover perks and benefits reflecting added responsibilities of their new positions. Examples include better retirement plans, company-backed loans, and travel opportunities. They also learn top executives accomplish more by reaching out to specialized resources. Ever read a magazine article or lengthy blog post from a corporate … Read more
Someone told me about a company that was reputed to be impressive, and I went to the firm’s website to learn more. I spent about ten minutes reviewing their content. What does this amazing company do? No clue. I read their mission, product information, press releases, “About Us,” and more – and I can’t begin … Read more
Should you capitalize items in bullet points? Punctuate them? People have strong opinions about matters like these. However, most of the time, what they believe are inviolable rules are actually just styles and personal preferences. People get remarkably worked up about those “rules.” And as someone who creates copy for a living, it’s a constant … Read more