General rants

Seven smart strategies for delivering bad news

bad news expression

We all have to share news we’d rather avoid now and then. Could be a cost increase. Perhaps it’s a layoff. A cutback in business hours. A product upgrade that’s been pushed back. Worse-than-expected earnings. Or a security breach. How you communicate bad news has a significant impact on your organization and its reputation. In … Read more

Connecting is about your audience, not about you

The continued explosion of social media is a clear reminder of just how badly we humans want to connect with each other. Unfortunately, too many companies completely ignore that reality when they try to communicate with customers and prospects. Doesn’t matter whether they’re using social media posts, an email, or a website – they do … Read more

Don’t let technicalities ruin your technical communication

technical communication

Companies and other organizations develop technical documents like white papers and blogs to explain the advantages they offer or to educate their stakeholders about situations or issues. Unfortunately, all too often, those efforts fall short of their objectives. Their target audiences come away not knowing any more, so the organization’s team has essentially wasted the … Read more

How twisted are your statistics?

Numbers and numerology

Mark Twain’s take on prevarication remains as accurate today as when he penned it: “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.” We live in an age in which we’re overwhelmed by information, and a large share of what we consume is in the form of statistics. A key reason for that … Read more

Please bare with us as we uncover common word mistakes

Our ears frequently deceive us. We hear a word or phrase, make assumptions about its spelling, and then find ourselves using it. Sometimes, we use it correctly, but sometimes we’ve confused it with a similar word. There are many that sound identical but actually have vastly different meanings. Think those misuses aren’t a big deal? … Read more

What your customers don’t care about

bored customer

After six months of tireless effort, your company’s new website has been launched, and you’re ready to announce it to the world. That’s probably a waste of your time. Hey, I get it. Everyone’s worked hard, and you’ve invested a small fortune into the process. Your new site is quite impressive, and you’re deservedly proud. … Read more