Joanna Young asks, What does powerful writing mean to you? Turns out to be a rather challenging question. I tried to define powerful writing as "memorably evocative." Writing that sticks in my head and evokes an emotion or an impulse or an attitude has power. But when I think of examples, I don't see the common denominators. So, rather
...more»
Robert Hruzek has another group project going -- this time on the topic, What I Learned from the Law. Well, a few years back I had the unpleasant experience of testifying in open court for a day and a half. We were plaintiffs in a contract dispute and I was a key witness. Here's what I learned about sitting
...more»
A Rant about Rants
Inspired by Kenneth Davis, who chose The Cluetrain Manifesto as his favorite business book in my group project, I finally got around to reading the book that's been on everybody's lips since before it was published.
Cluetrain is full of fantastic insights about why we need more conversation in business. If you can get past the incendiary rhetoric,
...more»
Traditional media took a big hit last week with the announcement that Time Warner's magnificent technology magazine, "Business 2.0", will be shut down after its October issue.
It's a real pity, because "Business 2.0" featured superb writing, analysis, and trend spotting. Today I'm a little less broken up about it, because here's what I found in my mailbox -
A renewal
...more»
Writing a letter of apology is one of the toughest assignments in business correspondence, maybe the toughest.Since every situation is different, generalizing is difficult. But here are some points worth keeping in mind.1. Lead with an apology. It puts the reader at ease, letting him or her know up front that the letter is not going to be
...more»
Made to Stick is must reading for sales, marketing and advertising professionals. Written by brothers Chip and Dan Heath, the book reveals the six elements that make an idea unforgettable. Every one of them is routinely ignored in business communication. Here they are--1. Simple. Is your point obscured by a forest of facts
...more»
In order for companies to get things done, people need to work together. Quite often, poor communication and misunderstanding get in the way. Meyers-Briggs personality profiles can help. The testing is amazingly accurate, and the detailed profiles, when shared with other members of a work team, go a long way toward helping people understand where the other person
...more»
Gift-giving in business can be touchy. Some companies have strict rules against employees receiving gifts from suppliers. Other companies encourage it and exploit every opportunity to cash in on "freebies", the bigger the better.Either extreme has a downside. Overdoing freebies carries obvious and serious risk for the purchaser. But, companies that categorically exclude gift-giving all
...more»
