I recently attended a business workshop that felt more like a mad scientist’s laboratory. As a business writing coach, I’m always looking for ways to improve PowerPoint presentations for my seminars and webinars. And this presenter sure knew how to make PowerPoint come alive—his clips were amazing. What he didn’t know how to do was teach. He kept turning dials on his equipment and playing dazzling, though puzzling, examples of his work. When we asked for more details about how to do this ourselves, he asked if we wanted to see another clip!

He was oblivious to our needs. He fell into the trap where so many experts languish—failing to understand Beginner Mind.

While this was an extreme example, the issue of Beginner Mind pops up daily in our business writing. It’s so easy to write over the heads of our readers. In journalism, we are taught to assume “the reader knows nothing.” We are our readers’ pipeline to new information, and as we learn from our research and interviews., we must consciously work to remember Beginner Mind as we write.

The same is true in the business world. Over the years, we gain information and insights that eventually become second nature to us. We forget what it feels like to not know (what the Heath brothers call the “curse of knowledge” in Made to Stick). When we fail to consciously consider our readers’ level of understanding, we stop communicating—and start pontificating. And just like my mad scientist, we infuriate our audiences. (Normally well-mannered people shouted at him, begging him to talk to us, not at us.)

To achieve effective business writing, try to recall what it was like before you were introduced to the concepts you’re writing about. Now write to your readers from that perspective. If you’re writing to your support staff, make sure you know what they’re thinking, not what you want them to be thinking. If you’re writing to clients, get on their wave length. If you’re writing to potential customers, get back to Beginner Mind and write to them from that perspective (not your expert mind). This technique is at the heart of creative business writing because if you’re not connecting with your audience, it doesn’t matter how interesting your content is. You’ve lost them.

You may not realize how many people trash hard-to-read documents. I was shocked when scores of students freely confessed they simply hit “delete” if something looked too boring or too dense. (In the case of my mad scientist, people packed up and headed home long before his talk [to himself] was over.)

To write effective business writing, look out for the following signs of baffling business writing:

1. Using jargon. Ugh! This is so 20^th century. Cut that stuff and write in plain English.
2. Talking too much about what you know instead of what your readers need to learn.
3. Writing too many big words. Impress them with what you have to share—not your vocabulary.
4. Failing to effectively organize your content. Start methodically rather than jumping around like, well, a mad scientist.
5. Leaving acronyms unidentified. AMA, for example, could represent about a dozen different organizations.
6. Getting lousy results. Try again, only this time, write to your readers.

If you’re not getting the results you need from your business writing, let’s talk. I offer a 20-minute free consultation with absolutely no obligation—just tips and tools to help you navigate the business writing process.

“Younger employees just aren’t into writing well.”

As a business writing coach, I hear this a lot from employers. When they talk about the state of business writing, they often shake their heads, wring their hands, and then shrug. In the parlance of their young staff, they’re essentially saying, “Whatever.”

This may be the easiest way to deal with such a complex problem, but it’s a dangerous one. When we defer to their wants instead of attending to their needs, we fail everyone. Here’s why:

Writing is the portal to our thoughts. Writing is how we get in touch with creative ideas. It’s how we learn about what we truly believe, rather than simply absorbing the latest media misinformation or tolerating status quo.

Writing is not just about communicating what we know. Writing plumbs our minds and develops deeper concepts. And that’s why it’s dangerous to overlook lousy business writing. As I write in Words at Work: “Every invention, every good idea was first pondered and perfected through writing. When you write only short email and text messages, your ability to develop your thoughts shrivels, along with your ability to persuade, sell, teach, improve, guide, change, contribute, and create.”

And William Zinsser, author of the classic “On Writing Well,” adds this important notion: “For ultimately the product that any writer has to sell is not his subject, but who he is. … This is the personal transaction that’s at the heart of good nonfiction writing. Out of it come two of the most important qualities: … humanity and warmth.”

So the next time you excuse sloppy writing, egregious grammar, boring content—whatever!—think about the future. Think about the innovation we need to get us out of our economic mess. Think about the creativity we need to solve so many other problems. Even more importantly, think about the tragedy it would be to waste so much potential in the “whatever” generation.

Why does good writing matter to you? What have you discovered about yourself through your writing?

If you or your staff could use a tune-up in grammar or a jolt to your creativity, contact the Association for Creative Business Writing. We offer economical webinars, on-site seminars, and one-on-one writing coaching to take your writing—and career—to the next level.

1.  E-mail subject lines

Is your skills about to expired?

The fix
Boring subject lines (and sloppy ones like the one above) won’t get your e-mail opened—and they reflect poorly on you. When you write subject lines for your business e-mails, think like a newspaper headline writer. Borrow from the brilliance of journalists who’ve spent years perfecting the art of attracting attention. For more inspiration, head over to your favorite newsstand and check out the cover lines (the teasing headlines on magazine covers). Some tricks of the trade you’ll find include:

1.   How-to: How to write like a pro in six easy steps
2.   Why: Why CEOs fail
3.   Questions: Do you need a tuneup?
4.   Statements: Creative business writing can distinguish you in a crowded marketplace
5.   Numbers: Seven Ways to …; Eight Tips for …; 10 Steps to …
6.   Controversy: Is creative business writing dead—or just on life support?
7.   Alliteration: Businesses borrow to better their bottom line

2.  E-mail sales proposal
If you are looking for articles with 100% original content then you have come to the right place. Here at Article Alliance we have been running an article writing service for the past few months now. Already we have been inundated with orders.  Whatever you need your article wrote about you will get exactly what you want and need with the help of our team.   

The fix
1. Nothing sounds worse than the wrong verb tense or subject/verb disagreement.
2. If you’re going to brag, make it sound more convincing than “we have been running an article writing service for the past few months.” Wow! In business since 2012!
3. Punctuation:
- 100 percent (spell out unless working on a financial or scientific document).
- “article-writing service” is a compound adjective that needs a hyphen to help readers understand.
- Introductory phrases usually require a comma after them.
4. Concise: Lots of extra words in this paragraph.
5. Cliché: “you have come to the right place.”

Are you looking for articles with 100 percent original content? At Article Alliance, we help you enjoy the benefits of professionally written articles without having to write them! Our team works with you to deliver exactly what you need.

3.  Sales proposal
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”  This is a very common remark from many who have the responsibility of maintaining a company’s reliance on wireless technology. With a primary focus on maintaining functionality while keeping costs down, many times the importance of new software technology is overlooked.

The fix
This starts with a cliché, but it works here because the writer is lamenting how often she hears this worn-out phrase. But the next sentence is passive and convoluted. And in the third sentence, the introductory phrase is left dangling without anyone or anything modifying it. The benefit of investing in new software needs to be clearly stated.

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” That familiar expression sums up the IT policy at many companies today. They think they’re keeping costs down, but are they? Too often, they overlook the importance of new software technology that can save them money in the long term.

Do you think it’s OK to use clichés? What about passive voice? When do you prefer passive to active?

Refresh your memory about hundreds of grammar and punctuation issues with The Writer’s Companion: Quick answers to common questions to help your writing—and career—soar. This easy-to-use e-book covers the most-common errors I see every day. It also includes tips and tools that help you write faster, stronger, better so you get the results you want.

That headline has a double meaning. When you’re successful with your business writing, you have confidence. And to be a successful business writer, you need confidence. Trouble is, many people don’t have the latter, so they struggle to achieve the former.

As a business writing coach, I often see how sagging confidence stems from underlying fears: fear of not writing a perfect draft, fear of being wrong somehow, fear of not being good enough. The list goes on.

Just write it—then make it better later, I tell my clients. Of course, that’s easier said than done. So I coax and guide them to think—and write—more confidently. And they do. Here are a few ideas I share with them:

1. Forget Ms. McGillicutty in the ninth grade and that awful boss who marked everything you wrote with a red pen but never bothered to explain why. Our brain seems to remember those disturbing messages and repeats them over and over in a loop. Maybe it thinks it is protecting us, but it’s not. Leave those old experiences behind and start fresh. You can learn to write well.
2. Remember that everyone writes terrible first drafts. OK, once in a while someone is a Mozart with words. Don’t focus on them. Just know you’re in a prestigious group of writers, writers you love to read, who write terrible first drafts.
3. Memorize this adage: Good writing is really good editing. Take that lousy first draft and make it sing. How? Through, careful editing. Edit one, three, nine times. I’ve edited articles for major publications up to 20 times. The fact that you need to edit many times does not mean you’re a bad writer. E.B. White edited his exquisite essays for The New Yorker 25 or more times—and his editors still had to pry them out of his hands.
4. Trust your gut. Scientists have proven that our gut is as smart as our brain. They’ve even named it our “second brain.”  If I’m about to submit an article that’s not ready, my gut makes me feel uncomfortable in my chair. I used to think I needed a cushion or new chair—now I know my gut is protecting my reputation. Listen to yours. I bet you’ll find it believes in your writing abilities—and keeps you on track.
5. Know that I believe in you. Even those of you I haven’t yet met. I believe that everyone can craft effective blogs, articles, books—any kind of business writing. Sure, it takes practice, and the more momentum you can build the better. That means working regularly on your business writing—not in dribs and drabs.

You can do it. I’m confidant of that.

What writing fears have held you back? How have you overcome them?

The busiest time in the workplace? The eleventh hour. No matter what time of day, it rolls around just before business writing projects are due.

Many of my business writing coaching clients work at the eleventh hour. They tell me they wish they could change that. They know that writing at the last minute is a bad idea, but they say it’s a lifelong habit.

Well, I remind them, lots of people have quit smoking, and I don’t think writing at, say, the eighth hour—or, hey, even the second hour—is anywhere near as difficult as that. The key is to start, even mechanically—set a timer, write fast for 10 minutes, reward yourself with a break afterwards; use whatever trick of the trade works for you.

Look at it this way: If you went to physical therapy because you had trouble walking, you’d start with awkward, mechanical steps. Eventually, though, you’d get good at it and might even start running. Same with writing. Start mechanically, break the bond of inertia (a body at rest stays at rest), and get to work. Pretty soon you’ll enjoy the boost of inertia (a body in motion stays in motion), and you’re off and running.

Of course, not starting writing projects has more bad juju than just procrastination. There’s the boogeyman of nothing to say. (Not true. More on that in a minute.) Or a lack of confidence. (More next time.) These are real issues that plague writers. If I could, I’d tell every parent, teacher, and boss to knock off the criticisms, already. Harsh comments seem to damage people for life. Sure, show them how to make something more concise or clear up punctuation and grammar errors, but do it in a way that encourages, not excoriates.

As for what to do when you’re stumped about what to write (or when you’ve got spaghetti head, i.e., too many ideas), try brainstorming. Set a timer (it quiets your ornery editor) and write and write. There, you’ve got a terrible first draft (which is what 99 percent of us write, anyway). Now you’ve started, tricking the body-at-rest inertia into becoming body-in-motion inertia. Speedwriting not your style? Try a different brainstorming technique—mind-mapping, listing, devil’s advocate, who-what-why-where-when-how, to name a few.

Just do it. Just start.

What’s keeping you from starting before the eleventh hour? What helps you get started sooner?

Need to kick-start your writing? We’ve got lots of ways to help: 1. Brainstorming Grab ‘N’ Go Webinar 2. Award-winning Words at Work 3. The Writer’s Companion e-book 4. Creativity @ Work e-book and 5. Membership newsletters and support to get you off to a good start and keep you moving forward.

“How do you overcome writer’s block?”

As a business writing coach, I hear that question a lot. My longtime colleague Virginia McCullough and I recently delivered a webinar about kick-starting the book-writing process, and, not surprisingly, many participants asked about writer’s block. Writing a book is a big project, and that means more time for your fear gremlins to attack.

That’s right—fear gremlins that creep in and steal your enthusiasm and confidence. As Virginia puts it: “Writer’s block is a scary thing … but we believe that what is usually referred to as writer’s block is actually fear that leads to procrastination. Many people think writer’s block comes to them, as if it were a disease. But it’s a combination of self-doubt and fear that leads to procrastination. Our creativity isn’t blocked.”

Especially with our nonfiction writing (not just books but articles, blogs, proposals—all kinds of business writing), Virginia and I have found that we have to write through any concerns and problems. Deadlines loom—and our incomes depend on turning in assignments on time. Maybe we have to research more information or interview someone to get back on track. Maybe we take a few extra breaks and quietly listen for insights our brains have been working on (more on that in future blogs). But we keep writing.

Not to be glib, but the best antidote to writer’s block is to write. Don’t worry about syntax, word choices, or typos. Just let it rip. There. It’s done, that awful first draft or next chapter. As you wrote with abandon, your writer’s block disappeared. So what if your draft is lousy? Guess what? You’re in good company—writers you love to read write terrible first drafts.

I struggled with this early in my career. I thought if I wrote bad first drafts, I was a bad writer. Then I read Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott. All those years of agonizing over my embarrassingly bad first drafts, and in an instant I was cured. What I learned from Anne is that just about everyone writes terrible first drafts! Anne gave me permission to let myself go. Now, I let the words come any way they want (which is a real boost to creativity too).

So, let me be your Anne Lamott. It’s okay to write dreadful first drafts. All you have to do is write and write. Just get your ideas down. You can always go back two, five, ten times and make it better each time. In fact, don’t think of your first draft as writing—it’s more about planning and organizing. Capture that jumble of thoughts, and in the process, you’ll give writer’s block the heave-ho.

To learn more about the book-writing webinars and retreats Virginia and I have planned, just write me at director@afcbw.com. We’ve joined forces for an exciting new enterprise entitled The Book Catalysts. We’ll soon launch a series of on-demand and live book-writing webinars, coaching packages, and writing retreats (both virtual and on-site).

How do you overcome writer’s block? What tips can you share about overcoming fear and procrastination?

I recently found myself high atop my soapbox. I was teaching a class in business writing, and we were deep into a discussion about whether friendly e-mails were professional or not. I said yes. Many in the class said no.

I was bereft. I actually felt a sharp pang in the center of my chest. How did we get to a place where friendly had no place in professional writing? What did it say about our business culture that these two attributes couldn’t coexist?

I tried to offer a nuance. Perhaps, I asked, they meant “too familiar” instead of “friendly.”  That made sense to me. Writing “How’re you doing?” to someone you don’t know or popping off a “Thanks, Joe!” to a client before he’s signed an e-mail with his first name—that might be too familiar even in our increasingly casual culture.

No, they said, that was different. They continued to try to convince me. “It was nice to see you yesterday,” “Have a great weekend,” or “It would be great if you could send that by this afternoon”—instead of “Please send by this afternoon”—were unprofessional.

Where does this come from? Some people have trouble expressing their feelings, so maybe they were in charge when our so-called professional standards were set. And, of course, some people abuse their power, which leads us to the same sorry state of affairs.

As I felt my voice rise and my face burn, I told myself to climb down from the soapbox. I’d made my case, and they would follow whatever path felt right for their business writing. But I hope they’ll think about this important issue in the future.

There’s a question floating around the media in the wake of our financial meltdown: What is the economy for? I’d like to add the question: What is business communication for? It’s not just to bark orders and demand action—it’s to communicate, which comes from the Latin for “to share.” And that sounds pretty friendly to me.

Where do you draw the line with friendly and professional business writing? Why can’t we be both?

Learn how to write attention-grabbing, traffic-building business communication of all kinds. We’ve got on-demand webinars and books about writing professional (and friendly!) blogs, articles, proposals, sales materials, books, to name a few.

Ouch! Check out these sloppy examples of business writing. Nowadays, it seems this kind of writing clogs everyone’s in-boxes. I’ve tried to clean them up (assuming I understood what they meant in the first place!).

Victim #1

A sales industry survey produced by XYZ Research brought to light that 3 out of 4 sales leads will eventually become paying customers at some point in the next 18-24 months. In other words, the frequently expressed complaints about their marketing generated leads not paying off are at least somewhat exaggerated. Many opportunities aren’t going to convert immediately, or even during the rep’s desired timetable. But even if it’s not going to take place tomorrow, serious buyers really are looking for solutions.

1. Edit, edit, edit to be more concise. Readers today are an impatient lot, and you’ll lose them with this much blathering.

2. The compound adjective (e.g., sales-industry) seems to have dropped off our radar.  Sometimes certain industries don’t use it (e.g., health care industry skips the hyphen between health and care), but in general, the hyphen can make your writing clearer to your readers. And that’s the whole reason we have grammar and punctuation—not to annoy you with a litany of rules, but to make your messages easier for readers to understand (and more importantly, to respond the way you want).

3. Numbers one through nine are spelled out. At least most of the time. Not surprisingly, there are a lot of exceptions, so check what style your company follows. For example, AP style spells out one through nine except for money, time, fractions, ages; numbers 10 and above are numerals.  Chicago style, however, varies. Another exception: casual usages such “Thanks a million!”  (Arrgh! No wonder people feel frustrated over these niggling usage issues—so many style books and exceptions.  Review the rules and then just give it your best shot.)

An XYZ Research sales-industry survey states that three out of four sales leads will eventually become paying customers within 18 to 24 months. That runs counter to common complaints from sales reps that marketing-generated leads aren’t productive. While they may take longer than the reps want, leads from marketing do pay off.

Victim #2

The english language is undoubtedly our most influential way of communicating in the modern age. Struggling writers everywhere can now take advantage of a lot of headway in the very specialized and growing study of english writing. You’re no doubt used to investing hard work in your writing, but i have discovered a one-of-a-kind utility that is capable of automatically repairing your english errors. Take a moment to visualize a program that plainly and accurately signals your mistakes in grammar and spelling while you write. Surely you’d be disappointed if you encountered a preventable (if you’d been careful) mistake just before delivering your Cover letter to a possible future boss.

1. Verbose doesn’t begin to describe this paragraph.
2. Surely this person knows to capitalize “English.” Sloppy habits from texting have a way of infiltrating business writing.
3. Indiscriminate use of capital letters, as in “Cover.” Ask yourself if the word is a proper noun, i.e, the name of specific people, places, organizations, and things. In this case, “cover letter” is generic and doesn’t require capitalization. The same is usually true with “marketing department,” for example. I often see this with initial capital letters, but unless it’s the Acme Marketing Department, for example, no caps.

In today’s global economy, English is a powerful and influential language. Struggling writers will benefit from a one-of-a-kind utility I’ve discovered that automatically repairs grammar and spelling errors. No more mistakes in your important documents, such as your cover letter to a potential boss.  

Whew!  Now 110 words are chiseled down to 44. In business writing, less is definitely more.

What are your pet peeves in business writing? What common business-writing errors bug you?

This winter, sunny California has lived up to its name, which means spring fever arrived early. After a recent business-writing meeting, I couldn’t resist strolling Oakland’s College Avenue to check out the colorful shops. In one of my favorites, I got a good laugh from a pack of sticky notes featuring a woman holding up a file folder with the headline: “File under ‘Who cares?’”

On the way home, though, I wasn’t laughing when I thought about how fat that file would be today. About 80 percent of all business writing could be filed under that category.

What a waste of time, effort, and most of all, potential.

Time: Even 10 minutes spent on writing filed under “Who cares?” is a waste for the writer and the reader.

Effort: I’m sure that most of the people turning out “Who cares?” documents want their business writing to be more effective, but they honestly don’t know how. They’re already discouraged by their results, and their motivation takes another hit with every “Who cares?” reaction.

Potential: Here’s the real kicker—lost sales, missed opportunities, and flagging spirits. They all happen when our business writing doesn’t generate the interest it should.

OK, so what’s the antidote? What can you do to make your readers care? Try the one-two punch:

1. Write to them not at them.

-   Share stories, benefits, and results through your readers’ eyes. What do they care about? Use that as your focus rather than what you want to tell them. You’ll still get your points across—but they’ll be framed from your readers’ perspective.

-   Engage them. Use the word “you” often. It’s a proven magnet that keeps people reading.

2. Get [a little] creative.

I added that “little” qualifier because people freeze at the word “creative.” Don’t. There are so many easy ways to be more creative. And besides, since most people are slapping together their business writing, you can stand out with just a few creative touches. (Don’t worry about these in your early drafts. Add them in your editing phase.)

Here are four easy ways to be more creative:

-  Paint pictures with similes: Introduce new ideas in your business writing by comparing them to something familiar; use like and as to connect the new with the familiar. For example: Our services are like an a la carte menu—you get to choose exactly what you want.  Or: Lumping our software packages into one category is like saying pasta is just spaghetti. Your readers will be on your wavelength in a fraction of the time.

-  Add a lyrical lilt with alliteration: The repetition of initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words or syllables (“Paint pictures” and “lyrical lilt with alliteration”). The effect is engaging and memorable, which makes your message stand out.

-  Create mystery with foreshadowing: Mention a point early on but save the explanation until later. You’ll create drama and tension by withholding key information—which keeps your readers reading.

-  Incorporate dialogue: Introduce other voices into your article and have them talk to one another. Dialogue also makes the page look less dense—and more appealing to your readers’ eye.

When you give these creative techniques a try, your articles and blogs, reports and proposals will be filed under “Important Ideas!”

What creative techniques do you use to add interest to your business writing? What successes have you had that you can attribute to a well-crafted proposal, report, blog—even e-mail?

Journalists are the Casanovas of nonfiction writing. They flirt with their readers with come-hither headlines, lure with their leads (first paragraphs), and court with the lyrical lilt of alliteration, creative wordplay, and robust calls to action.

I’ve been both a journalist and business writer, and I know how much journalists taught me about engaging my readers. Their tricks of the trade make your business writing more fun to write—and read—because it’s more conversational, creative, and compelling. That’s what it takes to rise above the onslaught of reports, e-mails, blogs, articles, and white papers flooding our inbox every day.

David Oglivy, the “father of advertising,” warned, “You cannot bore someone into buying your product.” In my business writing training and coaching, I paraphrase that as: “You cannot bore someone into reading your business letters, reports, proposals, newsletters, articles, blogs—even your e-mail.” (You wouldn’t believe how quickly people delete something they don’t like the looks of!)

Let’s take a look at how you can copy journalists to make your content more powerful and creative:

1. First, spend time in the magazine section of your local bookstore. Study the cover lines—those provocative headlines on the front cover of any publication from Cosmo to Inc. That will show you how to grab people’s attention. Back at your desk, use the same technique when writing e-mail subject lines and headlines for blogs, reports, articles, newsletters. “Get more out of your sales” becomes “Five ways to increase your revenue” and “Reorganize your office” becomes “Drowning in paper? Try our SOS (Simple Office System).”
2. Now, grab a cup of coffee and read an article or two. Notice the tone of the articles? Today’s journalism is conversational and approachable. You won’t find much jargon or convoluted phrasing here. (Hint: They get rid of that in the editing phase.)
3. Next, see all those subheads in bold?  They’re like mini-headlines every two or three paragraphs, and you want to make them as interesting as you would a headline. Add those to your documents to break up the content, make it easier on the eye, and attract skimmers. (We’re all skimmers these days, and subheads help draw us in.)
4. Finally, consider sidebars, a journalist’s best friend for tedious lists. Don’t clog your content—and your readers’ minds—with laundry lists of details. Put them in sidebars, those boxes that often accompany magazine and newspaper stories.  Studies show they are often more read than the body copy.

You too can woo with words—and make your readers fall in love with your content.

How do you attract readers? What tricks of the trade are your favorites?