Hey, you. Yes, you – the internal comms writer with that sullen look on your face because the guys in the business don’t respect your expertise. Were these headlines yours? Read the rest of this entry »
How to write a headline that guarantees nobody will read your story
February 25th, 2011
Twelve things my flute teacher taught me about writing
February 22nd, 2011As many a writer will tell you, words and music are very similar. Here’s what learning the flute has taught me about being a writer. Read the rest of this entry »
Why you need to write for the guy who stole the chickens
February 17th, 2011JUDGE: The charge here is theft of frozen chickens. Are you the defendant?
DEFENDANT: No, sir, I’m the guy who stole the chickens.
Want to know the one big reason so many corporate types are resistant to the idea of writing like a human being?
They’re terrified of getting into trouble with the Legal department. Read the rest of this entry »
Speak English, why don’t you?
February 15th, 2011So you think English is the international language of business, do you?
Well, I beg to differ: the language I hear most often in the workplace is mediaeval Latin. Read the rest of this entry »
We’re driving and delivering efficiencies – except when it comes to writing
February 10th, 2011A reader recently sent me a wonderful piece of corporate babble. Here are some highlights, anonymised to protect the illiterate and rubricated for your reading pleasure. Read the rest of this entry »
Ditch this terrible corpspeak!
February 8th, 2011Mangled syntax and contempt for the niceties of grammar are endemic in modern business writing. Here are the affronts to the English language that most get my goat. What are yours? Read the rest of this entry »
Brand engagement? Bring on the gobbledygook!
February 3rd, 2011What do you think this might be?
an unparalleled experiential platform used to engage key audiences through a unique and unforgettable brand experience…
[it] connects consumers with brands through a personalised, relevant and memorable experience…
The experience appeals to guests at a sensory and emotional level, creating a bond between brand and consumer.
Leave a comment telling me what you think is being described – then find out here.
Was it what you expected? Did the “brand engagement” jargon do it justice?
Five business writing tips from a best-selling author
February 1st, 2011If you read one book about the financial crisis this year (actually, if you read one book about anything this year), make it The Big Short by Michael Lewis.
It reads like a thriller – an unputdownable romp about collateralised debt obligations (CDO) and credit default swaps. Oxymoron? Not in the hands of Lewis, who has a real gift for making the complex compelling.
Last week, I heard Lewis speak about the book at his alma mater, the London School of Economics (LSE). When he touched on the writing process, I gleaned five tips for every business writer. Read the rest of this entry »
Six more sneaky ways to make them write it your way
January 28th, 2011How do you stop other people turning your clear, crisp prose into turgid, buzzword-ridden nonsense? It’s something every writer working in corporate communications has to deal with.
I’ve already talked about how small tweaks to your editorial process can massively improve your end result. But office politics are also a factor when you have to include others in decisions about your business writing. Read the rest of this entry »
Ten ways to stop that verbose exec from mangling your copy
January 26th, 2011Lately, I’ve been hosting business English courses for corporate communicators at a large corporation. By far the most frequent question I get asked is this: “How do I stop my manager/client/stakeholder from turning my writing into gobbledygook?”. Read the rest of this entry »
