What is Doris and Bertie?

Doris and Bertie is a communications agency that helps businesses forge stronger relationships with the people that matter — including their clients, their investors and their employees. We advise our clients how to best communicate. We also write communications for our clients. But, better yet, we train people to be great business communicators themselves.

You'll find here lots of hints and tips on how to write better for business, illustrated by real-life examples of good and bad business writing.

Why the name Doris and Bertie?

We’re big fans of the investor, Warren Buffett, because, like us, he’s a big advocate of clear English. Here’s what he has to say on writing:

“When writing Berkshire Hathaway’s annual report, I pretend that I’m talking to my sisters. I have no trouble picturing them: Though highly intelligent, they are not experts in accounting or finance. They will understand plain English, but jargon may puzzle them. My goal is simply to give them the information I would wish them to supply me if our positions were reversed. To succeed, I don’t need to be Shakespeare; I must, though, have a sincere desire to inform.

No siblings to write to? Borrow mine: Just begin with "Dear Doris and Bertie."

The above quote comes from Buffet’s preface to A Plain English Handbook: How to create clear SEC disclosure documents. We urge anyone in business to download and read it.