Teaching Business Communication

Today I was reading an article online in Forbes. I expect Forbes to produce error-free articles, but an error popped out in this sentence: When you stop to think about it, the sheer amount of websites can also confuse and…

My friend Eric W., a great sign spotter, sent me this photo for your enjoyment. He asks, “What does it hum?” I ask you, “What is the problem with the heading below?” It’s an easy problem for a snowy Monday…

Tim wrote today with an acronym situation he would like to resolve. What do you think about his desire to spell out acronyms and initialisms, even when writing for SMEs (subject-matter experts)? Here is his message: I read your blog…

Marcia Yudkin’s excellent “Marketing Minute” arrived in my inbox today. It included an important reminder about jargon. Marcia gave me permission to share this guest post with you. ********************************************************* Over Their Heads and Far From Their Comprehension By Marcia Yudkin…

Cuba is complicated. That’s what our guides told us when we asked questions about how things work in the country: Es complicado. Salaries, food, ownership, restoration, politics, global relationships–Todo es complicado. But writing about Cuba should not be complicated. Writers…

When writing is fuzzy, perfectly clear ideas come across as vague, illogical, or ambiguous. Don’t let fuzzy writing undermine your brilliant ideas! Great ideas deserve clear expression. Avoid the five don’ts below to communicate clearly with your audience. 1. Don’t…

When a newspaper makes the mistake on the front page of the sports section, you know an error has spread. The writer, copyeditor, and proofreader all missed it. Can you recognize it? When I saw that error in a Seattle…

My daughter enjoyed an attraction called Enchant Christmas, which is currently in Seattle. I thought I’d like to go too, so I checked out the website on my phone. I was surprised that Enchant was also being offered in Arlington,…

I want the best in dentistry–not business writing–from my dentist. But I’m still disappointed when I receive a pointless, error-filled email like the one below. In it, I have changed the name of the dental practice to “Your Favorite Dentist.”…

It’s easy to fall into bad writing habits at work. Sometimes it’s because we are racing. Sometimes it’s because we have read enough swollen sentences, obscure acronyms, and endless messages to lower our standards. And sometimes we write on autopilot….