How to be a Better Business Writer

Janet — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:28:39 +0000

As a business owner and manager, I'm sure that not a day goes by where you don't have to write an email, a blog post, a proposal, or some other type of business document. Since everything you write is a reflection of you and your business, you need to make sure that your vocabulary and writing style are suited to your reader and that your spelling and grammar are flawless.

Today I continue my Improve Management Skills Month series with a few ways to ensure that your writing is the best that it possibly can be. Before you send out any important correspondence, read it over carefully, checking in particular for the following. Is your spelling accurate? Don't rely on your spellchecker to catch your typing errors! If your misspelled word just happens to be a valid dictionary word, your spellchecker won't catch it. Furthermore, spellcheckers often don't recognize certain words such as place names, and one of my former government co-workers created a letter template with a return address of "Hailstone, Ontario" because the spellchecker told her that was the correct spelling for "Hamilton." For quick checks, you can use an online dictionary site such as Dictionary.com. I like Merriam-Webster Online because I was able to add it to my search engine list in Firefox so I can simply type in a word to check the spelling without having to first navigate to the website. Sometimes though, you'll need to refer to a proper dictionary, and it's a worthwhile investment to have an up-to-date edition on hand. Not a week goes by that I don't refer to my Oxford Canadian Dictionary. Is your grammar correct? Software is even less reliable when it comes to checking grammar, so you really need to be on your toes to avoid errors. Daily Writing Tips has an online Grammar Test you can take to see whether your grammar skills are up to snuff. Warning: it's not as easy as it looks! Fortunately, the site also includes an archive of writing tips which includes punctuation, word usage, and much more. Is your document readable? Your writing should be easy for people to read, or they won't bother. One way to do this is to avoid using overly long sentences and words that they may not understand, such as industry jargon and acronyms. There's an interesting article on Wikipedia that explains the Flesch-Kincaid readability tests and how they relate to different types of writing. Is your writing style appropriate? Writing for the web is not like writing for print publications, because readers approach it very differently. People may not take the time to read dense blocks of text in a printed document, but they are even less likely to do so on a web page. The Longman Guide to Style and Writing on the Internet is an excellent resource for writing and formatting effective web documents. Are you confident that your document says exactly what you want it to say? Keep in mind that once you've sent off that proposal or ezine, it's too late to make changes. Sure, you can send off a message saying "I meant to say..." but what is that going to do for your professional image? Is it worth missing out on an opportunity because your potential client thinks you are careless or don't have a good eye for detail, or because he or she doesn't understand what you're trying to say? If you're interested in improving your business writing skills, you need to download Bad Language's free ebook, 30 Days to Better Business Writing. It's an amazing 116-page self-study guide that you can complete in just one month. Even if you have excellent language skills, it's very easy to overlook your mistakes because your brain already knows what you're trying to say, so that's what it sees on the page or screen. For your really important documents, it's well worth it to have someone else review your writing before you send it out, whether it's a colleague, a family member, or a virtual assistant.

Tips for Creating Your Professional Organizer Newsletter

Janet — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:39:22 +0000

Being the organized professional that you are, I'm sure you've started a list or database of potential clients who have inquired about your services, other entrepreneurs you've met at networking events, names you've collected at trade shows and speaking engagements, and other contacts. It's great to have that information on file, but your business will benefit much more if you have a system in place for staying in touch with them on a regular basis.

I conducted a survey last year in which 95% of the participants stated that they subscribe to at least one newsletter, and 22% subscribe to more than five. Offering a newsletter is a popular and effective way to keep your name in front of people, because instead of just trying to sell them your services, you provide valuable information from which they can put to good use. If you enjoy writing, you can craft your own newsletter and send it out, either by mail or email. If you decide to write your own newsletter, I strongly encourage you to ask someone else (me perhaps?) to go through it with a fine-tooth comb for spelling and grammar mistakes. No matter how strong your language skills are, it's very difficult to spot your own errors, because your unconscious mind sees the message the way you intended it to read. If writing is not your forte, or you're just too busy to fit it into your schedule, you can still send out a monthly newsletter, thanks to two seasoned professional organizers, Debbie Jordan Kravitz and Tammy Burke. With their valuable service, you can easily send an issue of Organizer News to your mailing list every month. You can view a sample issue on their website, and your first month is free, so you can try it out and see whether it's right for your business. When you sign up for the service, you'll receive:

A Microsoft Word document which you can customize
A PDF version of the newsletter that you can simply print and mail or attach to an email
An HTML version that you can send out using one of the popular email marketing systems, such as Practice Pay Solutions

By the way, Practice Pay Solutions also offer tools for selling physical and digital products on your website, managing your affiliate program and a lot more. I've completed their certification program, and will be happy to help you get started. If you'd prefer to use your own unique newsletter content, but don't have the time, interest or skills to put it together, let's talk. With my experience in the organizing industry, I can prepare drafts for you, on which you can apply your finishing touches, or even ghost write articles on your behalf. I can also design a customized ezine template to match the look and feel of your website, and suggest themes for your monthly newsletter. Here is a sample of a newsletter I created for one of my clients. I can't cover the topic of newsletters without mentioning that you should NOT add people to your ezine subscriber list without permission. It's very presumptuous, if not illegal, and may result in your messages being blocked by many ISPs and email service providers. Instead, send a copy of a recent issue along with a personal message inviting them to sign up. Don't worry that this will result in your list being smaller, as there's little if any value in sending your newsletter to individuals who are unlikely to read it anyway. Are you ready to send out your newsletter?

Organized Assistant » newsletters

How to be a Better Business Writer

Tips for Creating Your Professional Organizer Newsletter