26

Aug

5 writing errors that destroy credibility

“It has long been an axiom of mine that the little things are infinitely the most important.”
~Arthur Conan Doyle

Readers read some errors as just that – small mistakes. No one’s perfect, so misspellings or incorrect uses of prepositions and other small mistakes are easy for readers to move past and absorb your content’s message.

Other mistakes immediately make the reader question not only your writing abilities, but your credibility.

Good news? These errors are easy to spot when you are aware of them and proofread carefully.

Error #1: Using incorrect homonyms.
Their / There / They’re
Its / It’s
Your / You’re
Different homonyms completely change the meaning of the sentence. Spell-check won’t find these errors, so always double-check that they’re correct.

Error #2: Inconsistent titles.
This may seem obvious, but always stick to one method of naming or separating a document. For example, if your power point presentation is divided into six “chapters,” make sure they are all titled chapters. If one is accidentally named “module” or “part,” you’ll confuse your readers. Also, if one chapter is titled “Thriving in Our Economy,” use that exact title throughout the entire chapter.

Error #3: Mixing up words with similar meanings and spellings.
Affect / Effect
Farther / Further
Prospective / Perspective
Then / Than
These words are easy to confuse with one another and, like homonyms and contractions, spell-check won’t catch your mistake.

Error #4: Passive writing.
Active writing engages your readers and gives your authorial voice greater credibility. While some scientific and business projects require the passive voice, it’s best to minimize passive verbs to create more powerful writing.

Error #5: Redundancies.
Repeating a similar sentence or point doesn’t make it any clearer. Never repeat sentences or phrases with a brochure, website or e-book. When you organize content effectively and in a straight forward manner, there’s no need to repeat sentences.

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274 days ago Short URL 4 Comments

Writing

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26

Aug

Dr. Carolyn Woo

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Last week, I had the opportunity to see Dr. Carolyn Woo speak about competition in business. As the dean of Notre Dame’s business school and the recently-appointed CEO of Catholic Relief Services, she had a fascinating outlook on this topic. It was truly an inspiring discussion!

Dr. Woo talked about the role of faith in a competitive business environment, but the points she addressed are useful for everyone, no matter your religious beliefs.

We live in a world where competitive performance, rankings and scores mark success. In many ways, this benefits us and society at large. Competition brings out our personal best, helps us go further and challenges businesses to be better and more efficient.

However, competition causes us to place too much value on certain markers of success – promotions, job titles, salaries, year-end results, etc. – that are often arbitrary. We come to rely upon our competitive “wins” to define us as professionals, and even as people.

Competition becomes especially dangerous when it permeates all aspects of work. By always being on the offensive, we miss out on the things and people around us that will help us learn and grow as leaders. It’s so common to see people rushed to finish a meeting so they can get a jump on their next “win,” or talk about their personal accomplishments without asking you about yours.

Dr. Woo argued that the excessive competition stems from a lack of confidence. The best way to achieve a sense of calm in business is to know the value of your talents and work. That way, you devote yourself to competition at the proper times, feel proud of your accomplishments and celebrate others’ successes.

What impressed me most about Dr. Woo’s talk wasn’t really what she said, but the way she delivered it. She speaks like she’s having an important one-on-one conversation with you. I learned that you can – and should – assert your professional successes and skills, while also recognizing that other people’s accomplishments hold equal worth.

Effective employee engagement and ground-breaking leadership all come from the basic knowledge that everyone has many “wins” they should take pride in – and when we open ourselves up to each other’s unique knowledge, skills and experiences, we learn more and become better. And this gives us a vital competitive edge.

274 days ago Short URL 1 Comment

Writing

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26

Aug

5 bad habits that destroy productivity

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It’s a myth that only highly intelligent geniuses are successful writers.

Writing – like any other craft – requires dedication, persistence and a dash of luck. Anyone can do it – whether it’s writing copy for an ad or your most recent business report – by leveraging their skills and creativity.

So why is it so difficult to be productive?

Many writers struggle with bad habits that cripple productivity and the success of the final product. The good news is that these habits can be broken with only a little bit of work.

Here’s 5 bad habits that could be hurting your writing:

1. Fearing that you’ll fail: Lots of writers let the fear of “getting it wrong” keep them from ever writing the first word. You’re going to make mistakes, but you’ll learn from these mistakes and be one step closer to success (easier said than done, but true). When you let fear keep you from writing, you’ll never improve.

Gain confidence by writing a list of why you are knowledgeable and capable of writing about the specific subject. You don’t have to be the top expert to make a valuable contribution, so don’t let this fear keep you from starting your writing.

2. Poor organization: Many writing projects have lots of information and research that must be distilled and packaged in a useful way. Before starting any writing project, make sure you understand the project’s goals and concepts, because poor organization crushes productivity quickly.

Condense the research, take notes or create a mind-map of the information. Staying organized is challenging, so try different strategies and techniques to find what works best for you.

3. Working on one project for too long: Focusing on one thing at a time boosts productivity. If you are struggling to gain traction on a project, however, switch to another project. This prevents writer’s block and keeps you from loosing motivation. Plus, while your attentions are focused elsewhere, your mind will work through problems subconsciously. You’ll return to the project renewed and more productive than before!

4. Judging your work too quickly: Many writers critique and edit their work while they are writing, making the process much longer in the end. Spend time just writing. Simply hit the keys. Don’t edit. Don’t analyze. Don’t judge.

I struggle to break this bad habit, but find that when I focus solely on writing, the final product is more cohesive and creative!

5. Not taking the time to find your voice: Knowing and understanding your voice as a writer is vital. In creative writing, this makes your writing strong and unique. In business writing, it makes your writing authentic, inspiring trust and engagement.

Take the time to sketch out why a writing project is important to you, your connection to the goal and why you are the ideal writer. Next, determine the tone you’ll use – formal, conversational, peppy or humorous. With a clear style in mind and a dedication to the topic, your voice will shine.

Do you have any tips for breaking these bad habits? Are there any other bad habits that keep you from writing productively?

274 days ago Short URL 4 Comments

Writing

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16

Aug

The key to great business copy…

Is using the right words that will engage and persuade your readers.

Copy for business projects (such as e-mails, reports, white papers, etc.) can only be deemed successful if your readers actually read the copy and then walk away from the copy having learned something new or having been persuaded to do something new.

Study Successful Examples. Look at copy that succeeded within a similar business context. Look at e-mails that generated a high response or a brochure that your colleagues still talk about. Study them closely to determine why this copy works so well. Do the sentences tend to be shorter in length? Is the tone motivational, direct or conversational? You don’t have to reinvent the wheel when you study great past examples.

Listen Well. Before writing single a word of your copy, listen closely to your readers’ beliefs, desires and concerns. Listen to what your colleagues and supervisors want the copy to accomplish. Only by listening well – and strategically analyzing what you learn – will you be able to craft the perfect words, phrases and tone to achieve your goals.

Always Use the Active Voice. Great business copy should be action-orientated to engage and motivate your colleagues. As a rule of thumb, use the passive voice as infrequently as possible within your business writing projects, or avoid it all together.

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284 days ago Short URL Comments

Writing

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02

Aug

The Well-Fed Writer

As a big admirer of Peter Bowerman and his The Well-Fed Writer series, I’m excited to share my story and thoughts on freelance writing in his current E-Zine.

Many thanks to Peter for this feature!

298 days ago Short URL Comments

Writing

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