december meeting - susan lindsey on business writing

K E N T U C K Y I A B C

D E C E M B E R 8 , 2 0 1 1

S U S A N E . L I N D S E Y

S A V V Y C O M M U N I C A T I O N L L C

Top Tips for Business Writing

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Strong writing skills:

1. Give you power.

2. Enhance credibility and image.

3. Increase professional opportunities.

Why does good writing matter?

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• Letters

• Email

• Presentations

• Memos

• Reports

Common business writing tasks

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• Digital content

• Announcements

• Proposals

• Speeches

• Sales & mktg. materials

1. Do your homework.

2. Write it right.

3. Edit, rewrite, proofread.

Three-step process

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a) Know your audience.

b) Determine objectives.

c) Gather and organize info.

d) Determine key messages, main points.

e) Set aside time to focus.

1. Do your homework.

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“Writing is easy.

All you do is stare at

a blank sheet of paper

until drops of blood

form on your forehead.”

—Gene Fowler

Conquer writer’s block

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a) Have a point

b) Remember the basics

c) Organize content

d) Watch grammar

e) Use active voice, strong verbs, specific nouns

f) Use right words

2. Write it right.

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Evil Twins 8

That or which?

“Old words are best

and old words, when short,

are best of all.”

—Winston Churchill

KISS: keep it short and simple

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a) Let copy “breathe” for a few days

b) Edit from hard copy

c) Read copy aloud

d) Be brave; be brutal

e) Keep objectives in mind

f) Use spelling and grammar tools

g) Clear, concise, complete and correct?

3. Edit, rewrite, proofread.

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“I try to leave out the parts people skip.”

—Elmore Leonard

“The wastebasket is a writer’s best friend.”

—Isaac Singer

Don’t fear rewriting

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a) Take a break between editing and proofreading

b) Proofread from hard copy

c) Focus; read slowly and aloud

d) Check: facts, numbers, grammar, spelling, capitalization, punctuation

e) Proofread headlines, subheads, captions, tables

f) Use style guide

Proofread after editing.

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• Tell someone what you learned today

• Edit and critique the work of others

• Take a writing class, workshop, seminar

• Write a lot

• Read a lot

Final tips to improve writing

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• Atlas, dictionary, thesaurus

• AP Stylebook, Chicago Manual of Style

• Elements of Style, Strunk and White

• A Grammar Book for You and I (oops, Me!), Good

• Lifetime Encyclopedia of Letters, Meyer

• Right, Wrong & Risky, Davidson

On my bookcase

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• Refdesk.com

• Bartleby.com

• Wikipedia.com

• WritersDigest.com

• ChicagoManualofStyle.com

• Grammar.quickanddirtytips.com

• DrGrammar.org

Online

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(502) 632-2241

SUSANLINDSEY@SAVVY-COMM.COM

WWW.SAVVY-COMM.COM

Susan E. Lindsey Savvy Communication LLC

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