Simple Communications Advice from My Dad
My dad is a smart guy. Throughout my life, he's been right a lot. But most of the time, he wasn't trying to be right. He was trying to teach me something. One piece of [...]
6 Tips for Beating Writer’s Block
You're staring at the computer. The Word document in front of you is blank. You type three words, then delete them. You go get a glass of water, hoping that when you return, the words [...]
Shut Up Already
Over the past several weeks, our nation’s leaders (and a slew of talking heads) have been discussing the nature of our public discourse. How do our leaders frame debates? In what tone are they addressing [...]
Why the World Needs Editors
If you haven't seen this photo in your own social media circles, here's a recent billboard from South Bend with a critical, meaning-altering typo. Honestly, it's an error that would be easy to make. But [...]
I Think You Meant “Figuratively.”
Writers and editors have our fair share of pet peeves. Actually, we probably have more than our fair share. One of mine (and I know I'm not alone here) is the misuse and overuse of [...]
Provide Better Customer Service — Instantly!
A bad customer service experience can ruin your day — and a delightful one can put you in a supremely better mood. For some companies, good customer service is a defining characteristic. I always know [...]
How to Choose the Right Writer
Looking for a writer for your project? Here are a few things to keep in mind to hire the best writer for what you need. 1. Is the writer deadline-driven? You won't be satisfied with [...]
5 Easy Ways to Simplify Your Writing
Even if you have an unlimited word count (which is, of course, quite rare), the best writing is simple — absent of extraneous words. Here are just a few simple ways to eliminate unnecessary words [...]
Does Twitter Work?
I've been asked by clients and friends this question: Does Twitter work? I guess that depends. What the heck are you expecting it to do? The problem with Twitter (and all social media) is that [...]
10 Words & Phrases to Eliminate From Marketing Language
A few weeks ago, I posed a question on Twitter and Facebook: If you could eliminate a word from marketing/PR use, what would it be? Not surprisingly, many writers chimed in. Check out the list: [...]