by: James Diaz
Have you ever been in the position where you felt blocked by something or someone? It’s amazing how almost everyone goes through it at least once in a lifetime if not over and over again. But that’s what life is all about, obstacles, goals, and succeeding in life and never failing. Well that’s what happens when you write. At one point you may be ready to write and express what you think but at another point, you may be unable to think. But the trick to it is to continue and keep pushing yourself way past your limit and when you finally can’t do it anymore, stop, rest, and continue the next day. Consistency is the the key to every goal you wish to accomplish. You must not ever give up on anything unless you truly believe it is not for you. However you can not possibly live a life with a mind set being so pessimistic on very idea there is. Some people grow up not knowing much about anything and live their entire life based on their own opinions and never the facts. I personally think that the key to life is balance. There has to be ups and downs about everything in order for you to enjoy the sweet victory in the end. Challenge yourself and be motivated to do something in your life. By the time you know it; you will be too old and too cold to move and get up and embrace every good thing around you. Explore everything there is in life. Everything I have just said about life can go for writing as well. EXPLORE when you write. Think about the endless possibilities when you do, about whatever it is that you are writing about and when you do, you will see that many more doors will open giving you a lot more for your eyes to see and explore as well. Knowledge is never ending but your writing will always be remembered.
About The Author
James Diaz is a New York based entrepreneur, Music Artist and Writer. He focuses in on the music industry as well as internet marketing. For more info visit: http://www.DatChul0x.edcgold.com
The Art of Persuasive Business Writing
by: Courtland Bovee
All good writing involves persuasion-getting the reader over to your side. You may be writing to persuade a colleague to take on a new project, writing a blog post trying to persuade people to accept a new idea, or writing persuasive advertising copy for a new product. In each situation, your goal is to persuade your readers that you have something to say and that it is in their best interest to take the action you have requested. Here are five elements to keep in mind when writing persuasive messages. 1. "You" attitude. Too much business writing has an "I" or "we" viewpoint, which causes the writer to sound selfish and not interested in the reader. If you want to get your point of view across, convey information, or persuade the reader, you have to talk in terms of the reader's interests, hopes, wishes, and preferences. Good writing psychology requires that you present your message in light of the reader's viewpoint rather than your own. "I" or "We" To help us process this order, we must ask for another copy of the requisition. We trust you will extend your service contract. "You" So that your order can be filled promptly, please send another copy of the requisition. By extending your service contract, you can continue to enjoy topnotch performance from your equipment. 2. Warmth. You can make all sorts of mistakes in your messages yet still leave your readers with a good feeling if you can convey the magic intangible of personal warmth. Warmth is more difficult in writing than it is in oral communications. Essentially, warmth is an aspect-possibly even the measure-of the "you" viewpoint. You should not only demonstrate concern for the audience's problems but interest in their attitudes and an appreciation of the ways in which handling the situation is going to be helpful to them. 3. Parallel experience. One way of touching the right spots with your reader is to draw on a parallel situation in your own experience. Build your writing around this experience, or use what you learned as a basis for your writing. By creating a sympathetic bond between you and your reader, you enhance the person-to-person connection and help your reader to become more open to what you are saying. 4. Good manners. If you want to persuade your reader, you must show impeccable manners. In other words, be nice. If you are rude or overly aggressive, your reader will shut down to your argument and turn elsewhere. When in doubt, put yourself on the other end of the writing and ask, "How would I feel if this was directed at me? Would I be offended, or would I be open to listening to more?" 5. Tone. The tone of your writing goes beyond the content of your words and offers the reader an overall feeling or indication of your meaning. The overall tone of your message will depend on the subject, but a general guideline is to stay positive. Suggest to your reader that you are interested in his or her problems and in solving them. A good tone is ruined by using harsh words or phrases. Some examples: Poor the alleged loss you claim that you neglected to send in which you assert if we were at fault we request that you send us Improved the loss you refer to we understand that you did not send you tell us please accept our apologies please send us Persuasion is an art, not a science-but that does not mean there is no winning formula. By incorporating these five elements into your business communication, you will have a greater chance of getting your reader to stop, listen, and take the action you want.
About The Author
Courtland L. Bovee, one of America's leading instructors in clear and effective communication, co-authors several leading college-level texts with John V. Thill, a prominent communications consultant and current Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Global Communication Strategies. Their website, Business Communication Headline News, the #1 business communication site on the web, is at http://www.businesscommunicationheadlinenews.com
All good writing involves persuasion-getting the reader over to your side. You may be writing to persuade a colleague to take on a new project, writing a blog post trying to persuade people to accept a new idea, or writing persuasive advertising copy for a new product. In each situation, your goal is to persuade your readers that you have something to say and that it is in their best interest to take the action you have requested. Here are five elements to keep in mind when writing persuasive messages. 1. "You" attitude. Too much business writing has an "I" or "we" viewpoint, which causes the writer to sound selfish and not interested in the reader. If you want to get your point of view across, convey information, or persuade the reader, you have to talk in terms of the reader's interests, hopes, wishes, and preferences. Good writing psychology requires that you present your message in light of the reader's viewpoint rather than your own. "I" or "We" To help us process this order, we must ask for another copy of the requisition. We trust you will extend your service contract. "You" So that your order can be filled promptly, please send another copy of the requisition. By extending your service contract, you can continue to enjoy topnotch performance from your equipment. 2. Warmth. You can make all sorts of mistakes in your messages yet still leave your readers with a good feeling if you can convey the magic intangible of personal warmth. Warmth is more difficult in writing than it is in oral communications. Essentially, warmth is an aspect-possibly even the measure-of the "you" viewpoint. You should not only demonstrate concern for the audience's problems but interest in their attitudes and an appreciation of the ways in which handling the situation is going to be helpful to them. 3. Parallel experience. One way of touching the right spots with your reader is to draw on a parallel situation in your own experience. Build your writing around this experience, or use what you learned as a basis for your writing. By creating a sympathetic bond between you and your reader, you enhance the person-to-person connection and help your reader to become more open to what you are saying. 4. Good manners. If you want to persuade your reader, you must show impeccable manners. In other words, be nice. If you are rude or overly aggressive, your reader will shut down to your argument and turn elsewhere. When in doubt, put yourself on the other end of the writing and ask, "How would I feel if this was directed at me? Would I be offended, or would I be open to listening to more?" 5. Tone. The tone of your writing goes beyond the content of your words and offers the reader an overall feeling or indication of your meaning. The overall tone of your message will depend on the subject, but a general guideline is to stay positive. Suggest to your reader that you are interested in his or her problems and in solving them. A good tone is ruined by using harsh words or phrases. Some examples: Poor the alleged loss you claim that you neglected to send in which you assert if we were at fault we request that you send us Improved the loss you refer to we understand that you did not send you tell us please accept our apologies please send us Persuasion is an art, not a science-but that does not mean there is no winning formula. By incorporating these five elements into your business communication, you will have a greater chance of getting your reader to stop, listen, and take the action you want.
About The Author
Courtland L. Bovee, one of America's leading instructors in clear and effective communication, co-authors several leading college-level texts with John V. Thill, a prominent communications consultant and current Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Global Communication Strategies. Their website, Business Communication Headline News, the #1 business communication site on the web, is at http://www.businesscommunicationheadlinenews.com
Ten Business Writing Blunders You Can Easily Avoid
by: Courtland Bovee
Most of us are too busy worrying about what we are writing to think much about how we are writing it. However, in business communication, having command of a clear, readable style is essential to getting your point across. Here are ten types of sentence blunders to avoid if you want your reader to get what you mean and not have to stumble through what you write. 1. Run-On Sentences. You know the ones: they drag on and on, packing a paragraph's worth of details into a single sentence. Short sentences are easier to understand than long ones; they provide information in bits and pieces instead of a flood. In most business writing, aim for an average sentence length of 20 or fewer words. Note that this is an average, not a ceiling-the best writing contains both long and short sentences to keep it interesting. 2. Pompous Sentences. Many business writers use a phrase or a whole clause when a well-chosen verb would be much clearer. They do so to try to make themselves appear more knowledgeable or articulate than they actually are. Do not fall prey to this error by using big words or trite expressions-keep your writing at the level of your reader. 3. Overloaded Sentences. Such sentences are bloated with excess words. The passive voice is a common culprit, adding unnecessarily to the word count. Redundancies are also to blame-verbose phrases can usually be replaced with one or two words, making your sentences concise and meaningful. 4. Undue Enthusiasm. An occasional intensifier lends emphasis, but using too many can ruin your writing and give the impression that you are not being genuine. Otherwise, you come across like the literary version of a game-show host-wear that grin too bright for too long, and it will lose its meaning. 5. Crowded-Together Sentences. Many writers tend to try to connect a series of related sentences with conjunctions such as "and" instead of ending each with a period. In many cases, these sentences can be improved and shortened by using only one subject. 6. Hedging Sentences. It is tempting to insert "it seems that" or "there appears to be" in your sentences in order to avoid stating a judgment as a fact. However, when you have too many such hedges, particularly in the same sentence, you are not really saying anything. More often than not, your reader will know what is fact and what is inference. 7. Slow Starters. Starting a sentence with "it is" or "there are" simply delays getting to your point. Compare: "It would be appreciated if you could send the files immediately," versus "Please send the files immediately." 8. Nonparallel Sentences. Two or more similar (parallel) ideas should be presented in the same pattern, whether within sentences or between sentences. Lack of parallelism creates an awkward style. For example, the clauses in this sentence are not parallel: "Mr. Reynolds dictated the letter and next he signed it, and left the office." Compare that to this: "Mr. Reynolds dictated the letter, signed it, and left the office." 9. Awkward Pointers. To save words, business writers will often point readers' attention backward with expressions like "as mentioned above," "the aforementioned," "the former," "the latter," and so on. Doing so is a distraction to the reader and is usually unnecessary. If a reference does need to be made, it is better to name or restate the specific thing to which you are referring. 10. Misassembled Sentences. A misassembled sentence is one in which an element is in the wrong place. The most common misplacement is at the beginning of the sentence, creating a "dangling modifier." Take this awkward example: "Walking to the office, a red sports car passed him." Moving the modifier is an easy solution here: "A red sports car passed him while he was walking to the office."
About The Author
Courtland L. Bovee, one of America's leading instructors in clear and effective communication, co-authors several leading college-level texts with John V. Thill, a prominent communications consultant and current Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Global Communication Strategies. Their website, Business Communication Headline News, the #1 business communication site on the web, is at http://www.businesscommunicationheadlinenews.com
Most of us are too busy worrying about what we are writing to think much about how we are writing it. However, in business communication, having command of a clear, readable style is essential to getting your point across. Here are ten types of sentence blunders to avoid if you want your reader to get what you mean and not have to stumble through what you write. 1. Run-On Sentences. You know the ones: they drag on and on, packing a paragraph's worth of details into a single sentence. Short sentences are easier to understand than long ones; they provide information in bits and pieces instead of a flood. In most business writing, aim for an average sentence length of 20 or fewer words. Note that this is an average, not a ceiling-the best writing contains both long and short sentences to keep it interesting. 2. Pompous Sentences. Many business writers use a phrase or a whole clause when a well-chosen verb would be much clearer. They do so to try to make themselves appear more knowledgeable or articulate than they actually are. Do not fall prey to this error by using big words or trite expressions-keep your writing at the level of your reader. 3. Overloaded Sentences. Such sentences are bloated with excess words. The passive voice is a common culprit, adding unnecessarily to the word count. Redundancies are also to blame-verbose phrases can usually be replaced with one or two words, making your sentences concise and meaningful. 4. Undue Enthusiasm. An occasional intensifier lends emphasis, but using too many can ruin your writing and give the impression that you are not being genuine. Otherwise, you come across like the literary version of a game-show host-wear that grin too bright for too long, and it will lose its meaning. 5. Crowded-Together Sentences. Many writers tend to try to connect a series of related sentences with conjunctions such as "and" instead of ending each with a period. In many cases, these sentences can be improved and shortened by using only one subject. 6. Hedging Sentences. It is tempting to insert "it seems that" or "there appears to be" in your sentences in order to avoid stating a judgment as a fact. However, when you have too many such hedges, particularly in the same sentence, you are not really saying anything. More often than not, your reader will know what is fact and what is inference. 7. Slow Starters. Starting a sentence with "it is" or "there are" simply delays getting to your point. Compare: "It would be appreciated if you could send the files immediately," versus "Please send the files immediately." 8. Nonparallel Sentences. Two or more similar (parallel) ideas should be presented in the same pattern, whether within sentences or between sentences. Lack of parallelism creates an awkward style. For example, the clauses in this sentence are not parallel: "Mr. Reynolds dictated the letter and next he signed it, and left the office." Compare that to this: "Mr. Reynolds dictated the letter, signed it, and left the office." 9. Awkward Pointers. To save words, business writers will often point readers' attention backward with expressions like "as mentioned above," "the aforementioned," "the former," "the latter," and so on. Doing so is a distraction to the reader and is usually unnecessary. If a reference does need to be made, it is better to name or restate the specific thing to which you are referring. 10. Misassembled Sentences. A misassembled sentence is one in which an element is in the wrong place. The most common misplacement is at the beginning of the sentence, creating a "dangling modifier." Take this awkward example: "Walking to the office, a red sports car passed him." Moving the modifier is an easy solution here: "A red sports car passed him while he was walking to the office."
About The Author
Courtland L. Bovee, one of America's leading instructors in clear and effective communication, co-authors several leading college-level texts with John V. Thill, a prominent communications consultant and current Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Global Communication Strategies. Their website, Business Communication Headline News, the #1 business communication site on the web, is at http://www.businesscommunicationheadlinenews.com
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