Articles

Dumb Questions Revisited

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My recent rant about dumb questions at networking events, like ‘Do you have a business card?’ generated some interesting reactions. One reader sent me a note indicating she didn’t like my approach. Here’s an excerpt from my response. ‘Thanks so much for your sincere feedback. As a writer and communication practitioner, my goal is always … Read more

Energize Your Email

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Every time you send an email to a customer, colleague or manager, it projects an image of your professionalism, competency and courtesy. That image should be positive whenever possible, or at least neutral, but never negative.

Christine Zust is a NE OH communications expert, author, trainer, speaker … and a long-time friend and colleague. She regularly shares her concept that “everything you do positions you!” Therefore, every email you send at work positions you. The following simple suggestions will help you position your best possible positive image.

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Are You Power-Listening?

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Power-Listening? What does that have to do with your job as a business professional? Well … a lot, when you get out of your own box and view your role as a workplace communicator and problem-solver for your internal and/or external customers.

You spend a large part of your day verbally communicating important messages to important people – customers, staff, colleagues, bosses, suppliers, partners, etc. And listening is a critically important part of that verbal communication process. Yet, we tend to be terrible listeners, remembering very little of what we hear.

So, here are 10 simple – but not easy – Best Practice strategies for becoming Power Listeners at work.

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Outlaw Death by PowerPoint!

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PowerPoint doesn’t cause ‘Death by PowerPoint’ in the hands of inept presenters any more than cars cause traffic accidents or guns kill people. The blame lies with the users. PowerPoint is an excellent tool when used properly. That said, it’s wide variety of features make it easier for inept presenters to design bad slides: The … Read more

Activate Active Voice

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Based on some calls and notes from readers, some of you have begun challenging your word use habits in routine workplace writing or presentations. Great – I was hoping that would happen. Effective word use is the same, whether the medium of communicating those words is an email, a phone call, a face-to-face conversation or a more formal presentation.

So, let’s continue on our journey towards more reader/listener/audience-centric words and challenge another potential word use habit – Passive Voice.

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So Many Events, So Little Time

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A site visitor recently asked how to determine which networking events to attend. He said there are so many to choose from that entrepreneurs can spend too much time and money in the process. Absolutely! Here’s a summary of our conversation on this important topic:

1. Start with the ‘why’. The process of choosing which networking event to attend starts with precisely defining your specific networking objectives for the day. Why will you be networking? What kind of information are you seeking? Information to help you do your job easier, faster, better or smarter? Information to help you grow the business? Information to support your job search? All the other networking event decisions stem from answering the ‘why’ questions first.

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Networking with Uncommon Courtesy

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I used to refer to this concept as networking with “common courtesy”. But, just like “common sense”, these practices are anything but commonplace in the business world today. One of the fastest and smartest ways to make that best possible first impression when networking is both very simple AND very easy. You can display “Uncommon Courtesy” that clearly differentiates yourself from the amateurs by:

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Clarity & Brevity – They Both Rule!

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Some of you have probably begun thinking more about the words you use in workplace communication in general and with presentations in particular. Good – that’s the whole idea behind this series of articles.

If you identified lots of word choice habits, also good. If you asked yourself why you used a particular word or phrase and weren’t happy with your blow-off answers ‘That’s the first one I thought of’ … or … ‘That’s the one I usually use’, then get ready to rock & roll. You’ll benefit from some lessons learned on our journey towards more audience-centric word choices.

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Visualize Your Content

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How you use speaker support slides to reinforce and support your message has a direct impact on accomplishing your audience-centric outcomes. PowerPoint – or other similar software packages – has the capacity to provide you with efficient, effective and attractive slides. But, how and why presenters use this great tool makes all the difference.

So, let’s add a few new or different tools to your Presenter Tool Kit and share PowerPoint Best Practices. To get us in the mood, let’s discuss Worse Practices first.

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Always Break the Rules

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Last month’s piece on ‘WordPower’ generated some interesting off-line conversations. One reader asked about which traditional grammar rules you could break today … and get away with it. Here’s a summary of that dialogue.

I hated traditional grammar in school like most people … and most writers. So, I routinely break some time-honored practices today just to have fun, flaunt my sense of independence and creativity and get back as Sister Mary Apostrophe for all her abuses in 11th grade English class. If only she could know that I earn some of my living as a professional freelance writer and business writing trainer, she’d turn over in her grave in Grammar Hell.

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