Communicate clearly

Writing tips 3: Refresher on some fundamentals

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writing tip, daily writing tip, writing classes, writing jobsWriting well is not difficult. You don’t need a degree in English to compose sentences that get your message across properly. (Of course, one good way to improve your writing skills is to take a writing course.) The types of mistakes I see frequently involve just a handful of principles. They include:

 

– Capitalization

– Spelling

– Grammar, word usage

– Punctuation

Unfortunately, these mistakes appear in blog and social media posts along with emails. Meaning, messages often used for business. That’s critical, because sloppy writing reflects poorly on the person and business. If the writer spent a few moments proofing the material, he or she would most likely correct these errors.

This is the third installment in my series. You can read the other two here.

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Writing Tips 2: Refresher on some fundamentals

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writing tip, daily writing tip, writing classes, writing jobs, writing coursesGood writing seems to have fallen offer in recent times, at least if what we see on social media is any indication. Perhaps members view those platforms as places where they can let conventions slide. Unfortunately, in these connected times, social media  platforms are becoming mainstream. What is written (and displayed) on those websites says a lot about the person, and can be used to judge them.

As one who writes and speaks regularly, I am quite partial to the proper use of the English language. But this isn’t about me. It’s about you.

My intention with this blog series is to point out some of the basic errors I see. Perhaps you make some of these errors. If so, you will learn how to correct them. The result is cleaner copy and a more professional image.

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Writing tips 1: Refresher on some fundamentals

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writing tip, daily writing tip, writing classes, writing jobsWriting well has always been important, and the same is true today. Your image–your brand–is affected by how well you project yourself in writing. This is true whether you’re writing on paper or on a web platform like Facebook. Too many people seem to take a cavalier approach to writing when they’re on social media. Yet social media is increasingly being used to learn about a person. Oftentimes it’s employers doing research on job candidates. That could mean you.

In this new series of blog posts, I will use examples of poor writing that I have seen or received. Most of these were on Facebook, but others came to me in emails. Each offers errors in one or more areas:

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Public speaking tip: Hold microphone close to your mouth

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If you ever have to use a cordless mic, hold it close to your mouth. Too often people hold it down by the chest; the mic won’t pick up well from there. The microphone won’t bite, so hold it high! For more presentation and public speaking tips, see “Presentation skills — 5 tips to help … Read more

Presentation skills – 5 tips to help you survive a disaster

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Have you faced a disaster during a presentation? If not, you will soon. It happens to every public speaker at some point. What I experienced during a recent presentation can help you prepare for the inevitable.

Like most presenters, my presentation was on PowerPoint slides. I set up early, and had the projector running prior to my presentation. Unfortunately, the projector died soon after I began, which caused me to react. There are several lessons to be learned from this incident. Note that the first item is more of a preventive measure. I include it in the list because projector problems are common.

1. Monitor the projector. Unlike most presenters, I don’t typically glance at the projection screen. Preferring to maintain my concentration on the audience, I will just glace at the laptop monitor, and look up at the audience. In this case, the projector was placed next to the laptop. Had I turned my attention slightly to the left, I would’ve seen that there was no light coming from the projector lens.

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