Use the downturn to your advantage

While this blog is all about helping you write better, the underlying purpose of that is to help you and your business DO better.

So with that in mind, I thought you’d appreciate this article, from the latest Harvard Business Review.

It has some sound advice on not only surviving the downturn, but thriving in it. It’s only available for free during Feb. 2009, so jump to it: http://hbr.harvardbusiness.org/2009/02/seize-advantage-in-a-downturn/ar/1

Don’t syphon the hyphen

It seems major newspaper editors aren’t immune from one of the most common errors I see from my corporate writing training students.

This was on the front page of today’s Daily Telegraph in Sydney:

Sydney's Daily Telegraph hyphen blunder

Can you see the problem? It’s confusing, because it’s unclear whether it’s saying two things,  “New risk” and “Free pill”, or one thing, “New risk-free pill”.

That tiny hyphen makes all the difference.

It’s called a “compound” adjective, because the two words must be combined to get the intended meaning.

Here’s another example, from our “Get it Write” professional writing masterclass:

1. small business advisor
2. small-business advisor

In 1, the business advisor could be a dwarf. But with the hyphen in 2, it now means the person is an advisor to small business.

So watch your hyphens; they can really change your meaning and confuse your readers.

And whatever you do, don’t use a hyphen (-) when you really mean to use a dash (—). Here’s an easy explanation of the difference between hyphens and dashes.

Heart Attack

In any persuasive writing you need to proactively deal with objections.What makes this UK public health ad so engaging and convincing is how well they cover people’s likely objections to getting help because they doubt they’re having a heart attack.

Happ-e Xmas!

We put a lot of thought and work into this Christmas present for you. Hope you like it!

Here it is. Click the image and it’ll load (turn your speakers down if you don’t want sound):

Happ-e Xmas from Magneto

Enjoy!

Have a safe and happy Christmas break.

From Paul, Petrina and the Magneto team

P.S. If the image doesn’t work, here’s the link: http://www.magneto.net.au/Happ-e_Xmas_2008.html

“Pitching on Paper” – How to write winning proposals

Above is a recording of Paul Jones presenting at the Last Thursday Club (in the American Club, Sydney city) in 2007.

To space or not two space?

At the end of your sentences, do you hit the space bar once or twice? A debate is raging about this. (Type something now to see what you’re in the habit of doing.)

Which is correct?
You should use a single space after a period, question mark or exclamation mark.

“Sacrilege! I was taught to use two spaces!”
Did you learn to type on a typewriter? If so, you may have been told to insert two spaces at the end of sentences to ensure enough space.

Most typewriters had non-proportional (“monospace”) fonts. With these, thin letters, like “i”, took up the same space as fat ones, such as “m”, as you can see with this Courier font:

However, computers now use “proportional” fonts. With these, space for thin letters is slim, compared to space for fat ones, as you can see with this Times font:

Why should you care?
With proportional fonts, the computer adds just the right amount of space after each sentence. Double spacing adds distracting gaps that make your writing look choppy and unprofessional.

Mainstream publishing has used one space between sentences for decades. It’s also backed by the Australian Government Style Manual, the MLA, APA, and The Chicago Manual of Style. I say go with the experts.

Using double spacing is like using Liquid Paper on your screen to correct errors. Times have changed! (Still don’t believe me?).

Have your say…
…below! Are you a “space” cadet? Do you disagree with the above? Go on – make your mark!

The power of suggestion – hypnotising commuters

I’m not suggesting you hypnotise your readers, but be careful of the words you choose – they have power. (Ignore the link that comes up at the very end.)

more about “Derren Brown Hypnotizes People on a t…“, posted with vodpod

Obama’s full acceptance speech

Excellent speechwriting – worth analysing for its persuasive power!

more about “Obama’s full acceptance speech“, posted with vodpod

Know thy readers

The First Commandment of writing that gets results is Know Thy Readers.

Web guru Gerry McGovern (www.gerrymcgovern.com) proved how crucial audience research is. When researching search terms for a discounted-airfares website, he learned this:

In the USA, over 80 times more people search for “cheap flights” than for “low fares,” but in the UK that figure skyrockets to 6,500 times more people who search for “cheap flights” instead of “low fares”.

That’s invaluable when you consider most airlines like to say “low fares”. The lesson? Your readers can think very differently to you. Whether you’re writing a proposal to win $1m of work, or a monthly report, the better you know your readers the more successful your writing will be.

Here’s a fast track to figuring out your readers’ “hot buttons,” building rapport with them, and using the right level of jargon:

1. Internet searches: Google their name, but narrow your search results by using inverted commas: “Joe Bloggs”. Also try searching on social networks like LinkedIn and Facebook.
2. Read what they’re reading: This will help you talk in their “language,” as well as learn what issues are top of mind for them. E.g. if your reader was in HR, you’d read HR Monthly, etc.
3. Read what they’re writing: If your target is the CEO of a company, search her website for speeches, press releases or newsletters she may have written or contributed to.
4. Talk to their contacts: No, don’t stalk your target, but finding a natural way to learn more about them by talking to their friends or staff can be worth it.
5. Talk to them: People are often more approachable than you expect, and may give you time if you frame your meeting as a win-win. For larger audiences, consider surveying them, e.g. with Survey Monkey.

How else do YOU research your readers? Share the love and your thoughts in comments below…

Exterminating Errors

Nothing says “I’m careless” more than errors in your document. But no matter how hard you stare at the page, sometimes you just can’t spot you’re mistakes (see?). So how to find them?

These proven proofreading tips will save your skin:

1. Fresh eyes: The Golden Rule is to put your writing aside and look at it with fresh eyes later – preferably after a sleep, during which your brain “resets” itself.
2. Buddy up: The freshest eyes of all are someone else’s! Why not become someone’s “copy buddy,” and shoot important copy (writing) to each other to check?
3. Several passes: Go through your document several times looking for one thing at a time. E.g. in one pass, just check content; then in another, check for typos; then in another, check your grammar, and so on.
4. Read aloud: Reading your copy aloud helps stop your brain skipping over mistakes.
5. Print it: Reading on screen is slower and harder. You’ll find more errors on a printout (use recycled paper).
6. Change font: Surprisingly, temporarily changing your font can help you see errors.

Classic blunders

• Report cover for UK’s “Public Guardian”: “The Pubic Guardian”
• Newspaper headline: “Iraqi Head Seeks Arms”
• Sign in foreign hotel: “The manager has personally passed all the water served here”
• In a resume: “I have good attention too detail …”

What are your tried and true proofreading methods? Found any clangers lately? Let us know!