How to reply to: “Is that the best you can do?”

Is one way of challenging others. It’s a slight twist on the carrot v stick approach. Instead of praising others, possibly when you know they could do better, it encourages the person to see if they can up their game. You begin to think, ‘Maybe he’s right. Is that the best I can do?’ The Scotland […]

How to move from (Amateur) Blogging to (Professional) Writing

It seems snobbish, doesn’t it? Dividing people into different categories. On one side, formally-educated writers; on the other, dynamic bloggers breaking down the old rules. So, which one is best? Writer v Bloggers: Which One Are You? Let’s flip this around. In reality, neither are ‘best.’ They both offer different types of services. However, I […]

J.K. Rowling: 7 Audience Analysis Writing Tips

J.K. Rowling said that she never wrote with a specific audience in mind. When she started to write Harry Potter in a cafe, her priority was to get the story down first and let the rest take care of itself. This approach may work in fiction but can you apply it to business documents? In […]

4 Writing Tactics from Desperate Housewives (+ Audience Analysis template)

Can one hour with Eva Longoria really make you a better business writer? I guess it all depends on the angle you take. Here’s what I mean. Let’s say you feel a little bit guilty when watching your favorite TV show. You can’t help wondering if there is ANY way you could apply what’s happening […]

What correcting other people’s grammar really says about you

Before we start. Should it be people’s or peoples? I bet you noticed that, right? I do. @denise_bryson admits, “I’m such a grammar nazi that if I spell something wrong in a tweet, I have to delete it.” Of course, Nazi is spelt with a capital N but we’ll try to be good and let […]

7 Proofreading Tips for Business Blogs

Writing is easy. Editing is hard. Affect v effect. It’s so easy to get it wrong if you’re not paying attention. One’s a noun, the other a verb. That sounds simple, doesn’t it. Of course, there are exceptions as well and if you’re not paying attention… Let’s look at how to proofread a business blog […]

3 Project Management Tips from… Hamlet

Can you see Hamlet as a project manager? Try… Keep trying… Ok, let’s ignore that he was a prince, Danish, and saw ghosts, at least for a moment. In the play much is made of Hamlet’s indecision, wavering, procrastination, and dithering. DOWNLOAD 10 Project Plan Excel Templates DOWNLOAD 10 Project Plan Excel Templates What Hamlet knew about […]