Top tips for Business Writing. Learn how to write reports, proposals, emails, and other types of writing used to communicate with different audiences. Business writing is a also known as business communication and professional writing.
Should you learn a dead language? Isn’t there more important things to do? The short answer is Yes. Well, maybe. Actually, No. You really should start learning Latin and here’s why. The Spectator summarising one influential American study carried out in the state of Iowa: “In 1971, more than 4,000 fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade pupils of […]
Want to get started as a white paper writer? It mightn’t be as hard as you think. If you have good (not necessarily perfect) writing skills, in-depth knowledge of a product, service, or industry, and have the right attitude, then maybe you should consider writing white papers to earn extra income. Due to the recession […]
First, think of the response you want from the reader. Second, put the most important point at the start. Third, highlight one thing only. The problem with most subject lines in emails is that they’re written either: As a placeholder, something to put in while you write the actual email After the email is written […]
If you’re reading this, you’re probably thinking… made. Why do I say this? Because if you are a ‘born writer’, and have written from a very early age as most do, you’d feel that most writers are born, not made. You either have it or you don’t. But it this true? I hate to say it […]
Need a product features matrix? If you have one product and one feature only, you probably don’t. If you can’t remember every feature, and the different benefits each offers, and the use cases, and the business rules, then you may need a feature matrix. Not convinced? Ever heard of Backrub? Well, grasshopper… Once upon a […]
One of my friends, TP, doesn’t believe in buying books anymore. Or buying anything for that matter. “It’s all free,” he said. “You can get it on the internet. It’s all out there. You just need to search”. I think he’s overlooking something. Yes, some things are free but you only value what you really […]
Summary: Key content requirements for software product feature pages are: introduce features, answer questions, and provide user stories. The Purpose of Product Feature Pages The product feature page is the front door to sales. It should be designed for customers searching for products that solves specific problems. This means that when designing the features page […]
Know the difference between affect and effect? Or where to use that but not which? Or when to use which but not with a comma before it? I know. MS Word forbids it. But can expect from a bot? Anyway… You could fill several multi-story car parks with people who — or is it that? […]
I’ll be finished by nine, you tell yourself. After that, maybe a bit of Netflix. That’s at 7.30. Then someone comes over. “Just popped over for a minute.” You put the kettle on. 8.45 they’re still there. “I hate to be rude”, you stammer, “but there’s this report thingy…” It’s a bit awkward but they […]
Noreen Malone, senior editor at New York magazine, admits what everyone else thinks about those pesky em-dashes. “The problem with the dash—as you may have noticed!—is that it discourages truly efficient writing. It also—and this might be its worst sin—disrupts the flow of a sentence. Don’t you find it annoying—and you can tell me if […]
Bertrand Russell, especially in his book, Why I Write, offers great advice on how to move from wordy, verbose, lengthy, purple prose to shorter text without losing any meaning. Here’s the three step formula he provides: Never use a long word if a short word will do. If you want to make a statement with […]
Q: Where can I find work as a white paper writer? Getting your first project is the hardest. Once you’ve got this under your belt, it becomes easier. I’d suggest the following: Setup a 10 page website. Write about the benefits, sales opportunities, branding development and web traffic that can be made from well written, […]
Rule #1! You can’t describe what you don’t understand. We agree? You can try and fudge it, but the people reviewing the document will see through it. I will. You would. Maybe you can try and cheat by cobbling together material that others have written, but it doesn’t work. Anyway, that’s not writing. It’s just […]
What are the three documents most potential customers wants to read? I’d say it’s white papers, case studies, and product brochures. The first sets the scene, the second shows you how it works, and the third… this tells you how and why it works. Of the three, product brochures are the least sexy. But they’re […]
