- Not hitting the road right now? Try a Write to the Top Webinar.
- Don’t overpower your audience with your presentation deck.
- Did you know…
- Grammar goofs and word gaffes
- What’s new at Better Communications (BC)—the AmEx p-card is here!
Not hitting the road right now? Try a Write to the Top Webinar.
Better Communications delivers Write to the Top workshops to your team members right at their desktops—no traveling necessary. Our highly interactive platform allows Better Communications’ instructors to interact with learners in real time, answering questions and providing feedback as the instructors lead the group through the Six Steps to Reader-Centered Writing®. After the workshop, learners receive individual feedback about their writing needs via e-mail or phone.
We conduct most of our e-learning webinars using Centra® Symposium™ virtual classroom software. If you do not have Centra software, you can participate by connecting remotely to BC’s server. BC can also work with you to deliver Write
to the Top workshops using software such as Sametime® and PlaceWare® Virtual Classroom. Please contact us for a demonstration of how our on-line offerings can help your people learn without leaving!
Don’t overpower your audience with your presentation deck
When creating a presentation, remember that you are presenting. Your visual aids are there only to reinforce your words. Cluttered text, heavy reliance on loud colors and images, and dizzying audio and visual effects are all audience repellents. Keep the following questions in mind and spare your audience from the M.E.G.O. (my eyes glaze over) effect!
- Do you need a deck (group of software-generated slides) for this? Sometimes a deck can separate you from your audience instead of drawing them in. Your answer depends upon several variables.
- Length—The shorter the presentation, the smaller the need for an accompanying deck.
- Complexity—Decks are good for organizing complex presentations.
- Audience size—The smaller the audience, the more a deck prevents you from connecting with audience members. Engage your audience orally!
- Where do you want your audience’s attention? Most likely, the answer is “on me.” If you do use a deck, keep it simple and quickly digestible, or your audience will focus on reading instead of listening.
- Should you read straight from your deck? No! This is one of the top complaints about presentations today. Your listeners can read on their own. Use the deck to emphasize key points, but elaborate by talking to the audience.
Remember, the deck plays a supporting role. You’re the star!
Did you know...
Researchers in a Yahoo!-funded study recently found that confusing and overwhelming e-mail can cause large amounts of stress at the workplace. Fight stress (and information overload) by focusing on keeping your e-mails straightforward and concise. Put your bottom line on top—in your subject line!
Quote of Note
“Say all you have to say in the fewest possible words, or your reader will be sure to skip them; and in the plainest possible words or he will certainly misunderstand them.”
—John Ruskin (1819–1900), British critic and philosopher
Grammar goofs
If I was you, I’d read this.
If the above sentence sounds funny to you, you’re on to something: the subjunctive mood. It expresses something that is conditional, hypothetical, purely imaginative, or contrary to fact; it can also express a wish, a doubt, or a possibility.
The above sentence should read, “If I were you, I’d read this.”
Here are some more examples of correct usage.
Correct: If I were president...
Incorrect: If I was president…
Them’s fightin’ words
We couldn’t help noticing some long-forgotten words being dusted off for use, and some others being used incorrectly, in the media coverage of the Iraq war. Use this brief guide to steer clear of some common pitfalls.
Did you just make that up?
- Liaise (pronounced “lee-aayz”), the verb form of liaison, means to mediate between two or more parties.
Example: The middle brother usually had to liaise in disputes between the older and younger boys.
- Attrit (also spelled attrite) is a real word, though one that isn’t used much anymore. The verb form of attrition, it means “to grind away.” It’s generally reserved for references to military losses.
Example: The day’s fighting left the army units severely attrited.
But they look so similar...
- Cache (pronounced “kash”): a hidden storage place, usually of weapons or valuables; also used to describe a certain type of computer memory. Used as a verb, it means to hide or store something.
Example: Detectives found the thieves’ cache of jewels behind a fake wall.
Not to be confused with…
- Cachet (pronounced “kashay”): a mark/reputation of distinction or quality.
Example: That writer has real cachet in the literary world.
Is there a grammar issue that constantly gives you trouble? E-mail info@bettercom.com and we could explain it in a future e-newsletter!
What’s new at BC
The Guide is here
The new Instant-Answer Guide to Business Writing is hot off the presses! This A–Z reference book is authored by BC President Deborah Dumaine and many BC Team members. Learners will be seeing it in workshops now. You can also find out more about it at Amazon.com. We’re excited to give learners this invaluable, updated reference guide that includes an appendix of model documents for all types of business situations.
Streamline workshop billing with your AmEx p-card
You can now use your American Express p-card to purchase Write to the Top workshops. Contact BC to find out how you can streamline your payment process.
Until next time, keep writing!
Help us help you…what issues or challenges would you like to see covered in our newsletters? Tell us!
For more information on our in-house workshops, Open Seminars, or products and services, e-mail info@bettercom.com or visit our Web site: www.writetothetop.com.
