- This just in: earn NASBA CPE credits with Write to the Top workshops!
- Did you know? Accountants consider good writing skills very valuable but rare.
- What’s new at Better Communications (BC)—Writing for Leaders®: coming soon!
- Use these weighty words to wow your audience
- Build good will with your colleagues by sponsoring a workshop
- Grammar goofs and word gaffes
This just in: Earn NASBA CPE credits
with Write to the Top workshops!
Better Communications is delighted to announce that we have been accredited by the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA). Learners can now earn CPE credits for Write to the Top workshops. Both our live-delivery and on-line workshops can be counted towards NASBA requirements. Contact us now to integrate our programs with your company’s professional education offerings!
Did you know …
A survey in the 2002 Mountain Plains Journal of Business and Economics showed that written communications skills are considered some of the most important yet underdeveloped skills entry-level accountants have. Members of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Institute of Management Accountants ranked skills on a 5-point scale. The importance of writing well—“clearly, concisely, correctly, completely”—ranked at 4.42. However, when asked to rank their new hires’ writing, respondents gave a rating of only 2.68.
What’s new at BC
Writing for Leaders: coming soon
High-level executives and change leaders are the ideal audience for our newest workshop, Writing for Leaders. Learn to lead through writing, write for results, motivate your team for action, write effective feedback to your employees, and help foster employee development. Materials include actual examples of effective and ineffective leadership documents. This workshop will be ready to go in Q1 2004—your customer relationship manager has more details!
Use these weighty words to WOW your audience
According to a Yale University study brought to our attention by Sandra Simpson, President and Founder of Speaking Like a Pro, these 12 words have the greatest persuasive impact on an audience. Use them judiciously. You can even combine them for more effect!
- YOU—This is the second most persuasive word—other than someone’s name.
- NEW—This triggers hopes for solutions or visibility or satisfies curiosity.
- EASY—People prefer simplicity over complexity in a stressful environment.
- PROVEN—Many people are risk-shy. This assures the audience that something has been tested and will succeed.
- RESULTS—This word conveys something tangible that can be visualized. Creates a sense of reality.
- DISCOVER—This word suggests excitement and adventure.
- LOVE— “Love” is a powerful word in any context.
- GUARANTEE—People are often reluctant to commit to something because of the risk involved. Remove that fear. For example, “I’ll redo the project if you’re not satisfied.” Wouldn’t that persuade you to buy if you were ambivalent?
- SAFETY—This is one of the basic human needs.
- MONEY—Money means power and control to many.
- HEALTH—Self-preservation is a prime motivator—be it physical or psychological.
- SAVE—This means gain—whether it’s time, money, resources, or energy.
Quotes of Note
“Put it before them briefly so they will read it, clearly so they will appreciate it, picturesquely so they will remember it and, above all, accurately so they will be guided by its light.”
—Joseph Pulitzer (1847–1911), newspaper publisher
“The beautiful part of writing is that you don't have to get it right the first time, unlike, say, a brain surgeon.”
—Robert Cormier (1925–2000), author
Build good will by sponsoring Write to the Top
A financial industry client recently had the goal of strengthening relationships with their industry peers in their community. Their solution? They enlisted us to deliver a workshop for a professional society—to enthusiastic response from the attendees.
Giving your peers from other organizations the opportunity to improve the quality and productivity of their writing is a gesture of good will, and one that’s greatly appreciated. Sponsoring a professional development workshop also makes business sense—it encourages communication in your region and in your field of expertise. Best of all, participants leave the workshop with an effective, up-to-date process and tools for clear communications. Write
to the Top makes collaboration on joint projects easier! Want to boost your reputation while creating new business opportunities? Let us work with you to plan your own sponsored workshop.
Grammar goofs and word gaffes
When do I use whom?
Whom is more than just who with an m stuck on the end. Here’s the proper way to use it.
Using the word in a question demonstrates how it should be used in general.
| Examples: |
Who gave that to you?
With whom are we meeting? |
If you can answer the question with he, she, or they, you’ll want to use who. (Who is a subject. It usually does things. In this instance, it gives you something.)
Example: Who gave that to you? He gave that to you.
If you can answer the question with him, her, or them, you should use whom. (Whom is an object. It usually has things done to it. In this example, you give it a report.)
Example: With whom are we meeting? We are meeting with her.
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!
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.
