Why you need plain language



Great writing begins with knowing your purpose, your audience and your message. But that's just the beginning. Learning how to write with impact takes practice.

Do you have tips that have helped you become a better writer? We'd love to hear from you.

Colleen

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Dry Stone Festival 2017

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We love our clients. Our most entertaining project this month is for the Frontenac Heritage Foundation, sponsors of this year's Dry Stone Festival. Each year, Dry Stone Canada finds a location to restore or build walls, bridges or other structures using the dry stone technique. If you've seen photographs of rural Ireland, you've seen dry stone walls stretching for miles. These walls are build with stone only -- no mortar -- and last for hundreds of years. It's an ancient art that visitors to the festival can observe or actually participate in and learn when they register for a workshop. There's even a free kid's workshop where they too can learn and practice their new dry stone skills. This year's event is being held at St. Mark's Anglican Church in Barriefield Village, Kingston, Ontario on September 30 and October 1. Barriefield residents are taking part by offering other activities as well. There will be walking tours, scheduled tours of S...
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How to build a great slide

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Watching a presentation the other day (and hoping my loss of consciousness didn't show on my face) I was reminded of the need for people to know what makes a great presentation. It all starts with a great slide. Why do we use slides? Basically, because we humans have poor memories and even worse concentration. Slides are to used to engage another sense (vision) in addition to hearing to increase the audience's attention and retention. Although there are a lot of different numbers out there, experts seem to agree that you will remember a very small percentage of what you hear (about 10 per cent), about 20 per cent of what you read and about 80 per cent of what you see. That's why a visually arresting slide makes you and your presentation much more effective. How to create a great slide Unless someone gives you a set amount of slides (a completely inane practice), don't worry about the number of slides in your deck. The number of slides has absolutely ...
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What's culture got to do with it?

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I've written and spoken (a lot) about brand. What it is and what it isn't. It's a favourite soapbox of mine. Over the years, I've been asked many times to "create a brand." As soon as I begin to ask questions about their customer service, internal culture, market position, etc., I am often met with that deer-in-the-headlights look. They aren't really asking for help with their brand. What they are saying is: "Create a logo for us." Your logo, motto or slogan, the colours, fonts and images that you use represent your brand -- or what you think your brand is or want it to be. Brand itself is quite different. To define your brand, ask yourself some questions. How would you describe your business's culture?  What behaviour do you recognize and reward among your employees?  How do you think your customers would describe their experiences with you?  How responsive are you to requests for service after the sale?  Do you give...
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