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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1 little adjective

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We've talked about branding on this blog a number of times. Today, I'd like to tackle it from a different perspective. We know that people have crummy memories, right? If you tell your kids to do five things, you're lucky if they'll remember two. Whenever you go to the grocery store to pick up a few things, how many times do you return home without the most-needed item? That's why communication folks say to only have one to three key messages and to repeat them over and over. People will remember very little of what you tell them; I've read that words account for as little as seven per cent of the impact of a presentation, for example. So, what's the one thing -- the ONE thing -- you want people to remember about you? The one thing you want them to tell others about you? That you were helpful? Professional? Friendly? Expert? Inspiring? Have a look at these adjectives. Think of these as a jumping off point and use other words if these don't...
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Strategy vs tactics

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From: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/strategy How often have you walked into a meeting to discuss strategy only to find your team debating the value of brochures over radio ads or pop-up displays and website content? The team whips together products that they believe will achieve their (usually unarticulated) goals only to deplete the budget without getting results. "Is this really what strategy is all about?" you might well ask. We're going to spend a few weeks talking about strategy in a way that we hope will help you get really comfortable staying away from tactics and helping your team members grasp big-picture thinking. Let's start with defining what strategy is -- and what it isn't. First, from the Oxford Dictionary, strategy is a plan to achieve a long-term goal. It is not the detail, which would be set out later in an operational plan. It is high-level. It is the "how" or approach you'll take to achieve that goal...
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The risky proposition of not knowing your key message

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Communication people spend a lot (A LOT) of time talking about key messages, writing key messages, and coaching clients how to use key messages. Why all the bother about a simple statement? Because if you do this one thing well, people (read: clients, customers, staff, your kids) will remember the crux of what you're talking about. Do it poorly, and they remember nothing -- or, perhaps worse, the wrong thing. The thing about memory that has been shown to be true is that it's a patchwork at best. We may remember bits and pieces of different events and cobble them together to create inexact recollections. We often remember bad things as being more significant than they were (Like that old performance review when the boss said lots of nice things, but you've focused on the one area she said needed improvement.) and tend to remember those things that struck an emotional cord over things that don't. When we deliver a lot of information, we're asking people ...
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