Spreading the Good Word

Next Tuesday, April 8th, I’m presenting a luncheon seminar for the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce called “Words That Work: Business Writing Basics.” Can’t wait. It’s always a treat to get a chance to share useful, practical information that makes life and work easier for people. There’s nothing like witnessing those “aha” moments when something that was once daunting suddenly seems doable.

I’ve given this talk numerous times, and I typically customize it to have either a marketing, or technical, or formal slant depending on the audience. But the core material is always built around what I consider the three commandments of communication: Know your audience, know your purpose, and keep it simple. I didn’t invent this message, obviously they’re widely available from many knowledgeable sources, but I certainly delight in passing it on, partly as a way of paying back all the wise souls who enlightened me.

It’s amazing how easy it is to make things much harder than they actually are, especially in the middle of a project with the deadline looming and the pressure turned up, but coming back to those three key concepts can put everything back into perspective. Audience, purpose, and K.I.S.S. Can’t you feel your blood pressure easing down just reading that? Doesn’t it make you want to explore the ins and outs of better business writing at the very first opportunity? I know I’m excited about it, in fact I could go on and on at some length — but I promise to keep the presentation under 90 minutes.

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