When politicians, business leaders, and others use words to blur their meaning rather than clarify it, both writers and readers suffer. The main cost of divorcing words from their meaning is a loss of ability to think clearly. As the saying goes, clear writing is a sign of clear thinking. When people cannot think coherently, they cannot write coherently and vice versa. Fortunately, however, Orwell’s essay offers hope. He believed that if each individual takes it upon himself to use fresh, compelling images, avoid pretentious language, and write clearly, we can change the world one word at a time.

I recommend that you read the entire nine-page essay (just Google the essay’s title and you can find the pdf or book). Here I offer you a few excerpts from the piece. He suggests that writers ask themselves six key questions and follow six rules:

“A scrupulous writer will ask himself these questions:

• What am I trying to say?
• What words will express it?
• What image or idiom will make it clearer?
• Is this image fresh enough to have an effect?
• Could I put it more shortly?
• Have I said anything that is avoidably ugly?”

Once we have answered those questions, we must write our document. For this, too, Orwell has practical suggestions that apply to all writers. He says, “What is above all needed is to let the meaning choose the word, and not the other way about.” Here are the rules he suggests:

1. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech that you are used to seeing in print.
2. Never use a long word when a short one will do.
3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
4. Never use the passive voice where you can use the active.
5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
6. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.

As the author of 1984, Animal Farm, and numerous outstanding essays, Orwell knew about good writing. I hope you will take his advice and eschew obfuscation forever.

​
​Call Worktalk When:

• Companies lose customers due to poor messaging from sales and customer service teams;
• Clients complain about communication from professional service firms’ staff members;
• Employees need to humanize the output of AI-assisted writing programs so it doesn’t sound fake;
• Employees need help developing the right prompts for AI-assisted writing programs to generate more effective outputs;
• Employees waste time repeatedly emailing one another because their messages are unclear.

Contact me at lizd@worktalk.com or 310.396.8303.

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If you missed the last Writamin on being gruntled that irregardless is a word, find it here.

The post George Orwell’s Call to Action appeared first on Worktalk.

When I pose this question to Worktalk Email Effectiveness program participants, responses run from five seconds to one minute. This is sobering. Remember that long email you struggled to compose? Odds are that it was skimmed for a few seconds before the reader moved on to the next priority.

Given the fleeting opportunity to engage your readers to open your emails, you must take advantage of the subject line. This is the first path to persuading readers to open your email and give it their time.

Here are five tips from the Worktalk Email training that will help you write subject lines that do the job.

1. Use the Three P’s to hook the reader’s attention.

The Three Ps are purpose, person, and point. Before you write, ask yourself, “What is my purpose? Am I informing, persuading, or requesting?” Then, analyze your reader and their inner questions. “What person is reading this, and what does that person need to know?” Finally, clarify your point before you start to write. This will prevent you from rambling.

So, if you’re writing to request a meeting that will enable you to confirm the budget for an important project, you might say:

SUBJECT: Available to meet to finalize the Q3 2024 budget?

This touches on your purpose – requesting a meeting, your person – who wants to finalize the budget, and your point – the basic request.

2. Change the subject line when you change the subject.

People rely on subject lines to help them keep track of various topics. If you change the topic three emails down in an email chain, you will be hard-pressed to pick up the thread. Just start a new email or subject line when you change the subject. Remember, it’s free!

3. Never leave the subject line blank.

In my email training, I have met many people who automatically delete emails with blank subject lines. Either they figure it is spam, or they are so annoyed that the writer did not respect them enough to take a few moments to state the subject of the email that they are just not interested.

That position may be extreme, but leaving the subject line is a mistake because it squanders your opportunity to hook your reader’s attention.

4. Be straightforward, not witty or cute.

The days of cute subject lines are over. Cute, witty emails are likely to backfire. Readers are overwhelmed with emails and just want to know what you want from them..

So rather than writing:

SUBJECT: Hey! Gotta minute?

Follow the next tip…

5. Give the essential message in the subject line.

Using the Three P’s, you will succeed at writing your essential message that aligns with your reader’s interests.

Are you requesting action? Say so, and specify the action. Are you sharing a topic of crucial interest? State it in terms that will resonate with your reader. Do you want to confirm a lunch date? Just state your point.

Sharing the essential message in the subject line enables your reader to make an informed decision about whether and when to open your email.

Call Worktalk When:

• Companies lose customers due to poor messaging from sales and customer service teams;
• Clients complain about communication from professional service firms’ staff members;
• Employees need to humanize the output of AI-assisted writing programs so it doesn’t sound fake;
• Employees need help developing the right prompts for AI-assisted writing programs to generate more effective outputs;
• Employees waste time repeatedly emailing one another because their messages are unclear.

Contact Worktalk today. Click here.

Click here to read more blog posts on emails.

How to Take Your Business Writing From “Average” to “Great”

3 Ways to Improve Your Business’s Writing

Does Every Email Need a Subject Line? Yes, Every Reader Appreciates a Heads-Up About the Content of Your Email

The post 5 Tips for Getting Your Emails Opened appeared first on Worktalk.

You work hard to write the perfect email to a prospective customer. You hit the send button full of hope that you will get a positive response. Then, the waiting begins. A day goes by. Then another. Then another. Crickets. It is frustrating when our recipients do not respond to our emails.

First, the bad news: If your recipients do not want to respond, they won’t. They will probably ignore your email if they are uninterested in your offering. We cannot control other people’s behavior.

However, you can get a reply if you have strong credibility and a compelling subject line. If your subject line and content resonate with a recipient’s emotions, you can even overcome the resistance to entertaining a message from an unknown sender. So, there is hope.

If you want your recipient to respond to your email, three things have to happen. The person must:

• Open your email
• Read it
• Respond to it

Persuade your recipient to open the email

Two factors affect your recipient’s likelihood of opening your email: your credibility as a sender and the effectiveness of your subject line. You probably know people whose emails you will open no matter how busy you are. Your boss, your key clients, perhaps a few direct reports–these folks are too important to ignore.

But what if you do not fall into the illustrious group whose emails are automatically opened? That’s where your credibility comes into play. Have you previously sent this person useful messages? She will remember. Do you have a good reputation? She will know. When you build your personal brand by consistently sending valuable emails, your recipient is more likely to open your next message.

The subject line often determines whether a person will open your email. An effective subject line is:

• Brief
• Targeted
• Contains a call to action

Your subject line should be brief, consisting of five to eight words. It should show a compelling benefit to the recipient and create a sense of urgency by including a call to action. Let’s look at some examples.

Situation: You need your manager to decide on your proposal.

• Weak subject line: “New Proposal”
• Strong subject line: “Decision Required: New Proposal for XYZ Project”

Situation: You need a staff member to turn in their monthly sales report.

• Weak subject line: “Need Monthly Report”
• Strong subject line: “Action Required: Monthly Report Needed by February 19”

If you are a credible sender and your subject line is compelling, your recipient is likely to open your email. Next, you need her to read it.

Entice your recipient to read your email

Your recipient is busy. Among the hundreds of emails blinking at her, she must choose which ones to read. Why should she read yours? To make your emails readable, do three things:

• Get to the point.
• Use plain language.
• Keep the right tone.

Make your recipient’s life easy, and she is apt to give you her attention. Get to the point: Place your main point or request within the first 40 words of your email. Use plain language. Avoid jargon and identify acronyms the first time you use them.

In addition, make sure your tone is friendly, respectful, and professional. Imagine you are conversing with a friend — this reduces the chances of sinking into stuffiness. At the same time, don’t be too casual. Minimize slang and steer clear of emojis (until the other person uses them).

Trigger a response

Here’s what you need to do:

• Ask for a response in your subject line. I have been amazed at the power of simply writing “Please Respond” in my subject lines.
• Offer a clear call to action. It might be obvious to you that if you send a contract, the recipient should sign and return it, but in the crush of email traffic, your recipient might not connect the dots and remember what she is supposed to do. Tell her.
• Set a deadline in the subject line. Deadlines help move your message to the top of the pile by creating a sense of urgency. You increase the odds of receiving a response by providing a time frame and a reason to respond.

In summary, persuading your recipients to respond to your emails requires them to open and read them and choose to reply. Provide genuine benefit to the recipient and write compelling subject lines, and watch the replies roll in.

The post How to Write Emails That Get Responses appeared first on Worktalk.

Words matter; using the wrong word in a business document is a quick credibility crasher. I recall a meeting attended by a friend who was a highly paid business consultant, a prospective client, and me. We were discussing the client’s project when my friend leaned forward and said expansively, “Let me share a little antidote with you.” I was stunned. Had the prospect just been bitten by a snake? Using “antidote” instead of “anecdote” gave the lie to my friend’s façade of expertise. We didn’t get the job.

Here is a list of five of today’s most commonly confused word pairs in business writing.

1. They’re/their/there

Often, this error is more a matter of fat fingers than ignorance. We all know that they’re is a contraction of they are. Their is a possessive pronoun meaning “belonging to them”. And there indicates a place or location. We just get caught up in typing; before we know it, we’ve used the wrong form. Here’s a sentence using all three:

They’re on their way to the house over there.

2. Accept/except

Accept is a verb. It means to receive or agree to something.

Except is a preposition. It means excluding or with the exclusion of.

I think writers often confuse these words because they sound so similar when spoken. Train yourself to make the “a” sound when saying “accept” and the short “e” sound when saying “except,” and you might find it easier to distinguish between the two.

I would like to accept your gift except that I am unable to receive gratuities.

3. Advice/advise

Advice is a noun. It means guidance or recommendation.

Advise is a verb. It describes the action of giving advice.

Often, this error is a result of typing too fast. Stop and think for a moment when using these words and you won’t go awry.

I advise you to accept his advice.

4. Affect/effect

Affect is a verb. It means “to influence.” In psychology, it can also be a noun refering to a person’s emotional state.

Effect is a noun. It is a result or outcome. An effect is the result of being affected.

Like “accept” and “except”, these words may sound similar on the tongue. Pronounce them carefully and see if the confusion disappears.

His entire life has been affected by his inability to acknowledge the effects of his decisions.

5. Principle/principal

A principle is a core idea or value.

Principal refers to the first or foremost thing, as in the head of staff at a school or company. I always remember the saying, “The principal is not your pal.” It also refers to financial capital.

In principle, withdrawing funds from your principal is a bad idea. The principal reason for this is that, on principle, we want to preserve our assets. I’ve spoken to the principal members of our staff about this idea.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

These word pairs are not new to you – you learned them in elementary school. But that was a long time ago, and today, the gas pedal is floored as you try to type your way through a daily slog of verbiage.

In the pressure of rushing, you may sometimes type the wrong word. And in the urge to “Send” and get the document out of your work queue and into someone else’s, you are tempted to put off proofreading. When we rush, we do not see errors that would be obvious if we slowed down.

For fun, I tried to use all the words in this Writamin in a couple of sentences. Here you go:

Except for their effect on children, the principal reason I advise people to refrain from spending too much time on social media sites is because, in principle, these sites are designed to affect our attention span. Meta has many talented engineers – they’re out there trying to rob you of your attention. Take my advice and steer clear of Facebook.

Next month’s Writamin will contain five more commonly misused word pairs, including your/you’re, stationery/stationary, and ensure/insure.

Please send me the word pairs that you see most commonly confused and I’ll add them to the list.

​

Take me to your leader! Communication woes drain the lifeblood from an organization. Connect me with your decision-makers and see how Worktalk can transform communication in your world. Contact me at lizd@worktalk.com or 310.396.8303.

Did someone forward this Writamin to you? Sign up here.

If you missed the last Writamin on “A Merry Christmas is Wished to You by Us,” you can see it here.

To read my recent Inc.com columns:

​3 Essential Writing Tasks that AI-Assisted Writing Programs Cannot Do For You​

​Use Reflective Writing to Distill the Lessons of the Past Year​

See my latest article in The Harvard Business Review on how to respond to an upsetting email!

The post Manage Misused Word Pairs appeared first on Worktalk.

And which would make a better hit song? I heard it through the grapevine. Or, Through the grapevine it was heard by me. You get the picture.

Maybe you would laugh at the silliness of these alternatives, but why? The basic message is the same.

However, the messages are structured differently. The first set of statements is in the active voice, and the second set is in the passive voice.

In the active voice, your focus is on the actor – the one in the sentence who is doing the action. For example, the sentence, The boy hit the ball is in the active voice. The one who did the action, the boy, is the subject of the sentence. In the passive voice, the one who does the action takes a back seat. You might find the actor in a phrase that starts with by or nowhere in the sentence at all. The subject of the sentence, by contrast, is the object of the action.

For example, The ball was hit by the boy is in the passive voice. The object of the action of hitting (the ball) becomes the grammatical subject of the sentence. The one who did the action (the boy) is relegated to a side phrase that starts with by.

If you imagine each of your sentences as telling its own story, which story would be more gripping? A story about a boy, or a story about…a ball?

The active voice echoes our natural attraction to actors over objects. By placing the actor into the grammatical subject of the sentence, the active voice focuses our attention on the people or entities that are capable of doing things. This revs us up in a way that passive voice never will. That’s why when you write in the active voice, your sentences ring with energy and connection. People grasp them after reading them once.

In contrast, by obscuring who did an action, the passive voice enables writers to disconnect actors from their actions and blur accountability. Why do you think it is so popular in large organizations?

Passive voice also slows down our processing time as we try to identify who are the actors in a sentence. As a result, the passive voice tends to breed formality and distance. Government contracts reek of the passive voice, and legal documents suffocate in it.

In the Worktalk writing training programs, we practice extensively to transform sludgy passive sentences into zingy active ones. I tell people that if they ever forget the difference between the active voice and the passive, they should remember this example:

A Merry Christmas is wished to you by us is in the passive voice.

We wish you a Merry Christmas is in the active voice.

And we do.

Take me to your leader! Communication woes drain the lifeblood of an organization. Connect me with your decision-makers and see how Worktalk can transform communication in your world. Contact me at lizd@worktalk.com or 310.396.8303.

The post A Merry Christmas is Wished to you by us appeared first on Worktalk.