Innate talent counts, of course, but there is another, more important factor: Putting the time and effort into consistent learning and practice. The writers we admire most have typically invested thousands of hours honing their craft and refining their voices.

Let’s face it—some people are born with superior language skills and get early exposure to literacy that enables them to use their inborn capacities to their advantage. These people might become the glittering literati of their generation. Yet even they put hundreds of hours into developing their craft before they gain the limelight. If they write at work, their reports are the ones that get kudos from top management, while other docs languish in the “unread” pile.

What about those of us who may not write the great American novel or even the great American email? The good news is that writing isn’t an all-or-nothing game. Each of us can improve our communication abilities, regardless of where we start. The question isn’t whether you can become the next Hemingway, but rather how much you can make the most of the talent you have through training and preparation.

Of course, no law says that you have to become a better writer. If you decide that putting in the hours to become your best writing self is not worth the effort, that’s your choice. However, if you are not improving your skills, you are losing ground. You might have to resign yourself to a lifetime of emails and phone calls asking you, “What did you mean?” or saying, “I didn’t understand what you wrote.” Or prepare to be ignored. The price of poor writing is a painful one.

Great athletes put in thousands of practice hours before TV commentators call them “naturals.” When you persevere in the effort to be a better business writer, you, too, can feel like “a natural.” By sharpening your skills, you will gain these advantages at work:

• People will be happy to hear from you.
• People will understand you the first time they read your words.
• People will be more likely to agree with your proposals.
• You are more likely to be promoted to ever more significant positions of responsibility.

If you decide to invest in superior writing, many resources are available to you — books, classes, blogs, apps, AI algorithms. You simply need to open the treasure box of tools to take the next step in your writing journey. Good luck!

​

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

Did you miss last month’s Writamin on The Human Advantage: Improving Business Writing in the Age of AI? See it here.​

To read my recent Inc.com columns:

​This Strategy Helps Humanize Your AI-Generated Content​

​Include a Call to Action to Get the Results You Need​

​4 Ways to Tame the Email Tsunami in 2025​

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

Read my article in Harvard Business Review about how to move your business writing from “average” to “great” by using the Three P’s.

The post Why Are Some People Better Business Writers Than Others? appeared first on Worktalk.

Many writers plunge into their work without a clear destination. They don’t stop to think about their goals, but hope their reader will manage to decode the message about which they themselves are unclear. But this approach wastes time and is unlikely to achieve results. Successful writers think about their desired outcome before they even touch the keyboard.

Start by asking: What should readers think, feel, or do after reading this piece? Your answer shapes everything that follows.

• Writing an email to set up a meeting? Don’t vaguely request “Let me know your availability.” Instead, write “Can we meet Thursday at 3 p.m. to discuss project updates?” This specific request drives action.
• Writing a memo about new fire safety protocols? Your goal isn’t to have readers stash the information away with other non-relevant emails. “Please read the following carefully and confirm receipt of this email after you’ve read it” will alert readers that the email is relevant. Then format the content to make it easy to follow and understand.
• Writing a persuasive proposal? Imagine the decision you want readers to make. Then build your argument to lead them there. Address their concerns early. Present your solution clearly. Support it with evidence. Create a path that guides them toward agreement.

Once you clarify your goal, organize your message to achieve it. Map out main points, anticipate objections, and craft a compelling call to action.

For example, you could break down a proposal for a new marketing initiative into the following sections: an introduction to the need for the initiative, the proposed solution, supporting data, and a closing call to action that encourages the decision-maker to approve the plan. By clearly mapping out these sections ahead of time, you ensure that the document remains focused and persuasive from start to finish.

When you start with clarity about what you want to achieve, you create a document that resonates with readers and leads them to the action you desire.

In the end, writing isn’t just about stringing words together; it’s about shaping an experience for your readers, guiding them through your ideas and encouraging a specific result. Whether you’re seeking to inform, persuade, or request, your message will always be stronger when you begin with the end in mind.

So, the next time you sit down to write, ask yourself: What do I want the reader to think, feel, or do after reading this? As you continue in your writing life, remember to think about the end result you are striving for. Focus on that as you organize, plan, and write your document. You will be amazed at the outcome.

copyright 2025 Elizabeth Danziger

​
​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.

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

The post Begin With the End in Mind: The Key to Purposeful Writing appeared first on Worktalk.

— E.B. White

It can be tempting to use hedge words like just, very, seemingly, and their ilk. Sometimes, we use these words because we fear being too bold or appearing too certain; we want to acknowledge the room for disagreement or more information on a topic. In other cases, we are unsure whether our message is valuable, so we offer it noncommittally in case others shoot it down.

In both cases, avoiding hedge words will add strength to your message.

If you are afraid of making a point too boldly, remember that there is always a chance that people will disagree with you; however, if you make your point using fuzzy language, your readers might not understand you well enough to know if they agree or disagree.

If you have something valuable to say, say it. If it is not valuable, why say it? But don’t hedge your words with language that makes you seem unsure of your message.

Resist the urge to fatten up your work by hedging your points with namby-pamby modifiers. If your goal is to make your point clearly, why clutter it up with words like very and seemingly?

Notice as you read whether these words add anything to your comprehension other than an uncomfortable sense that the writers don’t stand behind their words.

· just

· by and large

· rather

· seemingly

· somewhat

· kind of

· mostly

· really

· very

· pretty

· little

· sort of

· it would seem

· in some respects

· for the most part

· for all intents and purposes

What is wrong with hedges and modifiers? They block your points. They betray uncertainty. They consume the reader’s time and energy with words that add nothing to your message.

So, for the most part, just be very careful to be pretty clear when you write, because it would seem that when you add hedges to most of your statements, you seem sort of a little unclear about what you are trying say.

​

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.

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

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

The post Don’t Hedge appeared first on Worktalk.

Inevitable/evitable

Inevitable means unavoidable. Did you know that the word evitable is a real word, meaning that something could be avoided? Why do we say inevitable but never evitable?

He wanted to pretend the breakup was inevitable, but if he had behaved properly, it was entirely evitable.

Disgruntled/Gruntled

Disgruntled means dissatisfied or unhappy. Its parallel word is gruntled, which means satisfied or contented. So, the next time you run into an old friend, you can exclaim, “I’m so gruntled to see you!”

A friendly smile can make the difference between disgruntled and gruntled.

Inorganic/Organic

The word “organic” has been hijacked by health-food enthusiasts who want it to mean natural, specifically, grown without using artificial pesticides. But technically, organic means derived from a living organism. In chemistry, the word refers to something that contains the element carbon. In this context, most of our food is organic except salt, which is composed of sodium and chloride.

In contrast, inorganic means not growing from a living organism or not containing carbon compounds. So your polyester shirt is inorganic, but your cotton blouse is organic. Still, we rarely see the word inorganic, while organic, – which is in a sense inaccurate – is used to describe food that has been grown a certain way.

In a business context, organic growth comes from sales of a company’s products or services. Inorganic growth comes from revenue of an M&A transaction, from the acquired company. The company grew organically at the rate of 15%; investors may be fooled by the rapid increase due to inorganic growth after the acquisition.

Most fast food is organic but not organic. The salt on the French fries is inorganic.

Inflammable/Flammable

Although these words are widely considered to by synonyms, they have subtly different meanings.

Flammable means easily ignited and capable of burning rapidly. Something flammable is capable of burning, especially a liquid.

Inflammable means capable of being easily set fire; easily enkindled; combustible. It also refers to a person who is easily upset.

While you can use them interchangeably, it’s best to honor these slightly different connotations.

Invaluable/Valuable

These words, which, according to all English usage, should be opposites, actually mean the same thing. In fact, something invaluable is even more valuable than something merely valuable. You have to love the English language for throwing out these conundrums!

Irregardless/Regardless

For decades, as a true curmudgeon and card-carrying member of the Grammar Police, I objected to the word irregardless. It is redundant and has the same meaning as regardless.

However, to my dismay, the Merriam-Webster dictionary recently took the position that irregardless is a word, as it has been used, albeit in a nonstandard manner, for over 200 years. Nevertheless, and irregardless of the dictionary, business writers should use regardless instead.

Disinterested/Uninterested

Although these words are often used synonymously, they have very different meanings.

Disinterested means objective, not having a stake in the dispute. An arbitrator or mediator needs to be a disinterested party so that they can treat both parties in a fair and impartial manner.

Uninterested means lacking in interest. A person who is uninterested does not care. If you are involved in litigation, you want the judge to be disinterested but not uninterested.

As you see, it pays to be precise when we choose our words. After all, words become sentences, and sentences become thoughts. Thoughts have wings – carrying our ideas into the minds of our readers. Let’s make sure we fly right.

The post Are You Gruntled that Irregardless is a Word? appeared first on Worktalk.

Am I being a curmudgeon to mention this? Perhaps. But if I’m a grouch, I’m not alone. For millions of readers, these mistakes matter. When you are building your personal and business brand, can you afford to assume that your readers don’t care about precision in language?

In last month’s Writamin, we detailed five pairs of frequently misused words. This month, we present six more.

1. its/it’s

This is the grandfather of grammatical gaffes. Here’s the skinny:

Its is a possessive pronoun meaning “belonging to it.”

It’s is a contraction of the words it is or it has.

In short, their meanings are entirely unrelated. But the tiny apostrophe is all that separates one from the other. To avoid this error, do not rely on the auto-correct function on your phone or computer; they’re likely to give you the wrong word. Instead, read what’s on the screen and ask yourself what you mean to say. Then write it. If you cannot undo the contraction of it’s and write it is, then you probably mean its.

It’s no secret that the disco era has lost its mojo.

2. your/you’re

This pair is another common culprit.

Your is a possessive pronoun meaning “belonging to you.”

You’re is a contraction of you are, which is a combination of a noun and a verb. Grammatically dissimilar, they have the misfortune to sound alike, which is why people frequently garble them when they write.

Again, your auto-correct function will often spit out the wrong word, so check it yourself.

So you’re the one who left your laptop on the desk.

3. ​stationary​/​stationery​

These words have an interesting etymological root.

Stationary is the older word from the Latin statio, meaning to stand. Something is stationary when it stands still. Stationery originated in the 1600s and refers to writing paper and related items.

What’s the connection? I’ve read two explanations. One says that in medieval times, monastic scribes sat at their stations as they copied manuscripts. The paper they wrote on came to be known as stationery. The other is that in early marketplaces, vendors of paper products stood by columns known as stations, so their wares came to be known as stationery. Either way, the word has its source in stationary.

I sympathize with this mistake because the words sound identical and vary by only one letter. Still, you show yourself to be a better-educated person when you use them correctly.

4. ​ensure​/​insure​/​assure​

OK, no jokes about drinking dietary supplements called Ensure. But actually, let’s consider why this product received its name.

To ensure means to make sure something happens.

To insure is to protect against damage, loss, or injury.

To assure is to give confidence to or convince.

The dietary supplement Ensure assures its users that they can ensure they receive adequate nutrition. It insures them against losing their health.

5. ​farther​/​further​

The distinction between these words is simple.

Farther includes the word far; it refers to distance, whether literal or figurative.

Further means more.

At the risk of annoying you further, may I ask how much farther we have to walk until we arrive?

6.​ appraise​/​apprise​

Let me apprise you of the difference between these words.

To appraise means to set a value on something; the word implies that the appraiser has expert knowledge.

To apprise means to tell or inform.

When he apprised me of the appraisal, I was shocked.

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

Sometimes, people misuse these words because they do not know their definitions.

Often, however, these words creep into business documents because writers rush to write and fail to proofread. Re-reading everything you write is an essential, non-negotiable step in the writing process.

We all make mistakes. We write, “your welcome to stop bye” without batting an eye. But the people who succeed in life are those who check their work.

Be the better person and the more accomplished writer: Know the meaning of the words you use and re-read your emails, reports, and posts before you release them into the world. Doing so will ensure that your career will not remain stationary. Plus, it’s the right thing to do.

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.

The post Don’t embarrass yourself: Use the Right Words appeared first on Worktalk.