Tuesday, February 05, 2013

Writing for Business for Beginners


In university, writing was a chore. I thought, “Once I graduate, it’ll be great to be free from this!”

Now, living in the real world, writing is still important…maybe it’s even MORE important, actually. Today I don’t write for a grade. I don’t write to prove my ability in a certain area. Today, I write for business.



Painting pictures with words at work has tipped the balance - I’m the teacher, not the student. It’s up to me to convey, using the right number of words and types of phrases, all the ins and outs of a service provider’s products.

Where’s the balance between imagination and reality with business writing? That’s one of the difficulties in writing at work. How to be straightforward without boring everyone?
I definitely haven’t solved all these problems or found answers to all my questions, but there are some observations I've made along the way

3 Tips to Write for Business for Beginners:


1. Get someone else’s input
A knowledgeable and unabashed proofreader might make your paper look like a bloody warzone, but they’re a true friend. 

2. Determine the tone and stylistic
Forget about MLA and ABA – in reality, most companies have their own unique way of doing things. Some of the hot spots are contractions, slang, certain capitalizations and abbreviations. Also, while knowing the corporate lingo is important, a fresh outsider’s perspective can also be a great help when communicating with external shareholders and clients. Someone tenured might not notice their use of jargon, but you can help them by suggesting phrasing that outsiders will understand.

3. Keep it concise
In most business settings, people prefer short and sweet to a lengthy description of “this one time when I had an epiphany about how the company’s product could be better” and “the story of the ten meetings I had to get through before I could introduce my brilliant idea to the CEO before….” Well, you get the picture.
Stories are great; they are powerful and, when written well, cut through the word-clutter online. Just be sure to use them sparingly and appropriately.

To avoid the risk of not following my own advice, I’ll keep my suggestions to the minimum.

Writing for business can be quite rewarding – it’s a tangible deliverable in a country where services rule and product-production is often secondary.

Since starting my post-graduation job, I've learned a lot along the way about my own writing and about how to better follow the example of others. With lots of great input along the way, I’m proud to say I've made the cut and am an accepted author at my company.

Good things come to those who learn!

Friday, November 18, 2011

Good Times...

Tonight was sweet- one of those sweet nights that you wish you could bottle up and take a sip every once in a while when life gets hard and you forget.

Singing worship to God accompanied by my faltering fingers on the piano with a stranger on my guitar... praying for the people we care about... eating double chocolate pomegranate cookies and not feeling bad because I just ate all-veggies, spaghetti squash goulash for dinner.... listening to my hubby laugh with friends and retell stories... listen to girls address their hopes and fears for the future... swapping advice... swapping recipes.... sweet times, sweet people, sweet Jesus.

I discovered some music tonight, and I think one of their songs fits my current mood so well: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JC31SLCQRwc&feature=artist

It's a song to listen to while sipping tea and thinking of all the people we hold dearest.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Test to study for and....

I should be reading up about alternative dispute resolution and writ of certiorari.... Instead, I'm driven to read design articles and look at beautiful things.

Today I stumbled upon Mark Shaw's photographic archive - he took photos for Life magazine, etc... it's classic stuff - check it out here: http://www.markshawphoto.com/

The weather has turned warm today and it has my spirit feeling frisky. I want to skip class and blow bubbles outside, then paint pictures of daffodils and eat gummy bears and jelly beans! However, the call of academia still resounds loudly in my ears and the federal court system is calling me. I think I'm losing the wrestling match with business law... oh well.

In case you're wondering - a writ of certiorari is a writ from a higher court asking a lower court for the record of a case. When a case is appealed to a higher court, one of those is issued. Beautiful, just beautiful.

Tuesday, February 08, 2011

Ah, America

Yesterday I got a particular hankering for Starbucks coffee. When my dear husband suggested I make coffee, I made it clear that not just any coffee would do. Indeed, not just any coffee, but Starbucks. When the idea was put forth that I could just go buy a refrigerated cappucino from the grocery aisle of Walmart, I refused it, too. "I want the experience, not just the coffee. The warm, friendly smells greeting me as I walk in the door. Someone asking for my specific, detailed order based on tastes unique to my palate. Then, when I hear those sweet words singing out my order, I relish that last breath before taking the first sip. It's not just that, either. The feel of the paper cup in my hand engages my senses.

Ah, America.


Sadly, my status as a newlywed college student who, although blessed by God, lives 20 minutes away from Starbucks, did not receive the 5-senses experience of Starbucks coffee... In fact, I probably won't for some time. Ah, America.

Thursday, December 30, 2010

A Year In the Making

525,600 minutes, 525,000 moments so dear.
525,600 minutes - how do you measure, measure a year?
In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee.
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife.
In 525,600 minutes - how do you measure a year in the life?
How about love? How about love? How about love?
Measure in love.
Seasons of love.


...I realize it's been a year.
Oh, but what a full year.

A year of trial, a year of triumphs.
A year of aching for home and creating and embracing a new one.
Love gained and love given
Same job, new name, new boss, same hair color
One more year at Berea completed, not a vegan, healed from celiac disease
Old church lost, new church family gained
Still watched more movies than read books, but the gap is lessening
My first B at Berea... and my fourth semester of all As
I now speak a different language, but the same language with, hopefully, more fluency
I've discovered Rick Pino and Jason Upton, and Jesus Culture

I held roses, kissed a man, and said I do.
I kissed a man for the first time
I set up house -- and not a dollhouse

I discovered new pieces of myself, and embraced things I wanted to ignore before
I wandered the streets of New York alone
I have been in the minority and majority
I got my first $100 pair of shoes, and my first purse over $50 - and didn't pay for either of them
I called my family and friends more frequently
I became a better boss
I was the co-editor of a magazine with a readership in the thousands
I drew closer to Jesus and he drew closer to me

I am different, but still the same
I have changed, but remain steadfast
My dancing shoes are back, and I don't plan on relinquishing them again...

Thank you, Jesus, for the past year - thank you for never leaving me in the midst of it. You're welcome to show me where to go this year! Please help me listen and love better.

Monday, December 07, 2009

Letters: A Glimpse into the Craziness



I'm horribly aware that I haven't posted in ages. My sincerest apologies...

This thought stuck especially deep when I called my Mom for the first time in about a month and she responded with, "LeAnna, myy LeAnna?! Could it be?" Thanks for the sarcasm, Mom... but yeah. Sorry :( I still need to call my Dad- I think that's a three month communication-less-connection. Aach- will I ever improve?

Well, the fact that I just finished my 21 page research paper and I completed my three page paper early has led me to respond to the rest of the universe for the first time in a little while.

I recently discovered that I spend an amazing amount of time on facebook. The thought at first dissapointed me, but then I thought - what an easy way to keep in touch! Fabulous! Beautiful! Bonito! Bravissimo! Hmmm.... but wait... is there a deeper, more sinister truth lurking below the surface? Perhaps.

Facebook is quick and easy (ok, so relatively quick, but mostly time consuming because I choose to make lots of "quick stops" which turn into "one more update"....). What happened to my great longing to put pen to paper and let ink flow across the continental divide to my friends and family at home. Beyond that, my friends overseas haven't heard from me in ages! Guilt. Condemnation. Ok, right, not from God. ok.....

So, I've decided that I WILL spend a portion of my hard-earned two week Christmas break penning and sending letters. If you would like, I will send you one (just give me your address). I'm determined, and hopefully can break the spell of the shiftless communication cycle of my college sophomore year.

SOME SNIPPETS:
I'm alive, doing well. Desperately in love with two men (thankfully one is God, which eliminates a freaky love-triangle thing... this one isn't freaky-hee hee- see photo). I miss the mountains, but am growing a deeper connection with the hills. I still find funny phrase issues - like dressers are called drawers here! I'm allergic to wheat now. I still have the same roommate. I lived with the college president this summer. I'm the photography manager at work. I'm going to try to major in international studies. I baked 4 pies yesterday. I was voted homecoming princess of the college (see photo). I have an amazing church where I'm on the dance team. I need to do laundry (a constant state of being). I cut my hair and gave it to locks of love- now its short again!
Visit to Washington with Brian - Hooray for meeting the family!


Homecoming Princess and her Prince

Tuesday, May 12, 2009