http://www.businesswritingblog.com/business_writing/ en-US Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:15:22 -0800 http://www.typepad.com/ businesswritingblog/BwB09http://feedburner.google.com http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businesswritingblog/BwB09/~3/Cep8l19J4ho/when-your-audience-is-international.html http://www.businesswritingblog.com/business_writing/2009/11/when-your-audience-is-international.html With some business audiences, it's easy to know exactly what to say and how to say it. We do it almost without thinking, following the usual rules. But with a global audience of non-native English speakers, the usual rules get...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/businesswritingblog/BwB09/~4/Cep8l19J4ho" height="1" width="1"/> Global Communication Lynn Gaertner-Johnston Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:15:22 -0800 http://www.businesswritingblog.com/business_writing/2009/11/when-your-audience-is-international.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businesswritingblog/BwB09/~3/4kYHObs-Ov8/think-like-a-customer.html http://www.businesswritingblog.com/business_writing/2009/11/think-like-a-customer.html In Washington State we changed to daylight saving time on Sunday morning, so yesterday I needed to set all our clocks back one hour. All of the clock changes were easy, except the one in our car. My husband was...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/businesswritingblog/BwB09/~4/4kYHObs-Ov8" height="1" width="1"/> Talk Lynn Gaertner-Johnston Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:40:10 -0800 http://www.businesswritingblog.com/business_writing/2009/11/think-like-a-customer.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businesswritingblog/BwB09/~3/xonucgr3W58/the-smarmy-valued-customer-line-.html http://www.businesswritingblog.com/business_writing/2009/10/the-smarmy-valued-customer-line-.html This week I taught two groups of sophisticated writers who communicate with clients. One of the business writing topics we agreed to disagree about was the language we use to show customers we care. I like statements like "You have...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/businesswritingblog/BwB09/~4/xonucgr3W58" height="1" width="1"/> Courteous Writing Positive Language Lynn Gaertner-Johnston Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:07:59 -0700 http://www.businesswritingblog.com/business_writing/2009/10/the-smarmy-valued-customer-line-.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businesswritingblog/BwB09/~3/M9vsn5KQcsM/when-lights-go-out-on-the-web.html http://www.businesswritingblog.com/business_writing/2009/10/when-lights-go-out-on-the-web.html I apologize that this site has only been up only intermittently over the past two days. Even I have been unable to access it. That is frustrating! Having my blog down reminds me that we need to recognize this fact:...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/businesswritingblog/BwB09/~4/M9vsn5KQcsM" height="1" width="1"/> Email Talk Lynn Gaertner-Johnston Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:26:40 -0700 http://www.businesswritingblog.com/business_writing/2009/10/when-lights-go-out-on-the-web.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businesswritingblog/BwB09/~3/vuMhGi1rlF4/where-to-use-a-colonfor-meter-readers-and-others.html http://www.businesswritingblog.com/business_writing/2009/10/where-to-use-a-colonfor-meter-readers-and-others.html Yesterday six meter readers attended my Keys to Error-Free Writing class. Given their job of traipsing around outside reading electric meters, they don't write much. But all of them were interested in learning more about business writing. If you write...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/businesswritingblog/BwB09/~4/vuMhGi1rlF4" height="1" width="1"/> Punctuation Pointers Lynn Gaertner-Johnston Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:29:54 -0700 http://www.businesswritingblog.com/business_writing/2009/10/where-to-use-a-colonfor-meter-readers-and-others.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businesswritingblog/BwB09/~3/QyDSph-22ps/priorities-and-promises.html http://www.businesswritingblog.com/business_writing/2009/10/priorities-and-promises.html The other day I was talking with the managing editor of a popular subscription website that is rich in content. The editor introduced me to the site and wanted to know whether I would like to write regularly for it....<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/businesswritingblog/BwB09/~4/QyDSph-22ps" height="1" width="1"/> Etiquette Talk Lynn Gaertner-Johnston Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:33:37 -0700 http://www.businesswritingblog.com/business_writing/2009/10/priorities-and-promises.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businesswritingblog/BwB09/~3/SHYvw7mlhmo/the-latest-email-tips-.html http://www.businesswritingblog.com/business_writing/2009/10/the-latest-email-tips-.html Because of our new online Email Intelligence class, the topic of efficient email is always on my mind. Here are a few reminders that came up in email classes recently. Workshop participants wish everyone would follow them. Please pass them...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/businesswritingblog/BwB09/~4/SHYvw7mlhmo" height="1" width="1"/> Email Lynn Gaertner-Johnston Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:15:14 -0700 http://www.businesswritingblog.com/business_writing/2009/10/the-latest-email-tips-.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businesswritingblog/BwB09/~3/wv7-jW7dfKg/should-i-share-my-wise-criticism.html http://www.businesswritingblog.com/business_writing/2009/10/should-i-share-my-wise-criticism.html Situation 1: When I received an e-newsletter from a business associate recently, I read the beginning of one of his articles, then clicked on the link that said Read more. The link brought me to his blog, where I noticed...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/businesswritingblog/BwB09/~4/wv7-jW7dfKg" height="1" width="1"/> Etiquette Lynn Gaertner-Johnston Wed, 14 Oct 2009 21:05:25 -0700 http://www.businesswritingblog.com/business_writing/2009/10/should-i-share-my-wise-criticism.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businesswritingblog/BwB09/~3/0e8doGO-IT0/one-word-or-two-anytime-any-time-.html http://www.businesswritingblog.com/business_writing/2009/10/one-word-or-two-anytime-any-time-.html Do you wonder about the word anytime at any time? Anytime I stop to think about a word before I write it, wondering whether it is one word or two, it seems like a good topic to write about. If...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/businesswritingblog/BwB09/~4/0e8doGO-IT0" height="1" width="1"/> Gems of Language Grammar and Usage Lynn Gaertner-Johnston Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:10:00 -0700 http://www.businesswritingblog.com/business_writing/2009/10/one-word-or-two-anytime-any-time-.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businesswritingblog/BwB09/~3/Oo4cCb_IIQc/insurance-companies-as-our-families-.html http://www.businesswritingblog.com/business_writing/2009/10/insurance-companies-as-our-families-.html Lately I have been thinking about messages from insurance companies, who often encourage us to think of them as our families. My thoughts go in this direction because I wrote a training proposal for an insurance company in Minnesota this...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/businesswritingblog/BwB09/~4/Oo4cCb_IIQc" height="1" width="1"/> Positive Language Talk Lynn Gaertner-Johnston Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:31:39 -0700 http://www.businesswritingblog.com/business_writing/2009/10/insurance-companies-as-our-families-.html