Project Management: The Value Driver You May Be Missing

The primary task of a project manager (or PM) is to add value. How that happens and what “add value” looks like will vary from one project to another, but the bottom line is that project management, done well, is an essential value driver for your organization.

Posted on: 26 April 2013 | 8:09 am

How to Write Web Copy That Sells

If you have a website, you’re trying to sell something. Whether you’re promoting a product, a service, a point of view, or a perception, the text on your website can indeed make or break your sale. If you want web readers to invest themselves in your site and your message, you have to give them what they want in the way they want it. If you don’t… click, skip, they’re gone and may never come back.

Posted on: 5 April 2012 | 7:44 pm

Your Guide to Free Publicity (or How to Get Talked About for Free)

The ubiquity of technology creates many opportunities to promote your business for free or very little cost. This article may give you a starting point for getting talked about without breaking your budget.

Posted on: 17 February 2012 | 6:57 pm

Finding Great Instructional Design

As I wrote in my column Why You Need Instructional Design, “Great instructional design attracts learners to the content, to the performance ideal, and to the change process. This attraction is essential for changing behavior.” If you’re looking for great instructional design, you need to find an instructional designer with these three qualifications...

Posted on: 5 December 2011 | 7:03 pm

Why You Need Instructional Design

Humans learn every minute of every day. We learn without overt effort or intention. We learn by existing, by seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, and tasting. As long as we are conscious, we are learning. We can’t stop ourselves.

Posted on: 14 October 2011 | 1:58 pm

Tips for Working with Freelancers

In the last Onwords™ column I said that “a qualified freelancer can help you produce more and better work at higher profit margins.” That is absolutely true, as long as you understand how to work with them. What you get out of a freelance relationship depends on what you put into it. Freelancers bring unique strengths and perspective to your business; it is up to you to give them what they need to shine and make you look good. Here are five tips for working successfully with freelancers:

Posted on: 23 August 2011 | 2:10 pm

Freelancers Are Good for Business

Whether your business is large or small, growing or slowing, a qualified freelancer can help you produce more and better work at higher profit margins. The most successful freelancers produce excellent work with a high level of customer service and further differentiate themselves by offering something that other freelancers don't, e.g., extensive knowledge of a particular industry, exceptional creativity, or a breadth of services. Freelancers (also known as 'independent contractors') are responsible for their own office space, health care benefits, and job-related equipment. The only cost to you is the fee you pay for the work they produce.

Posted on: 17 June 2011 | 2:16 pm

Superhero Sell Sheets

A sell sheet is a high-impact, single-page presentation of your core capabilities, customer benefits, and contact information. It is a smart way to get your brand into the customer's hands without the bulk or expense of a brochure. When you think about it, sell sheets are a lot like superheroes.

Posted on: 6 April 2011 | 2:29 pm

Go Green with Your Written Communication

This year resolve to "go green" with your written communication. “Green” communication can save you time and money as well as reduce clutter and your environmental footprint.

Posted on: 14 February 2011 | 1:42 pm

Spring Break

Sometimes your best work is to stop working for a while. Kick your shoes off and pull your nose back from the grindstone. Take a break, any kind of break. Take a coffee break, a stretch break, break bread or break out in song. Read on for inspiration to break free and put some spring in your writing.

Posted on: 17 April 2009 | 2:48 pm

A Writer's Resolutions

In my quest for greater balance this year, I resolve to write without editing and edit without writing.

Posted on: 25 February 2009 | 1:56 pm

Anatomy of an Article, Part Two: Buff Your Body

Why settle for tired, flabby writing?  The buff article body you've always wanted can be yours today. All you need to do is Identify, Unify, and Beautify. Three easy steps... amazing results!

Posted on: 8 August 2007 | 3:04 pm

Anatomy of an Article, Part One: Tips for Titling Your Work

Titles are like faces. They're the first thing we notice, and we form our earliest impressions from what we see there.

Posted on: 20 June 2007 | 3:13 pm

It's Elementary: Three Clues to Good Writing

When I edit my own or other writers' work I look for three things to jump off the page. What is it? Why should I care? How should I proceed? If I have to look hard to find any of these - or worse, if I can't find them at all - there is more work to be done.

Posted on: 3 April 2007 | 3:31 pm

Beyond Branding: What Your Customers Are Really Shopping For

Your brand is identified by a logo or a look, but it is ultimately a perception that rests with your customer. Words are a powerful tool for conveying brand benefits and building a positive consumer perception of your product or service.

Posted on: 6 February 2007 | 2:56 pm

A Preposition is a Perfectly Good Word to End a Sentence With

The rule against ending a sentence with a preposition is one of the first academic restrictions I chafed at. Some sentences just sound better with a preposition in the terminal position. Compare the verbal flourish of "And now... the announcement you've all been waiting for!" with the rule-abiding dullard "And now... the announcement for which you've all been waiting!"

Posted on: 30 October 2006 | 3:11 pm

Written Communication as a Strategic Initiative

Many employees think of meetings and training workshops as stand-alone events rather than focus points on a performance continuum - it's a day or a week out of the routine to establish goals, define strategies or drill skill development, then it's right back to business as usual. It's no wonder, considering that many of their supervisors and executives approach meetings the same way.

Posted on: 28 September 2006 | 4:18 pm

10 Powerful One-Liners to Keep Your Writing Strong (Part Two)

Welcome back to 10 Powerful One-Liners to Keep Your Writing Strong (Part Two). Here are five more powerful one-liners to inspire you and keep your writing strong.

Posted on: 30 August 2006 | 4:34 pm

10 Powerful One-Liners to Keep Your Writing Strong (Part One)

Rudyard Kipling said, "Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind." Nothing changes people like words, written well. Here are five powerful one-liners to inspire you and keep your writing strong.

Posted on: 29 July 2006 | 4:44 pm

Words That Sell: Power-Up Your Written Communication

Robert Louis Stevenson said, "Everyone lives by selling something." You sell yourself with a resume or portfolio. You sell your company news with a press release. You sell your ideas and expertise with promotional materials, website content and corporate communications.

Posted on: 23 June 2006 | 5:18 pm