Corporate storytelling

When your team has to write a high-stakes document such as a white paper, e-book or case statement, what’s your approach? How do you avoid going in multiple directions and producing an endless number of drafts? How do you get input and feedback from leaders on your team — and be efficient at the same […]

The client on the end of the line was desperate. The clock was ticking, and internal attempts to write high-stakes brand content as a team weren’t working. Could I assist? I met with the client to discuss the scope of work. “What writing process have you used to work with the subject matter experts on […]

Yet again this week – for the third time in six months – I heard another colleague complain about a problem threatening her company’s reputation, sales and future growth: “Our new website design? “It’s so AWESOME!  “We absolutely LOVE our website design firm, and the new look and feel they created for us. “But our […]

I’m often asked, “What’s the biggest mistake people make when they write?” The answer? They simply start writing – and fail to do their best thinking first. Here’s a fix: Before you start to write anything, always take a moment to answer these six questions: WHAT is the point? WHO will be interested in this? […]

1. Circle every weak “to be” verb: be, am, is, are, was, were. Rewrite as many as you can using action verbs. 2. Make two sentences out of one long sentence. 3. Circle every pronoun: he, she, it, we, they, them. Which ones confuse? Rewrite those sentences. 4. Highlight every general statement. Which can you replace with something colorful […]

Hammered hard into my head during journalism school was the Write Tight mantra.  Back then paper didn’t stretch; the online world didn’t exist. So your story had to fit the space on the page.  Only seven column inches? Then maybe you had 250 words. Not 300 words. Not 350 words. Just 250. So Write Tight […]

I enjoyed hearing veteran journalist Gene Policinski of the Newseum Institute talk about “The Future of Principles” at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., last month. Policinski, chief operating officer of the Newseum Institute and its First Amendment Center, gave the keynote address at “A Capital Event,” a one-day conference by the American Society […]

Do you rely on electronic communication as your “first touch” when marketing to prospective customers or clients? If so, consider applying Robert Cialdini’s Six Principles of Influence when crafting your message, and see if you get better results. Every day HR pros around the country recruit “passive” candidates by sending targeted emails and LinkedIn messages […]

Think about the last story you wrote. Did you get a bunch of high-fives? Did you hear things like, “Wow – thanks! That was such a great story!” Or did you hear absolutely nothing? If so, that can be telling. Perhaps the problem lies in how you interview your sources. 1. Do you settle for […]

Getting ready to interview a hesitant or harried source for your company’s or client’s next big story? Job 1 is creating the right environment so your source feels comfortable sharing information. Here are 13 ways to create a good rapport with your story sources – right upfront. 1. Tell a source you simply want to […]