by Hannah Comerford, Scribe Contributor

Today is National Teacher Day, a day to celebrate our teachers and their hard work. What our teachers taught us in English class is now a part of our subconscious, and we use the rules we learned in our everyday lives. Whether you liked diagramming sentences or hated spelling bees, your early lessons laid a foundation for your business writing.

However, as we grew older, the rules started to change. “I before E, except after C” added the stipulation, “or when sounded as A, as in neighbor and weigh.” Before long we realized that this didn’t even cover everything, and we simply gave up on the mnemonic altogether (at least I did!). Perhaps you’ve noticed this shift with other elementary school grammar rules: they’re often broken in the adult professional world. Why is this?

Children need black and white rules because they can’t grasp gray areas or qualities. For instance, in our first years of school we learned that a noun is a person, place, or thing. Then, when we were older, we learned that a noun can also be an idea. We couldn’t comprehend this last category until our brains had developed more. Likewise, grammar rules have exceptions that younger children can’t quite comprehend yet. Adults, however, can and should be able to handle these nuances.

Understanding grammar’s nuances will bring your writing to a level beyond the elementary school basics. Below are just a few grade school rules and how grown-up writers can break them.

• Never end a sentence with a preposition. When Churchill’s editor rearranged a sentence to follow this rule, the prime minister wrote, “This is the sort of English up with which I will not put.” As he demonstrated, sticking hard and fast to this rule can leave you with clumsy sentences. Who wants to read, “up with which I will not put”? While oftentimes you can rearrange your sentence so as not to end with a preposition, don’t do so if the finished product is an awkward wording.
• To form a possessive of a word ending in –s, use only an apostrophe. Two of the most popular style manuals, AP and Chicago, disagree on this matter. Chicago tells us to use an apostrophe and an –s (business’s statistics). AP, on the other hand, recommends leaving off the extra –s (business’ clients). Check the manual your business/field prefers.
• Never begin a sentence with “and.” Following this rule won’t necessarily hurt you, but occasionally breaking it can make your writing more interesting. Here’s the trick: don’t leave out the subject and verb. “The numbers are dropping. And quickly.” vs. “The numbers are dropping. And they’re dropping quickly.” While the first example may be excusable, the second one leaves no chance for confusion.

As you remember your teachers this week, you might take a moment to revisit old notebooks, your child’s homework, or Schoolhouse Rock and recall the basic rules of grammar. And when faced with a gray area in your business writing, ask yourself, “Does the rule impede understanding?” If the answer is yes, you may need to break it.

When you do purposefully break a rule, don’t be afraid to ask the opinion of a professional editor or knowledgeable writer. He or she will let you know if it works or if you should stick to the basics.

by Ashley Smith

“How often misused words generate misleading thoughts.”   – Herbert Spencer, English philosopher (1820-1903)

As much as I’d like to think I have a way with words, I admit to the occasional slipup. Just the other day I sent an email to someone asking if I could “site” something she had said, rather than “cite” it. It wasn’t until after I’d sent the email that I recognized my error.

Sometimes our writing mistakes are things we would catch with closer review. Other times, we may not know or remember the correct usage or spelling. Add to this the fact that so much of what we read on the Internet is not formally edited, and we are also in danger of perpetuating the mistakes made by others.

Thankfully, my communication with this person was not business related. Had it been, my credibility likely would have been damaged. Although it is sometimes acceptable to intentionally misuse a word for the sake of great copy, careless mistakes or errors of ignorance can, as Herbert Spencer put it, “generate misleading thoughts.” Or worse yet, they can cost you a client.

Below are ten examples of commonly misused words. Are you guilty of misusing any of them?

1. Averse/Adverse: He was averse to taking the medication due to its adverse side effects.
   If you are averse to something, it means you are strongly opposed to it. Adverse means unfavorable, damaging, or conflicting.
   
2. Assure/Ensure/Insure: The agent assured the customer that insuring his RV would ensure a stress-free journey.
   Assure means to give confidence to. Insure means to acquire insurance. Ensure means to make certain of.
   
3. Complement(ary)/Compliment(ary): The sauce complemented the steak well. I complimented the chef and he gave me a complimentary desert.
   Two things or people that go well together complement one another and are therefore complementary (think, “complete”). To compliment is to give praise. Also, something that is complimentary is free.
   
4. Continual(ly)/Continuous(ly): My family called me continually during the three-day continuous blackout.
   Something that is continual happens frequently, in succession. Something that is continuous is uninterrupted.
   
5. Economic/Economical: Does an economical government produce economic growth?
   Economic pertains to the production and use of income, while economical means being careful with resources.
   
6. Farther/Further: Ryan and Sarah decided to further their conversation farther away from the noise.
   Use farther for physical distance and further for distance in degree, time, or space.
   
7. Imply/Infer: When my boss implied that she had to let someone go, I inferred that it was me.
   If the suggestion is intended by the person speaking, it is implied. If a conclusion is reached by the person listening, it is inferred.
   
8. Less/Fewer: The back office has less light because it has fewer windows than the front office.
   “Less” and “fewer” both mean a smaller quantity of something. Use “less” for things you cannot count, such as light or time; use “fewer” for countable things, such as windows or doors.
   
9. Number/Amount: The amount of effort we have to spend on advertising depends on the number of sales we make.
   Similar to less/fewer, use “number” for things you can count, such as sales or books. Use “amount” for things that aren’t so easily measured (effort, confidence, or time/money as a concept).
   
10. Sight/Site/Cite: The newspaper cited the mayor as saying that the site was a poor choice for a school. If you ask me, I think the mayor’s sight is going; it’s a perfect choice!
    Sight is the ability to see. A site is a place or setting (also used as a short version of “website”). To cite is to quote or refer to.

To avoid errors of ignorance, be sure you understand the correct meaning and usage for these and other commonly misused words. To avoid accidental slipups, double-check your work or, even better, enlist the help of a good editor or proofreader.

Imagine having a potential customer base of millions without having to spend a dime to market your company. Sound too good to be true? That’s what using social media as a marketing tool can do for you.

According to eMarketer, by 2013 164.2 million Americans—or 67% of the nation’s Internet users—will use social networks.  So, if you have not yet joined the ranks of companies that use social media as a way to promote their businesses, you might want to reconsider.

However, before you rush off to create a Twitter account, you’ll want to educate yourself on the basics of social media marketing.

1. Develop your strategy.

First, decide how you want to use social networks to grow your business. Is it to gain more customer awareness? Will it be for concrete sales? Or is it to improve customer service? Pam Dyer at Pamorama has an article titled “12 Reasons to Use Social Media to Grow Your Business” which can help you think about how you want to use social networking in your business marketing.

2. Choose your platform(s).

Next, figure out which social media platforms you want to use. Each social networking site works differently (e.g., Twitter allows only 140-character-long posts, Facebook allows you to create polls and discussions) and not all of them will be conducive to your goals. The more you learn about what they offer, the better you’ll be able to create an effective marketing strategy.

3. Estimate your time commitment.

Also, think about how much time you want to invest in your social media efforts. Tweets are ephemeral, so if you want to keep people aware and interested you’ll need to tweet at least once a day.  And if you post on a site such as Facebook you’ll need to schedule plenty of time to respond to people’s comments.

Blogging is a great tool to get your message out there without spending a lot of time. You don’t need to write a 500-word article each time, nor do you need to post daily. Try to do two to three quality articles per month with information your readers can use, plus one or two short posts per week linking to an article or video related to your industry. You can also link to your blog from your Facebook or Twitter accounts.

4. Start engaging!

Finally, don’t forget the social aspect of these tools. Customers want to feel like they’re communicating with a person, not a corporate suit. Display the personal side of your business and engage with customers in a way that builds trust and encourages transparency.

If you’re not sure what kind of content to develop for your blog or Facebook page, drop us a note or call our office. We can help you plan how to turn your business’s best and brightest ideas into content that will meet your social media goals. And be sure you’re subscribed to our Twitter or Facebook feeds for daily tips on communicating with customers.

In truth, if you invest in lottery tickets, your chances of getting lucky are lower than your chances of being hit by lightning. However, if you invest in your business, you can create your own luck. Rather than spending money to let fate take control, invest in intelligent strategies that ensure success.

How can you create your own luck? You can start by knowing how to communicate with your target audience. Here are a few tips:

• Be at the right place at the right time. Fortunately, with the advent of the Internet you do not need to divine exactly where and when this right place and time are. Make your message opportunity-ready by creating profiles on social media sites, staying in contact with your target audience through newsletter emails, or keeping a steady flow of fresh content on your website.
• Have an excellent communicator on your team. Someone gifted and experienced in communication will know how to attract clients through media and advertisement. They will understand how to diplomatically and effectively work with clients. Finally, they will raise your communications to a level of professionalism that draws attention. If you don’t have an employee who fits this bill, outsource to a communications expert willing to build a long-term relationship with your company.
• Reach beyond your neighborhood. You can increase your chances of a “lucky break” by increasing the number of people you make contact with. Step outside of the circles you normally engage, be willing to approach new markets, or hire someone who can help broadcast your message to a new client base.

There are plenty of other ways to create your own luck in business, such as understanding your target market, playing on your strengths, and remaining true and persistent to your trade. Yet if no one hears what you have to offer, no amount of luck will bring you success. Start investing in good business communication and change your luck for the better.

Let’s face it, humor makes a lasting impression. That’s why so many big companies use it in their advertising. Unfortunately, most small businesses avoid incorporating funny copy in their marketing.

Why? Perhaps some small business owners believe that to gain customer awareness and trust they must first be taken seriously. They could also be afraid of getting it wrong and offending potential customers. Or maybe because they’re wearing so many hats, like Dave from the Staples commercials, they just don’t have time to be funny.

Can you relate? If so, relax, let your hair down, and get creative! Adding a smile and a wink to your copy can increase your conversion rate and humanize your company.

A good way to start is to consider the type of humor you want to use. It should suit the product or service you offer and the type of customer you’re targeting.

Below are some types of humor that are widely used in advertising along with hypothetical examples.

• Enthusiastic: A little funny, a little exaggerative, this humor can get potential customers enthused to buy your product. Example: “Sassy Sneakers: So stylish and comfy you will never want to take them off . . . ever. Seriously! You’ll want to wear them to the gym, to the office, to a night out, to bed . . . yes, even to bed. We’re not joking.”
• Self-deprecating: We’re all guilty of occasionally belittling ourselves, so one of the best ways to humanize your company is to make fun of yourself. As long as it comes from the heart, potential customers will approve. “We’re not cool, but we make cool sneakers.”
• Absurd: Using absurdity in your advertising is a great way to get attention. Who knows, you’ll maybe even start a trend. Imagine a picture of hands in a pair of sneakers, the arms acting as legs, with the caption: “Sassy Sneakers: so stylish and comfy, your hands will want to do the walking.” The campaign might prompt people to take pictures of their hands in a pair of Sassy Sneakers and send them to the company.
• Witty: For the more discerning customer, try adding some insightful humor to your copy. “Hamlet’s question should have been, ‘To wear or not to wear?’ Sassy Sneakers. Trust us, you’ll want to wear them.”

Keep in mind that once you choose to add humor to your copy, it’s important to be consistent with it. Think of it as part of a unique voice that people will come to associate with your company.

Can you think of other types of humor used in advertising? Leave us your ideas in the comment section below.

Happy Vernal Equinox, otherwise known as the first day of spring!

Throughout the year, day and night compete for time. Day dominates in the summer, night in the winter. However, twice a year during the vernal and autumnal equinoxes, day and night call a truce: for twenty-four hours they allow each other to reign for roughly the same length of time.

Similarly, our brains have two sides that sometimes seem to compete for dominance. The right hemisphere is the creative or fantasy-based side.  It presents possibilities and interprets aesthetics and feelings. The left hemisphere is the logical or reality-based side. It forms strategies and interprets facts and details.

But whether you consider yourself a predominantly left-brained or right-brained thinker, when it comes to analyzing the value and desire of a product or service, chances are you engage both sides of the brain almost equally.

This is an important consideration when thinking about how to communicate with your target customers. Whether your business offers something practical or whimsical, you want to appeal to both sides of the brain when writing content for your newsletters, ads, and website.

When writing for the right brain:

• Describe how the customer would feel using your product or service. Think of how smooth and supple skin feels after using a certain skin care product or the sense of well-being felt after a yoga session.
• Predict the outcome the customer would gain. Using skin care products prevents dry skin, oiliness, wrinkles, etc. Doing yoga promotes flexibility, better posture, stronger muscles, etc.
• Use words that connect the customer to the product or service. “Your skin will love you for using it!” “Treat your mind and body to the healing power of yoga.”

When writing for the left brain:

• State tangible results. “Dry, cracked skin disappears within three weeks.” “After three months of twice-weekly yoga sessions, you will see a significant increase in flexibility and strength.”
• Offer price options. Customers will often buy more of something in order to get a bigger discount. “Buy three bottles of lotion for the price of two!” “Take 1 yoga session today for $15, or register for 4 classes for $50.”

Although your content and copy should ideally appeal to both sides of the brain, you also want to consider your target audience. Is cost or aesthetics more important to them? Will they use your product or service for practical reasons or for pure pleasure? Decide which side of the brain your audience will be predominantly using while engaging with your business, and focus more of your energy on appealing to that side. But don’t forget to leave some room for the other side of the appeal as well.

Can you think of other ways to appeal to both sides of a customer’s brain? Leave us your ideas in the comments below.

Here’s a snippet, written specifically to entrepreneurs, but applicable to most of us:

The path to ruin for many entrepreneurs comes from a lack of accountability. It’s easy as an entrepreneur to get caught up in what you’re doing—as opposed to what you’ve accomplished and what you plan to do next.

Read the whole article here.

If you’re reporting to a client, colleague, or supervisor, make sure you let them know what has been accomplished and what is planned next, instead of just reporting on current activities.

If you’re an entrepreneur whose only “report” may be the one to yourself—planning your day and examining what you’ve accomplished already—check your to-do list for too many present participles. Because sometimes the most important communication is the kind you have with yourself.

On Sunday, we sprang into spring by setting our clocks ahead one hour. This first day or two of Daylight Saving Time can bring mixed emotions—distress for having lost an hour of sleep, yet also excitement for having gained an extra hour of daylight (which for those of us living in the Pacific Northwest is a much-anticipated event).

I don’t know about you, but when springtime rolls around, I’d rather not squander the extra daylight sitting in front of a computer, writing and checking email. And let’s face it, between the personal and business email we send and receive every day, it’s easy to be overwhelmed. So what can you do to keep your email burden light?

Getting to the point is, of course, the quickest way to communicate what you want; businesspeople usually welcome a short, simple note. But what about when you need to write a longer, more detailed email? By structuring the content in a way that makes it easier and clearer for the recipient to read, you decrease the chances of miscommunication, which means no extra time spent re-explaining.

Streamlining Strategies for Email

Below are a few simple streamlining strategies you can implement in your daily email communications. You’ll find that practicing them will decrease your computer time and increase time spent doing what you want—like enjoying spring.

1.  Stick to one topic. Cramming an email with many different topics can overwhelm the recipient, and your recipient’s long response can overwhelm you. If you have many topics to address, send multiple short emails with specific subject lines.

2.  Clearly state the topic or action item in the opening paragraph. This will ensure that the recipient knows exactly what to expect so you will not have to clarify later.

3.  Use subheadings and bullet points. Breaking up the content will make your message clearer and easier to read. It also makes it simple for recipients to find pertinent information later, which may keep them from requesting it from you again.

4.  Avoid long paragraphs. Shorter paragraphs make it easier for both you and the recipient to stay on topic.

5.  Separate paragraphs. Add a line of spacing between paragraphs so the email doesn’t look like one long chunk of text. This makes it easier for readers to transition from thought to thought and is another way to help you and the recipient find the information later.

We all appreciate receiving straightforward emails. Save your clients time spent reading long, confusing messages and yourself the time spent writing and following up. Instead, enjoy more daylight!

by Ashley Smith, Scribe Contributor

Today marks Theodore Seuss Geisel’s 108^th birthday. Dr. Suess, as he is more commonly known, was one of the most prolific communicators of the twentieth century. While he was most famous for his children’s books, he was also a political cartoonist and a successful illustrator for advertising campaigns.

One of the main reasons Dr. Suess’s children’s books are so famed is because of their inherent moral lessons. Although he claimed it was never his intention to incorporate a moral when he began writing the tales, he did believe you could find a lesson in any story.

Below are a few famous quotes by Dr. Seuss from which I’ve garnered some “lessons” to help you along your journey to becoming an expert business communicator.

1. “So the writer who breeds more words than he needs, is making a chore for the reader who reads.” Simply put, write concisely! Whether you are communicating with customers, clients, or employees, it’s important your message be clear and succinct to avoid miscommunication. If you feel you could use a lesson or two on how to write concisely, make sure to check out my previous posts on this topic.
2. “Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.” Have you ever been frustrated by a website’s lack of simple answers to your questions? You may want to consider if your customers feel the same frustration. Think about the questions people frequently ask you about your business and provide simple answers on your website. If you are just starting out, hire a professional to help you write a “FAQ” page or rewrite your website content to include information customers want most. Making these answers available can save time and prevent frustration for both you and your customers.
3. “I meant what I said and I said what I meant—an elephant’s faithful, one hundred percent!” What’s the message you want to get across to your customers? What is the most important thing you want them to know about your services or products? Make sure you “remain faithful” to your message in all your business communications and that the style and tone are consistent. Consistency gives an air of reliability, which is essential for customer retention.

Not everyone is born with a gift for words as Dr. Seuss was, but with a little effort (and maybe a little help from others) you can train yourself to be an effective communicator. As Dr. Suess wrote in Oh, the Places You’ll Go!,

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”

By continually improving your communication skills and business content, you can take your company further down the road to where you want it to go.

Whether you’re looking to expand your business in another country or you’re reaching out to a wider cross-cultural market here in the U.S., understanding differences in the way people communicate is essential for your success.

Understand your market.

A good way to start is to understand your market better. For example, if you walk into a McDonald’s in India you will not see a single beef burger offered on the menu. Why? Because the cow is revered in Hindu culture. You must know how to tailor your product or service to fit the culture of your client’s country or community. Otherwise they simply won’t buy it.

Make sure you’ve done your research or have knowledgeable consultants with firsthand experience in the country or community you are targeting.

How is business done?

The next step is to understand how people in your target country or community do business. What are their business ethics? Are their business communications formal or informal? How do they conduct meetings?

For example, business people from Latin countries often remark on how direct and somewhat reserved business meetings are in the United States. Doing business with an American is about getting straight to the point; whereas in a Latin country, such as Brazil, a meeting might start with small talk. Brazilians like to get to know a person first before starting a meeting or doing business.

By better understanding your clients’ business culture, you can adapt your style to suit theirs. This creates a connection with the clients and assures them that you will be able to create a product or service that best suits their needs.

Speak their language.

You’ll also want to take language into consideration. If your foreign clients’ native tongue is different from your own, try conducting business in their language—even if they speak yours. This greatly decreases the chances of miscommunication.

However, do not try to translate your business communications on your own, even if you have a strong knowledge of the target language. Every language has its nuances and you do not want to inadvertently offend your foreign clients. Instead, hire a translator to create content for you, preferably someone native to the target language. The translator will also have a natural understanding of how to do business in their country.

Expanding your business cross-culturally can seem daunting at first. However, if you do your research and contract the right people, you’ll be well on your way to succeeding in the global market.

For Spanish-to-English and English-to-Spanish translation of your business documents, contact The Scribe Source.