Somewhere after The Beginning, there was the written word

Communication

Giving back

Links

Somewhere after The Beginning, there was the written word
For as long as I can remember, I have been in thrall to the written word. I love the way words sound, I’m captivated by the often circuitous journey they’ve taken to the meanings they now impart, and I respect the power they wield. I see language craft as both an art and a science, and I use instinct as well as years of experience to choose the combination of vocabulary and style that best expresses the message I want to communicate.

I believe strongly that to communicate in any field, a writer or speaker must be very clear who her audience is and what response she wishes to get from her readers or listeners. By holding these in mind as I develop the projects entrusted to me, I can deliver to my clients exactly what they want.

I respect you, my client, as the expert on your subject. It is my job as the writing expert to elicit your crucial ideas and get them onto the page so others may read, understand and retain them. If these readers are also entertained and pleasurably informed, or if your ideas and my word-crafting radically alter their thinking or behavior, together we have met the highest goal for communication.

Communication
…is a two-way street. That is, you haven’t delivered your message until you receive a response. In business communications especially, you can’t be assured that your message has gotten through without some kind of response. We all know what it feels like to send an email and get nothing in return: is the recipient working on the request we sent, or is our message floating in the ether somewhere?

…requires a clear idea of who your audience is, so you can establish the style, tone, vocabulary and supporting data your audience needs. One example of this: a message to staff is crafted very differently from how you’d present the same news or data to customers…or to investors.

…is, at its core, a contract with your audience: you deliver, they react. You are obligated to tell your readers or listeners right up front what they need to know so they can respond in the way you want them to. Without your clear direction, they may be answering the question you didn’t know you asked

Giving back
Yes, I have favorite clients. They are those who achieve much because they do more than watch their bottom line. (Not coincidentally, their bottom line is excellent, too.) These successful entrepreneurs, executives and team leaders share certain characteristics: they encourage and support innovation, they model and reward openness and integrity, they respect individual differences, they compensate well for good work…and they build a culture throughout the company of giving back to their communities.

Oh, and each favorite also has a pretty good sense of humor.

Links
These are sites I use, colleagues of mine or organizations whose work I admire and respect. You may want to add them to your bookmarks.

Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce (member)
Women’s Business Forum (member)
YourStorys.com
Dictionary
Bucks Mont Katrina Relief Project
Joan Detz, speechwriter
The Graphic Edge, Inc.

Contact me to discuss your next project.