Are Poor Writing Skills Tarnishing Your Business’s Image? May is “International Business Image Improvement Month”

Hilton Head Island, SC (April 2005) – “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” This saying is just as true in business as it is in personal relationships. One way you make an impression with your business’s image is through any written materials or correspondence you produce. When you consider that most professionals spend up to 85 percent of their time writing, this is one area that clearly affects your business’s image.
How prevalent is poor writing in the workplace? According to the College Board’s National Commission on Writing, one-third of today’s employees do not have appropriate writing skills. This means that brochures are ineffective, reports are unclear, emails are indecipherable, and writing, in general, is way below par. If you want to compete in today’s marketplace, you need employees who can write clearly, accurately, and concisely. Since May is “International Business Image Improvement Month,” now is a perfect time to work on improving your employees’ writing skills.
In their new book, Write It Right: The Ground Rules for Self-Editing Like the Pros (Ground Rules Press, $17.95, ISBN 0-9744966-2-6), self-editing experts Dawn Josephson and Lauren Hidden provide a practical five-step process for self-editing that will enable employees to write stronger, more powerful text. The authors also include a section on grammar and usage, with tips and examples of how to overcome the most common writing challenges that plague business writers.
As Josephson and Hidden state, “When you successfully follow these ground rules for self-editing and the grammar guidelines, you will have mastered one of the hardest business skills – that of creating crisp, succinct, and logical written works. Once you do that, you will help greatly improve your business’s image.”
Dawn Josephson is a professional speaker, internationally acclaimed author, and the Master Writing Coach™. She is president of Cameo Publications, an editorial and publishing services firm, and is the creator of The Ground Rules™ book series. Dawn empowers leaders to master the printed word for enhanced credibility, positioning, and profits.
Lauren Hidden is the founder and president of The Hidden Helper, a virtual assistant services firm. She helps speakers, authors, and business professionals enhance their productivity and free up their time so they can focus on the real reason they’re in business.
For more information or a review copy of Write It Right: The Ground Rules for Self-Editing Like the Pros, please call 866-372-2636 or send an email to Amy@cameopublications.com.

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