by Sharon Ernst | Nov 30, 2020 | Business Writing Skills
Learning to be a more confident writer at work is good for your brand, the business and the bottom line! It’s sad but true: People often tell me they were nervous to have me read their writing…even when it was simply an email they sent me as part of doing business. Although plenty of people in the business world write without any such qualms, many others lack confidence in their workplace writing skills. And it is for those who want to be a more confident writer at work that I write this post… The lack of confidence is...
by Sharon Ernst | Oct 26, 2020 | Business Email Writing, Business Writing Skills
What’s scarier than Halloween haunts? Sucky workplace writing! Halloween is here, but you know what’s really scary? The billions of dollars lost each year due to sucky workplace writing. How many billions? How scary can this really be? Oh, it’s terrifying, trust me: $400 billion. Every. Single. Year. If that number doesn’t scare you, it should. Picture 400 billion one-dollar bills piled up high and set on fire…a huge bonfire of money going up in smoke, leaving only a dusting of ashes behind. That’s $400 billion gone, just gone. Can...
by Sharon Ernst | Oct 2, 2020 | Business Writing Skills
Are you confident in your business writing skills? Or do you get a little nervous when you have to write something for work? Like an email to your boss or a presentation for a meeting perhaps? I can relate. I made my living as a writer for two decades, and I still get nervous when I write for work…even as I write this blog post! But I have a secret weapon that I know gives me an edge—and I’m going to share it with you in this blog post. This secret weapon will power up your business writing skills and boost your confidence. The...
by Sharon Ernst | Aug 28, 2020 | Business Writing Skills
Want advice that will help your relationships AND your writing at work? Read on! Here’s the scenario: The husband tells me “I washed the dishes.” And so starts a sequence of events that has played out many times in our household—one that can be avoided, both in our marriages and in our writing at work. Why? Because while he did in fact wash some of the dishes, he did not in fact wash all of the dishes. And that lack of specific wording sets up an expectation on my part that’s not met, leading to frustration. He was not specific and...
by Sharon Ernst | Jul 31, 2020 | Business Writing Skills
Are you still working from home (WFH)? Or, as a client put it to me this morning, “living at work”? As challenging as it can be, those of us WFH have gained back a little time in our days because we don’t have to commute. And there, as the one who wants everyone to be a better, faster writer, I see WFH as opening up just a weeee bit of time for people to work on the critical communication skill of writing. Plus, I’ll be honest with you, as the farmer, I have had very little time this July to encourage anyone to do so—including...
by Sharon Ernst | Jun 9, 2020 | Business Writing Skills
Do paragraph transitions sound boring? Yeah. They sound boring to me too. But you need them. And if I can work through the boring to write this post, you can work through the boring to read it. So keep reading… First off, I know I’m not the only out there making online classes to help people be better writers at work. However, I think I’m the only one basing my lessons on copywriting techniques vs. taking the approach of a strict English teacher. Yet there are times when we have to get granular. And when that happens, my advice...
