We have heard, many times, that you must know something about your audience if you are going to have an impact. After all, you are giving a speech to educate, motivate or change the opinion of every person who has given up valuable time to hear you. To be relevant, interesting or even entertaining, you […]
Overused, Abused and, Literally, Ineffective
We have a tendency to share things: food, drink, conversation, beds and words. Let’s focus on the last one. I’ve always been a proponent of having a good vocabulary. Why? Because it’s really good to use words in specific and precise ways. Many people, however, use words to impress others or sound hip, cool or […]
The Power of Surveys – a newsmaking tool
There’s an expression in public relations that makes sense: If you want to make news, do a survey. Americans are fascinated with surveys, and they believe them for the most part. Sure, we know that some surveys can be less-than-factual or use faulty methodologies. However, well-conducted canvassing can generate a lot of interest. Surveys and […]
Could care less, irregardless (SIC) of what they think
Today, our language is taking a very interesting course. We are an “auto-correct†society. Well, you say, it’s been that way for a long time. Actually, the technology has moved us into a world of “close is good enough.†When it comes to precision in writing, we’re on autopilot. Sure, there’s the problem with to, […]
Words, Words and Grammar Nerds
I believe people still like to read well-written pieces rich in detail and explanation — even in a world filled with the abbreviated language of emails, texts and tweets. Sure, there is a place for such quick and short missives, but a lot gets left to interpretation. Any written communication, no matter how compact, needs […]