What is Business Writing Solutions?
Business Writing Solutions is a two-day business writing seminar presented onsite by Jonathan Clark, the top business writing trainer in America. Jonathan conceived, wrote and presents the program to clients such as Southwest Airlines, Department of Defense, Fox Broadcasting, National Institute of Health, Los Angeles County and NASA-Kennedy Space Center. This unconditionally-guaranteed business writing seminar helps people write better and at least 30 percent faster. It is also available on CD and as a public seminar.
Didn’t I just say that?
SOME PEOPLE HAVE ALWAYS KNOWN!
A quote from H.W. Fowler, Modern English Usage: “The English-speaking world may be divided into (1) those who neither know nor care what a split infinitive is; (2) those who do not know, but care very much; (3) those who know and condemn; (4) those who know and distinguish. Those who [...]
The Power of a Single Page
WE ALL KNOW IT. Shorter documents carry a much better chance of someone actually reading them. A recent newsletter identified the crucial five to 15 seconds in which your readers make decisions about your writing. Ultimately, they decide if they will even bother to invest their time to read what you wrote.
A “readability” survey produces [...]
Strength in Short Words
In every writing class I have taught for the past 20 years, I have read four paragraphs Richard Lederer wrote. I use them to drive home a message I always share with my participants, no matter how professional or inexperienced they might be. It always produces shock and surprise!
“When you speak and write, no law [...]
Get Over It! Writing’s Worst Myth
I consider William Zinsser, author of the classic On Writing Well (Harper & Row, New York), to be my personal writing mentor. I have never met him, but I always agree with what he believes about writing. Consider this, as your “thought for the month”:
“Plain talk will not be easily achieved in business and government. [...]
“Position” Your Ideas For Success
Al Ries and Jack Trout co-authored a classic marketing book, Positioning, more than 25 years ago. The book’s ideas contain many applications for writing, and I often refer to them in my workshops.
The book got a rewrite a few years ago, but the message remained the same. The most important idea, with the greatest impact [...]
The Source of Grammar and Usage
“The plain people, hereafter as in the past, will continue to make their own language, and the best that grammarians can do is to follow after it, haltingly, and not often with much insight into it.” H. L. Mencken, The American Language (1936)
As the above quote clearly tells us, grammarians don’t make the rules for [...]
Writing’s Ongoing Battle: Creation vs. Analysis
Most people waste time and energy at every stage of the writing process! Business Writing Solutions teaches a six-step process you can apply to any kind of writing: on the job, personal, technical, creative–whatever. Keep the steps separate, and keep them in sequence, and I guarantee better writing that takes less time.
Split-brain studies offer insights [...]
Myself: The Most Misused Word?
I can’t help it. My mother was a college English professor who made sure I did it right from the day I began talking (and writing). I notice every grammar mistake, even if I’m not looking for it. And nearly everyone, it seems, misuses myself these days.
John, Mary and myself agree with you.
It was important [...]
Tell It Like It Is: Conversational Writing
Writing often fails because we consider the written word different from other forms of communication. But what works best face-to-face, or person-to-person, works just as well (and exactly the same way) in writing.
What are we thinking?? Business writing isn’t choosing and slapping together phrases that sound impressive: “Pursuant to your request, enclosed please find herewith…” [...]
Cut writing time by 30%!
The six-step writing process from Business Writing Solutions cuts the time needed to write by at least 30 percent. That translates into an immediate reduction in writing costs, and an increase in productivity. To find out how much you can save, use our interactive Writing Investment Worksheet.
About my client list…
If you have just come across this web site, you may be wondering “Who has scheduled Business Writing Solutions?”
Many organizations all across the country have done so. They have scheduled onsite programs, and most of them have brought it back, many of them on a regular basis. It’s easy to persuade (with sales and marketing skills and techniques) a client to schedule a program once.
But I only get invited back if they like what they hear: if people benefit, their writing improves, and they say, “Everyone should take this program!” That’s why I make my unconditional guarantee. If you’re not delighted with the program, and if it doesn’t exceed your expectations, you owe me nothing. I have never had to make good on that!
Here are a few of my ongoing, regular, clients: NASA Kennedy Space Center…Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General…FedEx Office…CenterPoint Energy…Kaiser Permanente…Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)…Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General…General Services Administration…National Institutes of Health…Ryan, Inc.,…Smithsonian Institution.
I would love to add your organization’s name to my list! By the way, if you schedule a program, you get me…not a trained substitute. Use the “Send Information” box in the upper right hand corner!
Client Success Stories!
Fortune 50 Financial Corporation: The director of a project involving a corporate culture restructuring (of an old, Midwest-based company) contacted us about offering Business Writing Solutions to the members of his team. These individuals came from all departments, and were working together to make written recommendations to corporate headquarters concerning a “new” culture for the organization.
These people were already overwhelmed with their work and way behind schedule, with deadlines for completed recommendations documents fast approaching. The all traveled to a central meeting spot, taking two of the remaining days out of their work time, for this class.
Using the ideas from Business Writing Solutions, the entire team completed and turned in its work on time. Later, the director who had brought me in wrote and said, “This was the best Time Management course I have ever taken. Your ideas have saved me more than 30 percent of the time I used to spend writing. I would recommend this class to anyone!”
