Articles

One of the most basic principles of writing is to write for your reader. Yet often we become so entrenched in what we want to say, we lose sight of what our readers need to hear. Communicating is all about sharing our thoughts and ideas. But can we be sure our readers’ minds work the same way as our own?

The COVID-19 coronavirus has provided fertile ground for scammers to prey on anxious and unsuspecting people in vulnerable financial and health positions. C Since the outbreak of the virus there have been over 2,000 COVID-19-related scam reports. Looking for clues in the text of an email, social media post, or SMS is one of a number of steps you can take to protect yourself from scams. 

Concise Writing Consultancy has been offering remote learning for the past 10 years through individual mentoring and coaching. As a result of COVID-19, we have significantly extended our online training options which will become permanent fixtures of our training offerings.

A stumbling block for many team members wanting to progress into management positions is their writing ability. Poorly structured and unclear reports are major culprits that let many applicants down. Even if writing is not your strong point, here are 3 simple strategies to help you get a step closer to that promotion.

English is a wonderfully flexible language. We borrow words from other languages, like 'ballet', 'chocolate' and 'patio', and make up words, like 'hangry' and 'mansplain'. Words go in and out of fashion, others disappear only to reappear again decades later. Other words, like 'alternate' can mean different things to different people. 

Emails are still the most common form of written communication in most organisations. Yet, the speed of transmission of emails is both an advantage and a trap. Many team members remain blissfully unaware of the etiquette of business email writing. It’s quick and easy to break some of the golden rules of email etiquette and get your reader offside. Find out the wrong way and the right way.

To meet the challenge of COVID-19, Sydney-based Concise Writing Consultancy has developed a hybrid 3-stage online learning model that combines self-paced learning and interactive virtual classroom.  Giving participants the best of both worlds, this training approach will allow participants to consolidate their learning and more easily transfer their skills to the workplace.

At the beginning of the 21st century we have the ability to publish anything on the internet. By the time the grammar trolls pounce, the errors are out there going viral and confusing readers who blindly copy these errors thinking it’s correct usage. In the face of other global concerns, worrying about the English language may seem pedantic. Yet, now more than ever, clear communication is critical. Is the English language on the fast track to regressing to confusion and unintelligibility?

Writing clear and concise business communications with exactly the right tone is tricky at the best of times. But how do you get the right balance when communicating with your clients or staff about an invisible virus that's causing its fair share of disruption around the world? Discover 5 common traps when writing about COVID-19 and how to avoid them.  

At Concise Writing Consultancy, we frequently speak to frustrated managers who are spending too much time editing their team members’ reports. Sometimes this is a symptom of a team member’s poor writing skills. Often, it’s because the team member has submitted a first draft genuinely believing it’s close to the finished product, when actually it’s not. Find out how adding one simple step in the writing process can potentially solve a multitude of writing problems and keep your manager happy.