They asked, we said yes, and that's why we scheduled a repeat of our How to Write Persuasively teleseminar on Thursday, June 28th at noon Mountain Time.
This teleseminar already transformed how I write
and edit my copy. My verbs are dancing and my modifiers aren't mixing.
Barbara McNichol provided me with the tools I need to write at the next
level. And Barbara gleaned fresh ideas from me, too.
So join us. And if you were there last week, you're
welcome to join us again.
Read about this telephone seminar, get your sneak
preview and register.
New Feature
Check the reader comment section at the end of this
newsletter for my new feature.
This Week in the World
Why is this Happening Again?
Comedian Kathy Griffin is outrageous, over the top
and irreverent. If you like that, you’ll love her. If you
don’t, you won’t. Her program My Life on the “D”
List shows her in front of hysterical audiences and disapproving ones.
It portrays several meeting planners asking her to
tone herself down right before or early into her presentation. Hiring
Kathy and asking her to tone herself down is like hiring Michael Moore and
asking him not to criticize corporations. It’s like hiring Billy
Graham and asking him not to discuss God. It’s like hiring me and
asking me not to talk about communication. It doesn’t make sense.
I understand how this could happen occasionally, but
I’d think after two or three fiascos, Kathy’s staff would
learn to initiate a conversation about who Kathy is and what Kathy does.
But it keeps happening –
“surprises” that could have been avoided if only someone had
the foresight to initiate a conversation.
If you keep experiencing the same misunderstandings,
ask yourself if there’s a conversation you need to have up front. It
could save you headaches.
comment
Go for a Communication Transformation. Get the
entire SpeakStrong Library.
PowerPhrase of the Week
Because
In our persuasive writing class, Barbara and I spoke
about influential words. Here’s one of my favorites -
Research shows that even if the reason isn’t
that great, the word "because" persuades.
A few weeks ago, my PowerPhrase was "because I care"
as the subject line in an email that pointed out a typo. A reader sent
another correction email with the subject line, "because I know you care."
There's power in "because."
There is still room available in our persuasive
writing teleseminar.
comment
Poison Phrase of the Week
Water the Dog
Barbara and I got a kick out of a story a
teleseminar attendee shared in last Thursday’s class. When she got
her first dog, her father sent her out to...
- water the dog
He assumed she knew what that meant. She
didn’t. She was frustrated that the dog wouldn’t sit still
while she “watered” him. It was a mess.
It may surprise you how specific your word choice
needs to be.
comment
Read the in-depth description of: How to Use
PowerPhrases.
Ask Meryl
College Apps
My daughter is 17 and going to be a senior this
year. We are spending our summer and all of next school year applying for
scholarships.
What do colleges want in an interview, and what do
they want in an application or resume?
Meryl Responds
I don’t know, but perhaps my readers do. Any
takers?
There's lots of information about how to communicate
up the ladder in PowerPhrases!. Enjoy the in-depth description here.
comments
Reader Success Story
Conference Conflicts
We require groups to reserve conference rooms, but
some people don’t honor that. Recently a coworker has been using the
room for her projects, and when the group sees her there, they squeeze
into a smaller room. Occasionally we’ve gone to meet and found her
project spread out over the table, so we met in another room.
I heard people complain, but instead of complaining,
I sought out the young woman. I asked her to observe the schedule and to
move her project to a side table when meetings were scheduled. She did.
comment
Reader Comments on Previous Newsletters
New feature: I'm adding a feature of a random prize
to the person who writes the post we find to be the most informative,
inspiring or to provide the best idea of how to implement SpeakStrong
techniques. It could be a book, a trinket, a toy - something small but not
junk. This week's winner, Cindy Mueller, is a writer, so her prize is the
book: How to Say It: Style Guide Techniques That Will Make Your Writing
the Best You Can Be
Not only that, I asked Cindy if she would be my blog
evaluator and she agreed. In the weeks to come, Cindy will select the best
blog post of the week.
This week's winning post is:
Putting an End to Sarcasm
Sarcasm is one of my worst habits. I guess I should
say, formerly one of my worst habits. In my case, I told myself I was
using sarcasm to be funny, to show off just how clever I could be. I
realized that I was using it as a weapon. When I felt threatened, or
powerless, I’d launch an arrow at my unsuspecting victim.
Since I found Speak Strong I am much more aware of
the impact of my words. And I am much more in touch of what I’m
thinking and feeling. When I am afraid, I dig in and fight. It looks and
feels like anger, but the anger is just a front.
I found that if I take a moment to figure out what
I’m feeling and honestly name it, I feel more able to resolve the
situation, more empowered — and not so afraid.
More comments: Click and scroll down for the latest
posts.
You Need a Meeting
Owning Her Life After Incest (Scroll waaaay down.)
Your Neglect |
