In a recent interview, grammarian expert Laura Jarnat revealed five easy steps to get your audience to read what you write.  Laura has been a speaker and trainer for 15 years and has a passion for grammar.  In fact, she will tell you she reads the Great Reference Manual for fun.  Follow Laura’s advice in these five easy steps and your audience will be more likely to read what you write.

1.  Consider your reader’s time and focus on what they want. Write at a level that is optimum for your reader to undersand. The current standard, and has been for a few years, is to write at the 8th grade level. You  may think that’s ridiculous and a reflection of the educaition system in our country today. Really, it has to do with a commodity called “time” that we have in short supply. Very simply, it takes time to read anything that’s written at greater than the 8th grade level. Read more

The survival of your company or your job could rest on the service you provide. 

I recently took a donation to my local donation center.  I was met by a congenial young man who greeted me with a friendly hello and welcoming smile.

While helping me remove the bag from my car, he continued his friendly chatter.  He showed appreciation that I had brought the items to “his store” rather than “take my business elsewhere.”

The encounter was so pleasant that when I left I was smiling and thinking to myself, “What else can I donate?”

I’ve also noticed that when I go into my local grocery store I am greeted by the clerks with a smile and a “hello.” 

Could it be that managers and employees sense that service is what will make the difference in survival in hard economic times?

Wouldn’t it be a pleasant consequence of these hard economic times if we all learned to provide better service to each other and became more pleasant and understanding people?

Hmmmmm.  I’m going to keep that in mind.  Perhaps others are reacting to my smile and agreeable presence?