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Writing comes naturally to some. To others, it is a completely unnatural and uncomfortable process. The majority of business professionals out there fall somewhere in between. They consider themselves decent writers but find it a challenge to continually locate the right words and tone for their releases, newsletters, white papers and so on.

Here are 4 tips that can help experienced and novice writers alike build their skills and their confidence:

1. Scrutinize everything you write. It doesn’t matter if it’s an email or a birthday card, take your time with what you’re writing, and reread what you’ve created at least twice. Get a sense of what works and what doesn’t, and think about ways to improve. Should the content be more descriptive? Less wordy? Do you need a refresher course in some grammatical rules? Are you taking up several sentences to say the same thing, just in different ways? But don’t make it all negative. Focus on what’s good about your writing, too. Do you turn a nice phrase? Is your tone professional yet approachable? Do you feel that others will get a crystal-clear image of what your trying to say? The more you analyze your writing, the more aware you’ll be of your writing strengths and weaknesses. Then, you can capitalize on the former while minimizing the latter.

2. Read the content of others. Look at your competitors’ website and blog; reread emails sent to you by colleagues; dig out that industry newsletter from last month. Note words, phrases, sentences, paragraphs and whole articles that are well written and make an impact. Does your writing have that same power? It’s not that you want to copy someone else’s writing style; instead, you want to recognize good solid business writing and find ways to enhance your own

3. Read your writing out loud. This is a really good tool that even accomplished writers use. When you read aloud, you get a better feel for the tone of the piece. You’re also likely to catch errors like this: She is is a good friend.

4. Trust yourself. As a skilled professional, you are an authority in your field. Write with authority (but don’t be preachy), and others will admire and respect your prose.

NOTE: For more information on writing and editing for small business owners and entrepreneurs, please visit

In the not-so-olden days, a writer relied on an electric or even a manual typewriter, some White Out for mistakes and a dictionary. Spell Check was nothing more than a glimmer in some young technical genius’ eye. Instead, you depended on your own keen sense of spelling and grammar, with help from Merriam-Webster. A typo was unacceptable.

Today, we pretty much rely on the Spell Check built-into our software to get us through an important piece of copy. But we shouldn’t place all our faith in that. Just like everything else in life, we’ve got to take some personal responsibility for our writing.

Just the other day, I was writing an article and wanted to describe the large portions of food served at a restaurant. I first wrote down hearty, then switched to hardy, then decided I needed to consult the dictionary included with MS Word. I have to say, I wasn’t totally convinced after reading the definitions provided there.

So I lugged the big red dictionary over to my computer (complaining all the way, of course; what a hassle to have to actually GET UP from your computer station!). I saw that among the definitions for hardy were bold and brazen and inured to fatigue or hardships. I wouldn’t want to eat that type of food, would you? But just to be sure I had the correct word, I flipped the pages to hearty: abundant, rich or flavorful enough to satisfy the appetite. Ah, there we go!

Anyone can get confused with the meanings of words or the spelling of words or how words should be used in a sentence. The dictionary comes in handy for all of that. (As an example, it can–and should!–be used to remind oneself about when to use “its” and “it’s” in a sentence. More on that issue–one of my pet peeves–in another post.) The dictionary confirms our thought or politely lets us know we’re wrong. Plus, it forces us to move our bodies when typing and gives us a chance to hold a great book in our hands if only for a minute.

The dictionary: a must-read for writers, whether they’re doing so for business or pleasure.

The other day, I wrote about the art of the press release. Remember, you want to tempt the reader with key tidbits, but you don’t want to give away the whole deal.

Below is an example of a press release that I wrote for Synergy International Limited, Inc., an award-winning Northeast Ohio strategic marketing firm. Synergy wanted to let people in the region know about its brand new focus group facility. The release gives important information about the facility. It also is written in a tone that is both professional and warm, reflecting the personality of the people in the company and the style of the business. The idea was to tell people about the facility, then invite them over to show it to them.

A well-written press release does more than get the word out; it grabs people’s attention and sends them in search of more information. This, in turn, can lead to more business for your company.
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Syneregy International Limited, Inc. Unveils Focus Facility

State-of-the-art site is unique in Summit County

April 22, 2008

AKRON, Ohio. Synergy International Limited, Inc., a full-service marketing strategy consultancy, specializing in marketing research and stakeholder relationship management, recently unveiled its 3,600-square-foot focus group facility in Fairlawn, just outside of Akron, Ohio. Outfitted with the latest amenities, the state-of-the-art facility will enable award-winning Synergy to grow its presence throughout Cuyahoga, Medina, Portage, Stark and Summit counties.

The new focus group facility further solidifies Synergy’s commitment to serve Northeast Ohio. In 2007, Synergy acquired DecisionPoint Marketing and Research. With the acquisition and the opening of a new focus group facility, Synergy is poised to create a dominant presence in the region.

“We are so pleased to serve Akron and surrounding communities,” said Rachel Daniel, CEO of Synergy and a doctoral candidate at Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management. “To my understanding, we’re the only privately owned focus group facility in Summit County and the only female- and minority-owned facility in the state of Ohio.”

Synergy conducts consumer, corporate, political and employee focus groups, mock jury trials, observational research, web and telephone surveys and mystery shopping. The company has a database of more than 60,000 research participants in Cuyahoga, Medina, Portage, Stark and Summit counties.

With a dedicated focus group facility, Synergy’s customers can conduct quantitative research in a luxurious setting. The facility boasts a large, open participant room with two breakout areas; a spacious and elegant viewing room, which seats 12 and includes a double-glass mirror, in-suite restroom and private entrance; two discussion rooms with plenty of space for relaxed conversation; and wireless Internet and state-of-the-art audio/visual equipment.

Founded six years ago by Ms. Daniel, Synergy has quickly gained recognition for its ability to translate sometimes-complex quantitative or qualitative data into actionable insight, while implementing programs that target specific stakeholder needs. Ms. Daniel’s passion for serving clients personably and comprehensively is shared by her team and appreciated by Synergy’s clients, which have included Time Warner Cable, The J. M. Smucker Company, National City Bank, Kent State University, Alltel, Best Buy, Doar Litigation Consulting and Key Bank.

“Synergy practices what it preaches—the principles and discipline of customer experience management,” commented Tony Bodak. Bodak is the Director of Service Excellence for Life Line Screening, the leading provider of mobile preventive health screenings in the U.S. “In all of our work together, Synergy has developed a uniquely thorough understanding of our needs and built solutions from there. Synergy’s customer-driven approach has helped us cultivate our [own unique customer-driven approach].”

Synergy continues to grow and excel. Microsoft recently tapped Synergy to conduct qualitative research at a national retreat for affluent women of color. Synergy has also added the City of Cleveland and another division of Time Warner Cable to its growing client list.

To learn more about the success of Synergy and the exciting new focus group facility, visit www.synergycem.com. Better yet, Ms. Daniel offers a personal invitation to the Fairlawn site. “Please call us or stop by for a visit,” she said. “We always have great coffee!”

You’ve done something amazing, and you want to share it with the world. Quick, a press release!

Now, here’s the tricky part: Although you want to say EVERYTHING about your exciting news, you need to keep it simple. The old journalism rule of who, what, when, where, why and how can certainly apply. Of course, you can add dashes of intrigue or humor, and sprinkle a few (just a few) catchy adjectives to enliven the press release, if that seems appropriate.

What you don’t want to do is tell the whole story in the release, and leave no questions or curiosity for the reader. You also don’t want to bog it down with inconsequential details. For example, you will probably want to mention if your company has been in business for a long time or has received any awards or special recognition. However, don’t feel the need to launch into a lengthy history about the company or intricate details about the recognitions it has received.

You want the reader to say, “Hmm, this is interesting. I want to know more.” That will inspire him or her to pick up the phone or drop you an email, which could possibly lead to the major exposure you’re seeking.