In a Tough Economy, Writing Matters

In a brutally competitive economy, you need every e-mail, letter, PowerPoint, and proposal to be as professional as possible. And yet, today’s workforce is less prepared than ever before to make a favorable impression.

• 72% of employers rate high school graduates as “deficient” in basic writing skills
• 28% of employers rate college graduates as deficient in writing
• One-third of employees in blue-chip U.S. companies write poorly

What is your organization doing to improve the communication skills of its employees? Your thoughts and stories welcomed.

Advertising Hall of Shame

This week's entrant into Dr. GoodWrite's Hall of Shame: Outback Steakhouse and its latest slogan: "Live Adventurous"

How hard would it be to make it grammatically correct: "Live Adventurously"?

Hall of Shame Entry

The latest entry to Dr. GoodWrite's Hall of Shame was forwarded by a friend.

The following e-mail contained the subject line, "position needed," which signaled the quality of the thinking to follow. Here, with details changed to protect the innocent, is how it looked:

Hi Don,
Thanks for attempting to help This position is a Dir. Of Cosmetics Sales, must have RSD/Broker exp. This person will be responsible for Direct Accounts and Broker Accounts, overseeing the Q-Mart org.; reports to VP of Sales, wants person in N. or S. Nev. , someone that has managed people, a working knowledge of cosmetics, someone that can lead and motivate tems….5-10 years exp. in cosmetics channels. $55-100K, + 25% bonus, equity…..Thank you for putting any feelers out, much appreciated!! Hope to see you all soon!!! Take care, Molly