Free download - Punctuation and A-X of Business Terms

Punctuation – The Business Writers Secret Weapon of Success Free Download 

(& Last Call for our 25th January Workshop!) 

It’s sad but true.  In business some people are sticklers for correctness in communication.  Even though you may have the best ideas, if they don’t meet an expected standard of presentation they may never get the consideration they deserve.  If you commit crimes against communication, in either the spoken or written word, the shutters of acceptance will come crashing down and you’ll be judged harshly.

In the spoken word it is saying things like  ‘somethink’ for ‘something’ or ‘anythink’ for ‘anything’.  In the written word it is committing some or all of these crimes of business writing:

• Not getting to the point quickly
• Using long congested sentences
• Not making points so they can be speedily read and understood
• Using buzz words or jargon that may not be understood by the readership
• Using acronyms whose meanings are not explained

Punctuation – A Working Guide - Our Freebie

On top of these aspects of business communication is another potential trap for the unwary – poor grammar and punctuation.  Some people like nothing better than to expose shortcomings in documents. These people revel in bad spelling and pounce on the overuse of commas.  However, it is the wrong or sometimes totally absent use of apostrophes that brings that ‘humph’ of distain.   Here’s a quick ‘Red Light Alert’ to apostrophes and how to apply them.

1. Apostrophes as a word contraction – the mark of the apostrophe replaces the missing letter as in the missing ‘o’ in Don’t or the missing ‘I’ in It’s for It is.
2. Where to put the apostrophe in single or plural situations – if single, the apostrophe is used before the ‘s’ – Jack’s car.  When talking about a plural or group situation the apostrophe is after the‘s’ such as The rabbits’ cage – the soldiers’ duty – when talking about more than one rabbit or one soldier.
3. For common possession the apostrophe is added to the last name, as in ‘Janet and John’s house’.  The word ‘common’ here means that they are ‘together’ in the relationship.
4. For uncommon possession where the entities are separate the apostrophe is applied like this:  Barry’s and Paul’s houses – as they live in different houses.

An A-X of Selected Business Terms

Our free download here carries an A-X of useful business terms and points of grammar here are a few:

Acronyms:

Aida – Attention/Interest/Desire/Action = the process of first attracting interest then converting a sale.

ABC – Always/Be/Closing = the importance of converting a sale – to follow through to gain a sale

FIFO – First/In/First/Out = A stock control term for rotating the first stock received in order that it is sold first.

HIP – High/Involvement/Product – A marketing term for a purchase that requires a high level of personal commitment and consideration – e.g. a car or house or family pet.

MBO – Management/By/Objectives or Management/Buy/Out

LIBOR – London/Inter/Bank/Offered/Rate

Quango – Quasi/Autonomous/Non/Governmental/Organisation

XTML- Xtensible/Mark-up/Language

 I hope this whets (from sharpening a blade) your appetite!  

-----------------------------------------------------------------

LAST CALL FOR COMMUNICATION TRAINING DAY - £99 - ONLINE & OFFLINE SKILLS WITH LINKEDIN FOCUS