Artificial intelligence (AI) for writing and content production has come a long way. Given that AI has been in the news, it may be worth revisiting the state of AI writing: can AI now offer a solution for businesses struggling with the quantity or quality of their writing needs?   Some seem to think so. The recent release from AI research and development organization OpenAI of an impressive new AI tool called ChatGPT, a leading-edge natural language processing algorithm that is capable of producing human-like responses to inputs and prompts, has made waves. The quality of its output has s ..read more

Artificial intelligence (AI) for writing and content production has come a long way. Given that AI has been in the news, it may be worth revisiting the state of AI writing: can AI now offer a solution for businesses struggling with the quantity or quality of their writing needs?   Some seem to think so. The recent release from AI research and development organization OpenAI of an impressive new AI tool called ChatGPT, a leading-edge natural language processing algorithm that is capable of producing human-like responses to inputs and prompts, has made waves. The quality of its output has s ..read more

Have you ever had the experience of staying up late reading a good book, or otherwise found something you were reading so engrossing that it was hard to put down?   There are many reasons why we find ourselves caught up in a written work, but one major contributor is “flow.” In other words, the rhythm of a document can make a big difference in how that document gets read. A well-structured document creates forward momentum that carries the reader along, similar to rafting down a river. The work just carried them along from start to finish because it had this incredible flow that just kept ..read more

Have you ever had the experience of staying up late reading a good book, or otherwise found something you were reading so engrossing that it was hard to put down?   There are many reasons why we find ourselves caught up in a written work, but one major contributor is “flow.” In other words, the rhythm of a document can make a big difference in how that document gets read. A well-structured document creates forward momentum that carries the reader along, similar to rafting down a river. The work just carried them along from start to finish because it had this incredible flow that just kept ..read more

One of the most insidious writing problems in business is invisible. You can even put your written content through a rigorous review, editing, and approval process and still miss it.   We’re not talking about issues like poor grammar, overuse of jargon or clichés, or poorly constructed arguments. Those are the kinds of problems a review process will likely catch. Instead, the problem is the assumption that the writing is as good as it gets, when it could be better in ways that lead to more sales, happier customers, fewer questions and complaints, and more.   This happens when writing ..read more

One of the most insidious writing problems in business is invisible. You can even put your written content through a rigorous review, editing, and approval process and still miss it.   We’re not talking about issues like poor grammar, overuse of jargon or clichés, or poorly constructed arguments. Those are the kinds of problems a review process will likely catch. Instead, the problem is the assumption that the writing is as good as it gets, when it could be better in ways that lead to more sales, happier customers, fewer questions and complaints, and more.   This happens when writing ..read more

Not all customer-facing documents serve the same purpose, and it doesn’t make sense to write or use them all the same way. Instead, organizations should think about where different pieces of content fit into the sales cycle. For example, early in the cycle, when a company is trying to generate awareness and help prospects understand their service or product offerings, it's more important to educate. Later, when the business is trying to close the sale, it's more important to make actual sales arguments. Misaligning your written documents with where they fall into the sales cycle can lead to l ..read more

Not all customer-facing documents serve the same purpose, and it doesn’t make sense to write or use them all the same way. Instead, organizations should think about where different pieces of content fit into the sales cycle. For example, early in the cycle, when a company is trying to generate awareness and help prospects understand their service or product offerings, it's more important to educate. Later, when the business is trying to close the sale, it's more important to make actual sales arguments. Misaligning your written documents with where they fall into the sales cycle can lead to l ..read more

Monroe’s Motivated Sequence is a framework for writing speeches that dates back nearly a century. Developed in the 1930s by Purdue University psychologist Alan Monroe, Monroe’s Motivated Sequence suggests a five-step structure for speeches designed to persuade audiences to take an intended action.   Even better, it’s not just for speeches. In fact, one of our favorite things about Monroe’s Motivated Sequence isn’t that we think it’s inherently better than other approaches to organizing spoken or written content, but that it provides an accessible framework for getting started with a writi ..read more

When businesses and other organizations decide to provide writing training to their workforce, it’s usually because they want their people to produce more readable and effective documents. “Clear writing is critical,” says one of our clients, explaining why they wanted to help their team develop stronger writing skills. “It’s a representation of not only the individual but the corporation as well.” What many organizations don’t realize, however, are the ways in which writing training produces secondary benefits, some of which can be dramatic. Here are 4 hidden and surprising ways that writing ..read more