Actually, no, it isn’t.  Its real aim is to make “a bit of money” from it.

According to Anti PowerPoint Party’s website, the nefarious MS presentation software costs the Swiss economy $2.5 billion (US) annually in wasted time and miscommunication.  So from this perspective the party’s political cause is one of economic efficiency and business development.

But there is more to it that that.  The Anti PowerPoint Party’s founder and president – Matthias Poehm – is a public speaking trainer with a business and a book on the subject to promote.  Forming his party has gained him international publicity on his specialist subject.  And all for the relatively minor cost of registering his party with the relevant authorities.  Once the word was out, those kindly media people did the rest.  Nice.

I like to think of this as The Die Hard Strategy – using politics for the sake of business.  In the first and third films of the same name, two brothers posed as political terrorists while they tried to steal vast amounts of money for supposedly idealistic reasons.  In fact, the political posturing was bogus.  They just wanted the cash, thanks very much.  Who wouldn’t?

The inner evil genius in me appreciates this tactic.  It constitutes a fresh twist and turnaround in the usual plot-line, the real-life one where politicians use the economy to further their own personal and party power-base.  But, as my favorite films critic Mark Kermode would put it, “here’s the thing”.

Politics does not produce or create value.  Business does that.  They need us more than we need them.  They exist for us, not us for them.  So let’s use them for what they can do for us.  Let’s employ politics as part of our marketing strategy.  Maybe then politics can find a sufficient reason to exist.

So ask yourself this.  If you had to form a single-issue political party in order to promote your business interests, what would it be?

Here at Sensei, one of our services is to provide training is business writing as well as write, edit and proofread all types of business documentation.  We’re so passionate about good writing that we have even formed our own professional writer’s network called ScribeTribe.  We support the Clear English Campaign and hate jargon.

So maybe we could form a party called the Anti Business Speak Party (or the Anti BS Party!).  After all, according to the BBC again, spelling mistakes cost millions in lost online sales.  Workplace jargon ‘isolates staff’ according to Investors in People.  There are many good reasons to avoid business jargon and acronyms in communications.

So come on, comrades.  Put on your cloth caps and think of how you could use politics to advance the cause of your beloved business.

Image credit: geetesh.

1. Consciously Construct Your Sentences

It’s amazing how much web copywriting is composed with no consideration for sentence construction.  Click here to see what happens when you get it wrong.  Sentences will end mid-thought.  Unless you are a professional writer, and therefore know how to break the rules, stick to these simple principles:

1. In the simplest of sentence constructions (the ones we learn in children’s storybooks) the order is Subject-Verb-Object, as in: The cat(s) sat(v) on the mat(0).  This is isn’t a bad format to follow, if you are new to copywriting.
2. Restrain your ideas to one thought per sentence and one concept per paragraph.

2. Decide Whether You’re an Amateur or a Professional

Yes, we all know we need to spell check and proofread, but how many of us do it?  Basic spelling errors don’t make the writer look cool (as often) propounded online, especially by bloggers.  They exude unprofessionalism.  The English language is not for mavericks.  The rules were decided long ago.

1. Any text editor you work with will include a basic spell check tool.  Alternatively, ask someone else to read your work, before clicking Publish.
2. Look up words whose spelling or meaning seems uncertain in Merriam Webster.

Read Apostrophe Atrophy if you still can’t grasp the purpose of the apostrophe, one of the most misunderstood and misused punctuation marks in the English language.

3. Pick an English Language to Write In

Some clients will prefer British English, some will prefer American English and some will stipulate International English.  Make yourself aware of the differences among the three.

4. Eliminate that Pesky Officialese Infection

Many who write are plagued with this persistent problem.  They don’t talk in a pompous tone.  They can relax at the weekends.  And, yet, when they sit at a laptop, pomp and ceremony take over.  Far from appearing professional and educated, they end up mired in gobbledegook.

We’ve blogged this several times before.  See the following:

The Ten Worst Business Phrases of All Time

The 8 Worst Written Business Phrases of All Time

5. Practise Before Launching Your Copy on the Web!

Writers write.  In order to become skilled at something, you need practice.  Begin a blog. It can be kept private from the world, open (but anonymous, to invite comment) or written under your own name, whatever your preference.  It’s a simple way to begin copywriting.

• Pick a subject you are interested in.
• Blog once a week, every week.
• Ask for input from colleagues or friends.

Want to Join ScribeTribe?

Perhaps you’re already a writer?

Technical writer?  Blogger?  Journalist?  Editor?  Indexer?  Copywriter?  Proofreader?  Business or professional writer?  Then ScribeTribe is for you!

Click for more information and to register your place.  ScribeTribe will launch in Belfast on 08 Mar 2011.

Alternatively, join us on Facebook.

Here are my top resources for those of you making a living out of technical writing.  Some are also of use to anyone who writes in any style for a living.  First though…

What Is a Technical Writer?

I’ve always written my own training content, workbooks, manuals, user guides, procedures and policies.  I was a Technical Writer long before I realised it.  And, my personality type is tailor-made for the role.  Simply put, a Technical Writer is someone who writes technical documentation.  Non-writers often make the mistake of reading IT into the technical bit of the job title.  However, while many technical writers deal with information technology, many don’t.  There are many fields that come under the heading of “technical”: Medicine; Engineering and Construction; Food; Health; Research; or Education for example.

Sometimes, Technical Writers are also referred to as Technical Authors or Technical Communicators.

What Do Technical Writers Do?

Technical Writing often involves a great deal of jargon or specialised language.  It is the task joy of the Technical Communicator to become familiar, often very quickly with new concepts, technology, jargon and environments, in order to produce a guide, manual or handbook that will illuminate the topic for newbies, or provide a useful resource for the more experienced.

What Online Resources Are Available?

There are some online resources that I simply cannot do without.  Some are human in form.

I’d Rather Be Writing

Tom Johnston is a Technical Writer from Utah.  He writes a blog entitled, I’d Rather be Writing, about “The Latest Trends in Technical Communication” and is never too busy to answer a query, or recommend some useful online resources via Twitter.  Each blog post is mighty useful.  Add it to your RSS reader now!

Merriam -Webster

An Encyclopedia Britannica company, Merriam Webster operates an online dictionary and thesaurus, a delight to anyone into who wishes they’d studied semantics or etymology at university.  This website is a resource for all those who need to know the precise origin, old and modern meanings of words, and pronunciation guidelines.

The Plain English Campaign

It’s not too great a strain to say that this may just be my favourite concept in the writing domain: Plain English.  It prompted the style of the strapline we use for our Coaching Service: No Fuss; No Jargon; No Crystals: Only Results.

Strunk and Whyte

If you’re looking for an old, reliable guide to how English should be written, then this is what you have been waiting for.  Strunk and Whyte is a plain English reference guide from the early 1900s, highlighting and explaining those English rules that are so often contravened.

Cherryleaf Technical Authors Blog

This is a highly useful blog, combining video, links and how-tos.  The man himself, Ellis Pratt is on Twitter and is always helpful, even to the point of sourcing local technical writers for me.

The Chicago Manual of Style

“With state-of-the-art recommendations on editorial style and publishing practices in the digital age, The Chicago Manual of Style is the must-have reference for everyone who works with words.”  Sign up for the immensely compact and useful Q&A Alerts.  They’re also on Facebook.

The Grouchy Grammarian

If you just cannot bear to take English seriously, then I’d suggest Thomas Parrish’s The Grouchy Grammarian, as a humourous starting point.  Once you begin to laugh while learning the rules, you’ll be pedantically hooked forever!

If you need a Technical Communicator, contact me to discuss your project.  And, if you are a Technical Communicator working in Ireland or the UK, get in touch, I’d love to meet you online or offline!

Image credit: nirak (main image).  All other images are taken from the resources’ websites.

Gordon Brown has this week pledged to spread excellence.  And, many Northern Ireland politicians are spreading promises of excellence via Twitter.  We shall see.  But just think, are you spreading your excellence across the web too?  Here are five ways you can use LinkedIn to Set Out Your Manifesto, just like the big boys and girls.  Except, they’re not using LinkedIn.

LinkedIn is centred around people you’ve worked with and for. Ask for recommendations.

If you miss this, you’re missing a vital piece of the kit.  People buy from people.  If you’re selling something, especially where you are the product for hire, personal recommendations are crucial.

• Recruiters, partners and head-hunters often check your qualifications, and it is becoming increasingly common to receive phonecalls and emails from people looking recommendations on others, before they ask them for a meeting.
• Ask for recommendations when you’re at the end of a period of employment or the end of a project with a client.  Remember, you can choose which to display publicly on your profile.

Craft your profile carefully.  People will read it.

Pay special attention to the keywords you use when describing each past and current position.  Highlight achievements and passions.

• Avoid gaps; they create question marks in the minds of those viewing your profile.  If you left paid employment for 13 years to raise a family or care for an older relative, then state this.  Family Responsibilities/Caring Responsibilities is acceptable.  This also applies for those who have left work to enjoy a Sabbatical.
• Employ a copywriter if you feel your writing skills are not concise enough.

Join a group or three, not thirty!

There are so many!  Which do I join?  Unless you’re setting up or helping to promote a group, set simple criteria for making the decision to join.

Remember the more you join, the more emailed updates you will be trawling through.

• My new rule is, if the group has less than 200 members, I won’t join.  Yes, I sometimes break my own rule.  But, rules are made to be broken, n’est-ce pas?
• Think whether you’re going to engage with group members or not.  If not, it’s only taking up space on your profile.  This is like following everyone on Twitter, yet never replying to anyone or asking any questions.

Ask and answer questions.

Do you want to establish yourself as an expert?  Ask and answer questions.  Begin by answering a few, until you get used to the type of thing people are interested in.

• Don’t poke your nose into marketing unless you’re experienced in that area.  Keep on topic, and you will get known as someone who knows stuff.
• This takes a long time, and it must be combined with similar efforts offline, like public speaking, writing articles and papers, or informative emails, for example.
• And, don’t forget to answer messages sent to your inbox!  Treat the inbox like your regular email inbox – respond promptly!

Add your Twitter stream.

If you use Twitter for professional networking, marketing, market research or sales and support, display your status updates on LinkedIn.  You can also use a tool such as TweetDeck or Hootsuite to send one status update to multiple profiles, without having to log into LinkedIn each time.

• Avoid getting into the habit of sending every status update to every network; those who belong to lots of networks soon tire of seeing your update multiple times.  Choose what you want to use LinkedIn for, and tailor the status updates you send there to this goal.
• An advantage is that those on LinkedIn who prefer Twitter have an alternative way to keep in touch with you.  And, your Twitter profile may supply a different angle on what you do.

LinkedIn may seem like a stolid, static social network profile option.  It doesn’t have to be so static, however, by employing these simple strategies.  Keeping it fluid and up to date is the key to being remembered and found.  When people go searching for your profile, your name is not too far down their Updates list.

• Monday, at 15:05pm, when this post was written, my name appeared first on Google in a search for my name.  The first result was my LinkedIn profile.

This is type of the result you want!  Just make sure that when people find you, your profile draws them in!

Image credit: Coletivo Mambembe.

We would like to hear from all those who would like an opportunity to guest blog for us.  Please get in touch if that is you.  

Benefits of Guest Blogging?

• It will help direct visitors to your business.  If you write well, it may enlighten old customers about other services you provide and help you discover new ones.
• It will hone your content and SEO-writing skills!

Requirements

1. You must be a business owner or someone who pays a significant role in the business you work in.  You do not need to be in the same industry as us.
2. Your business must be based in Northern Ireland/Ireland or the UK.
3. There is no need to be a blogger already, as long as you have something to say.
4. Topic is up to you, as long as it can be easily related to business.
5. Email us first, to suggest your idea, before starting to write.
6. You will be allocated a month to write for, unless you have any specific date in mind, perhaps to co-incide with something you are trying to promote.
7. Blogs must be submitted well in advance of the month in which they are to appear, to allow time for editing and uploading.

Other Stuff

• Sensei Learning & Performance reserve the right to edit your piece.
• We will not publish it elsewhere under a different name, though it will appear on all the usual social networks, attributed and with links back to you.
• We may decide not to publish it at all.
• There is currently no payment for guest bloggers.  We will provide links to your site and share it around the social networks to help drive traffic to your site.

OK, get to work.  Email all suggestions to info@sensei-winbeforehand.co.uk.