Is this where Harry met Sally?

arousal-cafeWe've done our best to ignore the adverse conditions and get out more this Summer. But wherever we go, we keep coming across examples of people's determination to use language and grammar in their very own way. It's impossible to imagine that Jane was the first to spot the inner meaning of this sign on a seaside cafe: so perhaps there's more going on in Barmouth than meets the eye. Well - what do they put the tea?

But unless this is intentional - and the owners of the Carousel Cafe have found an effective way of tapping into a different type of clientele - the lesson is that you should always check carefully for typos. They're not always as easy to spot as this one became once the sign lost its 'C', and they can be very embarrassing.

If you have any examples of signs and notices that have made you either laugh or despair, please send them in so that I can post them on our gallery.

How to avoid the top four email howlers

Emails create more embarrassment and problems than just about any other form of communication - and it's usually the email's great advantages of convenience, speed and multiple connectivity that are the culprits.

The most important rule is, of course, to think before you click. More specifically, there are four very common problems to be aware of:

1. Message not clear

2. Message open to misinterpretation

3. Message contains incorrect grammar and punctuation

4. Selecting 'reply all' in error.

One-day Effective Business Writing course - £250/head

If you want to know how to communicate clearly in writing and make a positive impact on your readers, book a place on our Effective Business Writing open course in Bristol on 27 September 2007. Book here or find out more here (pdf 400K).

Message not clear

Do you often receive emails that are rambling and incomprehensible? Research shows that it's likely that you will delete the indecipherable ones and skip or spike those where main point isn't clear right at the beginning.

Message open to misinterpretation

Be aware that if you write or respond quickly without time for reflection, your email may be open to misinterpretation. Offensive or hurtful messages are often the result of lack of clarity or an abrupt tone. In addition, an email does not have the advantage of personal contact where body language aids understanding.

Message contains incorrect grammar and punctuation

Business emails must be written professionally. Just as with a business letter, an email with typos, bad grammar, punctuation errors, or spelling mistakes leaves a poor impression of the writer - and his or her organisation.

Here are some common howlers that you should make every effort to avoid:

Selecting 'reply all' in error

What is supposed to be a private joke can quickly become a public embarrassment if you select 'reply all' instead of just 'reply'. And you could suddenly become internationally famous after accidentally sending an intimate email to someone with a name similar to your partner's.

Humiliation could be only the start of the problem. Stories abound of what happens when hapless employees mistakenly send bitchy, jokey or bad taste emails to their bosses or clients. You could harm your company's image, you could lose business - you could get the sack.

One of the best ways of limiting the damage is to send an apology straight away entitled: 'We all make mistakes… and I just made a big one!' Failing that you could follow the example of the employee who sent the whole company's salary details to all staff. He immediately set off the fire alarm to give himself time to manually delete the email from everyone's desktops!

But to avoid committing all sorts of mistakes and faux pas, always take time to check what you've written. Always check your message carefully and ask yourself how you would feel on receiving it.

Back to top

Speed reading tips - how to get rid of the 'voice in your head'

A participant on one of our recent speed reading courses emailed Jane after the workshop to say that, when he's trying to practise reading faster, he can't stop subvocalising. This 'voice in your head' is a real problem for many people - and it will really slow down your reading. Here's Jane's reply.

Thank you very much for your email and for your question.

First of all stop worrying! The more you worry about it, the worse the problem will become. Instead, accept that this habit has been with you for a very long time - ever since you first started to learn to read. It will therefore be difficult, if not impossible, to eliminate it completely. The trick is to push it to the back of your mind and to become less dependent on it for understanding.

You can use the 'Power Reading' exercise to help yourself to become less dependent on subvocalisation. That's the one where you read as fast as you can for one minute using the six techniques. In this exercise, you are reading for speed rather than understanding and just concentrating on making the eyes move along as fast as possible. Force yourself to read as many 1000 wpm - and you won't be able to subvocalise much at this speed. Then slow down to your 'normal' speed - still using the six techniques - and read the same passage again for one minute. This time read for speed and comprehension. Do this several times a week to reduce dependence on subvocalising for comprehension..

Secrets of Speed Reading coverHere are a few other tips for reducing the voice in your head:

It is important to try each method for a reasonable period of time in order to evaluate their effectiveness in reducing your dependence on subvocalisation.

Good luck - and let me know how you get on!

Note: The power reading exercise is described on page 9 of our free e-book 'The Secrets of Speed Reading' – email Nick if you would like a copy.

Back to top

Introducing KeyFact Training Modules – the easy-to-use and flexible housing sector training resources

KeyFact Module 1Housing welfare officers, residents representatives, housing advisors and elected members need to learn about the benefits system. They don't need all the details. What they want is to be able to answer tenants' and homeowners' basic questions quickly and accurately.

You can run courses for these groups using the KeyFact Training modules that we have developed in conjunction with our associates, public sector housing portal UK Housing.

KeyFact Training Modules are packs of resource materials for helping others to learn. They can be used in several different ways, ranging from bite-sized sessions to more structured half-day events.

The first module in the KeyFact series deals with Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit. The aim of the module is to ensure that participants are able to give tenants and homeowners accurate information about these benefits and can answer basic questions about them. It is not intended for people who need a more detailed knowledge and understanding of these benefits.

Anyone can use these unique workshop materials to deliver effective training:

Back to top

Open course programme

Dealing effectively with information overload is one of the toughest challenges that face people today. Word Smiths' public courses are an easy enjoyable way to learn skills that will help you to keep your head above water. You will learn:

Click on the event title to see the full programme for the day.

Costs & bookings

£250 per delegate: £450 for two delegates (ex VAT). Includes lunch, refreshments and course materials. More than two people interested in attending? Contact us about multiple discounts - or have you considered an in-company course (ie held at your own premises?

Click here to book, or email/call us on 01873 857556 if you'd like to discuss any aspects of the course.

Back to top

 

Here's a message from Jody Randall, Director of Training at ITS Training (UK) Limited

Hi,

It's that time of the month again! The practice group is meeting on Thursday 30th August, this time at a different venue from the June meeting. We will be getting together at Tufnell's, 162 Tufnell Park Road, N7.

Those of you who have been with NLP London may recognise the address - Tufnell's used to be known as the Progress Bar and was owned by Conrad who started the group with Mike. This is where, until a couple of years ago, NLP London met.

At this month's meeting you will have the chance to examine and practice sub-modality belief changes. There will be a £3 charge for the meeting, this is to cover the administrative costs.

Please email: mike@nlplondon.co.uk to confirm that you'll be coming along and do feel free to forward this information to anyone else you think may be interested.

Thanks

Jody

Please get in touch with Nick if you would like to advertise your courses or events in this newsletter. We are happy to do this - in return for a small space in your email newsletter.