Become a better writer and earn respect.

Want To Be Taken Seriously? Become a Better Writer – LinkedIn Today

Tired of articles about the importance of writing? Sorry. I like this piece because, well, I agree with it. It has a few obvious points, such as the idea that even if you’re not a writer by trade, you are still “publishing” material every day – whether it’s an email, work memo, or even Facebook post. People judge others based on their writing. I know I do. Is that fair? If someone sends an email with typos, does that mean they’re careless and not detail-oriented? If someone takes a roundabout way to make a point, making your head spin, does that mean they’re disorganized?

I don’t know the answer, because although I consider my writing concise, economical, and organized (this blog is a different style of writing than I incorporated in my regular work duties), my desk and parts of my life are not at all structured and well-tended. But I know that when I read a solid piece of writing, I respect the overall intelligence of its author. Coworkers have heard me time and time again question someone’s brainpower and acumen due to their lack of writing skills, or defending someone I thought had good sentence structure or the ability to turn a phrase.

My favorite point of this article is point number five (out of five). Is says that the best way to become a better writer, besides keeping at it, is to read good writing.

Does everyone have a brand?

The Ascent of Brand Man – The Economist

Here’s a piece about Wally Olins, who The Economist calls a “high priest” of branding. He died last month after an impressive life of promoting branding, not only to big-name clients but also to London’s Metropolitan Police and Narendra Modi, the man who will probably become India’s next prime minister.

Branding in some ways has transcended the actual selling of goods. In Leggett & Platt’s business-to-business world, how much does brand matter? Far less than it does in the consumer arena, but it does. What kind of brand do we have at L&P? If it’s difficult for you to describe – it certainly is for me – maybe we need to keep working on it.

About Paul M. Johnson

I’m Senior Copywriter at Leggett & Platt, so I write a bunch of B2B copy, mainly about wire and wire-related products. Pretty sexy, I agree. A long time ago, I wrote magazine articles about pro athletes such as Derek Jeter and Allen Iverson, and surprisingly that’s more interesting to most people.

I read at the gym in between weightlifting sets. I read on the treadmill. I read while I’m waiting in line. I “read” audio versions of articles while I drive, but before I was able to do that, I used to read while I drove, but usually only on traffic-free, curve-less interstate highways. That was ill-advised, so I don’t do it anymore. My two main sources are The Economist and The Wall Street Journal, and if I can predict a criticism of this blog, it’ll be that I rely on those two too much. I plead guilty.