On Words and Business

Movable type - 1040

Printing press - 1454

Dot matrix printer - 1970

A format in which words do not have to be printed to be read - The present

A format currently only imagined? - The future

If you haven’t heard about Scott Ginsberg, you should find out about him. He’s the nametag guy (he wears it 24/7), and has great ideas and suggestions for networking and helping people get to know the real you. Plus, he’s interesting.

As an example, here are two blog posts on things you should never apologize for–part 1 (1-37) and part 2 (38-79).

My favorites:

• 5. Never apologize for asking questions.
• 18. Never apologize for disagreeing.
• 23. Never apologize for giving it your best shot.
• 27. Never apologize for lack of information.
• 30. Never apologize for looking out for yourself.
• 54. Never apologize for thinking something was possible.
• 71. Never apologize for your happines.
• 76. Never apologize for your pricing.

From the post Marketing Tip of the Day: Never Say “Very” by Dave Kellogg

• It makes your writing seem like puffery
• It transfers the meaning away from the very thing you are trying to highlight
• It may lead to unsupported or illogical claims
• It can overposition your product or service

That’s all very, very true, n’est-ce pas?