Articles by Tiffany Markman

Seven ways to inject tact into your writing

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 13:32:00 +0200

You've been there before. Something's gone wrong or you've messed up or you've had to give a client, contact or colleague 'bad' news of some kind. A "no". A "no-can-do". Even a justified mapola [lambasting]. How do you phrase it? How do you say what needs to be said, get your message across and still cover your back - or the bit that is slightly lower down but no less important to your reputation?
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Mastering (mind-numbing) minute-taking

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 11:38:00 +0200

A top PA once said, “Sometimes it takes forever to write the minutes. They should've called them the hours.” This attitude is widespread today. At almost every writing workshop I run, the delegates admit that minute-writing is one of their worst parts of the job. There isn't much to the prep; it's being in the meeting and then writing up the document that sucks, as well as the intermittent negotiations with colleagues who want the minutes to reflect what they should have said, not what they actually said.
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Freelancers: here's how to get paid

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 11:43:00 +0200

A recent article on ‘Getting the most from a freelance copywriter or editor' sparked lots of comments, but the majority came from freelancers with payment questions. So Jo Duxbury (of the brilliant Freelancentral and the spanking new Peppermint Source) and I have collaborated in order to answer them.
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Get the most out of your freelance copywriter/editor

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:23:00 +0200

I've generated some buzz on Twitter recently with my ‘Hi Tiffany' series of tweets. Largely tongue-in-cheek, they deal with bizarre client requests, strange foibles and inexplicable confusions (and before you ask, they're based on my dealings with only 5% of my client base; the other 95% is usually absolutely fantastic to work with).
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Ten hidden gems for improving your business writing in 2010

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 10:28:00 +0200

Fusilli pasta. Under-appreciated. Under-estimated. Often, under-cooked. But if one lesson has emerged from my 2009/2010 festive feasting, it's that there are hidden gems lurking in unexpected places. Below is a list of 10 little-known or frequently overlooked resources, tools or tips which - if used properly - will dramatically enhance your business writing in 2010:
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The proposal writing cheat-sheet aka ‘Proposals for the Weary'

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:00:00 +0200

So, 2009 is nearly over. Aren't you thrilled? Even if you've had a cracker of a year, it's been a long one, and pretty much everyone is ready for a break. However... since 50% of my training enquiry emails lately have centred on proposals, proposal writing and proposal writing training, I've put together a brief cheat-sheet for you, so that when you go back to work in '10, you'll have the right proposal ammo.
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How to write articles for your own business: a tutorial

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:27:00 +0200

One of the big trends in small-to-medium business marketing at the moment is content creation: writing articles, blog posts and newsletter articles on a regular basis and using these to boost website traffic, public interest or even sales.
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How to apologise sincerely in your business writing

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0200

You can't please everyone. At some point on your professional path, you'll do something silly: offend a client, annoy a customer, give shoddy service or even be in the wrong place at the wrong time. And you'll have to apologise.
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The ‘recession discount' and other fairytales

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 11:15:00 +0200

There's a new beast in town. It's short, hairy and smells a bit rancid. It snaps at your ankles and leaves slimy trails on your office floor. It doesn't speak, but rather grunts and grumbles. And just when you think you've shut your door and left it out in the cold, it pops out from behind the dustbin and bears its rotting yellow teeth at you.
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Re-entering the job market: self-marketing and resume writing

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 11:31:00 +0200

Suffering from a recession-era retrenchment? Been unceremoniously ousted from your job? Latest casualty of ‘Last In, First Out' syndrome? Massive dent to your ego notwithstanding, a retrenchment can mean huge stress and even family trauma, on top of the urgent need to find yourself another job. A nicer job. A better-paying job. And hopefully, a more ‘you' job.
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