Truth 1. Most people aim for the wrong target

There’s an old saying, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.” Or, if you like sports analogies better: “It’s much easier to hit a target you can see.”

Most of us never learned to write for practical purposes. Early in our school years we were drilled on mastering grammar and punctuation, and in high school and college, usually practiced a literary style suitable for academic essays.

Then we enter the business world, and unless we’re lucky enough to find a writing mentor, we encounter few good models to light the way. Most people write carelessly, using old-fashioned, outdated styles that are ill suited to today’s tempo and spirit. So we muddle along without knowing how ...

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