Basically, essentially and obviously.

"If you can't explain something simply, you don't understand it well enough." - Leonardo Da Vinci.

I posted this image several weeks ago, and it serves as the inspiration for this entry. Aside from fictional literature, I have never come across a reader who wants to read anything longer than they have to. I have said it in the past, and will reiterate: Adding unnecessary words does not smarten up your content, rather, it dumbs it down. 

I use Da Vinci's proverb to send an important message to anyone who's ever penned a piece of communication, be it a report, a literary article or an email. There are a series of adverbs that you should never use at the start of a sentence. This includes words such as: 

Basically, essentially and obviously.

The adverbs I have used for this example do not add rigor to our argument or message. In fact, they undermine the writers credibility and can be perceived as condescending to the reader. For example:

Writer: Basically, the cow jumped over the moon.

Reader: Why are you making it basic? Do you take me for a fool?

Writer: Obviously, the cow jumped over the moon.

Reader: If it were obvious there would be no need for me to be reading this. You are wasting my time.

Writer: Fundamentally, the cow jumped over the moon.

Reader: Fundamental to what? Are you comparing it to something?

I would go so far as to say that these words do not have a place in any piece of communication that you draft. They should be removed from your vocabulary completely in order to avoid confusion and insult.

Before closing, I would like to point out that this is not to say that an adverb should never start a sentence. Sometimes an adverb placed at the beginning of a sentence functions as a sentence adverb (also known as an adverbial disjuncture) modifying the meaning of an entire sentence or clause. For example:

Fortunately, I witnessed the cow jumping over the moon.

The writer is explaining that they felt fortunate having witnessed the cow jumping over the moon. 

In closing, be aware that certain adverbs render your sentences moot. They must be avoided at all costs.

SWEAT 19 Day Challenge

Over the last few months I have worked with SWEAT Strength & Health, assisting them through their journey to build a strong brand and digital identity. Now, as I embark on a journey of physical transformation in the lead-up to my wedding, SWEAT will be holding my hand and leading the way. I have been invited to guest-blog for SWEAT and document my experiences, interpretations and feelings throughout the next few weeks. Once we are done, this will be reverse-published on SWEAT's site, complete with highlights and results. In the meantime, this is the highly raw and confronting journey... 

The deal. 

In 19 days I will stand at the alter and make a pledge to love and honor my best friend for the rest of my life. In its purest context, this day is about the linking of two people for the duration of a lifetime. However, if you extrapolate the rest of the elements, such as the dress, the cars, the cake, the flowers etc. it really befits an aesthetic and shallow occasion. As such, I now (less than 3 weeks out) have a burning desire to be as lean and healthy as possible in order to look the best I possibly can on the day that I make my pledge.

Now, keep in mind that I have seen this person almost every single day for the last three-or-so years. He has seen me at my best and at my worst. But rather than try to analyse the psychological anomalies associated with this situation, I am going to give into the whim and seek the help of my performance coach and friend, Nathan Barker.

Our conversation went something like this:

Me: ‘Nathan, do you think it is possible to get super lean in 19 days, or have I left it too late?’ Nathan: ‘It’s never too late…’ 

And it began. For the next 19 days I am going to start training like I’ve never trained before. Every choice that I make is going to take my body composition into consideration. From what I put in my mouth, to each and every rep I perform in the gym or on the field. At each cross-road I face I will ask myself ‘what would future Kristine (i.e. Kristine in 19 days) say? 

My training history and current status.

I should probably give you a bit of background. I have been training in a gym for the last ten-or-so years. Throughout my training practice, I have experienced a series motivational ebbs and flows and my body composition follows the same pattern. I am by no means overweight; I maintain a healthy weight through rigorous training, good meal choices and positive way of life. I teeter around the 60kg and 17% body fat mark. However, for the last few months I have been lacking in motivation and as such, have a little bit extra body fat than I’m comfortable with. I am guessing that I’m on the upwards of my average right now, possibly 18-19%. I feel my best when I’m around 15% - this will suffice as my goal. 

How will my training change?

Nathan explained that so much of the pain we feel is in the mind. When we reach the point of ‘oh no I’m going to fail!’ a certain sense of panic sets in and blocks our rational mind (much like the rational ‘pre-wedding’ mind…) and we immediately shut down. The path to dramatic changes in body composition requires you to find solace in the panic. You must master your temperament and work thought the pain and failure in order to truly reach the other side. In my case, the other side includes a banging behind and defined arms for my big day. 

It beings…

Once we’d covered all of the mind stuff, we started with a high-intensity weight program. Nathan had me perform:

- 6 x 8 reps of low and controlled back squats – superset with – 6 x 8 reps of slow and controlled preacher leg curls (knees slightly elevated from the bench in order to ensure strength and stability is practiced throughout the glutes and trunk

- We finished with 3 x 30 reps of leg press, each 10 reps decreased in weight.

It doesn’t look like much on the page, however believe me, it was outrageous! The entire time I had Nathan on one side, and ‘future Kristine’ on the other saying ‘make it count!’… Oh, the profanities. 

By the second set of the last exercise I looked a little something like this: 

And shortly after that, I looked like this: 

And that is how I stayed for a good 5 minutes. I finally managed to crawl to the gym common area to collect my belongings and sneak out the door. This is how I plan to leave the gym for the next 19 days. I will participate in up to four weight sessions and three metabolic sessions. Only 1 day off per week. 

As for the diet? As I mentioned, my diet is already pretty balanced and nutritious. However, according to Nathan, with this kind of training it is important that I get my carbs in at the right times and plenty of green veg and nutrients. I will speak more about this tomorrow. 

My feeling?

I’m scared. I’m hurting, and it’s only day one. I know I’m going to take the fear rollercoaster for the next 19 days, I just hope I’m man enough to push through. Tomorrow we are taking body composition measurements and a ‘before’ photo. Wish me luck!

Why you shouldn't let your gym membership OR your company's social media presence lapse…

Just like your gym membership, having a social media presence for your business is a waste of money and resources if you don’t put it to work.  Not to mention, if customers visit your dormant page it may leave a negative impact – particularly if they are searching for information. In addition, if you ignore or avoid what people are saying online about your small business or your competitors, not only will you miss out on valuable opportunities, you won’t benefit from the results that everyone is talking about.

There is so much information that is shared on social media, information you would pay a private research company to squillions to report on.  Customers will tell you if they weren’t satisfied with their meal (or if they were). You may stumble across someone crying out for help because they’re at the end of their tether trying to plan a wedding (mmm hmmm…). 

“But how?” I hear you ask, as I sit behind my laptop screen tapping away – “How am I supposed to use social media like this?” As a small business owner, I read a whole lot of scary articles just like this, telling me what I’m not doing – but very little that tell me what I should be doing.  I don’t believe I have all of the answers, but I think I can demystify a few of these queries.

I assume that because you are reading this, you are a member of a gym, so let me relate it back to your health and fitness goals.

Train smart, work smart

Firstly, while it is good to observe, don’t worry about what the professional athletes are doing.  In the social media context, I’m talking about the big brands.  They have cash, resources and panels of experts coming out the wazoo.  Pushing the limits of creativity and possibility with their social media looks like a sport for them.  As a small business owner it is the simplest initiatives that can gain the biggest impact (see my blog on sophisticated simplicity http://theultimatesophistication.blogspot.com.au/2012/08/simplicity-is-ultimate-sophistication.html).

Like your training, you should work smart and develop good habits.  It only takes time to acknowledge your current or prospective customers that mention you.  Get into a habit of thanking people who check-in to your venue.  You can go one step further and ask people how you can make their next visit even better, or offer incentives for return-visits. People love to be recognised and what better way than to be recognised by the people behind the venue. You can see who has been at your business on your Facebook page:

You may be able to help the person who tweeted about their awful meal.  If it is your business being discussed, offer to serve them and their families again – free of charge.  Ask for more feedback and show a genuine interest in addressing the issue.  If it’s a competitor offer to let them dine at your restaurant for a better experience.  If you find the facebook user (bridezilla) I spoke of earlier who is about to burst with stress, simply ask ‘is there any way I can help?’  It is remarkably easy (and free) to use these little bits of public information to build relationships, improve customer service and enhance your products.

It’s what you put in the inside that matters…

What you put into your body that plays a big factor in your overall health.  Similarly, what you put onto your Facebook page plays a huge part in your company’s social health and perception.  If you want to engage a community of potential customers you should share all of the content that showcases your expertise.  I’m not talking about a simple social media update as it does not explore the depth of a topic or your company’s opinion. Always include links with your updates that expand on key ideas. Keep in mind that your goal is to create value for your followers. Learn what your fans respond to and what they don't, and then adjust your updates based on that information.

Don’t expect the impossible overnight.

Once you’ve purchased your gym membership, you have to actually GO to the gym to get results.  This might shock you, but once you've set up your social media presence on sites like facebook, twitter, pinterest, and google+ etc. you have to promote, promote, promote!

Going back to our gym analogy, you can’t expect to have rock hard abs like P!NK after having attended only one metabolic class.  Likewise, you won’t become a multi-millionaire miraculously by creating a page or business listing on the Social Medias.  In reality, just like everything else in life, gaining a following via social media takes time and effort.

Start promoting your social media presence. Add links to your Facebook and Twitter pages on your website – above the fold (above the point where you have to start scrolling). Print links to your social profiles on business cards, flyers and letterhead. Most importantly, don't forget to include links to your social profiles on your website or blog.

Talk, and then listen. Then talk some more. That’s called ‘conversing’.

Your trainer asks you questions, gives advice and in-turn, you ask more questions. This is how you learn what is important for your body and your health.  You can do the same for your customers online.  In order for a conversation to occur, brands must speak AND listen. There are several tools available for monitoring the social medias, but it’s easy to do yourself. Let’s say I was a florist.  Watch what happens when I search ‘flowers’ on twitter.

 I find ‘Mr X’ (obviously not his real name) tweeting about giving a girl flowers on Valentine’s Day.  Now watch what I do…

Not only have you made MR X’s day – and the ‘random girl’ – you have done it in front of an audience who might be thinking of surprising a girl of their own.  This has potential to be re-tweeted, screen-snapped and shared all over the place.  It is so easy to monitor comments that your fans, followers or subscribers leave on your social profiles. This is the first step to mastering your listening skill.

As a secondary step, monitor conversations elsewhere. Use Twitter advanced search to monitor key terms around your business, including your brand names, trademarks, product types and competitors. Use Google Alerts to keep up with the latest news about your company. And search mentions of your brand in blogs via Google Blog Search or Technorati.

After trying out some of these methods, you'll begin to get a feel for your audience and their interests. Use this information to inform decisions, and don't forget to reach out to users that have questions or feedback. Respond with more information, links, offers, follow-up questions, or whatever is needed.

Let’s wrap this up.

Remember to treat your social media presence in the same way you treat your other customer service initiatives. Be genuine, track conversations and respond to inquiries promptly and thoroughly. The better your customer service is via social media, the more you'll generate site traffic and leads.

If you would like to learn more, or establish a social media presence quickly and easily, contact me for a free social media consultation.  I will explain how to get your business cracking on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Google Place.

- Kristine.

The While vs. Whilst Chestnut.

I was in Adelaide earlier this week. While I was making my way to the city I saw a sign that read ‘Airport Parking – Park Whilst You Are Away!”. I couldn't help but feel a little offended and I couldn't put my finger on it at first. I've been deliberating ever since and I think that it all comes down to the fact that I've never decided which side of the fence I sit on during the ‘while’ vs. ‘whilst’ argument.

I often draw my own conclusions while (whilst) I'm writing, I thought I’d fight it out on page.

Ultimately, the use of either word is decided by which option suits the style of your writing. In my writing I have used both. Professionally, I tend to use ‘whilst’ frequently, particularly in corporate or more formal writing, even though people nowadays think it’s old-fashioned.

According to dailywritingtips.com “While was in use in Old English; whilst is a Middle English development of while. As conjunctions they are interchangeable in meaning, but whilst has not survived in standard American English.”

Wikipedia says that ‘whilst is synonymous with while in standard English’ and that most style guides (both English and American) disapprove of the use of ‘whilst’.

 But according to www.onlinegrammar.com.au there is a belief among some grammar experts that there is a subtle difference: 
While should be used in relation to time. Here is a little example: While I was making my way to the city I saw a sign that read ‘Airport Parking – Park Whilst You Are Away!”.

Whereas whilst should be used when the meaning is ‘although’. 
For example: Whilst I use the word frequently, I couldn't help but feel a little offended.

I think that the most important thing is to choose one version to suit to style of your document and stick with it for consistency and clarity. If you are unsure if ‘whilst’ fits the context of your document (if you are intending to to mean 'although'), then simply use 'although'. For example: Although I use the word frequently, I couldn't help but feel a little offended.

 Most of the major newspapers and news websites use this approach however, you may see the odd slip in an opinion column. For this blog, I’d be more inclined to stay away from ‘whilst’. This is a casual, conversational publication and I try to keep it as close to the way I’d speak as possible. I don’t believe I’ve ever verbalised the word ‘whilst’ in a sentence (I think…).

In closing, I still don’t feel that I've come to rest on either side of the fence for this argument. I don’t think I’d ever discount ‘whilst’ from my written vocabulary, however I think there is a time and a place and that ‘Park Whilst You Are Away!’ is not the time, nor the place. What do you think?

Silly grammar errors you can avoid (something borrowed).

I stumbled across this today whilst loitering around the web. Some people loiter on funny cat videos, poker sites, pornography or engage in free gaming, however, I am rarely found (because I am usually hiding) reading and giggling away at grammar blogs. As this now forms the core of my business, I don't have to hide in shame anymore. In fact, I can share my findings. I would encourage you all to glance over this (the kind people of www.copyblogger.com/grammar-goofs have made it easy on the eye through the use of graphics). If you manage to pick up on one tip and it saves you from looking silly in your next document, then it was well worth the time. Enjoy.
Like this infographic? Get more content marketing tips from Copyblogger.

I’m drowning in a metaphorical sea of exclamation points.

I fear the full stop is slowly being phased out by the aggressive and grammatically ambiguous use of exclamation points. At the risk of being perceived as over-dramatic, I dream of a world in which every full stop achieves the right to continued existence, protection, improvement and participation in prose.

This means ensuring that full stops do not die out from preventable use of exclamation points, that they have the opportunity to feature throughout text and that they have - and understand - their rights as a full stop.

But what will we do with all of the exclamation points?

I am not suggesting the abolishment of exclamation points entirely.  They can be useful for turning a sentence into a strong command or when capturing an emotional outburst in text that is literary dialog or personal expressive writing, such as an email. For example:
- Shock: "I can’t believe you used the exclamation point in your resume!"
- Excitement: "Oh my God! I didn’t see one exclamation point in the entire report!"
- Urgency: "Be careful when using exclamation points! Consider using a full stop! If you don't, you could hurt the feelings of others!”
- Vehemence: "Down with the exclamation point!"
- Astonishment: "I just can't believe what she's done! It's simply incorrect!"

If you are going to use an exclamation point, it is very important that you use them in a grammatically sound manner. Here are a few tips:

• Do not use a full stop after an exclamation point occurring in the end of a sentence, even if followed by quotation marks.
• If you are using an exclamation point with other visual aids, such as capital letters, boldface or italic type (again, this should be done sparingly) ensure it receives the same formatting.
• When an exclamation point follows a quoted text, put it before the closing quotation mark if it applies just to the quoted text. Put the exclamation point outside the closing quotation mark if it applies to the entire sentence.
  -If only I could finally say "I've never seen an exclamation point used inappropriately" like I’ve always dreamed! [entire sentence is exclamatory]
  -"I didn’t see one exclamation point!" cried Kristine to her mother excitedly on the phone.[only quoted text is in exclamatory, no extra comma after an exclamation mark]

To drive this point home, do use it in stories and personal communication, but use it sparingly. Avoid where possible.

How do I avoid using an exclamation point?

It is highly inappropriate to put an exclamation point in formal pieces of writing such as a business resume, report, proposal or a scholarly article, as the style expected in these should be objective, standard, and informative.

Using an exclamation point in these formats creates an impression of unwarranted exaggeration, which in turn is perceived as clumsy, marketing oriented or immature. You can try using alternative wording or other punctuation marks to express emotion. Make your readers infer emotions by giving them context. For example;

Avoid: Her blog was amazing!!! Super-duper!!! She really knows how to write!
[Exaggerated enthusiasm using too many exclamation points]

Consider: Her blog emphasised the overuse of exclamations with style and prowess. It appears that she is highly professional.
[Subtle enthusiasm using alternative wording with full stops instead of exclamation points]

Of course, there are other contexts in which you can use exclamation points such as indicating rhetorical questions, and for drawing attention to unlikely points of information.  My advice would be to avoid them entirely.   Use your words.

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.

I use Leonardo Da Vinci's 15th century old quote to reflect and discuss my thoughts and approach to writing.  What I love about the concept of simplicity is that it can imply beauty, purity or clarity. From a creative or engineering perspective, simplicity lends itself to harmonious design both aesthetically and structurally.  Consider how it would appear if we were to apply it to our communication style. We would first need to overcome our initial fears that a simplistic approach would automatically detract from our message, but beyond that we can begin to look for a balance.  

I like to think of it like this; when we read someone else’s writing we are listening to them - we hear their thinking.  So much of what I read on websites, in advertising and in business documents makes me wonder if people are thinking clearly.  Allow me to explain...

The main problem that I see in writing today, particularly in the business context, is that there is too much information and not enough focus.  We are quick to add complexity to our messages, perhaps through the belief that it adds rigor to our argument and enhances our persuasive influence. The result is a document or article that is utterly confusing.  However, the solution isn’t ‘to dumb down’ the content, but rather ‘to smarten up’.

I have a very simple tip that I can bestow.  Before I write, I ask myself (via my inner monologue) ‘so what?’ and it usually sounds like this: 

This face cream is designed to tone, tighten and firm your skin.

My inner monologue: So what?

This face cream is designed to tone, tighten and firm your skin, reducing fine lines and wrinkles.

My inner monologue: So what?

This face cream is designed to tone, tighten and firm your skin, reducing fine lines and wrinkles.  This will create a younger, more attractive appearance.

This design considers the reader, and what they might be wanting the achieve.  As a closing thought, consider the following:  "How we write positions our message - more or less successfully.  But is also brands us.  It says something about who we are, what we value, how straight we think, how much trouble we take, how dependable we are.  How you write is who you are. So, who do you want to be?" - Tredinnick and Whyte (2010).