The document discusses what needs to be unlearned, learned, and relearned when communicating effectively. Specifically, it recommends unlearning formal, objective styles; learning to write shorter by avoiding common mistakes like confusing possessive pronouns and contractions; and relearning how to tell compelling stories like in popular TV shows by writing like one talks but better.

1. What you
need to
unlearn,
learn and
relearn
Presentation by
Barb Sawyers to
Centennial College
March 2012

2. What you
need to
unlearn
formal,
objective
style

3. Go back to your first and favourite
way to communicate

4. What works in conversation?

5. Meet Patricia Davies,
Report on Business

6. What gets Patricia up in the
morning?

7. What keeps her up at
night?

8. What is the personality of the
organization you are writing for?

9. Pretend you are RIM
What’s your personality?

10. Rewrite this news release
from Ms RIM or Rim Dude
to Patricia
Yoritex Inc., developer of the first medical diagnostics
accessories for BlackBerry® smartphones, today
announced the successful conclusion of its Medical
Network HUB® prototype testing. Having successfully
completed comprehensive hardware and software
testing, Yoritex Inc. will commence manufacture of a
pilot batch of Medical Network HUB® in October that
accelerates development of its medical plug-in units line.

11. Talk the release to Patricia.
How did it change?

12. Meet Sid Patel,
hospital administrator

13. What gets him going in the morning?

14. What keeps him awake at night?

15. Rewrite this
from Ms RIM or Rim Dude
to Sid
Yoritex Inc., developer of the first medical diagnostics
accessories for BlackBerry® smartphones, today
announced the successful conclusion of its Medical
Network HUB® prototype testing. Having successfully
completed comprehensive hardware and software
testing, Yoritex Inc. will commence manufacture of a
pilot batch of Medical Network HUB® in October that
accelerates development of its medical plug-in units line.

16. Talk your rewrite to Sid.
How did it change?

17. Connect with
one
Connect with 1
Attract many

18. What you
need to
learn
write
shorter

19. Why shorter?

20. How?

21. What you
need to
learn
avoid two
common flubs

22. 1. Confuse
possessive
pronouns with
contractions It’s
Its
Its’

23. accept except
2. Other affect effect
sound-alikes alternate alternative
boarder border
cite site sight
complement compliment
chord cord cored
council counsel
coarse course
discreet discrete

24. More in
your
handouts
and in my
book

25. What you
need to
relearn
How to tell
stories

26. What made this story so
compelling?

27. Why are these shows so
popular?

28. How do you tell stories
to friends?

29. So
Write like you talk only better

30. Read my
book
Free
download
link on your
handouts