Edward Barr - 101 Tips for Improving Your Business Communication

You hold in your hands the book of Communication Tips I wish someone had given to me before I began my career in marketing and business communication.

I knew the fundamentals of speaking and writing from my college courses and thought I was pretty good at both. When I began my career as a teacher, I had plenty of experience presenting before middle school audiences trying to attract and keep their attention (not an easy task with 12-year-olds). But, when I transitioned into business and began reading books about business communication, I found few practical tips to help me succeed every day in front of critical business audiences.

Now, after a long and successful career as a businessperson and teacher, I decided to list tips to help those who need to know the wisdom that isnt found in business textbooks or taught in classes. You can buy plenty of books with many details about all of the topics I have surveyed in this book, especially writing and speaking. If you need deep levels of detail and theory, I can direct you to them, including some major college textbooks. But, if youre looking for advice that you can use immediately to improve your communication in business and improve your stature as a communicator, you have found the right book.

I worked for 30 years as a marketing, communication, and fund development professional, including service as Chief Marketing Officer at iCarnegie, a Carnegie Mellon University firm, as a Vice President of Marketing in a statewide hospital system, and as a Director of Corporate Communications for a video startup. In addition, I have taught Professional Writing, Marketing, and Business Communication at Carnegie Mellon University for 25 years (and taught Negotiation, Strategy, and Entrepreneurism on occasion). For my efforts, I won the Heinz College Faculty Excellence Award in 2006, and I was named Distinguished Educator in 2011 by the Pittsburgh chapter of the American Marketing Association. I have taught in England, The Netherlands, India, China, Mexico, Panama, Australia, Kazakhstan, and all over the United States, and, lastly, I have served as a consultant to local, national, and international companies, including Cinepolis, Cognizant, and a variety of smaller firms and political campaigns. In other words, I have earned my stripes by having to create messages that would attract the attention of diverse audiences and move those audiences to action.