by David Tandet
Know your job.
Sounds obvious, right?
But apparently it’s not so clear to some people.
A friend of mine told me about a new writer her firm had hired.
The writer had boundless energy when criticizing the current structure of my friend’s office.
More significantly, the new person asked for a couple of days extension of her first […]

by David Tandet
If you’ve been around a library, bookstore, coffeehouse, or airline seat in the last few decades, you know who Sue Grafton is — “A” is for Alibi . . . “U” is for Undertow.
I saw an interview with Ms. Grafton and she said she took classes to learn about police procedural stuff. That’s […]

 by David Tandet
The real scoop on getting your grant proposal seriously considered?
Use spell check.
That’s not my opinion. It’s straight from the lips of Holly Cole, Verizon’s Director, Government & External Affairs, Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties.
Ms. Cole gave that advice during a recent presentation at the Ventura County Community Foundation. It was part of her […]

by David Tandet
Did you see US News and World Report’s list of Best Hospitals? How about the Wall Street Journal’s list of the Best Health Books of 2009? Lists are always an efficient marketing tool to position your company in front of the rest. When it comes to healthcare, pharmacology and bioscience, the following reasons […]

by David Tandet
Manatt, Phelps is a law firm that provides personalized care for integrated legal services. After an old friend told me about a presentation she’d made to some attorneys there, I went to their website to find out more.
The narrative I immediately became engaged in was about what it takes to succeed in business. […]

. . . and he’s already starting out way past square one.
by David Tandet
Just got a great email from Christian reminding me my recent purchase of a computer entitles me to a good deal on software.
So who is Christian Boyce? A computer rep or store manager?
Nope.
Just “the best Mac advice on the planet.” (Not to […]

by David Tandet
• “Bullets are nice.” Got that from a client before he clicked off the phone after delivering marching orders for his next newsletter. Very key. Whether it’s bullets or numbers, more paragraphs or subheadings, organization makes the copy readable. It also keeps you on track. Make the points you want to make. Write […]

by David Tandet
What do you believe?
What do you do?
How do you do it?
Are there three questions you’d rather have answered by a charitable organization you’re considering donating to?
I didn’t think so.
Yet not every charitable organization or relief fund takes the direct, no tiptoe approach followed by the United Way of Greater Los Angeles on its […]

by David Tandet
When you go to court, get sworn in and speak, they call it testifying.
That’s for a reason: you’re not supposed to play fast and loose with the facts. And you know what? I suspect dishonest testimony happens less than we imagine.
We think people are up there lying every which way, but […]

by David Tandet
A couple of weeks ago I got the following note from the editor:
“Thank you for meeting the commitment to send the feature to Andrea Scott with copy to me before the end of the day yesterday. I know the deadline was very tight, and it’s a pleasure to find someone like yourself […]