Permission is given to reprint the following articles, provided that the following contact information is provided in its entirety. 

© by Bonnie Budzowski, President of InCredible Messages, LP. 
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Winston Churchill Gives Communication Advice

By Bonnie Budzowski
President, InCredible Messages, LP

In a legendary anecdote, described by Richard Lanham in Revising Prose, an American general asks Winston Churchill to read a draft of a speech the general has prepared. The following quote is Churchill’s critique of the general’s speech:

Too many Latinate polysyllabics like “systematize, prioritize, finalize.” And then the passives. What if I [Churchill] had said—instead of “We shall fight on the beaches”—“Hostilities will be engaged on the coastal perimeter”?

You can improve communication by changing lofty words into everyday words, except where a lofty word carries a precise and necessary meaning. Here are some examples of words you can easily change:

Your business culture may encourage the use of unnecessarily lofty words—Churchill’s polysyllabic words. One communication expert refers to such language as pseudo-speak. Whatever you call it, do your best to get rid of it. Your colleagues will be grateful. They might even follow your example.
 

Permission is granted to reprint this article when the following contact information is included: © 2011 by Bonnie Budzowski, President of InCredible Messages, LP. For more free articles, go to www.IncredibleMessages.com or contact Bonnie at info@IncredibleMessages.com.

When it’s time to create “killer content” in a book or speech that establishes credibility and boosts your revenue, Bonnie Budzowski is the perfect resource.  An expert in communication, Bonnie specializes in coaching authors and speakers to organize & express thoughts in ways that capture attention, sell their ideas, and move people to action.  Bonnie helps her clients build content with less time and angst than they dream possible. 

Bonnie Budzowski is Founder of inCredible Messages, Past President of the National Speakers Association, Pittsburgh Chapter, and Past Managing Editor of Speaker Magazine.

If you’d like to sell your ideas, boost your influence, or advance your career through a book or presentation, call Bonnie at 412-828-1629, bonnie@inCredibleMessages.com or visit her website at www.inCredibleMessages.com. 

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