As one of our guests asserts, “it's very, very difficult to get to the top in any organization without being able to communicate in writing.”

But how to become a better writer? Consider these two suggestions from another guest: “One is just simply read more and read better stuff. And secondly, write a lot. The more you write, the better you're going to get.”

This is the first part of our two-episode conversation about the value of effective business writing.

In this episode, Jeff Bradford, Laura Brown, and Ryan Craig join us to discuss:

Why schools don’t prepare students to write well.

How business writing is more interactive than many other forms of writing.

The characteristics of poor writing: verbose, full of jargon, and failing to consider for the reader’s needs.

Why professionals rarely receive feedback on their writing—and how executives model often bad habits.

Jeff Bradford leads a PR and advertising agency, The Bradford Group. A former journalist, he wrote a 2019 Forbes article entitled, “Why Writing Ability Is The Most Important Skill In Business (And How To Acquire It)”.

Laura Brown is a writer and writing coach, and the author of two bestselling books: “How to Write Anything: A Complete Guide,” and “The Only Business Writing Book You'll Ever Need.”

Ryan Craig is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of University Ventures, and the author of “College Disrupted: The Great Unbundling of Higher Education,” and “A New U: Faster + Cheaper Alternatives to College.”