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Don Heymann - Clear & Persuasive Written Communications

Don Heymann

Clear & Persuasive Written Communications

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culture

Get ’Em On Your Side: Framing Part Deux

March 11, 2014 by Don Heymann 2 Comments

The marketers of processed food and beverages, as well as alcohol and tobacco, have understood the framing challenge very well. Minimizing the health threats of their products, they reframed the issue as a defense of the public’s “right” to smoke and drink…and to feed junk food to their kids. “Don’t tell me what I can’t do,” is the common refrain. It’s a matter of choice, freedom and responsibility.

Filed Under: Cultural Communication Tagged With: creating mental pictures, culture, repetitive communications, story telling

Word Theft Means Getting Framed.

December 12, 2013 by Don Heymann 2 Comments

According to common wisdom in neuroscience, about 98 percent of our thoughts are unconscious and automatic, carried out by the neural system. We believe we think freely, but we actually don’t very much.

Filed Under: Use of Language Tagged With: creating mental pictures, culture, high standards, trust and transparency

The Power of Words: Are we like sheep or just community minded?

February 4, 2013 by Don Heymann 7 Comments

Behaviorist Jen Shang, who specializes in the psychology of giving, has shown in recent studies that words – especially words of kindness – can be very persuasive. From her studies, she says that when some combination of nine adjectives – kind, caring, compassionate, helpful, friendly, fair, hard-working, generous and honest – are included in fundraising solicitations, women increase their giving by an average of 10 percent. Clearly, women strive to be moral.

Filed Under: Use of Language Tagged With: copywriting, culture, persuasive writing, psychology

I’m like, ya know, and he’s sort of like, I don’t know.

February 18, 2012 by Don Heymann 10 Comments

Business Meeting

Do you have trouble understanding what people are saying these days? Do you know what they really mean? And do you find people in business using vague words with little meaning, without mentioning real people, actions or thoughts?

Filed Under: Cultural Communication Tagged With: business writing, clear communication, culture, keeping it real, plain language, precise language

Where Are the Humans? 
The Language of Economic Insecurity

November 1, 2011 by Don Heymann 7 Comments

Security?

The language of economics and individualism has replaced the language of our common circumstances and shared risks. That’s why what used to be considered social insurance is now noted as “entitlements,” viewed by some as a threat to our national well-being instead of as a safety net for family-income security. In the highly emotional issue of illegal immigration, we also see dehumanizing language.

Filed Under: Use of Language Tagged With: Arizona's immigration law, business writing, clear communication, culture, the danger of euphemisms

Please Save Poor Grandma… From Politics

May 31, 2011 by Don Heymann 3 Comments

Angry Grandma

Twitter finished what the 30-second commercial started in the 1990s – reducing our attention spans from minutes to microseconds. The visualization of content hasn’t helped. It’s so difficult to get and keep someone’s attention these days that our political leaders are resorting to ludicrous visualizations to create hysteria, rather than clarity and reason.

Filed Under: Cultural Communication Tagged With: culture, Malcolm Gladwell, Obama, politics, social media, twitter

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About Don

Don Heymann - Communications WriterDon Heymann launched his business in 1985, drawing on his broad communications experience as a writer, consultant, corporate official and agency executive.

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Recent Blog Posts

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