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Don Heymann - Clear & Persuasive Written Communications

Don Heymann

Clear & Persuasive Written Communications

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story telling

3 Simple Story Formulas that Drive Social Media Interest

March 29, 2016 by Don Heymann 1 Comment

For over 27,000 years, since the first cave paintings were discovered, stories have been the most fundamental communication method. A story in its simplest form is a connection of cause and effect. And that is exactly how we think. We think in narratives all day long, whether it’s about our work, buying groceries, or fighting with our partners.

Filed Under: Cultural Communication Tagged With: engaging audiences, keeping it real, making ideas sticky, story telling

Lessons from a Sunday Obituary

January 9, 2015 by Don Heymann 2 Comments

An obituary got me thinking. The obituary announced the death of renowned Arkansas poet Miller Williams, who was celebrated for using everyday language in his verse. The short poem cited in the piece – titled “Compassion” – moved me, as it did Miller’s daughter, the country singer Lucinda Williams, who used her father’s spare lines in a song:

Filed Under: Use of Language Tagged With: culture, high standards, keeping it real, story telling, trust and transparency

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

Sometimes It Just Takes Time

August 14, 2013 by Don Heymann 5 Comments

Sometimes it takes time and perspective before the true impact of an idea or an action is fully realized, especially in our dizzying culture. The Greek philosopher Socrates was charged with “corrupting youth,” and he was sentenced to death by hemlock. But today he’s regarded as one of the giants in Western philosophy and a forefather of the scientific method. We’re probably not willing to wait that long for a payoff, but you get the idea.

Filed Under: Speech Writing Tagged With: marketing communications, plain language, repetitive communications, speech writing, story telling

Selling Through Storytelling and The 4th Earl of Sandwich

June 12, 2013 by Don Heymann 5 Comments

The British politician and aristocrat John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, liked to play cards. But he also enjoyed eating a snack at the same time, and that tied up his hands and involved utensils. So, in 1748, he came up with a solution: he put beef between slices of toast, so he could eat with one hand and still play the game.

Filed Under: Use of Language Tagged With: creating mental pictures, engaging audiences, marketing communications, plain language, story telling

10 Reasons to Avoid Writing Top 10 Lists

April 29, 2013 by Don Heymann 7 Comments

Basically, enough already. We’re saturated with top 10 (or top 5) reasons to do something. I don’t know about you, but I’m inundated, and I hardly bother to look at them anymore, unless the headline is unavoidably compelling, which is rare.

Filed Under: Cultural Communication Tagged With: business writing, clear communication, story telling, the danger of euphemisms, trust and transparency

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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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