editing

Need Some Grace Talk Chicken Noodle Soup

June 25, 2009 by Art of Eloquence

What is wrong with THIS picture?! This has not been a good week for me or for my Grace Talk Soup co host! She has had some family emergencies and will not be able to make the show today. Please keep her and her family in your prayers.

I’ve had a cold for over a week now. Just the old sore throat and stuffy nose thing. Nothing to write blog about. I thought it was going away til the other day when I got hit hard with, I don’t know WHAT. I don’t feel like I have the flu because I don’t really have any body aches or fever. But BOY HOWDY do I feel awful! I kind of feel like I did when I had sun stroke, but I haven’t been out in the sun! I’ve been at the pool watching my son’s swimming lesson but I’ve been under a canopy or in the shade almost the whole time. My head hurt so badly that I felt sick and was shaky. I slept most of the day yesterday and I still feel like I was run over by a semi with an attitude!

Needless to say Grace Talk Soup‘s menu has changed for today since Ethel the Editor isn’t able to be here to share all her fabulous and fun tips for self editing. We will be rescheduling her show for a later date.

Since we normally don’t have too much time to get into the issues I blog about each week, I thought I’d take the opportunity to do that today. I’m calling it Communicating with JoJo and I would love it if you would come to the live show (8am PST/11am EST) and offer your comments on the this week’s communication issues from right here on Communication FUNdamentals.

I would also appreciate your prayers today. I have so much to do today, but it’s hard to get anything done when you’re always inspecting the inside of your eyelids!

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Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: chicken noodle soup, editing, flu, Grace Talk Soup

Win some free advertising for your business/ministry on Grace Talk Soup!

June 3, 2009 by Art of Eloquence

Would you like some help promoting your business, mission, blog, website or cause? Help us promote Grace Talk Soup and win some free air time advertising on the show! Post our link to your newsletter, website, Yahoo groups, Facebook account, Twitter account or blog and then email us gts@artofeloquence.com to tell us where you did! The one who promotes us the most that week will have his/her blog link, site URL, business or cause mentioned on the show!

Don’t know what to post? Cut and paste this in!
Tune in to the Grace Talk Soup Weekly Podcast featuring Lucy Linguist & Ethel the Editor, starring in “I LOVE LANGUAGE!” each Thursday morning 8am PST/11am EST where these two crazy compadres share tips for more effective communication and boldly serve up God’s Word with a side order of grace and humor! Join in via your computer: http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/19736 or via phone: (724) 444-7444 Call ID: 19736 for one hour of creative speech communication fun!

Grace Talk Soup NEWS!

* GTS Fans Join Us On Facebook!
It’s a new month here at Grace Talk Soup! Come hear all the new shows we have lined up for you to help your family, your business and your ministry. Do you think communication is important? Want to have some fun with language? Love to laugh? Join the Grace Talk Soup Fan Club and be the first to learn about our newest show topics and contests! Chat with the hosts and fellowship with other members! Come learn how to share that more effectively…as always with a generous helping of grace and a dash of humor!

* Mark Your Calendar!
06/04: 21 Days to More Godly Communication Preview
The say it takes 21 days to make a habit. 21 Days to More Godly Communication is an upcoming study by Art of Eloquence. This show is a preview sharing what God says about how we should communicate with each other. Let’s share how learning to speak in grace as God shares with us in His Word can help us minister and relate to others better. Do you have stories of how grace has helped you communicate with someone? Come share!

06/11: Cultural Differences in Communication
Are you from another country? Culture? Do you have a different way of communicating because of that cultural difference? Come join us as we talk about how the very same words or gestures may mean something totally different in another culture or country!

06/18: How to talk to someone who is grieving
Do you know someone who just lost a child? Mother? Was diagnosed with cancer? Has a wayward child? Are your unsure of what to say to them or how to comfort them? Join us this week and find out!

06/25: Editing Tips for Do It Yourselfers!
Ethel the Editor shares her expertise so you can better self edit your letters, emails, papers, essays and reports.

07/02: Humor: A Powerful Communication Tool!
Did you ever want to include humor in your speech? Conversation? To break the ice? Do you know when it’s appropriate or inappropriate to use humor? Have you ever pulled a FIMM (Foot in Mouth Man) and stuck your foot in your mouth trying to make a joke? Then this show is for YOU! Besides, it’ll be FUN!

07/09: Has Technology Ruined Our Communication or Helped It?
What effect has technology had on our communication skills as a nation? Have our skills deteriorated due to texting? Or have we increased our influence in the world through the internet? Come share your thoughts! Open discussion time on Grace Talk Soup.

07/16: Consequences of Vs Rights of Freedom of Speech
Americans know they have the right to free speech, but what many don’t understand is that there are consequences that come with those rights. You may have the right to disagree with someone, but do you have the right to yell at him? You may have the right to state your beliefs, but don’t others have the right to be offended by what you say? Let’s discuss this fine line between what we have the right to say and the natural consequences of that right.

07/23: “But you don’t LOOK sick!
Do you or someone you know have a “Silent Illness?” Do people say, “But you don’t LOOK sick!” and therefore they treat you as if you are lying or complaining about nothing? How do you communicate your needs and your illness to those who don’t understand? Come join us as we discuss this frustrating issue.

07/30: Frequently Misused Words
Grab your kids too for this one! Our own Ethel the Editor takes us through a list of frequently misused words and explains the proper usage, why they are commonly misused. In her creatively unique and amusing style, Ethel will share her expertise in this area so prepared to have some fun!

* Testimonials:
“This show always has such good information and interesting guest speakers. The format is excellent, and I find out things here (particularly things that affect the speech rights of Christians) that the ‘regular’ news won’t cover. Keep up the good work!” –Joan

“I love Jojo’s sweet spirit. She is helping us to speak with grace and eloquence and showing us how to glorify God in our relationships. She has a wonderful ministry. I enjoyed her Birthday Bash and the last interview with the author of The Love Dare. We Christians need to hear what Jojo has to say!” –PennyMarie

“I am really enjoying listening to this newly found talk show. I added their widget on my sidebard. I really recommend it. It has been such an encouragement to me in my Christian walk. I am listening to the current one right now in the Defending the Faith Mini Series: “I’m a good person, why do I need God?” SOoooooo good.” –Natalie

If you missed any of our shows…

you can listen to the archives. May was Mini Series Month where we shared practical tips on Defending the Faith from my eBook, Say What You Mean Defending the Faith. Comprehensive information and tips on 4 of the most common questions and misconceptions the world has about Jesus! Scroll down to Past Episodes and click the orange “listen” button next to any show you want to hear! http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/19736

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Filed Under: Art of Eloquence News, Contests Tagged With: blogs, contest, editing, Facebook, free advertising, free spech rights, frequently misused workds, godly communication, Grace Talk Soup, grieving, humor, illness, podcast, technology, Twitter

Mirror, Mirror on My Words

May 7, 2009 by Art of Eloquence

Mirror, mirror on my words

which reflect upon my heart.

Interpretation others find

whether I choose wisely or do not!

Americans understand that we have the right to free speech, but what we often fail to understand is that our communication has consequences. What we say affects people either negatively or positively. What we say may be interpreted the way we intended or in a way we never even anticipated.

Some of the things we say are of little consequence, but much of what we say may have dire consequences if we are not properly understood. If we misspeak and everyone comes to our dinner party a day early while we are in our PJ’s, it could only be embarrassing. But if we misspeak in our resume, we may not get the job! If we misspeak while trying to sharing the Gospel with someone, we may inadvertently lead him away from the Lord.

What if we misspeak on our website? Our sales brochure? Our book? Our letter to the editor? Our ad?

I see so many marketing “gurus” who say that spelling doesn’t matter, grammar isn’t important and that mistakes are even preferable. However, did you know that many times your communication is simply dismissed without you having any way of knowing? How many times do people click out of your website because you have 16 mistakes in the first paragraph? You may never know unless you engage the help of a good editor.

Our communication matters. Many times it isn’t the words we use but the way we come across that makes or breaks our effectiveness.

If you’re looking for a good editor, you won’t do better than mine: Carla Ives from A Word Aptly Written. She not only spots misspelled words from tall buildings in a single bound, but she allows your personality and style to shine through your work.

Want to hear more about this amazing purveyor of fine words? Check out Grace Talk Soup! She’s my co host each Thursday morning at 8am PST/ 11am EST. But if you missed the live show, just scroll down to the show’s archives and listen to the past recordings. You’ll be very glad you did!

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Filed Under: Communication Articles Tagged With: communication, editing, image, professional

Foot in Mouth Marketing

March 3, 2009 by Art of Eloquence

fimm-cut-out

Do you ever wonder if FIMM has infiltrated the marketing world? Have you noticed recently how many newsletters, sales ads, cable TV commercials and products have gone out without benefit of a good editor?

There’s a funny that’s been making the internet rounds for years which shows you the power of the human mind to grasp the meaning of the written word even though certain letters are missing.

“Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.”

True though this may be, there is a big difference between being able to understand something and holding it in high esteem.

Current popular thinking tells us that “spelng” isn’t important, taking care not to words out doesn’t hurt your message any, editors are just high priced nitpickers, and who needs to learn to communicate effectively anyway? After all, it’s YOUR problem if you don’t understand ME!

You all remember the controversy over 2 + 2 = 5 in public schools where teachers were told not to “damage a child’s self-esteem” or “stifle his creativity” by telling him he is…WRONG. We all know that Johnny’s boss isn’t going to care about his creativity if his budget comes up short because $20k plus $20k isn’t $50k! And Johnny’s self-esteem is going to take a big hit when he’s UNEMPLOYED!

The same holds true for how we communicate. Words mean things and the words we use and the manner in which we use them is important. This is true not only because we might not be understood, but because we might not make the impression we desire!

Consider the following examples of Foot in Mouth Marketing that should have been run past a good editor:

“Perishable. Homemade Baby. Keep Refrigerated.” (Box of baby food jars)

“Tastes like Grandma! Homemade Jam” (I’m afraid to ask how they know!)

Another popular myth about communication is that all we need is our right to Free Speech and we’re ‘good to go’. Everyone has the right to say whatever they wish; this is America! What they don’t always understand is that those listening have the right to interpret it any way THEY like.

“The right to be heard does not automatically include the right to be taken seriously.” -Hubert H. Humphrey

Consider these marketing tactics that leave a somewhat sour impression:

“Hitler Handkerchief Perfume” (Perhaps bringing it more current: Bin Ladden?)

“Great Value: 2 DVDs $6.99!” (Which ones? FEAR.com and Care Bears Share a Scare)

Everything we say and do (and everything we don’t say and don’t do) communicates something to someone. It isn’t always just a matter of being understood. Many times it’s a matter of making the impression you desire.

“Litercy Night! September 7, 2008” (Of course, if you can’t read, you might not know it isn’t worth it to attend!)

Here is a picture of an actual SAT study guide we found for my daughter last year. Barron’s is a well-known company! We didn’t buy it. Can you guess why?

barrons-sat-prep-23nd-edition

We do the same thing when we speak and our listeners interpret what we say and how we say it in order to formulate opinions about us and our credibility. Being understood is only HALF the battle. Making a good impression or being able to persuade or being taken seriously is the other! That’s why it’s vital that we learn to become effective communicators. That’s why I teach the Art of Eloquence.

By the way, if you need an excellent editor/proofreader. I highly recommend Carla Ives from A Word Aptly Written.

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JoJo Tabares holds a degree in Speech Communication, but it is her humorous approach to communication skills which has made her a highly sought-after Christian speaker and writer. Her articles appear in homeschool publications, such as Homeschool Enrichment Magazine and The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, which also endorses her Say What You Mean curricula. You can also find JoJo on web sites such as Crosswalk.com and Dr.Laura.com. For more information on communication FUNdamentals and Christian-based communication skills for the whole family, please visit http://www.ArtofEloquence.com
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Filed Under: Communication Articles Tagged With: editing, FIMM, foot in mouth marketing, Friday Funnies, funny ads, internet marketing, marketing

Need Some Grace Talk Chicken Noodle Soup

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