Customized Training
Document Creation or Revision
Customized Presentations
Expert Witness Testimony
Research and Usability Testing

• design and deliver writing and communication training for financial institutions, health agencies, and
engineering firms among others

• provide proven strategies to improve written communication

• use site-specific documents from your workplace to illustrate writing concepts and strategies

"Deborah's work with our group has been instrumental in providing key tools for our communicators to constantly focus on keeping our documents simple and understandable for our participants."
- Olympia Moukas, Marketing Communications, Fortune 100 financial services institution

“The Plain Language Group was instrumental in updating the style of our proposals and reports. They now have a much more sophisticated appearance. They also conducted an invaluable writing seminar for the entire firm that produced immediate results in clarity. Best of all, Deborah’s positive approach to learning made it a truly enjoyable experience.”
- Frank Warren, Principal, Warren & Associates

Document Creation or Revision

• create Summary Plan Descriptions that meet ERISA guidelines

• develop Plain Language documents that meet SEC and FTC regulations, among others

• create or revise financial (GLB) and health privacy (HIPPA) notices to meet regulation criteria

• develop corporate style guides and train employees to use them

• design and write forms, reports, proposals, letters, and other informational materials including online content

“Deborah’s work on re-designing the Health Check/NCHealth Choice application resulted in a form that was so much easier for our applicants to fill out. We also had to answer far fewer questions on the phone because of the new form.
– Sarah McManus, Health Check/NC Health Choice

Customized Presentations

A sampling of presentations on writing strategies for professional organizations, companies, conferences, luncheons, retreats…

1. If It’s Easy to Understand, Your Customers Will Trust You: Plain Language Writing Principles

2. Why Did I Send that Email?: Think, Write, Think Again, Send

3. Gaining and Retaining Customers: They Can’t Buy Products and Services They Don’t Understand

4. Writing Reports that Lead to Good Decision-Making: Make it Brief, Accurate, and Readable

5. How to Write Apologies: Respond Well and Make it All Better

6. Using Plain Language Strategies for Written Clarity: Helping Clients and Customers Understand Transactional Material

7. How Plain Language Legislation Will Affect Your Business

8. Using Positive Language to Make Customers Happy

“The participants thought highly of your session and graded you an unprecedented 4.9 out of 5.0! Incredible!”
- Dan Hill, Vice President in the Finance Group at Bank of America

Expert Witness Testimony

Engers v. AT&T, D.N.J., No. 98-3660 (JLL)
Richards v. FleetBoston, D. Conn., No. 3:04-cv-1638 (JCH)

Research and Usability Testing

Here are some of the results from a usability study we conducted for TIAA-CREF. They wanted a simpler version of a letter that explained the minimum distribution process associated with IRAs.

We found that, among other results,

1. The educational level of the participants was irrelevant in helping them understand the financial information in the documents. Despite being well-educated, the customers we tested experienced a high level of difficulty understanding the content, vocabulary, and processes discussed in the document: “I don’t understand the underlined passage.” (the most important sentence in the letter)

2. The participants experienced a high level of distress and feelings of inadequacy because they didn’t understand much of the information. They would squirm in their seats, rub their necks or faces, sigh deeply, and exhibit a multitude of non-verbal activity that indicated discomfort. One participant apologized over and over again (for more than four minutes) about his inadequacy in understanding the information.

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