The Thong Principle: Saying What You Mean and Meaning What You Say

“Having this book in hand is almost as good as having donalee in person. The Plain Language training she provided for our staff got rave reviews and, most importantly, results. People learned skills they were able to immediately put into practice. It became clear during the workshops, as in this book, that she is an expert in her field. She really knows her stuff! A must read for anyone who wants to communicate clearly.” –Lynn Bruce,Marketing & Outreach Officer, Vermont Department for Children and Families

“donalee has been my go-to authority on clear, concise and effective writing for over three decades. In this easy-to-read, practical and entertaining guide to 'saying what you mean and meaning what you say,' she uses wit and wisdom to tackle the challenging and technical aspects of effective writing. This is a must-read for everyone from novice to professional on how to communicate with precision and impact.” –Cathy Jacob, Writer, leadership coach, Co-founder of Fire Inside Leadership Inc.

The Thong Principle has little to do with beachwear and everything to do with effective communication. It’s about ensuring messages are successful for the sender – and the receiver.

The book delves into the elements that comprise successful communications – conciseness, clarity, concreteness, and much more. It also puts those elements into context. Communications that miss the mark confuse and annoy. They fail to deliver their message. They damage our credibility and erode goodwill.

The Thong Principle overflows with real-world examples to help us understand why we fail to get our messages across as intended.

Then it explains how we can anticipate, identify, and correct errors and oversights. This is both at the highest level – including building and maintaining trust – and down in the weeds where even one word makes a difference.

The Thong Principle will draw you in and keep you reading with:

• Examples
• Exercises
• Information that resonates.

It’s also funny. Laughter and learning are wonderful partners.

About the Author

donalee Moulton is a professional wordsmith. She is a communications specialist, award-winning writer, and freelance journalist with more than 25 years’ experience. donalee is the owner of Quantum Communications, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, with clients across Canada, the United States and beyond. A professional educator and trainer, donalee has taught communications at Dalhousie University, Saint Mary’s University and Mount Saint Vincent University. As well, donalee is a professional journalist. Her byline has appeared in more than 100 magazines and newspapers, and she is co-author of the book Celebrity Court Cases: Trials of the Rich and Famous.