A discussion about business and marketing communications (or marcom).

Welcome! Today I’m making my first post to a new blog, bestbizcom for Know More Media, the online publisher of business information and news. The blog will cover business communications – written, verbal, online and offline.

Who am I and why am I writing about business communications? I’m Karen Kari, and my area of expertise is in marketing and business communications. I spent almost 10 years heading corporate marketing for a bank on Wall Street, then worked in California in marketing for a software developer, followed by a stint developing marketing and business partners for an internet start-up. I now have my own business, The Kari Group, where I work with companies on their marketing strategies and in developing their marketing communications.

I believe in being direct, clear and honest – and as jargon-free as possible. I feel strongly that when communications are done well, they’re the starting point and continual thread for action, support, and collaboration in business. But when they’re done poorly – and are evasive, staged or contrived, they result in the confused, the annoyed and the dumbfounded. We should expect better – and do better ourselves!

My goal is to make this the place where business people can talk about examples of great business communications and what they helped to accomplish, as well as situations where poor communications have resulted in nobody, including supposed insiders, having a clue about what’s going on. I’ll also have practical information, tidbits, excerpts, recommendations, resources and links that will make you a better communicator, and help you nudge others to communicate better also.

And because good business communications often isn’t one way, or even two-way – it’s multidirectional, with many participants coming from many angles – I look forward to lively discussions with you. Tell us your funny stories about business writing, presentations and other business communications, your ballistic moments, aha! realizations, pet peeves, and useful tips.

Let’s communicate – I look forward to your thoughts and comments.