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Business & Technical Writing/resume summery statement

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Expert: - 1/12/2010


Question
Looking for professional way to relate that the businesses I have managed in the past were substandard and became the leader in the market area it represented.  I have started with the following " extensive experience and success in transforming non performing profit centers into ????????????????????  

Answer
Some short suggestions, Grady:

1. The summary might begin like this: "Seasoned manager with broad experience turning around businesses drowning in red ink." Include what types of businesses (manufacturing, wholesale, etc.) you've turned around and about how big (annual revenues, number of people working for you, or both) they were.

Once you get beyond the summary and into specifics, keep the following in mind:

1. Run your spell-checker (it's not "summery").

2. Use bullets. White space is your friend.

3. Keep assertions short.

4. Omit unnecessary words (a, an, the, I, very, and all adverbs).

5. Unquantified assertions will accomplish nothing, esp. in the current U.S. economy.

6. For each separate job, be sure to tell what kind of business it was (distributor, specialty retailer, etc.) and what its target market was in terms of demography (consumer or industrial, whichever is appropriate)

7. Quantify what you're talking about. For instance, "Led low-tech manufacturer losing $200K/yr. on gross of $3 million to 11% operating margin on revenues of $4 million."

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Warren

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Warren D. Miller

Expertise

I believe I can answer nearly any question about business writing. That goes in spades if the target audience is a lay readership. I make my living writing and speaking. N.B.: I DO NOT ANSWER QUESTIONS MARKED 'PRIVATE' because I believe that knowledge should be shared, not hoarded. I also believe such questions are likely to be submitted by people trying to cheat. In addition, don't waste your time asking me to write something for you. You don't learn anything if I do that. I'm happy to critique something that YOU write, of course. That's the best way for you to learn how to write well.

Experience

My profession is business valuation, which means appraising businesses whose shares are not publicly traded. This requires in-depth knowledge about a number of disciplines, including economics, finance, strategic management, accounting, anthropology, statistics, and psychology. The left-brain part of me must conduct rigorous research and financial analysis. The right-brain side must then separate what matters from what doesn't and then explain it all in writing (and in everyday English) to people (usually business owners, but sometimes judges and juries) who do not have the expertise that I have been lucky enough to acquire over the years. I love what I do and consider myself fortunate to live in a country where I can do what I love doing and make a nice living doing it. I am glad to help with writing issues, but NOT, please, with any valuation, business consulting, or other non-writing questions.

Organizations
CFA Institute, American Society of Appraisers, Strategic Management Society, Academy of Management, Culver Legion, National Association of Scholars.

Publications
Besides two published books (search for "Warren D. Miller" on Amazon), I have written for the Harvard Business Review, American Fly Fisher, Business Valuation Review, CPA Expert, Academy of Management Executive, CFA Digest, Valuation Strategies, and others.

Education/Credentials
MBA - Oklahoma State U. (1991); BBA - U. of Oklahoma (1975); Chartered Financial Analyst designation (2006) Accredited Senior Appraiser (2006) Certified Public Accountant (1992)

Awards and Honors
Business Valuation Volunteer of the Year (2001) - American Institute of CPAs Winner - Oklahoma Humorous-Speaking Contest - Toastmasters International (1971)

Past/Present Clients
Confidential.

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