(CFP CE credit quiz at www.cheetahsmash.com)

In this episode, Ben and Roger welcome Ben Opipari, writing instructor and coach and the founder of Persuasive Matters, to talk about persuasive writing. (Two Bens on one podcast? What are the odds? Let confusion reign!)

The ability to communicate clearly and effectively in client letters, emails, blog posts, newsletters and even Twitter is critical to a financial advisors' success, particularly when you are trying to encourage a prospect or client to take and act on your advice. This episode is full of actionable takeaways:

• What persuasive writing is, and what it very much isn't.
• How to become a better writer
• The golden rules of sentence construction, and why embedded clauses, semi-colons and commas can stop readers in their tracks
• The importance of avoiding the "nominalization" of verbs. You'll have to listen to learn what this means. It blew my mind.
• Common myths and misconceptions about writing. Starting a sentence with the word "and"? Splitting infinitives? Prepositions at the end of sentences? All cool. (But passive voice is still bad.)
• Tips on creating and maintaining a firm-wide writing voice.

Links to things we mention

• The New York Review of Books
• The Atlantic
• The New Yorker
• Oxford American
• Anthony Doerr
• Howard Marks' memos
• The annual Berkshire Hathaway shareholder letters
• Other writing by Warren Buffet and Charlie Munger
• Bob Veres
• Ben Carlson (A Wealth of Common Sense)