Eight Tips to Improve Your Business Writing

All businesses are information driven. Communication is the key. And for most people in business, the communication often comes in the written form. Think about it: there are emails, business letters, presentations, memos, proposals, training materials, promotional materials, grant proposals, and more. 

In the business world today, you need to be able to write. In fact, writing becomes more critical with each passing year. Learning to write effectively will help you improve your business and improve your chances for promotion.

Here are 8 tips to point you in the right direction.

 

1. Keep It Brief: People do not want to read reams of paper. They do not want to hear every thought process that went through your head. They want the facts and they want them laid out neatly. One way to keep someone moving through what you have to say is with bullet points. Be sure to answer the relevant questions: Who? What? Where? When? Why? And How? 

2. Avoid Business Jargon: Don’t say synergy when you can just say working together. People want to know what is really on your mind and not be bothered with some fancy term. Stick with what they know. If you must use a technical term, be sure to explain it plainly. The point of the communication is to have your reader understand you.
 
3.      Check Your Work: Proofread. You do not want a stupid typo making you look bad. The worst time to proofread your work is immediately after writing it. Always give yourself several hours between writing and proofing so that you can spot those embarrassing errors.
 
4.      Watch Names, Titles, and Genders: I do not like being addressed as Mr. Clark, nor do I like it when someone adds an extra “r” to Teri. I am not alone. No one wants to be addressed incorrectly. If you aren’t sure of the spelling of someone’s name, either avoid using it or check with someone that does know. Use “they” and “their” when you aren’t sure of the gender.
 
5.      Keep Your Writing For Future Use: Oftentimes, we can use the same materials again with only minor changes. Keep documents that you may be able to use again as a template for future communications.
 
6.      Keep It Professional: Business writing is not the place for jokes, gossip, or personal comments. You don’t’ have to use formal language, but you do want people to see you as a professional.
 
7.      Get Them to DO Something: Business communication is meant to achieve something. Your written material should ask your reader to do something, and preferably, do something right away.
 
8.      Give Them the Benefits: Explain right up front what your written material is going to do for the reader. You want them to care about your communication to them. For instance, in the beginning of this blog, I told you that writing better could help your bottom line or get you promoted. If you were interested in either of those benefits, then you are still reading this post!
 

Effective writing is a learnable skill. It just takes practice. Keep these tips in mind this week as your communicate effectively with those around you.

[If you have important information to convey and don’t feel that your writing is up to the task, the best advice is to hire someone who is. Feel free to contact me concerning any of your business writing needs at teribclark@gmail.com]