Business Writing Tip: Making Your Words Count

It's a simple fact that many Business and Office Communications are ineffective because their main messages are obscured or lost in excess verbiage and boilerplate.

Unfortunately, many communicators habitually write this way because they believe it gives their documents a more official-sounding slant. By the same token, some writers feel compelled to use extraneous information as filler. Perhaps this indicates a misguided concern that brevity may be judged as inconsequential.

But is there an optimal length for Business Communications?

A "one size fits all" rule isn't practical. In reality, document length is situational and subject-related. Most letters, memos, and announcements can be written in one or two pages; however, reports, technical descriptions, manuals, and other substantive documents obviously require a more thorough treatment.

That said, be mindful that regardless of the type of communication you are writing, the comfort level of the reader is paramount. As such, your documents should be long enough to get your message across, but not one page longer.

Of course, reader apathy and boredom can be an issue even with the shortest communications. But all things being equal, individuals are more apt read and comprehend shorter documents than longer ones.

Sometimes it is appropriate to include background information for historical or analytical purposes, just be judicious in your treatment of this material. It all boils down to the Business Writer's ability to format and package communications that are focused, germane, and relevant.

As you draft your communications, here are several key writing tips to remember:

* Put the most important information first.
* Consider including relevant background material in an attachment.
* Ensure charts and tables are germane and easy to read.
* Break up text blocks with paragraphs and bullet points.
* Edit for clarity and brevity.
* Compose a one page summary to highlight important points.
* Have others "reality test" your communication before it is finalized.

In the end, it is how carefully the communication is worded and organized that affects its readability and effectiveness more than anything else. Word and page counts may look impressive, but if readers have to wade through several hundred unimportant words just to pick out a few dozen important ones, then what's the point of all that extra writing?

Jack

Writing Reader-Friendly Business Communications

Readability should be any writer's primary goal, yet this is one goal that often remains elusive for even the most skilled Wordsmiths.

That it's a tough and on-going challenge to connect with readers is inarguable. After all, most writers will obsess over their drafts in order to make their writing relevant and interesting. Just the same, many common Business Communications seem to be written with little thought given to general readability.

The simple reason for this is that writers in Business and Industry usually try to adhere to Organizational Style and Management Preference. Needless to say, this may be professionally expedient, but it also serves to perpetuate much of the lackluster and boilerplate writing prevalent in many organizations.

That said, every industry and organization has its own unique way of communicating, and there is nothing inherently wrong with this. However, when such language is used indiscriminately, especially in written documents, it can leave some readers feeling confused and "out of the loop".

This is obvious when writing external communications, but it should also be a concern when internal communications cross departmental lines. With many different jobs and specialities within a business, writers shouldn't presume that inside language will be universally understood even within one company.

The upshot is that Business Communicators need to write for a broad readership. Whereas it may be comfortable for a writer to mimic an organization's communication style, it should be understood this practice can alienate some readers.

While not advocating that writers need to "dumb down" their communications, it is suggested that Business Communicators make a conscious effort to ensure their writing is clear, concise, and easily understandable to all prospective readers.

As such, take some time to objectively review your past communications. If, in hindsight, they seem vague and esoteric, then you need to seriously consider rethinking your tone, word-choices, and formatting.

Reality-testing your past writing against the following ten writing tips is a good way to self-audit yourself:

1. Write in simple declarative sentences.
2. Dispense with bloated and overly formal language.
3. Resist overusing jargon and buzz words.
4. Include acronyms if you must, but define them first.
5. Eliminate slang and stick with Standard Business Language.
6. Write to inform and not to impress.
7. Be conversational, but not "breezy".
8. Unify your writing and focus on a single topic.
9. Break up text blocks with paragraphs or visuals.
10. Edit and proof your work.

In the end, effective writing should always trump organizational style for clarity and readability. Granted, this may mean writing in a manner that is not usual and customary for you; however, if you want your communications to be better understood and acted upon, then altering your writing approach is both reasonable and logical.

Jack