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All written communications convey a meta message; that is, they broadcast a
message that is separate from the literal meaning of the words you use. If your
writing is clear, well-organized and accurate, your readers will tend to assume
you are competent, conscientious and reliable.
If your writing is badly organized, trite, and full of errors, however, your
customers may unconsciously assume your products and services are below par or
that you lack the skills to handle the job. At the very least, they will
question your lack of attention to detail.
In other words, written communications affect your company?s bottom line
This is why it is well worth the time and effort to ensure that all of
your business communications be as well-written as possible. How do you
accomplish this? By understanding the four principles of effective business
writing--before you place your fingers on the keyboard and begin to type!
The four principles of effective business writing
1. Know who your audience is.
Knowing who your audience is before you begin to write allows you to target your
message to your readers. This means you can adjust your vocabulary, style and
tone to fit the person, the message, and the circumstances.
For example, at times you will want to write formally by using more complicated
sentence structures and technical vocabulary. In this style of writing, which
occurs frequently in annual reports, technical articles, and formal proposals,
the author refers to herself or himself in the third person. For example,
instead of saying ?I? or ?we,? you would refer to yourself as ?the author? or
?one.? You would also use "he," "she," "it," and "they" and completely avoid
addressing your readers directly as ?you.?
In a more informal writing style, writers refer to themselves in first person
using ?I? and ?we.? This happens frequently in business letters, magazine
articles and academic journals. In this intermediate level, be very careful
about addressing your readers directly using ?you.? It may be appropriate to
talk directly to your readers; on the other hand, it may be completely
inappropriate. Think about how your readers will react before you do so and
then use ?you? judiciously.
The friendliest, most casual style of writing, such as that used in sales
literature, messages between friends, and ?how to? articles, definitely does
address the reader directly using ?you.?
2. Use clear, brief, innovative and accurate language.
When writing for business, be sure that your communications are clear, brief,
innovative and accurate. They should convey a logical, unambiguous message
using active verbs, normal (as opposed to Latinized or academic) vocabulary,
and as few words as possible. For example, choose:
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?The board passed the resolution? instead of ?The resolution was
passed by
the board?
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?I used Burke?s findings in my report? instead of ?I utilized
Burke?s findings in my report?
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?I changed my approach because he asked me to? instead of ?I
changed my approach due to the fact that
he asked me to?
Also be sure to present your points in an original way rather than relying on
jargon and clich?s. For example, in recent years companies have used the phrase state-of-the-art
so often that it has lost any meaning it once may have had. Avoid it and others
of its kind.
Above all, verify that your communications are accurate. Check your facts, check
your figures, and check your grammar!
3. Organize your points effectively.
Effective organization guides your readers through your message and helps them
understand your purpose and major points. If your readers are confident that
you know where you?re going, and you take them there step-by-step, they will be
much more willing to absorb your message and draw the same conclusions from it
that you do.
If your message is unclear and your ideas are out of order, it will confuse and
aggravate your readers, which is not the response you wish to create!
Therefore, take the time to think through your message before you begin to write
it down; if your document is particularly long or complicated, consider
creating a brief outline first so you know where you want to go and how you?re
going to get there.
4. Edit and revise for meaning and accuracy.
Writing is a process that can always be improved upon. Use the first draft of
your document to put your ideas down on paper. But don?t stop there. Read
through your document, asking yourself if there are better, simpler ways to
express your points; if you have answered all of the questions you have raised
in your readers? minds; or if one of your ideas actually belongs in a different
paragraph. Then revise your document.
Because business today is so international, your written messages are likely to
reach an audience that speaks English with varying degrees of skill. This is
why--even when you compose a brief email--it is a good idea to quickly proof it
for basic accuracy, grammar and spelling. Always schedule enough time to revise
and edit longer documents carefully. And don?t forget to spell check!
The bottom line?
Business communications are crucial tools that help to generate customer
goodwill, loyalty and sales. It is well worth your time to do them right or to
hire an expert who can.
Clarice Kyd Dankers, M.A., offers editing and coaching services to business and
academic clients around the world. Her work incorporates eight years of
experience in business communications with extensive experience in linguistics,
publishing and university teaching. For more information about her services?or
to sign up for her free monthly newsletter?go to
PolishYourWriting.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
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