7 tips for better business writing

Over the years, I’ve worked with a lot of people who want to improve their writing. There are many good books on the subject.  Perhaps in a future post, I’ll recommend some.

In the meantime, I’d like to give you a list of 7 tips for better business writing.  It’s not exhaustive.  And each topic can be expanded greatly.  But if you’re looking for a good bang for the buck, this list is a nice start.
 
1.Know your audience
 
The first step for any writing assignment should be to think about your audience. Who are you writing to? What is their existing knowledge? Are they likely to read the entire document, or skim it for what matters to them? What key information should they take away? 

And, finally, what do you want them to do once they’ve read your document?

By answering these questions, you gain clarity about your audience and your purpose. You should then be able to answer the following question.

This (document type) is being written so that (who) can do (what?).

Let’s say you’ve been asked to summarize a new office dress code and present it at a meeting for all staff. You would answer the question this way:

This (policy) is being written so that (all employees) can (follow the dress code).

By the way, if you have received this assignment, I’m sorry.  There are few that are more unpleasant.

Again, consider your reader and your purpose before writing your document. Failure to do so is a sure-fire path toward bad writing.
 
2.Use active voice
 
A sentence that is written using active voice follows this pattern: Actor (subject) + action (predicate).  Here’s the most basic version.

Cooper ran.

“Cooper” is the actor.  “Ran” is the action.  It is what Cooper was doing.

There may be other words in the sentence that act as objects, complements, prepositional phrases, etc. But, the basic structure for active voice always uses this simple pattern. Actor + Action.

Portia stole a cookie.

Once again, we have active voice. “Portia” is the actor.  “Stole” is the action.  And “cookie” is the direct object.  It tells what Portia stole.  So, here the pattern is actor + action + object.

Now, let’s see what happens if the sentence is written using the passive voice.

A cookie was stolen by Portia.

Instead of actor + action + object, we have object (cookie) + action(stole) + actor (Portia).

As you can see, this is longer than our original sentence. It also is weak because our verb went from an action verb (stole) to a state of being verb (was stolen). And we don’t know who stole the cookie until the last word of the sentence. This makes the reader work too hard.  It also makes the cookie, rather than Portia seem like the most important part of the sentence.

To shorten the sentence, many writers will resort to this:
 
A cookie was stolen.

This is worse.  It's shorter, but we still have the passive voice. The pattern is object (cookie) + action (was stolen).  Unfortunately, we have no actor, so we don’t know who stole the cookie. Remember, business writing has a purpose. Almost anyone who reads this sentence (a hungry person, a judge, or a reporter) would want to know who stole the cookie.  It is the entire point of the sentence. As a writer, your job is to do the heavy lifting. Don’t omit this information, or make your reader work so hard to find it.
 
3.Write short sentences.
 
Short sentences are easier to read and understand than long ones. Try to limit yourself to one idea. The longer a sentence is, the more likely you are to make an error.

Surprisingly, this takes work. It is often easier to write long sentences than to write short ones. If that’s the case, revise. Be merciless.

Someone once said that reading Kurt Vonnegut’s writing is like eating ice cream.  Do you think he uses long, complicated sentences, or short ones?
 
Do the work by editing out extra fluff.  Your reader will thank you.
 
4. Write short paragraphs
 
No one likes to see a huge block of text. Limit your paragraphs to one main idea, and question whether each sentence supports that idea. Also, limit yourself to no more than 4-5 sentences per paragraph.   

It’s also helpful to arrange your paragraphs so that they follow a particular order. For example, if you are describing an event, you will want to tell the story in the order the events happened.  Or, if you’re providing a series of ideas or arguments, start with the most important ones first.  This will help you cut some of the weaker points or combine them with other information in a more efficient way.

Finally, paragraph breaks are helpful if you are changing from one point of view to another.
 
5.Be specific and avoid using jargon or unidentified abbreviations
 
Here’s an example of jargon.

I violated Sally for a U.O.C.P. Condition #7 this morning.

Ouch.  I’m sure Sally is not happy.

Beyond that, your audience may not know what you’re talking about.  What is a U.O.C.P. Condition #7? Even if your primary audience (like your supervisor) would understand, you should always take the time to explain what you mean. Often times, you will have secondary audience that reads your report. 

Instead write:

I wrote a report which says that I observed Sally playing “Candy Crush” on her company computer this morning, in violation of Use of Office Computers Policy (U.O.C.P.) Condition # 7.
 
Sure, this sentence is a little longer, but it is also more specific and clearer to anyone who reads it. And, by spelling out that the Use of Office Computers Policy can be shortened to U.O.C.P., you can use the abbreviation later.
 
6.Use simple language
 
Why say “pertaining to” when you mean “about?”  Why say “in consideration of” when you mean "consider"?

Many writers think they should use a thesaurus and as many different words as possible so they “sound” smart.  Don’t fall into this trap. Clarity is far more valuable than sounding academic.
 
Does that mean you can’t vary your words? Of course not. But, for the most part, if there is a simple way to say something, that should be your first choice.
 
7.Proofread your work.
 
Spelling and Grammar checks will help, but they sometimes miss important errors.  "There" is different from "they’re", which is still distinct from "their."  If you want the opposite of here, you use “there.”  If you mean they are, use “they’re.” And if you mean belonging to them, use “their.”

There are the employees who think they’re leaving after they finish their lunch.

One effective way to proofread is to read your work out loud.  This forces you to slow down. You'll catch mistakes you would otherwise breeze past. 

Another helpful tip is to start by proofreading from your final sentence. Then work your way backward, one sentence at a time, to the beginning of the document. This, again, helps you focus on what you actually wrote, rather than what you think you wrote.

Finally, if it is possible, have a friend or co-worker read your writing.  Peer review will nearly always help. Also, be open to constructive criticism.  Sometimes another perspective will help you clarify meaning, tone, or content. Be sure to reciprocate.

I hope you find these 7 tips helpful! 
 
Please comment at the link above.  I look forward to your feedback and suggestions.
 
Until next time,
 
Keith

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