4 Quick and Easy Ways to Make Your Business Writing Better

Now, more than ever, good writing skills are critical to success in the working world. Thanks to technology, text-based communication is faster and easier than ever, which means professionals spend more time writing than in past.

In turn, writing has become a divisive medium. Those business people who do it well will find opportunities for achieving their goals, furthering their ideas, and advancing their careers. Those who don’t risk having their intelligence, competence, and professionalism questioned.

To make sure you’re part of the winning team, buff up on some of the tips below.

1KISS

Not your peers, silly. That would equal nepotism, sexual harassment, or just the beginning of a tumultuous relationship. KISS is short for ‘Keep It Simple, Stupid,’ and it means just that.

In the business world, where time is money, it’s essential to communicate quickly and clearly. Don’t overcomplicate the subject you’re writing about and the language you’re using.

Also, keep in mind that when you have niche expertise about a topic, it can be easy to make things overly tedious or to jam jargon into every paragraph, sentence, and subheading this side of Timbuktu. At the end of the day though, long, cryptic phrases that deeply resonate with only you or show off your intelligence to your peers may mean little—and even be confusing—to the people reading your writing.

Rather, use clear, concise, and straightforward language. Be explicit and use plain English. This will help make sure you get your point across to the people who matter most: your audience.

2Be Consistent

When writing for the professional world, you should always eliminate any obstacles to understanding. Writing that is consistent allows your audience to focus on the message.

Inconsistencies, no matter how small, can raise subconscious red flags. For example, a sudden % can be as distracting as a naked clown in rush hour traffic if you’ve otherwise written the word percent throughout.

Similarly, sudden style changes can cause readers to hunt for deeper meaning where there is none, which detracts from your writing’s main points and purpose. For instance, if you start a list with bullet points and end it with numbers, it raises questions about the reasons behind such an action. Are the bulleted points more important? Are the numbered points a mistake?

One great way to keep your professional writing consistent is by creating and following a style guide, which is a manual of sorts that provides conventions for language, spelling, formatting, and punctuation. If you don’t want to go through the process of creating your own, you can always adopt an established rulebook, like The Associated Press (AP) Stylebook or The Chicago Manual of Style.

3Leave the Robot for the Dance Floor

While writing for the workplace certainly demands an air of professionalism, it often doesn’t need to be overly formal (unless you’re dealing with legal documents or a very formal audience). Leave the rigid, stilted writing style at home with the tuxedo or high heels, and consider using a more conversational tone.

After all, the audience on the receiving end of your writing is made up of people, not R2-D2 and C-3PO. You want to build rapport with your readers and engage them—not alienate them.

Writing in a conversational style means writing like you speak. For example, feel free to use contractions, to talk directly to your audience, and to infuse your sentences with a bit of personality (while keeping it positive and courteous). It’s widely accepted in the business world for written communication to mirror everyday speech.

4Review, Review and (Did We Say?) Review

As even the greatest authors can attest, revision is one of the most important, albeit one of the most painful, parts of writing. Ernest Hemingway famously rewrote the final page of A Farewell to Arms thirty-nine times, Vladimir Nabokov swears he never wrote a word he didn’t rewrite, and Truman Capote claimed he believed more in the scissors than the pencil.

Even in the workplace, reviewing your writing by taking the time to edit and proofread is essential. Careless mistakes, critical omissions, and embarrassing grammar and spelling infractions can undermine all of the hard work you’ve put into a professional piece of writing. Not to mention, it can damage your reputation, authority, and credibility in the long run.

Once you’ve finished writing, put it aside for a while to let it “get cold” (if you have the luxury of time). Then read it aloud, making a point to notice where you’re stumbling over sentences. Check it thereafter for clarity, conciseness, and consistency. Finally, give it a once- (or twice-, or even thrice-) over for spelling and grammar.

Consider asking a peer to cast their eye over it as well. Though, if you’re not lucky enough to have a word nerd nearby, you can always use Grammarly’s completely awesome language checker.

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Have you found a particular aspect of writing for the workplace challenging? Tell us in the comment section below or via our Facebook or Twitter feeds, and we’ll try to address it.

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Stephanie Katz is a San Francisco–based writer who, contrary to the way it may seem, won’t correct your grammar over beers, coffees, or any other normal life interaction. She tells stories about health, history, travel, and more and can be contacted via email at stekatz@gmail.com.

from Grammarly Blog
http://www.grammarly.com/blog/2015/4-quick-and-easy-ways-to-make-your-business-writing-better-2/