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3 Business Writing Tips
To Communicate More Effectively With Words
Some people have the gift of flow when writing.
Words come out effortlessly, sentences perfectly crafted. The result? Engaging content that moves the reader.
If you find it hard to write well, here are 3 business writing tips to help you communicate better using the written word.
Step 1: Think About Your Reader
What do you want them to think or do as a result of your written contact? Is your aim to persuade, motivate or sell?
The end point will help you structure your communication more effectively.
Here are some useful acronyms (that could become subheads in your document)
The 4 Ps - Position, Problem, Possibilities, Proposal
For example:
The position is that I am 100 km from my meeting destination
The problem is I have to be there in 2 hours
The possibilities are that I can drive, take public transport or fly
The proposal is that I will drive as there is less chance of delays.
If
you can explain a business situation to those in higher authority with a fully thought out "4 Ps" approach, it could be more effective than going to them at the problem identification stage.
The SWOT Approach
Another useful acronym is SWOT - Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats.
If you are planning a business strategy and need to communicate/influence others in business, this creates a great starting point.
At the same time, omit jargon or terms that could confuse them - a knowledge of your audience is essential.
Having a clear structure to your content when writing is one of the best business writing tips to help you get your message across more clearly.
Step 2: Think About Grammar
Keep sentence length short - definitely less than 20 words to make it easier to read.
Remove unnecessary words - for example, use "consider" rather than "it would be worth considering.."
You is more powerful than we or I - "You will benefit from" is more appealing than "We offer these benefits".
Always check your writing before going to print - careless sentence structure and incorrect spelling will not look professional.
Step 3: Think About Appearance
Long blocks of text are not visually appealing - so break up your content into short paragraphs surrounded by lots of white space on the page.
Add headings to draw in your reader where appropriate. Underlining can look dated so use carefully.
Bring in colour to your document, for example, with coloured headings or relevant images.
Think about your font choice. Times New Roman and Arial are commonly used - but there are others that may give your document a more modern feel and fit with your brand identity.
With more business happening online, having good writing skills is a big advantage. Looking for tips on content management and other online business skills? Visit our companion website, In-Tuition.
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