Tips on writing effective Business English

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Tips on Writing Effective Business English

Tips by Fiona Talbot,

Business author, consultant and trainer

TQI Word Power Skills


Writing matters:

Why it’s best to get it right

Maybe you’ve never been taught business writing skills. This can give you a problem…

… because writing dominates office & other workplace communication today

Bosses need people who can write e-mails, presentations, reports, even blogs etc.

As there’s competition for every job - & companies often have to fight for survival,

this slideshare shows how writing effectively is a key skill to develop.

Why? We see consistent feedback that vast numbers of customers are prepared

to walk away from companies who:

- write ‘badly’ (in their opinion)

- write unclear messages

- give wrong personal or other details

- convey the wrong tone

- don’t present their writing professionally


So the good news is: you can get yourself noticed

for getting your writing right!

Be prepared to listen to what bosses and readers say they like.

Use that knowledge to get noticed for the right reasons, ahead of the rest, by:

Designing your writing to get results for the task in hand (do your research; know why

you’re writing!)

Writing clearly, so people understand you first time – and as quickly as possible

Getting all the details right

Using the right tone for your audience (the right level of formality or informality /

friendliness)

Writing with the right impact for your social media crowd (you need to be seen & heard

above the noise!)

Being professional at all times. This includes not just checking spelling, punctuation and

grammar – but also caring about the entire look and feel of what you write


The mechanics: what do you need to write? How? Why?

Step back…and think before you write!

What needs to go in the white space, whether on paper or on screen?

How are you going to structure it? Where do you need your writing to lead? Where do your

readers need it to lead?

Have you taken on board any cultural differences in the way people communicate ? You’ll

need to adapt what you write according to your known audience / potential crowd.

Are you enabling calls to action / interaction to take you into readers’ future time?


Expressing yourself simply and via different media can be smart in the digital age

Communication today must be heard above the noise’, grab eyeballs and keep attention

ongoing.

The minute you make readers have to try to work out your meanings can be the moment

they move away from your business to someone who ‘can speak their language’.

As an example, what do the following words really say and mean?

“ Blue sky thinking will help us achieve a client focus situation, so that the team is incentivised to monetise the deliverables, we pick the low hanging fruit and sing from the same hymn sheet ”

No prizes for guessing, because who really knows?

Now check out the short YouTube animated video below. Is this native English speaker, really getting it right with her ‘I’m cleverer-than-you’ idiom? Compare it with the

‘English as a second language’ guy who we can all understand!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PmIq2Ctb30&feature=c4-overview-vl&list=PLuvkdeyRyCNrOfTXVsdohLuZOFuXOBBKJ





Time is precious and time is money!

If your writing is for information only, say so. If you need a response give a call to action

or continuing interaction. Enable it! Make it easy for people to respond. Give them the

means to do it.

Never forget: time is precious and time is money too – for you and for your readers. You

need to get it right for everyone, on all the levels shown on the previous slide.

You write effectively when you invest in the time you spend, to ensure that every word,

every feature, every space you use works for your purpose – and is aimed at getting the

right reactions and results!

information response

time money


The moment of truth:

you can be the judge here!

Now take a look at your workplace writing (and maybe take a peek at colleagues’ writing

too!).

What do you see?

- Are you writing consistent, correct and concise messages that people understand?

- Is your writing attractively and professionally set out? With the right tone?

If yes, well done! If no, you’re likely to know what you need to work on …


Summary Writing effectively across traditional and emerging channels is a must-have skill that

employers seek. Master these points to boost your career success:

Identify the right messages and communicate them correctly (right for

purpose/mistake-free).

Write clearly in accessible language so that your readers understand you.

Understand that workplace writing should be geared to results.

Write appropriately for the medium: make the right impact to get noticed for the

right reasons.

Need further support? Here are some TQI options to help you:

Books:

http://www.koganpage.com/search/?searchTerm=Fiona+Talbot

E-mentoring or editing support:

http://www.wordpowerskills.com/index.php








Thanks for reading this - and please do feel free to share

And finally…two words that we should write as often as we can in the workplace (and

elsewhere!). Manners are a free resource that can make all the difference.