Table of Contents
- 2. Know your message
- 3. Think like a journalist
- 4. Avoid buzzwords, cliches and other jargon
- 5. The jargon of junk the term
- 6. Keep it tight
- 7. It’s simple
- 8. Keep the symbols and abbreviations off your phone
Every day, we are bombarded by words: e-mails and brochures. We also receive letters, advertisements, speeches, PowerPoint presentations, articles, reports, etc.
Your business communications must stand out if you wish to encourage customers to purchase, motivate your employees to do more, or invite colleagues to a luncheon.
Here are some ways to make sure your message stands out.
1. Know your audience
Advertising has a saying: A message that is aimed at all often does not appeal to anyone.
You must know your audience to communicate effectively. Do they understand your topic? Are they likely to resist your message? Are they young or old, in the city or country, well-educated or not?
Understanding your readers will help you answer the most common question, “What’s it all about?”
Tip: Imagine the typical reader. She is an 18-year-old university student living in a small town in New Brunswick or a 60-year-old executive working in Vancouver.
2. Know your message
Decide what you want to achieve before typing any words. You want to share information. Do you need to explain something difficult? Do you want your readers to be inspired to take action? What is your main message?
Tip: Try simplifying your message with a slogan, such as “This product will save your company thousands of dollars per year.”
3. Think like a journalist
It’s easy, when you’re deeply involved in a subject, to forget the obvious. It’s amazing how many hotel and restaurant websites don’t have the address. Be sure to include the Five Ws and an “H” in your document: who, what, when, where and why.
Tip: Ask someone outside of your company or department if anything is missing.
4. Avoid buzzwords, cliches and other jargon
Today, business writing is filled with overused cliches. What kind of business doesn’t have a “service-oriented approach”? What is a company focused on if it isn’t “solution-focused”? Problems?
Cliches can be defined as expressions that suddenly appear everywhere and seem almost meaningless. How many times have you read about “low-hanging fruits”, “win-win” solutions, or “pushing the envelope?” Are they inspiring, or do they make you yawn? You thought so.
Tip: If you notice a cliché, come up with an original metaphor to express the same concept. How about “breaking from the crowd” instead of “thinking out of the box?” Don’t try too hard to appear clever. It’s often best to say what you mean, “thinking in new ways”.
5. The jargon of junk the term
Each field has its own acronyms and technical terminology. When everyone knows the language, they’re a useful way to shorten a sentence. If you are writing to people who don’t work in your field, which will include many of your customers, you should remove the inside slang. Otherwise, you could create confusion.
Tip: Explain jargon if you can’t help it. You can add a link to the definition on a website, for example.
6. Keep it tight
Short sentences, paragraphs, and documents are more likely to capture the attention of readers. This is especially true for e-mails or other electronic records because we tend to read slower on screen. To keep your readership, you need to cut the fat. Here are some tips.
- Remove redundant adjectives. All friends are individuals; all innovations and disasters are serious.
- Don’t disguise your verbs as verb/noun pairs. Do not “take a decision” or “make an improvement” but rather “decide” and “improve.”
- Avoid long, winding phrases. You can say “We’re upgrading our IT system” instead of “We’re in process of updating our IT systems”.
Tip: Assume that the document you are working on is a telegram, and each word will cost you $10. Edit the document accordingly.
7. It’s simple
Most people skim through documents to find the most important information before they decide whether or not to read them in full. Make it simple for them.
- Write a clear title for your article or an e-mail subject (“Read this Now” is not enough).
- Bold deadlines and important points.
- Subheadings are a great way to break up long messages.
- Lists like this can be formatted in bullet points.
- Make sure that the most important information appears at the top.
Avoid using words that cost more than 20 cents. “improve our customer service” instead of “facilitating improvements to our service environment.”
Tip: Try writing the way you talk.
8. Keep the symbols and abbreviations off your phone
Use “&” when you text your children. “etc.” “e.g.” or other shorthand. If you want to impress your clients, employees, or investors, then use the full words. It is more professional.
Tip: When you use certain symbols frequently, put a sticky note on your monitor to remind yourself to “search and replace.”
9. Get Active
What is the difference between these two sentences?
- All new purchases will receive rebates.
- XYZ Corp. offers rebates on new purchases.
In the first instance, we do not know who provides the rebate. In the second case, the company’s name is the subject.
The first sentence in grammatical terms is written in the passive voice, and the second in the active voice.
OK. Why should you care about this?
You can quickly improve your writing by using active voice. Active voice sentences are usually shorter, clearer and more engaging than passive voice. They also inspire greater trust from readers. Everyone wants to understand who is doing what.
Tip: Ask yourself, “Who is doing the action in this sentence?”. If the person or organization in question is not in the sentence, you can add them as the subject.
10. Proofread
They’re not perfect, but they are still useful. You’ll seldom be notified when you use a word incorrectly. Just ask anyone who’s ever asked a customer to call the “sales manager.” Proofread all your documents before you print them or send them.
Tip: Read documents out loud to catch missing words. If you find a mistake, make sure to read the entire paragraph. Typos tend to cluster together.
