Top 10 Tips for Writing Better Business Letters Business writing has only two goals: To make people understand you. To get them to take some action. Your readers take the proper action only when they know not just what you say, but what you want. Do you want them to: buy your product or service? confirm a decision? simply like you and think youre good to do business with? All those things -- buying, confirming, even liking and thinking -- are actions. For your reader to understand what you want (and then do it), he or she must first understand precisely what you mean in your writing. If he or she has to guess, theres a good chance the guess will be wrong. People who read your letters, e-mails, faxes, reports, and memos have no opportunity to interpret your body language or tone of voice, as they would in a conversation. So although you should write much as you speak, you should think of the times when you speak at your best -- when your words, sentences, and paragraphs are more precise than your typical, everyday speech. Even when its structured and precise, good writing helps your reader see you as a real person, and treats him or her as one too. Many business writers are tempted to hide behind officious, complex language, using it both to avoid saying what they mean and because so many others use it. They shouldnt, and you dont have to either. To write effectively, to say what you mean, and to make sure your readers understand you, keep these ten rules in mind: 1. Write Concisely Some editors estimate that a third of the words in a typical letter are wasted. At every stage of writing your letter, look at it and decide what to remove -- there will always be something. Remember that you want your reader to understand you and take action. Anything that does not help him or her do that is unnecessary. Avoid repeating anything, other than for specific emphasis. Remove needless words from every sentence, needless sentences from every paragraph, and needless paragraphs entirely. 2. Be Complete Dont take conciseness too far. You should write not just what must be said, but also what should be said to achieve your goal. Your letter should not read like a telegram, but should tell your reader everything he or she needs to know, and then prod for action. Make sure that you include enough background for your reader to get what you mean, and that you come across as tactful and polite, not terse and unfeeling. 3. Use Nouns and Verbs If you think of writing as driving a car, nouns and verbs are the wheels and engine, while adjectives and adverbs are the body and trim. No matter how fancy the paint and details, without power and grip your car goes nowhere. Adjectives and adverbs can enhance sturdy nouns and verbs, but they cant rescue weak ones. Instead of I definitely believe that the performance will be a very successful one, write I know the performance will succeed. The second sentence is both stronger and shorter. 4. Write Actively Good writers use the active voice whenever they can. In active sentences, people do things -- they act and interact. The active voice is vigorous and brief, showing who acts and how. In passive sentences, things are done -- people are acted upon or, worse, disappear entirely. In most contexts, the passive voice is vague and evasive, making your reader unsure who is doing what. So instead of The report will be sent to you and The source of your problem has been determined (passive), write I will send you the report and Our technical team has found what caused your problem (active). Remove there is, it appears, are done, and similar phrases by rebuilding passive sentences as active ones. 5. Be Specific Most people use specific language when they talk casually: they tell stories with details, colors, and smells. Write the same way. Use words to paint pictures in your readers mind, not to ask him or her to dissect abstract concepts. If you have numbers, use them. Dont discuss ideas without examples. Avoid abbreviations not everyone knows. Everybody understands words that apply to everyday life, so use everyday words and your reader will understand you. To be Continued... Thanks for Reading.
Posted on: Wed, 27 Aug 2014 05:16:09 +0000
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