Communication Tips to Improve Your Business Writing

By Judy Keneklis
Keneklis Business Writing LLC

Language evolves over time in response to a changing world. Just think, if I had suggested 10 short years ago that you Google a name or word you’d like to learn more about, you wouldn’t have known what I meant. Yet, today, “Googling” is a quick and easy way to find information about a specific subject.

And that goes for business writing too. When I started working in the business world in the ’60s (I’m dating myself here!), business writing was stuffy. Executives wanted to impress their audiences so they wrote long, complex sentences in a very formal style. Do that today, and you’ll lose your audience.

Here are some tips to help you communicate effectively in the 21^st century:

Make sure your communications reflect the 4 Cs. They should be:

Clear – The language should be clear to your targeted audience. For consumers, keep the language simple enough for an eighth grader to understand—and avoid industry jargon.

Concise – Readers would rather do something fun than plow through a stack of papers. Deliver your message in as few words as possible.

Conversational – Businesses today have adopted a friendlier, conversational tone in their communications. Use contractions to avoid sounding formal and stiff.

Consistent – Keep references to your products, services, or processes consistent in your documents. And maintain a consistent writing style throughout all your communications.

The reader will always be asking the question, “What’s in it for me?”

Instead of focusing on yourself and your company (“I,” “we”), make sure you direct your message toward the other person (“you”). Your readers want to learn the benefits they’ll receive by doing business with you and by purchasing your company’s products or services.

Example: Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to talk about the ways ABC Inc. can help increase your company’s income and improve your cash flow.

Use pronouns correctly.

Pronouns are sometimes the subject of a sentence, and sometimes they’re objects of a preposition. People often make the mistake of using the wrong case.

Incorrect:  Between you and I, this is a great deal.
Correct:    Between you and me, this is a great deal.

Incorrect:  Me and John presented our recommendation to the committee.
Correct:    John and I presented our recommendation to the committee.

Forget what your eighth-grade teacher told you! It’s ok—and often more effective—to start a sentence or paragraph with a conjunction such as “and,” “but,” “or.”

I don’t know where the idea came from, but I clearly remember learning this “rule.” Now I’d like to go back to my English language teachers with the Bible and a volume of Shakespearean plays in hand, pointing out all the sentences starting with a conjunction.

Written as a single sentence, this paragraph would lose its impact:

The CEO wanted to implement a 12-hour workday. But the employees didn’t like his idea. And many of them decided to write a petition to the CEO expressing their anger.

Choose your words carefully.

Word choice sets the tone for business communications. You can make your communications easy to read and understand (clear, conversational, and concise) by choosing simpler words:

Use the active voice whenever possible.

Your writing will be more direct and vigorous, and your sentences will be more concise.

Passive voice:  The recommendation was approved by the board of directors.
Active voice:    The board of directors approved the recommendation.

Be aware of tempo – and mix things up.

Have you ever found your mind wandering while reading a letter or an article? If you string a lot of similar sentences together, you may put your readers to sleep. So mix up your sentence lengths. Sprinkle in some interesting punctuation – such as dashes, ellipses (…), and quotation marks. Maybe some bold text and italics, too!

Use the “barstool test.”

After you’ve finished writing, read your copy out loud. Why? You’re checking to be sure your copy flows well and to ensure you’ve presented ideas logically. And you need to make sure the copy is conversational. Check the tempo, too. Does the copy sound interesting…or do you feel like you’re droning on?

Use its and it’s correctly.

Its is a possessive and it’s is a contraction for it is.

Example:  The dog ran around all day chasing its tail.
Example:  It’s 9 a.m., and I need another cup of coffee.

Limit your use of the conjunction “that” in your copy.

After you’ve written your copy, try to eliminate the word “that” as many times as you can. It’s often unnecessary and tends to weaken strong sentences.

Example:  We know that you can do it.
Example:  We know you can do it.

One of the best ways to improve your writing is to read—ads, articles, newspapers, books—and pay attention to style. Have fun…and if you have a question or would like help with a writing project, contact me at judy@kbwllc.com or call 920-265-9140.