Writing Tips: Tips for Effective Business Writing
Written by Pat Wootton, PromptProofing.com
'Business writing' is writing for business purposes. This includes articles, blog posts, press releases, emails, letters, reports and resumes. Each of these different types of writing has its own rules and preferred format.
Writing Tips: Tips for Effective Business Writing
'Business writing' is writing for business purposes. This includes articles, blog posts, press releases, emails, letters, reports and resumes. Each of these different types of writing has its own rules and preferred format. However, the main point is that business writing has little to do with creativity; you are not writing a novel, a friendly missive or a chatty family newsletter. Whether on paper or online, business communications are read by people who are busy. Your readers generally have neither the time nor the interest to wade through complex sentences and lengthy paragraphs to try and discern your message.
Business writing is about effective communication and this means getting to the point quickly. Since concentration spans are notoriously short, it is essential that you maintain your readers' interest by whatever means you can.
- Keep it brief. Be concise; avoid the temptation to use three long words where one short one will do - you are not trying to impress your readers with your knowledge of vocabulary. Make every word count - read through your completed efforts and ruthlessly delete any unnecessary words.
- Vary your sentence lengths but err on the side of short, rather than long. Too many short sentences make your writing choppy and annoying to read. Long, complex sentences have a place in academic writing but for business purposes they can be irritating. If your reader has to re-read a sentence to establish the meaning, it is too long. Varying the length of your sentences keeps your writing interesting.
- Write for your audience. If your audience is specific and limited to people in the same field as you, then jargon is acceptable. However, if you are writing for a wider audience, try to avoid jargon that may not be understood by all.
- Use paragraphs appropriately. Start a new paragraph whenever you move to a new topic. Breaking your writing into paragraphs makes it easier to read, both on paper and on screen.
- Make your point quickly and move on. Avoid the temptation to repeat yourself or belabour the point.
Check back next month for more writing tips from Prompt Proofing.
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About the Author
Pat Wootton is originally from England and is a former high school English teacher. Having spent many years in the Caribbean, where she raised her family, she now lives in Vancouver, BC. In addition, she has taught English as a Second Language (ESL) for several years after earning a diploma in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from the University of British Columbia. She now owns and runs Prompt Proofing, a copy editing and writing service that caters to both individuals and businesses.
