Flowery phrases, pretty prose and alluring alliteration are tools best used by novelists. Business writing is most often used in writings letters, memoranda and e-mails. The goals are entirely different; the process is the same.
Bobby Knight, the man with the most wins coaching Division I NCAA basketball, once said, “All of us learn to write in the second grade. Most of us go on to greater things.”
This philosophy often prevails, and while the purpose of stylistic writing often gets lost, clear writing is one way to ensure positive communication with one’s associates.
Writing for business isn’t about art so much as clarity. The ability to craft a sentence with a point so clear that it can’t be misunderstood is the gold standard of business writing.
Follow these steps to ensure your colleagues understand the purpose behind every word.
1. Keep writing brief: Few people read through entire documents. Think about when you look through your e-mail; it is unlikely you read much past the subject line and first few words to determine if the e-mail is important. Use these first few words carefully as they will determine if the body of the writing gets read.
2. Use the active voice: A phrase constantly reiterated in the monotonous tedium of high school English classes, this general rule actually has a purpose. By putting a subject at the beginning of the sentence, a reader can easily keep track of what is happening. Passive voice often forces readers to get frustrated and have to re-read, or worse, stop reading entirely.
3. Don’t be pretentious: In fact, don’t ever use a word like “pretentious.” There are entire short stories written using only one-syllable words. While there are shades of meaning in every word, the shades are often meaningless in everyday communication. A word like “showy” might sound less mature, but the purpose of a sentence with such words will be clearer to the reader.
The goal of writing in business is the same as that of speaking: telling another person your thoughts so they can help you act on them. As in anything, good writing takes practice. So never, ever go on to better things unless they involve putting a ball in a hoop.