First, and foremost writing for work or business communication is very different then writing for your English or history class. Business writing is the communication or exchange of information in a written format for the process of business activities. It can take place between organizations, internally or between the customer and company.
Writing for work is a basic component of your job - an internal memo, feasibility report, financial report, analytical report or a marketing report.
- Writing at work focuses on problem solving.
- Work related writing targets multiple audiences with different perspectives.
- Writing at work may be read by unknown readers and/or readers outside of the company.
- Work related writing can be used indefinitely; moreover, parts of or whole documents can be used out of context.
- The format for work-produced documents varies greatly - memos, letters, procedures, policies, and evaluations...
Keep in mind it's a busy world, busy people do not have the time to read lengthy documents, most just scan for the key points. Business/work related documents need to be clear and easy to read. Reports, memos and emails... should be inviting to read with bullet point and headings.
Before writing:
- Identify the purpose
- Identify the audience
- Identify the context
- Identify all of the facts and ideas
- Organize facts and ideas
- Identify the best medium for the message
Effective business writing follows the 10 c's:
- Complete – what does the reader need to know? What is the primary purpose of the message?
- Concise – keep to one page when possible. Do not use weak verbs, meaningless expressions or stock phrases.
- Clear – be aware of word connotations. Be sure to define the topic purpose, place and time.
- Conversational – keep the tone of the message conversational. Write like talking face to face. However, do not use slang.
- Correct – use correct spellings, format, punctuation and mechanics. Coherent – A coherent message flows together with all the parts fitting together and ideas connect.
- Credible – use reliable, valid sources. The writer must be able to support their opinions. Beware of information bias, how the data was collected and how current is the data.
- Concrete – give exact information using specific, meaningful words. Vague words are to be avoided.
- Courteous – write in a positive tone, using positive language. Focus on what is or can be.
- Considerate – design the document to be easy to read.
- Chunk information - use bullet points, highlight important points. In memos, letters, and emails a paragraph is 6 to 9 lines not sentences.
Keep in mind business writing is:
- Logically written
- Well written
- Well reasoned
- Well ordered
- Done well
