Center for Professional Communication Business Writing Center for Professional Communication

By the end of our time today you should be able to… Objective: By the end of our time today you should be able to… Define business writing Explain how it is different from other writing Understand strategies for developing an effective business writing style

What is business writing? The communication of ideas, information, directions or instructions between at least two people that focuses on the reader and the purpose of the communication.

How is business writing different? “Consequences of Erudite Vernacular Utilized Irrespective of Necessity: Problems with Using Long Words Needlessly” Write to express, not to impress A Princeton University study, “Consequences of Erudite Vernacular Utilized Irrespective of Necessity: Problems with Using Long Words Needlessly,” found that undergraduates use more complex words in papers to sound more intelligent. However, according to researchers, this strategy achieve the opposite effect: It turns out that somewhere between two-thirds and three-quarters of people (depending on how you ask) admit to deliberately replacing short words with longer words in their writing in an attempt to sound smarter…. The problem is that this strategy backfires – such writing is reliably judged to come from less intelligent authors. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1tOqZUNebs

How is business writing different? Write to express, not to impress http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1tOqZUNebs Business writers write to express, not to impress

Can I become an effective business writer? Style Words Sentences Paragraphs Tone Style is how an idea is expressed, not its substance. Style consists of words the writer uses and how those words are combined into sentence, paragraphs, and complete messages. First draft – focus on content Revisions – focus on style

Business Writing Style Seek to express rather than to impress Write clearly and concisely Use simpler language and sentence structure Use active voice Recommend action Avoid qualifiers Convey an appropriate tone

Write Clearly What’s wrong with this magazine cover? Your credibility as a writer depends on the accuracy of you message – that is presenting information truthfully and much more. Be accurate and complete Use familiar words Use specific, concrete language Avoid dangling expressions Avoid clichés, slang, unnecessary jargon

Write Concisely Not this… But this… The interviews were conducted over several weeks by the U.S. Research, Inc. If we want the product to sell well in the Northwest and eventually in select international markets as well as to compete with distributors of similar name brands, the name must meet the following tests: . . . U.S. Research, Inc. conducted the interviews. The product name must meet the following tests: . . .

Eliminate Redundancies Not this… But this… The end result will be that we are completely unanimous. Each and every one of us is exactly the same. We will be unanimous. We’re the same.

Eliminate Wordiness Not this… But this… The tiles on the floor will reflect the lighting on the ceiling. Our benefits for employees are at the top of the list for companies in our competitive set. The floor tiles will reflect the [ceiling] light Our employees are better than our competitors’.

Keep it simple Long Short modification endeavor substantial enumerate termination initiate utilization change try large list end start use

Keep it simple Not this… But this… The impending study will ascertain the feasibility of our obtaining conciliation. Deciding on an internship with a particular conglomerate may be of immense consequence to your potential livelihood. The study will determine whether we can agree Choosing an internship may affect your life.

Be specific Not this… But this… The report is sloppy. You never finish work on time I marked more than 20 errors in the report. This is the third deadline this month that you have missed.

Simple & Specific In this example the business is communicating in a simple and specific way.

Use Active Voice One of the two “voices” of verbs. When the verb of the sentence is in the active voice, the subject is doing the acting, as in the sentence “Kevin hit the ball.” Kevin (the subject of the sentence) acts in relations to the ball.

Use Active Voice Not this… But this… Too many lobsters have been ordered by the chef. Our quarterly sales numbers will be confirmed by the auditors. The chef ordered too many lobsters. The auditors will confirm our quarterly sales numbers.

Recommend Action Not this… But this… We believe you should use… We think… We imagine… We presume… We recommend names that parallel the age-old and pure qualities of the product. Recommend actions rather than refer to individual mental states

Avoid Qualifiers Not this… But this… We tentatively recommend that your company, if at all possible, avoid ‘earth surface’ words. We recommend that your company avoid ‘earth surface’ words. Avoid qualifiers that weaken recommendations or express doubt

Convey an Appropriate Tone Write confidently Use courteous and sincere tone Use appropriate emphasis and subordination Use positive language Stress the “you” attitude

By the end of our time today you should be able to… Objective: By the end of our time today you should be able to… Define business writing Explain how it is different from other writing Understand strategies for developing an effective business writing style