TIPS AND TRICKS TO
BUSINESS WRITING
by Gladtime Okoronkwo
Before we go into tips or tricks of business writing, it
is important to note that writing like every other form
of communication has a purpose and intent. Communication is complete only when the other party totally
understands what is sought to be communicated. It is
not just enough to write a thing; be it a letter, a memo
or whatever form of writing, it must be able to communicate the intent of the author such that even in his
absence the contents of the writing cannot be subject to
various interpretations.
Another important point to note is that there is a form
of writing in the corporate world that is different
from any other form of writing. Business or corporate writing will include examples like Memoranda, formal letters, reports, keynote addresses,
emails, etc. Formal writing conforms to certain
rules that informal writing is not necessarily
subject to.
Now that we have established that, we can go
on to list a few guidelines or pointers when
communicating in the corporate world.
The purpose of any writing whether formal or
informal is communication; you must always
seek to achieve this. One way to achieving this
is constantly putting yourself in the shoes
of the person on the other side; read it
like you are the recipient and ask yourself
if you would have understood the intent of
the writer.
• Your writing is you speaking as if you
were physically present; use every such
opportunity to sell yourself well. This
means that your writing gives the reader
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a certain insight into the way you think. Make sure your
writing is communicating the right message.
• Writing like everything in life is dynamic, it changes
constantly and therefore we must seek to keep up with
these changes.
• Keep it short as much as possible and it is important
you go straight to the point before you lose the interest
of the reader. This is especially true when you are writing to busy people or people who have to handle a lot of
correspondence daily. Time for them is of the essence
and they’d rather spend it on something else than
trying to figure out what you are trying to say.
• Avoid writing in Caps as much as possible. Use
only where necessary. This is because when a
letter or memo is written completely in caps,
the impression on your reader is almost as
though you are shouting.
• Check and re-check use of grammar and
spellings before you send. You can also give to
someone else to cross check. Chances are that
they will always pick up errors you didn’t notice.
• Always date your letters and memos.
• Write as you speak. Do not use shorthand
or expect your reader to decipher what you
are trying to communicate.
• Finally writing like everything else in life
gets better with practice. Keep writing, you
will definitely get better at it. I sure did.
*wink*
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