Mistakes of Business Writing July, 2014 | Page 2

Top 3 Mistakes That Ruin Business Writing Writing skills play a crucial role in almost every aspect of our lives. With businesses fighting to maintain their customer base, and with the changing face of communication, business writing has evolved to a more complex stage. A number of individuals with great ideas are unable to convey the same into their writing given the excessively lengthy writing style they choose. In today’s world, concise emails and text messages have replaced the lengthy ramblings of the past. Hence in order to write clearly and to make your point across succinctly, a writer needs to be aware of a few rules that must be followed at all costs. Below are a few common businesses writing mistakes that every writer must avoid. Writing Without Audience Knowledge One of the worst writing mistakes is to write without knowing who you are writing for. Business writing needs to be tailored according to your audience. This does not just imply that your audience is divided into customers and employees but in fact the specifications go far beyond that. For each business message ensure that you are aware of the demographics of the target audience. This holds true for all promotions as well. A generic message will hardly be able to attract customers in a large target market. Therefore, before writing, make sure that you are aware of the precise needs of your audience so that you may reach them in a better manner through your words. Big Words and No Sense Business writers feel that the key to a successful message lies in big words and exuberant vocabulary. In actual, messages, emails or letters that are written merely to impress tend to lose their readers. The best way to ensure that your work will attract the audience is to read it once and distill the core idea and message behind it. Ensure that this message resonates with the audience. If your writing is too lengthy then condense down each paragraph, limiting it to minimal words and maximum expression. Revise the message and ask yourself if every single person in your audience will be able to understand it or not. If the answer is no, you know where you went wrong. Boring the Readers Overtly formal writings tend to bore the writer and imply that the writer is insecure about his or her authority. This however, does not mean that an excessively informal tone be used. Find your balance and match it to the target audience. If you know that your audience will be able to understand the complex technical terms and informal tone, only then should you proceed with the same. A better way to write however is to keep the tone approachable to allow readers to understand the message in the best manner. http://www.researchomatic.com/Business-Writing-37688.html 1