While most businesses could probably use a business writer, not all of them have one on staff, or have the resources to hire one on a contract basis. Yet, brochures, websites, blogs, newsletters, and press releases still need to be written. Often, this task falls to someone who is uncomfortable with, or, worse, not very good at writing. But, don’t despair. You can still succeed if you avoid these errors when writing for business:
#10 – Misuse of Language
Can you say “unprofessional”? If you’re in doubt about usage, consult a dictionary, or a good reference manual (like The Gregg Reference Manual). Also, have at least one person provide feedback on your document.
#9 – Flat Writing Style
It is not enough to put a document into a reader’s hands (or on their screen). You must also convince them to read it. If your writing has no pizzazz, you’re out of luck. Remember to use active voice (“Sue attended the meeting” rather than “the meeting was attended by Sue”), vary sentence length, and substitute synonyms for often-used words. Finally, make your opening sentence compelling enough that readers will want to know more.
#8 – Sloppy Punctuation
See #10.
#7 – Failure to “Connect the Dots”
Use your writing not just to get your ideas across, but to help readers understand HOW you will do so, and WHY those ideas are important. In longer documents, include an introduction that gives a summary of your topic. Use transitions to connect one idea to the next. And, help readers understand why this information is something they need to know.
#6 – Failure to Connect to High-level Messages and Brand
When writing for business, if you are not connecting each piece to your high-level messages and brand, you are completely missing the point. All documents should restate (explicitly or implicitly) your core message, and should reflect your company brand.
#5 – Excessive Wordiness
The more words you use, the more you obfuscate your message. Challenge yourself to use as few words as possible to clearly, yet simply make your point.
#4 – Formatting That Detracts From the Message
You can have the most compelling message in the world, but if you don’t make it reader friendly, you risk losing your audience. When writing for business, use headers, bullets, chapters, typefaces, white space, and bold and italic type to break up and add interest to your copy.
#3 – Focusing on Features Rather Than Benefits
Remember, the features of your product or service are what make it interesting to you, while the benefits make it interesting to your customers. Ask yourself how what you’re promoting makes life easier for those you are promoting it to; your answers are your benefits.
#2 – Lack of a Coherent Theme
Anyone reading your document should easily be able to answer the question, “What is it about?” Resist the temptation to cover multiple themes and topics; instead, pick one and stick with it, even if it means you leave some information out (remember, you can use it somewhere else).
#1 – Lack of Audience Awareness
If there is one business writing mistake you should avoid, this is it. Know your audience, their concerns, and their wants. Anticipate and answer their questions. Provide information that is useful to them. And, speak their language.
Have you caught yourself making any of these errors? (It’s OK, we all have!) Please share in the comments.
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