Editor’s note: Dawn Josephson is a ghostwriter, editor and writing coach. Visit www.masterwritingcoach.com for more information.
Most businesspeople have great ideas but when it comes to putting those ideas on paper, they ramble on for pages and end up looking less than professional. But in today’s communication age, with e-mail trumping the phone and deals being done via text and social media, writing skills are of paramount importance. In fact, when your writing gets to the point quickly and effectively, you can enhance your credibility, position yourself as a leader and ultimately increase your bottom line.
Following are the top three mistakes that plague most business writing. Overcome them today to boost your professional presence.
Mistake #1: Not knowing the specifics of your audience. Just as you would tailor your message depending on whether it was going to employees versus prospects, you also need to tailor it to specific demographics within the larger identified group. For example, if you’re writing promotional materials for your product or service and the majority of the people who do business with you are older, well-established professionals, you’ll want to highlight the product or service’s safety features, reliability record or guarantee. However, if your main clientele is Millennials, you’ll want to emphasize the product or service’s trendy image, quick results, or easy-to-use/understand features. If you have an equal number of clients in both demographics, then you may even need two separate sales messages. One generic message rarely cuts it these days.
Therefore, before you write a word, really think about who’ll be reading what you write. Get into their heads. Speak to their precise needs, issues or worries. And then craft your message specifically for them. The more you know your reader, the better you can reach them with your words.
Mistake #2: Writing to impress rather than to express. People who write with the hopes of impressing others with their knowledge only accomplish one thing: They lose the reader! To make sure you’re expressing rather than impressing, examine each piece you write and distill its core message or purpose down to one or two sentences. If you can’t do that, then either your writing is not focused or it’s so drawn-out that not even you can understand it. If that’s the case, then go back to each paragraph and try to condense it down to one or two sentences. String those new sentences together and then pinpoint your piece’s purposes. That’s the core message you want to express!
Mistake #3: Talking down to your reader. Have you ever reread your own writing and thought it sounded all wrong? That’s because the tone of your writing was likely wrong. Most businesspeople try to use an excessively formal tone in their writing as a way to show their expertise. But realize that excessive formality often comes from a writer who is insecure with his or her authority. By using an overformal tone – complete with arcane language or too many technical terms or referring to the reader as “one” rather than “you” (as in “one can see…” versus “you can see…”) – the writer attempts to mask his or her insecurities. Most people don’t want to do business with someone who is insecure, so keep the tone of your writing conversational and approachable.
Write it right
When you write better, you earn more. So no matter what you’re writing – whether it’s a research report, a sales letter or an e-mail – make sure you avoid these three business writing mistakes. Your ability to write clearly and succinctly will set you apart and help you reach new levels of success.