Business Writing
Proposals, reports, memorandums, and other professional communiques: They are all forms of business writing. While you might have been on the receiving end of some of these communications during the course of your professional life, you might also require some tips for improving your own business writing skills. That’s where Ginger comes in.
What is Business Writing?
Business communication is a type of professional writing that aims to serve one or more of the following purposes in a utilitarian way:
- To convey information: Business communications such as research reports or policy memorandums are used to distribute knowledge.
- To deliver news: Professional writing is often used to share recent events with an audience made up of others from inside or outside the company.
- To direct action: Many professionals use their business writing skills to tell others what to do or how to do it.
- To explain or justify: Professional writing is a suitable way to provide an explanation or justify an action that has already been taken, particularly if the matter is a complicated one.
- To influence someone to take action: Business communication is often used to influence others to take a specific action, whether to use a certain tool during the course of business or to purchase a product or service that is on offer.
When to Use Business Writing
You’ll find that there is no shortage of opportunities to put your business writing skills to work. Any time you need to send a clear, concise message that gets the point across, good business communication know-how is certain to be an ally. Anytime you need to send a message that isn’t personal or casual, it’s likely that your business writing skills can be put into play.
Business Writing Tips
You can quickly and easily improve your business writing skills by following these simple tips.
- Clear the clutter: Analyze your writing, looking for anything that isn’t clear or direct. Get rid of those things or streamline them. This is one of the most important business writing tips to keep in mind, no matter what the situation.
- Be assertive and forthright, but stay cordial: Use confident, truthful language, and avoid words that a reader might see as evasive. At the same time, retain a cordial tone. Just because a communication is business related doesn’t mean it can’t be friendly.
- Stay focused: Professional writing doesn’t look so professional if it’s not on topic. Staying focused also helps readers understand what you’ve written.
- Stay away from “weasel words”: Weasel words give the reader the impression that you are either insecure, insincere, or both. A few common examples include “seems,” “perhaps,” “usually,” and “apparently.”
- Business writing is best when it is formal and factual: While everyone knows that you’re human, professional writing has no room for feelings and emotions – unless your business deals in those things. Stay formal and factual, and you will be on the right track.
These are just a few of the most important business writing tips to keep in mind. You’ll find additional information to improve your professional writing skills throughout Ginger writing center.