Writing Skills in Business Communication

Business writing is crucial in giving a good first impression.

In the business world, a specimen of someone's writing is often the first thing that a prospective client sees and notices about a company's business. Since first impressions are of the utmost importance, a company representative who is charged with written communications must make sure that his written communication skills are up to par. By mastering the basics of effective communication, any business owner or employee can guarantee that his work will portray the company in the best possible light.

Focus on Audience

When writing in business, you must realize that your audience is key. You would not write to your employees in the same language and tone as you would write to your superiors or to your clients. When crafting any business communication, thoroughly understand your own goals as well as the desires and expectations of your clients. For example, when writing about a new program to your employees, you might emphasize goals, deadlines, scheduling and other crucial aspects of the program as it pertains to the production side of things. But a similar letter sent to your supervisors might leave out the deadlines and emphasize the end goal and how you plan to meet it. Finally, a letter sent to potential customers covering the same program might focus on what you hope to achieve, how it can positively impact those potential customers, and why they should believe that yours is the best company to meet their needs. All three communications discuss the same general topic, but the choice of audience determines how you deliver your information.

Keep it Professional

When writing a business letter, it is especially important to keep your language professional by avoiding slang, casual language and by making your language inclusive. Inclusive language means language that is not sexist, racist, ethnocentric, ageist or ableist -- that is, discriminatory against those with disabilities. Carefully read your business communication to make sure that you avoid language that is unprofessional or non-inclusive.

Think About Style and Form

There are several standard types and styles of business communications, and determining which kind to use is important for any business communication. Memos are short communications that often point out an issue or problem or notify individuals that some action needs to be taken. When writing a memo, remember that brevity is usually the rule and think carefully about who needs to know the information in the memo. Business correspondence is another common form of business communication. Business letters have standardized formatting that features the inclusion of an address for both sender and receiver, a salutation, a body of the text and a closing. In addition to these common types of writing in business, reports are incredibly important. Businesses require reports to explain a specific incident, to provide a periodical check-in, to document progress related to a particular event or to detail what was learned or experience during a business trip or conference. In addition, many businesses use White Papers, documents that provide an argument about how a businesses' product or service is the best solution to a problem.

Go the Extra Mile

Keep in mind your company's goals when writing, and revise your work based on those goals and needs. Remember that business writing is active and seeks to cause some kind of change: avoid overly abstract writing that might confuse your point. In addition, make sure that your document provides all of the information needed for your audience to understand your purpose: have you provided research or sources to back up your main point? Does your evidence fully support your claims? Make sure that you support your work with specific, clear examples. Lastly, proofread all documents carefully, even internal documents and emails that might seem casual: any communication done in a business setting represents not only you, but also your company. Read documents aloud to check for errors and run both spelling and grammar checkers.

References

• Effective Business Writing and Communications: Characteristics of Effective Written Communication
• Purdue Online Writing Center; Higher Order Concerns: Is Your Document Sound?
• Purdue Online Writing Lab; Appropriate Language: Overview
• Purdue Online Writin Lab; Appropriate Language: Overviewg Lab; Audience and Purpose
• Purdue Online Writing Lab; Writing the Basic Business Letter
• Purdue Online Writing Lab; Memos

Resources

• Purdue Online Writing Lab; White Paper: Purpose and Audience
• Up Write Press: The Key Forms of Business Communication