How's the quality of your writing? - by Shirley Taylor
Reading, writing and managing e-mail is taking an increasing amount of our time. However, research shows that the major cause of e-mail stress is not its volume, but its inappropriate use as a communication tool. People whose jobs never used to involve writing skills are now finding themselves writing dozens of e-mails every day. Most of us comment about the increasing quantity of messages we receive, and the pressure we are under to respond quickly. But when we are under such pressure, what happens to the quality of the messages we exchange? One thing that strikes me in particular is that, despite the growth of e-mail, it seems our skill in business writing has evolved very little.
Some people are still using age-old conventions and a hoard of standard phrases that aren’t even appropriate in today’s business letters, let alone e-mail. Do you still use phrases like With reference to our meeting, Kindly be advised, Please find attached herewith, As spoken, above-mentioned, or even worse Please revert to me at your soonest? These phrases went out with the ark! This is 2008, not 1908! Including stuffy formalities like this in business writing serves only to obscure the real meaning, and spinning out sentences makes them intolerably long, leaving the reader searching for the real meaning. What a paradox to use such convoluted language in today's business world that runs at 200 beats a minute.
So how is the quality of your writing? The bottom line is this: just as a handshake and eye contact say something about you and your organisation when you meet someone in person, the approach you take in an e-mail will give an impression as well. Whether you are writing a thank you note, a meeting reminder, a proposal or a sales pitch, what you write and how you write it affects what people think of you, and it affects the image of your organisation. A well-written message that looks and sounds professional will make it easier for people to want to do business with you. It will help people feel good about communicating with you. It will help you achieve the right results. Writing effectively is perhaps the most demanding work we do. Writing requires imagination, creativity, organisation, careful planning and many other skills if a message is to be effective. In today's fast-paced business world, there should be no room for yesterday's old-fashioned, long-winded jargon.
Today's business language should be proactive, stimulating, interesting, and most of all, it should reflect your own personality. Instead of using boring clichés that have been around for decades, the key is to write in a natural style, as if you are having a conversation. So, when you are composing any business document in future, ask yourself: "If I was speaking to the recipient, would I say this?" and remember: if you wouldn't say it, don't write it!
About the Author
President of APSS 2011-12, Shirley is author of 8 successful books on business writing and communication skills, including 'E-mail Etiquette', published by Marshall Cavendish International as part of the ST Training Solutions Success Skills series. For more articles by Shirley Taylor, please visit www.shirleytaylortraining.com. Sign up for your free 10-week series of Success Boosters at www.STSuccessSkills.com |
