EFFECTIVE BUSINESS DOCUMENTS
EFFECTIVE BUSINESS DOCUMENTS
The ability to express your ideas clearly is vital to success in many professions. In the business world, however, communication involves much more than getting your ideas translated into words. Communication requires strategy and energy – negotiating the movement of those ideas to get the response you want.
Remember in order to be persuasive in the business world, it takes more than just listing a bunch of good ideas. Use examples, cite studies and statistics, quote experts, provide demonstrations, tell stories, etc. Understand that persuasion will depend on the quality of your research and your evidence.
To maximize communication strategy and energy, make sure you:
- Write for your audience
Ensure that the messages you send are tailored to your audience. Analyze your readers’ needs by answering the following questions:Who are my readers? What do my readers need to know about my subject? How should I shape my document to meet readers’ needs?
- View communication as a tool
Your reader’s first question is “Why should I read this?” Business readers want information that will help them do their jobs and that is easy to read, understand, and process. Thus, all forms of business communication should be seen as tools enabling readers to get the job done.
- Don’t waste time
Readers “on the job” want as much information as possible in as little time as possible. They need to know why they are reading. They like to see the most important information first.
As a business communicator, take your cue from reporters and journalists, not mystery writers. Give your audience the big news upfront; don’t develop your story like a whodunit. Somewhere between your subject line and your first paragraph tell your audience:
- what your document is about and why it is important
- what you have concluded and what action should be taken.
- Write accessibly and use visual layout
Before putting anything on paper, envision what your report will look like when it is complete. Instead of dense paragraphs that dump data and defy comprehension, write simply and concisely, using print and white space to increase reader comfort. Break up your text with headings and subheadings, numbered and bulleted lists, tables, charts and graphs.
