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This
is the most important advice we can give you:
People
read business documents to get answers and find what they want.
They want to know how to do or get something, or what happens if they do
not do something. They want to know why you are an organization they
should deal with.
Build your document around
this simple desire ¾
answer your customers'
wants. You know why you
are
writing, but do not assume they do. Think about questions they are likely
to ask, then organize your thoughts accordingly. Begin with the question foremost on their mind: "What's
in it for me?" Here is a summary of our upcoming e-book, Eight Steps to
Successful Business Writing:
As
Stephen R. Covey says in his Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, "Begin with the end in mind." If you are not clear about
what you want to accomplish, you will not accomplish it unless you are blessed with great luck. Before laying out the course on
how to get there, think seriously about where "there" is, and why being
"there" is important. Start writing it down – not neatly – just get your
thoughts on paper.
When
you know where you want to be, and why, write a clear and concise
summary of your objective. This will be your Objective Guide for the rest of your
writing. Print it out and have it before you as you begin the rest of
your writing.
You
can always add to or change your Objective Guide, but don't change directions without
first considering it. If you still want to change directions, first
modify your guide.
Learn
as much as you reasonably can about your potential customers (readers). Who
are they? How many are they? How will they benefit by this thing you
want to do? Why might they want it? Why might they not want it? Write it
down
–
again not neatly –
just get your thoughts on paper.
When you have written down who your potential customers are and the
reasons they may or may not value what you want to provide, revise it
into a
clear and concise summary. Include potential customers, potential
benefits, and the pros and cons of them actually wanting it. This will
be your Customer Guide for the rest of your writing. Print it out and have it
before you as you begin the rest of your writing.
You can always add to or change your Customer Guide, but, as
with your Objective Guide, don't change
directions without first considering it. If you still want to change
directions, first modify this guide.
Your Objective and Customer Guides are your
stabilizers. They keep you on a clear track to profits.
a) Make lists of your
objective, strong persuaders, and information your customers should know
about your product or service. Then organizing the information on the
lists in order of importance and value.
b) Think about how you will
deliver the message. Is it a letter? A handout? An eBay or other
auction ad? A Web page? An instruction sheet? If your message is
anything beyond a one-page letter or a single sheet handout, you should
discuss any special needs of printers and designers before going very
far with your first draft.
c) Prepare your Style
Guide or
be ready to add to one you already have. When you introduce a new word,
design, font, or any other aspect that will be repeated in your
document, add it to your Style Guide. Overall consistency tells your
readers you are on top of your subject. Like the guides, print your
Style Guide and have it before you as you begin your writing. But
unlike your Objective and Customer Guides, you will routinely add to it. If, however, you change
or add
a style, be sure to go back in your writing and update it to the current
style.
Regarding word choice: choose
common words over complex words or jargon. If you MUST use technical or
complex words, define them. Avoid using so many technical words that
your readers require a dictionary of terms. You will lose them. You are
trying to show them the benefit of your idea, not the number of big
words you know.
Back
to Top
a) Start writing. Expand on the listed
items, just enough help make sense of them. Don’t worry about making
your writing pretty. Ignore spelling, punctuation, and best grammar.
Just get it on paper. Don't spend much time on something that no longer
seems to fit, but don't eliminate it either. It may become important
later on.
b) Begin organizing your material into a
basic introduction, body, and close.
Introduction
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Get to your point early. After reading the first few sentences, your
reader should know why they should read your message. You want them to feel the
importance of what you’ve written and to act now.
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Body |
Expand on critical issue, persuaders, and good to know information.
Don’t ramble. Your objective in all business writing is to persuade
readers to do something. |
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Close |
Restate the importance of your message and how they can achieve the
objective. Ask them to act. |
When you are editing,
it is best to have someone else look at your writing. The best
writers overlook their own mistakes. At a minimum, set the writing aside
for a day before you start editing, and then do it in pieces. We use this general approach for
all documents.
a) Review
for intent. Look again at your
Objective
and
Customer
Guides. Did you cover critical
elements?
b) Review
for flow.
c) Review
for consistency. (Remember your
Style Guide?)
d) Review word
selection. Would simpler words give the same meaning?
e) Review
grammar.
f) Review
for general look and feel.
This
can be a simple matter of putting it on your letterhead, or it could be
time to turn it over to the designer or printer to build your final
product. Once the design is complete, go through each of the edit
steps once more to be sure nothing slipped and that nothing was
overlooked. The carpenter’s rule says measure twice, cut once. That rule
strongly applies
here.
Deliver the message in
the way you planned.
This important step
is often overlooked. Whether this was a simple letter to a few customers
or a major product affecting thousands of customers, it is important that
you keep track of comments and results. Make a list of what worked and what didn’t.
Use that list to modify your Style Guide so you'll be ready for your next project.
Revised:
March 30, 2011
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