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When was the last time you read a company document and thought, wow, that was well written?
If the answer is close to never, it might be because most people write wordy and poorly thought out messages rather than simple and precise ones. Business writing in particular is often riddled with a grating assortment of buzzwords. You’ll set yourself apart by writing clearly, simply, and concisely. Here’s how.
[The first three rules.]
1. Know what you want to say
The easiest mistake for writers is to start before they’re ready. It’s tempting to just jump right into it and send off the first things that come to mind, but this invariably leads to unfocused and overlong writing. So the first rule is to think: Before you write a sentence, know your main point and all your secondary points, and the order you want to deliver them in.
2. State your main point early
The reader shouldn’t have to wade through five paragraphs before they figure out why they’re reading. It should be clear in the first couple sentences. This is a key difference between business and academic writing, where it’s not unusual to have a lengthy buildup before arriving at the point. In business, what’s important is getting your point across as clearly as possible. If you’re proposing an action, state the issue and your solution in the first 150 words.
3. Be concise
It’s easier to say what you want in eighteen words than eight, but it’s also less pleasant to read. Cut out every unnecessary word or sentence. Good rules are deleting prepositions (point of view becomes viewpoint); replacing –ion words with action verbs (made the assumption becomes assume); using contractions (we are become we’re); and swapping is, are, was, and were with stronger verbs (is indicative of becomes indicates).
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Here is a direct link to the complete article.
For those in need of more specific information about HOW, I highly recommend HBR Guide to Better Business Writing and HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Communication.
For general purposes, the single best source is William Zinnser’s On Writing Well, 30th Anniversary Edition: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction (April 2016).