Business Casual Goes Beyond Clothing - 12 tips for effective business writing

A free article on Business

By: Bronson Tang

Business Casual Goes Beyond Clothing

12 tips for effective business writing

by Bronson Tang

Remember when “Casual Friday” first started and everyone was thrilled to show up in a pair of jeans and sneakers? Yet some people were so mired in their usual way of dress that they refused to “dress down” like the others. They wore their suits and secretly chuckled about the “casual people” around them. It didn’t take long, however, for everyone else to catch on.

“Business casual,” as it is often referred to, is a mainstay in corporate America. But, it no longer applies simply to what you wear it can also refer to the style in which you write. As you peruse the Internet, this form of writing is prevalent in the online newsletters and articles you read. It’s not just limited to the Internet, though; this form of writing is also showing up in printed business publications. This relaxed style of writing is conversational and almost always informal. It has personality. It’s a refreshing pace from drab and dreary, formal business writing.

Does casual business writing work better than the more formal style of writing to get readers’ attention?

According to Hank Stroll, publisher for Internet, “Our mantra is, ‘People buy when they trust that the value you are offering appeals to them and it comes from a stable company.’ - Stroll believes that one way to earn that trust is through making your writing easily understandable and relevant for your audience.

Stroll believes that a formal style of business writing can be too time-consuming to weed through and can even offend some readers … “Take the phrase ‘heretofore, utilizing an economical structure pursuant to …’ for example. What does that mean? Words like ’maximize’ and ‘solution’ are not precise nor are they intriguing. They are words that we don’t normally use in our everyday language. In the new, casual style, the phrase quickly becomes “before, using a budget based on …” — so much easier to understand.

In this way, casual business writing works because people can trust and understand what you are writing about. It shows value and it shows how the value appeals to the reader.”

One thing casual writing is not is a replacement for academic writing, literary prose,-or poetry. If you are a business writer and suspect that your current style of writing may be in need of a quick overhaul, rest assured there are steps you can take to get your writing back on track. Below are 12 tips for effective business writing:

1)       Keep the words simple. If you can’t explain it to an eight-year old, you probably don’t understand it yourself. Use simple words and refrain from highly technical language. Typically the popular choice amongst readers is straightforward and simple communication. According to B.J. Palmer, “…the most effective communicators and announcers were those who used as few words as possible to get their point across.” B.J. Palmer owned Palmer communications the first 500-watt radio station in the United States. Former President Ronald Reagan was employed by BJ as a radio announcer. And one final note regarding keeping the words simple - Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address contains 275 words. And 196 of those words have only one syllable!
2)     Engage the reader. Use phrases and information they are familiar with. Spice the text up with colorful language or analogies. An article in the USA Today written by Marilyn Elias, entitled, ‘Short attention span linked to TV,’ was quite revealing. According to Elias, “Frequent TV viewers in early childhood were most likely to score in the highest 10% for concentration problems, impulsiveness and restlessness..” The readers of today have reduced attention spans and the use of words, phrases and metaphors can oftentimes create variety for your audience. The last thing you’d probably want is your literary work being used as the cure for insomnia.
3)     Write with authority. Write with confidence and credibility. Persuade from strength rather than plead from weakness. You don’t have to sound like you are an expert on the subject. Instead try to make the reader the expert. Incorporate your own personal experiences on the subject you are writing. Real-life examples tend to connect you with your audience. It creates instant credibility because you are pulling from a highly trusted authority – you.
4)     Incorporate dialogue from experts. Use quotes from experts in the field to help convey your message. The quotes must flow like regular workday conversation. Incorporating dialogue from experts shows your audience that you have done your research. It’s often helpful to quote experts that are recognizable. The experts own recognition can help to magnify your message.
5)     Know your audience. Although common sense, this is still worth mentioning. Find out who your audience is and what keeps them up at night. Write to their hearts and minds (e.g., most readers don’t care that you are the “premier provider” or “leader” in your industry). Due diligence is especially helpful in determining your target audience. To learn more about your target audience ask the editor of the publication. You can even try reviewing previous publications. Planned preparation prevents poor performance.
6)     Incorporate tips. Use “how to” examples. Tips are often a great way to engage readers with action steps or advice readers can begin using immediately. Keep the number of tips as short as possible. An average of twelve tips or less is a good rule of thumb. Another suggestion is to assign a numeric value to the beginning of each tip. When you list the action steps or advice be sure to keep it short and simple. (Note: To learn more about keeping it short and simple please refer to tips one, two and seven.)
7)     Keep it short. Use shorter sentences and keep sentences active. Break paragraphs into shorter chunks. Ask yourself, “Why is this sentence in there?” If it adds value to just your company and not the reader, then it’s probably not a good idea to include. If it adds value to the reader, however, you’re probably on the right path. Also try to refrain from phrases like “have had” or “has had” — stay in the present tense as much as possible.
8)     Use contractions. Instead of having your audience read “you are,” use “you’re” when possible. However, beware of too many contractions. Sprinkle a few in here and there to keep the tone conversational. Use attention-getting text features. In addition to writing short copy, other devices can break the copy into “sound bites”: bullets, boldface subheads, callout boxes, etc. A popular technique often used in online newsletters is the use of hyperlinks that reference other articles to help emphasize a point.
9)     Read out loud. Once you have finished writing, read what you’ve written out loud. If it doesn’t sound right, chances are it isn’t. When you read your finished writing out loud you are in essence performing a mental dress rehearsal to an audience of one. It’s important to be your toughest critic. Vocalizing your writing allows you to ask yourself if what you have written make sense. This is a simple method toward increasing the quality of your writing.
10) Give it to a stranger. Generally, it’s nice to have a subject-matter expert read what you have written and see if it works. If a subject matter expert is unavailable then the next best alternative would be someone who will be unbiased and objective. Your goal is get feedback on the mechanics, structure and organization of your writing. You also want suggestions and recommendations on the delivery of your message. The suggestions you gather will be your greatest assets towards the improvement of your writing.

Whether you’re in Dockers or not, using these tips can ensure that you’re always dressed for success regardless of the day of the week. So the next time someone asks you about “business casual” hopefully they will be referring to more than what you wear.

Additional resource

As a small business owner I can empathize with the hassles of marketing your business. That’s why I want to help you marketing your internet business.

If you email me at my personal email address btang@etomicmail.com or you can call me at 858-345-4592 I can show you some of the most amazing marketing techniques that REALLY work. Our web page had a zero Google ranking and 5,192,000 Alexa Page rank. Currently it is at a Google Page Rank of 4 and 300,000 Alexa Page rank. AND all the work was done in less than 7 days. Call me, email me or check out our website for yourself.

Information about the Author:

As a small business owner I can empathize with the hassles of marketing your business. That’s why I want to help you marketing your internet business. If you email me at my personal email address btang@etomicmail.com or you can call me at 858-345-4592 I can show you some of the most amazing marketing techniques that REALLY work. Our web page had a zero Google ranking and 5,192,000 Alexa Page rank. Currently it is at a Google Page Rank of 4 and 300,000 Alexa Page rank. AND all the work was done in less than 7 days. Call me, email me or check out our website for yourself.

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