Can you tell a story?
I love to write. I have a passion to one day be a published author. I also have a little known disease called “Attention to Detail Hyperactivity Disorder”. I was diagnosed with this rare and annoying illness by one of my wonderful staff, who was always on the other side of the desk being told what needed to be changed, fixed or rearranged she called it ATDHD for short.
Bosses really love employees who can write well, it reduces the pressure on them and you will be their shining star.
Business writing is a declining art; well actually, really good business writing has been lost amongst the quick emails, tweets and Facebook messages.
Now, in this seemingly time poor world – short and sharp is it!
“If you wish to influence an individual or a group to embrace a particular value in their daily lives, tell them a compelling story.” -Annette Simmons
If you are going to be hugely successful in the business world then you need to be able to write. You don’t have to be funny or really clever. You have to understand how to structure your information and get your point across while weeding out the gaff and giving a reader exactly what they need to know.
If you write business letters and that includes cover letters for job applications, they need to be persuasive and succinct and include all the facts. Plan what you want to say – put it all in a list and then cross it off so you don’t miss something important. With so many people applying for every position nowadays you need to make sure you stand out from the bunch. Quality writing and content will always set you apart from the pack.
Check your work, have someone else check it and then check it again.
The one thing you really need to make sure you have is perfect spelling and punctuation. People will always notice mistakes and miss the content if you write it hastily.
“But, it’s the best I can do” or “I’m just not good at it.”
They’re the last thing a manager needs to hear when you submit a piece of shoddy work. They don’t have the time or energy to rewrite your words.
I have been submitted complete waffle followed by garbled bulldust and sent it back for changes on many occasion. What I wish the authors knew before they submitted it was, that I would be checking everything.
Watch my video below and then use this guide to cast your eye over your work before you let anyone else see it.
Checkpoints for great business writing….
- Check the names and addresses are spelled correctly and they are real addresses. Ensure the suburb matches the street name and number and especially that the postcode is correct.
- Check your facts – are they accurate and truthful? Don’t just make stuff up to fill the lines. Have you researched the topic completely and spoken to everyone who could help with your research? I mean one on one conversations not email chatter.
- Check if you have used the same word more than once in a sentence (this is a real pet peeve of mine). Use the thesaurus to find a different word and replace one of them.
- Run it through a spelling and grammar check. It will pick up things you may have missed. Don’t think you know best. Apart from Americanisation of the English language, the spell check usually has a point or at least will make you think twice.
- Check the “to” and “sign off” – is the persons name written as they wish and professionally. Do you have their job title correct?
- If there are figures or $ amounts included. Make sure they are formatted correctly and if they total – do the amounts add up?
- Make sure you have used the correct template or check with your company style guide. Most businesses have updatable master copies for business documents which ensure you use the correct font and margins for each type. In the case of reports they may even tell you which piece of content is required under each heading.
Practise makes perfect…
Blogs are a great way to hone your writing skills. It gives you regular practise on topics that you are interested in and really care about.
If you are interested in setting up a blog to practise your writing skills – send me a Facebook message or leave me a comment below. I would love to help you get started.
If you are just interested in more mentoring information – sign up below for my weekly eMentor newsletter where I have more stories that I only share in email.
Be inspired to share, share to be inspired.
So, share this with your friends who could do with some writing love.
Fiona
