Business Writing as Difficult as Verbal Communication

¶ … Business Writing As difficult as verbal communication may be, written communication in any forum is even more so. Each time, a person interacts communication occurs. In the absence of face-to-face communication, many professionals rely upon gaining one's interest via written form, such as memos, emails, or proposals. Consequently, an entire presentation is entrusted to the words selected in which one's identity is defined by his or her presentation. Perceptions are realities, whereby presentation is everything.

With such high stakes, careful construction should be given to ensure the intended message written is the one actually received by its target audience. The intent of business writing is to convey information to someone else or to request information from him or her. To write effectively, one must be complete, concise, and accurate. Insomuch, text should be written in such a way that the reader will be able to easily understand what is told or asked.

Forsyth (2008) purports, "Readers look at any document almost expecting reading it to be hard work. If they discover it looks easier and more inviting than they thought, then they are likely to read it with more enthusiasm." Unfortunately, much business writing is poorly constructed, disorganized, and jargonized. Often, it is either too long or too short. Hence, such factors attribute to ineffective business writing. A well-organized document facilitates easier proofreading and editing. Hence, the initial step for effective business writing is the organization of thoughts and material.

Determine the scope of the materials. For an email, this may be as simple as collecting one's thoughts. On the other hand, one may need to write an outline of complex material in summarizing results of a marketing or strategic plan. Without an appropriate level of organization, one cannot ensure that all applicable and pertinent information will be included, thus giving prominence to the most important topics. Therefore, omissions or incorrect focus can make business writing less clear.

Target Audience Before one may start to write, think about the intended audience. Define one's target audience and decide what is the most critical information or highlights deemed necessary. For example, if one was conducting a presentation and was instructed to complete it in five minutes, one had better curtail his or her sales pitch; otherwise, one would be shown the door or lose the opportunity for a sale.

According to Forsyth (2008), "One wrongly chosen word may dilute understanding or act to remove what would otherwise be a positive impression made. When one has constraints, it forces one to choose his or her words carefully that will have the greatest impact. Use vibrant and descriptive words to convey meaning. The same premise applies to writing.. Brevity with clarity precludes rambling. One needs to determine what is substantive. Eliminate unnecessary and ambiguous information that may contribute to a misunderstanding. Many managers only have time to see the bottom-line.

He or she cannot be overwhelmed.