Business Writing Tips  

There are various types and styles of business communication, ranging from the business letter, a marketing, financial or statistical report, a memo, a business proposal or a technical report. No matter what type of business communication you are preparing, there are several basic rules or guidelines to keep in mind.

Think Before You Write

Have a clear understanding of what you want and need to communicate. It is a good idea that if you are preparing a business or marketing report, or a new business plan, that you develop a production planning guide prior to writing the final report. This entails preparing a statement of purpose, listing your objectives, identifying your audience, and developing a “must” Content Outline and Treatment.

Statement of Purpose

Business writing is action oriented and user-centered. Its purpose is usually to effect positive change by employing persuasive and informative strategies.

• What is the purpose in writing your document?
• How does your document meet the needs of your reader?
• Do you state your main point early in the document?
• What do you want your reader to do after reading your document?

Identify Your Audience

No matter what type of business document you are preparing, it is always very important to know who your audience is and to keep them in mind throughout the document. Too many people forget about their audience as they become engrossed in what they are writing. Below is an audience checklist to keep in mind as you prepare to write:

• What do you know about your audience – age, lifestyle, ethnic and socioeconomic background, location, etc?
• What are their values and beliefs?
• Geographic, demographic and psychographic background information.
• What is their attitude or knowledge level regarding your business, product or service?

What is “must” Content?

Once you have identified your statement of purpose, spelled out your objectives and completed an audience analysis, you then need to decide what must you include in your report/plan/proposal to accomplish your objectives and meet the needs of your audience?

• What features and benefits of your proposed product or service will benefit your audience?
• What do they need to know to make a decision or to take action?
• Think in terms of the key points or messages you need to communicate.
• What terms or concepts will you need to define?
• What background information will your audience need?

Document Treatment: Organization and Design

Once you have identified exactly what you need to include in your business communication, you can then start thinking about how you want to present your information. Depending on your type of business communication, will determine how elaborate your design and presentation will become. Your document’s design (visual appearance) will impact the persuasiveness of your communication or proposal. Your business document design does not have to conform to the typical school report style of introduction, middle and conclusion. Things to consider when designing your report:

• Can your audience find the information they need?
• Does your document require a table of contents?
• Are your key points emphasized by using boldface, underlining or italics?
• Do you have clear headings?
• Does your report require graphics (charts, graphs, diagrams or tables); illustrations or photographs?
• Make sure any graphics or illustrations are clearly labeled and easy to understand.

What is required to get your message across? In writing a business report, you may be tempted to use complex words, thinking they will help make your report sound more professional. Your basic guide to business communication writing is to write simply and clearly, always keeping your audience in mind.