7 Elements of Business Writing

Unfortunately writing in Business English classes is not a priority for many instructors. 

However, as you know, when you need to produce a memo before lunch or dash off a late email to the boss before escaping home at the end of the day, you need sharp writing skills.

Here are 7 Elements of Business Writing to follow to make sure you communicate your thoughts and ideas precisely the first time!

1.  Be thoughtful. Answer these four questions before writing your document: 

a) Who is my audience?
b) What is the issue?
c) What is my proposed solution?
d)  How will I know the message was communicated correctly?

2. Be specific. State exactly the information the reader needs to take action. When the reader does not act according to your expectations, normally the message was not communicated accurately. 

3. Be positive..and nice and fair. Avoid stating bad news in a negative way. 

For Example:

Instead of writing: You did not send the check with your bill.

Write: We were unable to locate your check to credit your account. 

Business writing is inherently firm, but courteous. Let your writing reflect politeness. One way is to address the reader correctly depending on your relationship with the person. Mr., Mrs. or Ms. are always sure winners.


In our culturally diverse business world, it is important to avoid sexist language or any language that may offend anyone based on their age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or socio-economic status. 

4. "Brevity is the soul of wit." If it was good enough for Shakespeare, it is good enough for you! 

Delete redundancies like "free gift" or "personal opinion."

Write with nouns and verbs. Avoid adverbs if possible. 

5. Write just the facts.  Keep your opinion to yourself. Just include the dates, numbers, and statistics as necessary. Emphasize positive facts. 

6. Write perfect English.  Part of clarity is being brief. Vary the lengths of your sentences. Use correct grammar, especially verb and noun agreement. Good writing comes from good practice. If you need to review your grammar, vocabulary, idioms, phrasal verbs or confusing terms, get assistance from a teacher or co-worker. The reader will judge you by your level of English competence and thus your message may suffer.

7. Edit ruthlessly.  The final step after writing your masterpiece is proofread! Check for spelling and grammar errors. Read the text aloud. Does it sound right? Did you use a commonly confused English term?  Any mistakes will reduce the effectiveness of your message.

CONCLUSION

Learning to write well is good business! You can produce persuasive and cogent copy to convince both colleagues and clients to follow your lead.

Stay tuned to this blog for a new Business English article every Friday to help you grow and achieve the success you seek and deserve!

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Professor Colby, author of How to Be a Business English Ace, has been helping students achieve their English goals for many years.

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