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Writing
with Simplicity
By Susan Young, President,
Get in Front Communications
One
of the most critical skills in our communication
is the ability to express ourselves in
a clear and concise manner. Keeping things
simple in our busy worlds, where we are
inundated with too much information ("TMI"),
can be a challenge. If you think it's
difficult to say it simply, writing it
can be even tougher.
Here
are five tips to simplify your business
writing:
1-
Clarify in your mind. Before you begin
to write anything, whether it's a letter,
report or a short e-mail, your message
must be clear in your mind. If you are
confused or overwhelmed with the information,
it will be difficult to express it in
writing. Before you begin to write,
ask yourself: what is the main reason
for my correspondence? What is my point?
What is my goal?
2-
Draft an outline. Pretend you're in
8th grade Social Studies class and have
to write a report. If you're like me,
you had to draft an outline with topics,
main headings and supporting details.
By using this proven system and including
only key phrases and a few punchy words,
you will quickly be able to make your
point. This will also help you to include
only relevant information.
3-
Tell the reader what to expect. If your
correspondence is long, introduce the
format you will be using in your opening
lines. For example, if you're a bank
manager and you are writing a two-page
memo on new security measures, you may
want to begin by stating: "The purpose
of this memo is to inform all bank staff
about new security measures adopted
by the President of the Bank. The first
two sections will address Topics A and
B. The remaining three sections will
cover Topics C, D and E." This format
will mentally prepare the reader for
what's to come. They will know there
are five issues and will have a broad
idea of the information that follows.
4-
Use bullet points. Bullet points provide
white space for the reader and break
down separate thoughts and details.
They also keep your writing concise
and on track. You can limit each point
to a few sentences. This will force
you to choose your words carefully.
We've become a society of "skimmers".
Make it easy on the reader.
5-
Write to express, not to impress. Your
reader will appreciate it when you use
easy-to-understand language and short
sentences. I write the way I speak,
conversational, concise and direct.
I don't want to send people to the dictionary
or confuse them. Be yourself and be
simple. It's a winning formula when
it comes to writing.
Finally,
review your letter or memo before sending
it. I like to print things out prior to
sending them. Reading on a computer screen
is different than holding a document in
your hand and reading it. I tend to make
changes and catch errors when I am reviewing
a hard copy. Regardless of whether you
read your letter on a screen or on paper,
be sure to check it before sending it.
About
the Author:
Susan
Young, President of Get in Front Communications,
works with people who want to improve
their communication skills and self-confidence.
She is a communications and PR/media expert
who provides "Virtual PR Coaching", corporate
training programs, keynotes, and seminars
on sales, Emotional Intelligence, reading
body language and public relations. Susan
is the author of Communicating with Confidence:
Tips & Techniques for Powerful Business
Communication. Susan's a member of the
National Speakers Association and is a
certified practitioner in Neurolinguistic
Programming (NLP). Call (210) 375-6422
or visit www.getinfrontcommunications.com.
On Twitter @sueyoungmedia
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