Improve your written communication skills!

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AVOID JARGON Too many terms and phrases used to say very little can bore or turn off people. Keep your communication brief, courteous and geared towards a call to action

AN enthusiastic job applicant once wrote in his cover letter: “I am about to enrol on a Business and Finance Degree with the Open University. This qualification will prove detrimental to me for future success.” The prospective employer wondered – why would anyone enrol for a course that is “detrimental”? Perhaps the applicant meant “determinant”. Sadly, as first impressions go, the damage was done and the job applicant did not hear back from the potential employer.

On the record
In the world of work, while verbal communication is important, the written word is even more so because what is said verbally may be forgotten but what is written survives for decades! Once an e-mail is sent, the information is on record. Hence, written communication must be well thought through.

Communication is money
And nowhere else as in business communication, is clarity more important – as the monies involved are huge. Hence, any effort to improving one’s writing skills is invaluable investment of time and effort. Business communication follows the same principles of communication: gentle, persuasive, mutually beneficial. Where it differs is its emphasis on formality and protocols.

Here’s a quick checklist for sound written communication.

1. Be professional, but not too formal.
It’s a fallacy to view all business communication as formal and stiff. “I wish to apply to your esteemed company, or If given an opportunity I will work to ensure to your complete satisfaction. Yours Very Obediently,” in today’s open and democratic spirit would sound archaic. At the same time, informal shouldn’t mean unprofessional – there is no place for personal comments, off-colour jokes, and gossip in your business mails. ASAP for “as soon as possible” is accepted but not “Thks 4 ur gr8 help.”

2. Less is more.
In business writing, concision matters. Use words sparingly, cut out flowery prose, and avoid long, meandering sentences. Here’s an example:

• Wordy: We hereby wish to let you know that our company is pleased with the confidence you have reposed in us.
• Concise: We appreciate your confidence in us.

3. Avoid needless jargons.
In a Forbes article titled “The Most Annoying, Pretentious and Useless Business Jargon”, writers Max Mallet (@MaxMallet1), Brett Nelson and Chris Steiner (@ SteinerWriter) stated, “The next time you feel the need to reach out, touch base, shift a paradigm, leverage a best practice or join a tiger team, by all means do it. Just don’t say you’re doing it.” Jargons tend to confuse, even bore readers. It’s a good idea to avoid jargon unless absolutely unavoidable. ^

4.  Pay special attention to names, titles, genders.
Nothing can be more embarrassing that addressing Mr. Sharma as “Ms. Sharma” throughout a document. If you’re not certain about the spelling of someone’s name, their job title, or their gender, check with someone who knows (like their assistant). If unsure of the gender (Kiran or Sonu can be male and a female) use gender-neutral language.

5. State a call to action.
Most business communication is meant to achieve some purpose, so include a call to action – something that the reader is expected to do. Don’t assume your readers to act with the information you’ve provided – most don’t bother or share your sense of urgency and intensity.

6. Don’t give too many choices.
If you’re looking to set a time for a meeting, give a single time. At most, give two options and ask them to pick one. Too many choices lead to decision paralysis.

7. Save careers360_cmslates.
On occasions when you write an especially good letter, email, memo, or other documents save it as a careers360_cmslate for future use. This saves a lot of time as long as you ensure a letter to Mr. Verma does not end with Ms. Joseph!

8. Ensure your mail or report looks lean and attractive.
Your document should be as “reader-friendly” as possible. Short paragraphs with section headings, sub-headings and bullet points are a lot easier to read. Adding graphs and charts is also a smart way to break up your text. These visual aids keep the reader engaged; they communicate important information more quickly than text. Add colours too for an eye-catching arresting look.

It pays to spend time improving one’s official correspondence; nothing leaves a lasting impression than the last word!

A Sathyanarayanan is a freelance writer based in Chennai.