When running a business, one must make sure that communications between the business owner and the customers is comprehensive and effective. There are various factors which must be considered when making communications in writing. This includes making sure that all the objectives of a particular communication are met (MacLennan 60). One must also be aware of the presentation of the writing. The writing should be legible, and understandable at a glance. This means that the audience should know what the writing is all about with a simple glance. There are various other factors involved in business writing which are summed up below.
- Content
The content of the communication must be sensible and easy to understand. The content part of the business communication a very important component of the process. The content should be free of jargon and should be understood by the layman. All the points that should be communicated should be included. The most important points should appear first while less important points should follow.
- Up & Left
The most important information on the text should appear at the top and left side. This includes the details of whom the communication is addressed to and who the issuer of the information is. Details include the name and date.
- Navigability
There should be a sense of organization in the writing. It should be easy to tell between the main heading and subsequent sub-headings (Piotrowski 8-74). This means that the reader should be able to:
- Move to sections with distinctly new information from previous sections.
- Pick out the salient points from headings, subheadings and numbered sections.
- Enumerate the different points or ideas communicated.
- Accessibility
The important points should be marked in some way to enable easy location. The reader should be able to tell what the entire document is all about just by glancing at the page(s). This may be achieved by:
- Placing key words in the text as bold, italicized, and underlined, for emphasis.
- Writing headings and key words in different fonts and sizes.
- Conciseness
Writing concisely means using words economically for clarity purposes. Business writing should be straight to the point, while avoiding unnecessary information and fluff.
- Audience Customization
The message should be tailored to meet the demands of the audience. This should be achieved through Research. Customization helps in directing the message to the recipients needed.
The wording should be stylish and eye-catching. Catchy phrases and words should be used. This should be done while avoiding ambiguity and redundancy in the writing. The writing should draw the attention of anyone who glances at it to read further. Finally proofreading and editing should be done before submission to the audience (Witt 34). Formatting should be done attractively.
Work Cited
MacLennan, Jennifer. Effective business writing. 2nd ed. Scarborough, Ont.: Prentice-Hall Canada, 1996. Print.
Piotrowski, Maryann V. Effective business writing: strategies and suggestions. New York: Perennial Library, 2011. Print.
Witt, Graham C.. Writing effective business rules. S.l.: Morgan Kaufmann, 2011. Print.
