Business writing is different from contemporary writing because it requires a reader-oriented approach, and it has to be economical and purposeful. Business messages are not intended to impress the readers, but express the underlying ideas with clarity. As such, the primary goal in business writing is the delivery of the message in a clear, concise and straightforward manner. In numerous cases, business writing entails collaborations with others, such as working in teams where they exchange ideas. The primary purposes of business writing include passing of information, maintenance of goodwill, persuasion, and presentation of a request (Sengupta, 2011). For this reason, it requires the writer present the correct message in the right way, meeting the needs of the readers first.
In the planning process, the writer should avoid the use of possessive nouns such as “I” and “You”, and alternatively, use the real name of the reader. Additionally, the writer should use single space within the shortlists and paragraphs and words that are short. The writer should write with the reader in mind, and when it involves a technical subject addressed to a non-technical reader, one should be technical jargons and acronyms (Butterfield, 2012). Additionally, the writer needs to explain all the concepts in an accurate and simple way, which the reader can understand and relate to. A business writer must be confident, creative, courteous and sincere. Additionally, they need to use appropriate emphasis and adopt a non-discriminatory language.
A business writer should never over-rely on the computer spelling and grammar checking because the smart automated computer systems correct every little error and some corrections might distort the message. For this reason, the writer has proofread the writing to ensure it is free of errors, and they can further request other people to proofread before it is given to the wider audience. The writer needs to communicate in an effective, simple and succinct manner, which requires the writer to write a message that addresses the major points in a quick and unambiguous way. As such, business writers should avoid flowery, obscure and extended language. The writer should prevent the use of sarcasm and jokes in written communication. During verbal communication, a person can use jokes and sarcasm with humorous or serious intent, but during delivery, the person can use facial expressions and tone variations of the voice to pass the intended message (Butterfield, 2012). However, in business writing, the qualities are lost and what was intended to be funny and humorous might be misinterpreted by the reader, which can cause an unintended offense.
The writer needs to develop a structure and organization of the business writing. For instance, for a long document, an email or a letter, there is a need for a summed overview of the content, which allows the reader to judge whether the subject matter before reading the whole writing. Additionally, the writer needs to separate a long writing into small descriptive sub-sections, covering one or two issues at most. The writer should avoid carelessness concerning the professional title, name, and gender of the recipient. For instance, addressing a woman as Mr. rather than Mrs or Miss can be rather offensive and the writer need to double check and proofread in detail before sending writing to the recipient (Sengupta, 2011). Additionally, if a response is required, the writer need to include a call to action, using the appropriate tone, which is dependent on the recipient.
References
Butterfield, J. (2012). Written Communication: Illustrated Course Guides. London: Cengage Learning.
Sengupta, S. (2011). Business and Managerial Communication. New Delhi: PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd.
