Writing Skills For Professionals | Communicaid

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Apr 01

Keep it Plain

Why is it that so many of us prefer to use four or five words when often a couple or even one will do? Are we communicating to impress or do we want to convey a clear and digestible message to our audience? Even during every day work place communication, in emails or during informal meetings it is commonplace to hear an indigestible mixture of cliché, business speak, foreignisms and long-winded expressions. Overuse of this kind of language can give the impression that you are pompous and self-important.

Keep it Plain, effective business writing, effective communication, communication skills

If you keep your language clean and simple, nobody is going to think that you are inarticulate. They are more likely to welcome your plain and natural approach to communication.

Below are just a few examples of expressions that can and should be replaced with much simpler equivalents.

At the current time – this may sound more important than ‘now’ but really now is all you are trying to say

Large in size – an office is large, a handbag is small. It is not necessary to explain that large and small are defining size. We know this.

Null and void – we can say that the contract is null or the contract is void but we don’t need to say both as they mean more or less the same thing.

Advance warning- can a warning ever be anything but advance?

The above mentioned – if you are referencing something you have already mentioned just use ‘this’. ‘This document’ is preferable to ‘the above mentioned document’.

Head up – is there any difference between heading a department and heading up a department? If you agree that there isn’t then one word is better than two.

Sui generis – try not to use Latin or other foreign language expressions as you may risk making your reader feel ignorant if they do not understand. If you want to say something is one of a kind then say so.

At the end of the day – we don’t really mean ‘at the end of the day’ but ‘in the end’ or’ eventually’. This expression is so ubiquitous that it has become clichéd.

Nobody is suggesting that we should always communicate in words of one syllable or that we should always aim for the lowest common denominator. However, many organisations have realised the benefits of a plain English approach to communication. After all time is money and time lost on misunderstandings, misinterpretations or following the wrong instructions costs organisations millions each year.

As a result, many organisations have developed their own internal communication and style guidelines or provide employees with regular communication skills training workshops to help them consider and adjust the language they use, whether in written or spoken communication. Programmes such as Effective Business Writing or Communicating with Impact enable employees to communicate more effectively in plain and simple language.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2011

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Tagged with: communicating with impact • communication skills • Effective business writing • interpersonal effectiveness • writing skills for professionals

Jan 24

Business Email Etiquette 6| Getting the Subject Line Right

Email Writing Skills, Writing Skills No Comments »

Think about what draws you to a book, news article or webpage. Very often it’s the title or headline that grabs our attention and entices us to read more. Similarly, with business emails if you use a subject line that indicates why you are writing and that engages your reader your email is far more likely to be read sooner and, if required, acted upon. A meaningful subject line helps your reader to identify your topic, prioritise your email and find it quickly again at a later stage. A subject line that engages your reader will make it stand out; the reader will be more likely to read your email sooner and remember what it was about.

Business Email Etiquette 6| Getting the Subject Line Right, business writing, professional email writing, effective email writing

Following the tips below should help you use your subject line to maximum effect:

Never leave the subject line blank

Make your subject line specific using company or product names if appropriate

Give particular consideration to the first word in your subject line as this will determine how easy your email is to search for at a later stage

Help your reader to prioritise your email: only use the word urgent if it really is but “Action required” or “FYI only” can be helpful indicators in the subject line

If you write regular emails about a similar subject to the same regular contacts try to use a consistent format in your subject line

If you change the topic of your email but continue with an existing thread then change the subject line accordingly

Make it concise – it’s ok in your subject line to miss out articles, prepositions, etc.

Avoid using all capitals as your subject line – it’s important to grab attention but not to shout at your reader!

It is often the little things that can make all the difference when we communicate and the three or four words we choose for our subject line can help our reader to navigate their inbox. You can find a myriad of online resources and reference books to help you appreciate the intricacies of email correspondence or you can attend an email writing course and learn practical tips to improve your email etiquette.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2011

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Tagged with: communicating with impact • Effective business writing • effective email writing • email etiquette • email writing skills • writing skills for professionals

Jan 15

Email Etiquette 4|Did you Get My Email?

Business Writing Skills, Communication Skills, Email Writing Skills No Comments »

One of the downsides of email as a form of business communication is that we hit the send button and then are never quite sure what happens next. Has the message gone through? Has it been read? What does your reader think? Are they going to get back to you? And the all important – when?

Email Etiquette 4 – Did you Get My Email? business writing, professional email writing, email writing skills

As the use of email has developed rapidly and is now used by practically everyone, users, both for business and personal reasons, do not always know how to behave as senders and readers. Common courtesy would suggest we should respond to emails in a reasonable timeframe. A general rule of thumb is that if you are unable to respond within 24 hours, you probably need to send a holding email to let the sender know when you will be able to provide a full answer. Obviously if it is an email from a customer it is in your interest to impress them with your rapid response times and demonstrate your competitive edge.

What is acceptable etiquette for follow up or chase times when communicating by email? We have all been frustrated by those ‘Did you get my email?’ telephone callers or colleagues in the office that break your train of thought, usually as we have just started reading the same email or are trying to finish off something we consider to be more important.

When sending an email we need to remember that our priorities are not always the same as our readers’ and we need to be sensitive to their schedules and workloads. Of course, there may be times when you just need a quick yes or no response but in this case why not just call or speak to the other person in the first place?

If you really need an urgent response an apologetic ‘I know you’re really busy but…’ will help but you should generally give your reader at least a couple of hours if not the whole 24 hours to respond to your email. At that point, it is always worth following up; apart from anything else, emails do occasionally get lost in the ether or stuck in spam filters. Your recipient may not have been at their desk and might need to ask another team member to respond to you or may not have realised the urgency of your request. But, perhaps before you chase, consider how urgent your email really was, you may want to tick the task off your list and move on but if you don’t need the information urgently then allow your reader more time to respond.

Here are some quick email writing rules that should help you navigate the minefield of the now ubiquitous email:

1. Be Clear and Concise
Before you start, decide what you want to say and be very clear and unambiguous.

2. Be Polite
Just because you need to be clear and unambiguous does not mean you should forget your manners. A polite “Hi” and “Best wishes/All the best”, etc. at the beginning and end of the email can make a world of difference to how your email is received and how you are perceived.

3. Pick up the phone!
It’s far easier, gets you the answer you need more quickly and helps enormously to build goodwill and rapport with the person on the other end. Try it – it works!

4. Read up on the subject or get some training
There are lots of useful websites that go into more detail on the subject of email etiquette and how to get your message across. Professional Email Writing training courses are also another avenue organisations use to develop the interpersonal skills of their employees.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2011

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Tagged with: business writing • communication skills • effective email writing • how to write an email • professional email writing • writing skills for professionals

Dec 15

Professional Email Writing|Winning Over your Reader

Email Writing Skills, Writing Skills No Comments »

When you write a professional email do you ever really think about why you are writing it or what it is you want to achieve? Often as not, you are probably asking your reader to do something for you, to support you or to take your point of view. To do this effectively, you need to engage with your reader, build a relationship with them and get them to see things from your perspective – to step into your shoes for a moment. So, when you are writing those business emails isn’t it worth taking a few extra minutes to think about how best to do this and to consider what language and style you should use to get the best results?

Professional Email Writing |Winning Over your Reader, Effective email writing, email writing skills, writing skills

We have all received emails that have got our backs up because the tone has been overly direct or lacking in warmth. And the result? We have been less inclined to follow the sender’s directions or support them in their endeavours. We ignore the email or feel irritated with the sender. Adding a human element can go along way – so try to talk about ‘you’ and ‘me’ and ‘we’ rather than using impersonal expressions. Phrases like ‘It would help me if you could…’ or ‘I would appreciate it if…’ go a long way to winning your reader over. It’s also worth taking the time to explain the benefits of what you are asking your reader to do. You may only be asking a colleague to implement a process but you will find you get a much better response if you sell your ideas rather than simply instruct. Only consider writing in an impersonal way when you feel tempted to point a finger, ‘you got it wrong’ or ‘you haven’t done what I asked you to do’ will not usually go down well with your reader.

Often it is just a question of taking a little more time and consideration when writing emails but if you start to think about the impact of your language on your reader and adapt your style to win them over you will really start to see the benefits. Alternatively, a Professional Email Writing course can also help you to choose the right vocabulary and express yourself in a efficient and professional way.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

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Tagged with: effective email writing • email writing skills • professional email writing • writing skills for professionals

Nov 30

Effective Business Writing | The Exclamation Mark!

Business Writing Skills, Email Writing Skills, Writing Skills 2 Comments »

Most purists would agree that there is no place for the exclamation mark in business writing. Punctuation should be clean and simple, there to guide the reader through the document and to add clarity to the message. The exclamation mark is overly emotive and loud, highlighting the writer’s inability to use words to express their thoughts. We can argue that good writers are able to use language effectively to emphasise key ideas or to demonstrate their enthusiasm rather than resorting to the shouting affect of this rather childish punctuation mark. The exclamation mark can have the same affect as overdoing the use of capital letters, bold or underlining.

Effective Business Writing | The Exclamation Mark!, business writing skills, grammar and punctuation

However, with the reliance on email writing in many organisations as the main means of communication, and often the only method of building relationships with dispersed contacts, perhaps there is a small place for the exclamation mark in our professional email correspondence. As a writer at the Chicago Tribune recently observed.

The exclamation mark can sometimes help us to build rapport and convey warmth and empathy with contacts we never or rarely meet. The secret is to use it sparingly and certainly never use more than one exclamation mark at a time. ‘It was so great to meet you last week!!!’ might not have the desired affect on your reader and could leave them feeling a little overwhelmed or even rather scared. That said, the occasional ‘Thanks for your help!’ or ‘Talk to you soon!’ can show that you are committed, enthusiastic and enjoy working with your recipient.

The key message is to use the exclamation mark sparingly. If you are guilty of overusing then consider how you can replicate the exclamation mark in other ways. If you are a purist who never uses the exclamation mark why not experiment with introducing one or two into emails to contacts you already know. Grammar and punctuation training courses can also be a really useful method of understanding current punctuation trends and usage in business communication.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

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Tagged with: Effective business writing • grammar and punctuation • professional email writing • writing skills • writing skills for professionals • writing with impact

Nov 17

Business Email Etiquette 2|Do you Suffer from Ccitis?

Email Writing Skills, Writing Skills 1 Comment »

Email has become the default method of business communication for almost all organisations but many professionals will admit to having a love-hate relationship with their inbox. One thing that most of us would agree on is that we would like to receive fewer emails. An easy fix that would enable us to help each other to reduce the size of our inboxes is to use the CC function more sparingly and to consider more carefully if we need to copy other recipients into our professional correspondence. Having excellent professional email writing skills isn’t just the ability to write well but it is also about being courteous to your audience by observing simple rules of email etiquette.

Business Email Etiquette 2 – Do you Suffer from CC-itis?, email writing skills, how to write an email,

‘CC-itis’ has become a modern day malaise with many employees copying managers and colleagues into their correspondence whether through laziness, lack of consideration or a desire to cover or sell themselves.

You know you are suffering from ’CC-itis’ if you:

Copy in your recipient’s superior to show them you are annoyed or frustrated with the recipient
Copy someone into an email as a means of telling your recipient that this person is going to do something for them without having the consideration to check with them first
Copy in your superiors or peers to show that you are working
Copy in a number of parties that may or may not be interested parties

It is still ok to use the CC function to:

Let someone know that you have contacted the recipient as requested
Signal that you have dealt with something so that person in CC doesn’t need to
Inform the recipient that the person in CC will be looking after their concerns in your absence
Keep others informed of developments on projects they are involved in when they don’t need to do anything

Employees who remedy their symptoms of CC-itis either through their own personal development or through attending professional email writing training courses will find that they gain respect from their colleagues and are seen as efficient communicators.

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Tagged with: effective email writing • how to write an email • professional email writing • Writing an email • writing skills for professionals

Nov 17

Business Email Etiquette 1|Be Concise

Email Writing Skills, Writing Skills 1 Comment »

A crucial element of professional email etiquette and an essential means of showing courtesy to your reader is keeping your messages concise and to the point. We all receive emails that ramble on, giving us more information than we need but often leaving us unsure of the actual message we need to digest and what the sender wants us to do. Writing concisely will not only save your reader time but will also save you time as you will be less likely to need to chase, clarify or follow up on your original email. Concise emails are read more quickly, actioned appropriately and appreciated by the recipient. Be warned – you risk irritating your reader by sending unnecessarily long and complicated emails.

Business Email Etiquette 1 – Be Concise, Email writing, business writing, how to write an email

Below are some simple tips to help you to keep your emails short and to the point.

Do…

Use the active rather than passive voice. The CEO will attend the presentation is better than The meeting will be attended by the CEO.
Remember that imperatives are ok. Please return this form by Friday close of business is better than I would appreciate if you could return this form to me by….
Use concrete examples rather than complicated explanations
Use shorter words where possible, e.g. use rather than utilisation, me rather than myself
Use one word rather than groups of words, now instead of at this point in time, quickly instead of with the minimum of delay, daily not on a daily basis and so on

Don’t….

Use too many long sentences – if you run out of breath when reading a sentence out loud it is probably too long!
Repeat your ideas
Give unnecessary back story – keep to the point
Use redundant words, e.g. advance warning, large in size

Being aware of the need for concise writing and editing your emails to remove redundancy are important steps towards more professional email writing. Many organisations run business writing skills courses to enable employees to improve their business email etiquette, saving time for the organisation and individual employees alike through more effective and efficient email communication.

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Tagged with: business writing • effective email writing • email etiquette • how to write an email • Writing an email • writing skills for professionals

Nov 10

Employers Invest in Writing Training as Graduate Recruits Lack Business Writing Skills

Business Writing Skills, Email Writing Skills, Writing Skills No Comments »

Do good business writing skills matter to employers? The answer is a resounding ‘yes’ as many top employers across the UK and Ireland comment that ‘graduates have poor writing and communication skills’, as reported recently in the Irish Independent.

Employers Invest in Writing Training as Graduate Recruits Lack Business Writing Skills , business writing, business writing skills, writing with impact

Employers observe a range of issues from poor grammar and punctuation, a lack of attention to detail to an inability to adapt the academic style and register appropriate for essay writing to a more concise punchier business style. Graduate recruits who think that it is sufficient to get their ideas down on paper without worrying too much about how articulately they express themselves may find their employers are disappointed with their inability to write brief updates, proposals and reports or even draft a simple well structured email.

Most organisations now rely on email as their main form of business communication yet many employees are unable to compose a message without basic punctuation, grammar and spelling errors. Email may be quick and relatively informal but a professional email needs to be accurately written and clearly structured. Graduate recruits would do well to leave behind the text message style of email writing when they join the workplace.

In addition to a lack of basic skills, there is also a distinct absence of sophisticated language necessary when influencing and persuading. Important relationships can be made or broken by the tone and register of written communication.

UK and Irish businesses are finding they have to bear the heavy costs of remedial writing skills training and suffer lower productivity and poor quality, especially when compared to their international counterparts. Particularly now in tough economic times, UK and Irish businesses need to differentiate themselves through the high quality services they provide.

The media has highlighted the issue of poor writing skills among British school leavers and graduates for many years and in the current tough job market, prospective employees need to be able to demonstrate good business communication skills in addition to their academic achievements. Taking the time to consider how they write their CV and cover letter rather than simply what they have to say increases their chances of response. Considering what each organisation would like to hear rather than using a template approach should also improve their success rate.

And what can the business community do? Many organisations include business writing testing as part of their graduate recruitment process while others offer company-wide business writing courses in an attempt to remedy these skills gaps. Programmes on general business writing skills or specific areas such as grammar and punctuation, professional email writing or report writing can all improve graduates’ ability to write and increase their confidence in their own skills.

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Tagged with: Effective business writing • grammar and punctuation • professional email writing • writing skills for professionals • writing with impact

Keep it Plain

Business Email Etiquette 6| Getting the Subject Line Right

Email Etiquette 4|Did you Get My Email?

Professional Email Writing|Winning Over your Reader

Effective Business Writing | The Exclamation Mark!

Business Email Etiquette 2|Do you Suffer from Ccitis?

Business Email Etiquette 1|Be Concise

Employers Invest in Writing Training as Graduate Recruits Lack Business Writing Skills

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