Business writing not so simple

Generally, business writing differs significantly from academic writing.

The sort of writing you do at school and at university normally has no place in business. The teachers and the professors do not teach business writing. They expect a form of academic writing. Business writing is something else again.

If you are writing an essay, you usually lay out your foundation then proceed to expound on your thesis or argument. You allow the essay to grow and develop as you take your reader, step-by-step, through your thinking process. Academics love it. They can monitor your thought processes and make a (usually) reliable assessment of whether or not you know what you are talking about.

But business writing is not like that at all.

• business writing is briefer and more concise than most other types of writing. As a student you are given a required target. "Write a 2000 word essay on the life of Jean-Paul Sartre," you are told. The student who really researches the topic well, and is able to pen succinct thoughts in a comprehensive analysis, is penalised if he or she stops before the critical 2000 word mark. This is the exact opposite of what happens in business. Has anyone ever heard a manager complain that a report was comprehensive but not long enough?

• In business, writers have to be conscious of the fact that a letter, memo, or report may only gain the reader's attention for a few seconds. If you only have a few seconds, you cannot afford to waste time building an edifice. You have to be hard hitting with the critical facts from the very first line.

• For business writing, the challenge is to get to the point as quickly as possible. Effective politicians develop this skill expertly. They are able to make a point for the nightly news by getting it across in a bite-size chunk. Business writing has to do this too.

However, there are some niceties involved with business writing. When delivering bad news, for example, you don't leap right in, but you work up to your message using diplomacy and tact. Furthermore, you don't waste the reader's time by being obscure.

Generally accepted practices in business writing, include:

• Writing concisely;
• Using bullets and headings;
• Employing plenty of short sentences;
• Keeping your paragraphs brief; and
• Getting to the point quickly.

Of course, the best way to get good at writing essays in school or university is to practice. By the time they are in their last year at school, many teenagers have honed the skill to such an extent that you can give them a topic and in no time at all, they will come back with the required number of words.

And so it is with business writing. The way to get good at it, is to practice. But if you don't have the time to practice, or you don't get called on to write often enough, then a practical solution may be to engage a professional business writer. And the good news is that an excellent business writer will guarantee his or her work.

Action Words is premium business writing company in Melbourne. Action words not only offers business writing and letter writing, but also business writing courses and SEO copy.