When it comes to communication, your credibility and that of your leader and your organization are at stake, explains Sandy Geroux, international speaker, trainer, and author.
Key Takeaways
- Accuracy matters – proofread, fact-check, and use correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
- Be clear and consistent – keep formatting, tone, and structure uniform with key points easy to find.
- Build trust – communicate honestly, verify facts, and accept feedback to improve.
Whether you’re trying to communicate or justify a new policy or procedure at work, get a team on board with new initiatives, or convince a great candidate to join your organization, your ability to communicate effectively is key.
At the recent ES Global event, we had some very spirited discussions of the various guidelines and rules around business writing, including the commonly accepted, and often funny, differences between multiple variations of the same language (think British vs. US vs. Canadian English). But don’t worry; if you get something wrong, we won’t call the bobbies (or cops or mounties) on you!
In this article, we’ll touch on a few of the program highlights, including the top six skills you’ll need to master to become the most effective and “actionable” business writer possible.
1. Attention to Detail
If you’ve ever had someone point out a typo (or several!) in your business communications, you know how embarrassing it can be to miss those mistakes. Perhaps you copied and pasted from a previous communication, then forgot to change the date, time, location, or other important item. Or maybe you used ChatGPT or another AI to help you, and you didn’t sense-check or humanise the result.
Maybe you forgot to attach an important document that was referenced in an email. Or you simply didn’t have time to proofread it and ensure that everything was correct and complete. Just to be clear, this happens to the best of us at times, so don’t beat yourself up unnecessarily for not catching the the occasional mistake.
Did you notice the error? The word “the” is repeated in the last sentence of the previous paragraph!
So, how can we improve our attention to detail?
- Check all the information that’s been copied and pasted
- Re-add numbers
- Re-check dates
- Sync information from one sheet/page/report to the next
- Use the spellcheck and editing options built into your software, or
- Use an external app such as Grammarly (free or paid version) to help
2. Excellent Spelling & Grammar Skills
When it comes to spelling and grammar, it’s the little things that often matter the most. Here are some of the most common mistakes to watch out for:
- Loose (not tight) vs. Lose (to misplace): We don’t LOOSE our belongings; we LOSE them.
- Moot (irrelevant) vs. Mute (unable to speak or be heard): There is no such thing as a MUTE point (unless you’re just thinking it in your head and not verbalizing it)!
- Less Then vs. Less Than: You must never use the word “then” in this type of comparison context. The word “than” indicates comparison. The word “then” indicates a place or time and cannot be used this way unless, for example, you’re comparing “then” and “now”… in which case you’ll notice the conspicuous absence of the words “more,” “less,” “fewer,” and the like.
- Less Than vs. Fewer Than: A second misuse occurs with this combination of words. “Less than” is used when you can’t count the individual elements being compared (e.g., “The creative energy at my old company is less than what I experience at my new one”). “Fewer than” is used when you can count the individual elements being compared (e.g., “She has fewer oranges than I do because she has only 4 oranges and I have 10”).
- Its (possessive) vs. It’s (contraction for “It is”): “It’s usually the early bird that catches the worm and is able to feed its family.”
- Never use a noun and its pronoun together: For example, in the sentence “My brother and his friend they went to the store,” the word “they” is unnecessary and redundant. The correct sentence would be as follows: “My brother and his friend went to the store.”
- Always put yourself last in a list of people that includes you. For example, never say, “me and him,” “me and Jim,” “me, Jim, and Nancy,” etc. The correct way to say these phrases is: “him and me,” “Jim and me,” and “Jim, Nancy, and me.”
3. Consistency
The next tip is to ensure your communications are consistent, not only within one message but from one message to another.
For example, ensure that the same font is used throughout (or use very few, compatible fonts). Check the font size, colors, spacing, and more. There is nothing more jarring than a presentation that looks like a ransom note cobbled together by a wild kidnapper!
Be consistent with capitalizations for names, titles, proper nouns, and the beginnings of sentences, and always use punctuation! We may be used to texting our friends without the use of punctuation, but business communications need to be more professional.
In fact, punctuation matters! I saw the following example online that was used by a professor during his class – note the differences when punctuation is (and is not) used:
A woman without her man is nothing.
The men in his class punctuated the sentence this way:
A woman, without her man, is nothing.
The women punctuated it this way:
A woman: without her, man is nothing.
As I said, punctuation matters! And it absolutely can change the meaning of your words!
Also, when creating standard communications, such as reports, minutes, proposals, and presentations, keeping these concepts in mind makes them much easier to read and follow. Going a bit further, if you send out periodic minutes for the same meeting, keeping the sections in the same sequence can help attendees digest them more easily and find action items more quickly so they can, well, act on them!
The best way to do this is to create a template, which creates consistency, helps ensure that nothing is missing, and makes it easier to complete by simply filling in the blanks for each standard section.
4. Logic/Organization/Structure
Speaking of templates, this can also help you organize your communications in a logical and structured manner.
- Even without a template, check to see if your message is clear and concise, not wordy or redundant.
- Is the most important communication at the top, where it is easier to find, rather than buried in a mass of lengthy paragraphs?
- Can you break action items and important points into bullet points to enable the reader to use them?
- Is similar information grouped together, rather than dispersed throughout the message?
- Are the sentences easy to understand – or are they all combined into one long, run-on paragraph?
- Finally, is there a clear Call to Action? Do your readers know what you want them to do (or know) with this information?
5. Say What You Mean and Mean What You Say
Can you get your true meaning/point across? Remember, your reader only knows what you write (or say), not what you mean. If your readers often come back to you to ask clarifying questions, try asking someone who is unfamiliar with the topic to read your communication and tell you what they think you’re trying to say (or get them to do).
6. Editing Skills
Read, read… and read again for correctness, completeness, and clarity (the 3 Cs). Again, asking someone else to read it FOR you – or even TO you – is very helpful. If no one is available, read it aloud to yourself. Your words often come across in a very different tone when said out loud than when you simply read them to yourself in your head.
7. BONUS! Trust & Respect
Trust and respect are paramount to your success as a business writer. Always verify your knowledge and understanding of the topic at hand. Never assume or take someone else’s word for it; double-check your facts. Always be fair and unbiased. Remember, your credibility and reputation will be negatively impacted if you’ve lied. Be ready for criticism and judgment; accept it without getting defensive and use what is helpful to improve next time.
