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Introduction:

Summary…In terms of business writing, Writing That Works (1981) is the gold standard. The book was written by Kenneth Roman and Joel Raphaelson

From quarterly reports to keynotes to emails to applications, these blinks include tips on how to write effectively for the corporate world. Obtaining your goals through effective business communication.

Creative expression is required for effective business communication. Indeed, you have read correctly! For the simple reason that it is not the same as sending a message to a friend or even an email or an Instagram post. This classic from 1981 will teach you the ins and outs of corporate communication and help you develop a writing style that will serve you well.

Notes on the Author:

Both Kenneth Roman and Joel Raphaelson used to work for Ogilvy & Mather as executives before leaving the firm. The company was headed by Roman, who also served as CEO, and Raphaelson, who oversaw all creative operations.

The following are the key ideas in this title:

1. The pillars of excellent business writing are minimalism and correctness.

2. With just a few easy tweaks, you can write fantastic letters, whether you’re sending them electronically or via snail mail.

3. Make your message clear by delivering well-structured, concentrated presentations and speeches.

4. Use detailed strategies and reports to motivate your team to take action.

5. If you want to persuade people to buy into your ideas and secure financial backing, you need to address their wants and fears.

6. Turn traditional mail to your advantage. 

7. Get the job you want with a well-written résumé and cover letter.

8. Proofread and structure your final work to ensure an enjoyable reading experience.

Introduction:

Do you ever feel confused while thinking about proper business and social interaction? You have heard of this thing called “professional writing,” and you know you should try to appear authoritative and serious when writing, but what does that actually look like? Where do you go to get that sound?

(As someone once pointed out to me in an email, “Yo dawg!” is not an appropriate way to begin a professional email.) Although perfecting the discipline of business communication may seem as challenging as learning a new language, it’s actually far easier than you might imagine.

The writers guarantee that even the most casual individual who despises writing may learn to communicate effectively in the workplace. Read on, and get yourself set up for success! In this plan, we’ll break down some of the secrets used by the pros in business to ensure their messages get through.

Chapter 1

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A Brief Overview Of Effective Communication Practices

Is English a subject that you had trouble with in class?

Did you spend a lot of time writing such a brief essay?

You’re not alone if that’s how you feel right now. Some people have trouble expressing themselves verbally, while others have trouble doing so in a business setting. Maybe you’re terrific at speaking with friends and making business connections, but when it comes to presenting your views in a “official” or “scholarly” manner, you completely freeze up.

The writers’ first bit of advice, then, is to not fret. In the business world, you can convey your ideas clearly and concisely without resorting to jargon or writing an essay. The key is to use concise, to-the-point phrases.

Don’t worry if you think that sounds too good to be true; it’s not.

In fact, that is how business is conducted in the 21st century. Long, complicated sentences with words like “heretofore” and “thereafter” would have been considered elitist back in the 1800s. However, thank goodness things have progressed! Alternatively, try writing as you would normally speak.

That claim, meanwhile, needs to be regarded with a grain of salt. For instance, if you tend to speak with a heavy accent or use a lot of slang and foul language, you should avoid including these in your professional writing. A colleague’s email is not the place to answer with “Same” or “Mood,” as you would on a Facebook post.

To avoid this, focus instead on making your writing sound like normal speech. When writing to a coworker by email, there is no need to address them as “Dear Respected Sir or Madam.” Avoid using formal, stuffy language in your emails if you wouldn’t use it in conversation.

It’s more appropriate to start a letter to a coworker with something like, “Hey, Rebecca!” I wish you a wonderful Monday after what was hopefully a wonderful weekend. As we addressed quarterly reports at last week’s meeting, I wanted to follow up with you. This sample demonstrates the use of vocabulary that is more natural and reminiscent of everyday speech. Despite being polite and professional, it is easy to read and understand.

Therefore, the first thing we need to learn is to back off on our efforts. If you want to get your point across, simple language is best. Avoid unnecessary words and jargon, and get right to the point.

Chapter 2

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How To Write A Strong Professional Email

We looked at a sample professional email briefly in the last chapter. However, let’s delve a little deeper and break down what makes a good business email. Let’s consider it a model or formula that can be used repeatedly to achieve desired outcomes. And with that, let’s get to the fundamentals! The subject line is the first step.

Business professionals and those seeking employment can attest to the fact that we receive an overwhelming number of emails every day. If you’re like me and you’re constantly checking your lockscreen for notifications, you probably take a quick peek at the text preview to see what the email’s about before really opening it.

The subject line of an email is frequently used to decide whether or not to keep reading. That’s why it’s so crucial to put some thought into creating a subject line that will grab the attention of the recipient and convince them that your email is worth reading.

But, many online con artists have caught on to this trend and begun using urgent-sounding clickbait titles. Headlines like “HOT SINGLES READY FOR SEX IN YOUR AREA!” or “CLICK HERE FOR FAST CASH NOW” are classic examples of clickbait. We can tell they are scams from the subject line alone, so it’s important to find the sweet spot between attracting attention and appearing legit when writing your subject line.

It’s unrealistic to expect every email to have a captivating subject line, so if you’re at a loss for inspiration, try something straightforward and professional like, “Quick inquiry concerning yesterday’s meeting” or “Following up on an interview.” Make sure your email has the appropriate tone after you’ve captured the reader’s interest and persuaded them to read on.

The general rule of thumb is to emphasize the positive. Everybody appreciates receiving an email that comes off as casual and friendly, as we covered in the previous chapter. Moreover, there is more than one way to present yourself professionally. Keep the tone cordial and humorous, but not as if you were speaking with a close friend. Your messages should be brief and to the point, even when the subject matter calls for a more solemn and serious tone.

When you’ve settled on the correct tone for your message, it’s time to think about the details. Another guideline to follow is the three-paragraph rule, which ensures that your message gets heard and understood.

We all have limited amounts of time to devote to any given task, and this problem has been exacerbated by the proliferation of electronic devices and other sources of distraction that we discussed previously in this chapter. All business correspondence should be concise and easy to absorb in brief moments, such as those spent waiting for the bathroom or a green light. Therefore, focus on being as clear and concise as possible.

Don’t waste our time with unnecessary details like “It has come to our knowledge that an issue has occurred…” or other filler phrases that will make your email longer than it needs to be. Absolutely uninteresting! Your intended receiver is likewise quite likely to lose interest shortly. Use “I-language” to keep your communication short and sweet: “I’d like to discuss the recent occurrence…” Since the passive voice is the norm in professional emails, the use of “I-language” is a subtle yet effective way to attract the reader’s attention.

Including a call to action is the last remaining step (also referred to as a CTA). The use of calls to action (CTAs) is not limited to the sales pitch, despite popular belief. This is due to the fact that the goal of a call to action need not always be the sale of a product. A simpler interpretation is that you want someone to do something (that costs you nothing!)

In a business email, you might ask for a confirmation of receipt of the attached materials by saying something like, “Could you kindly reply to this email to confirm that you’ve received the attached information?” This is an example of a call to action because it does two things explicitly: it requests an action from the reader and it specifies that action in great detail.

It’s tempting to think you’re done once you’ve issued the call to action, but don’t forget to sign off! The proper closing for a business email may seem elusive to many, but it’s actually much simpler than it seems. Finding the proper tone is as simple as sticking to the method.

If you prefer a more casual tone in your emails and want to leave a good impression on your readers, try ending each message with “All the best,” “Kind regards,” or “Best wishes,” then your name. However, in more formal situations, you should instead say something like, “Thank you,” or “Regards,” then your name.

Chapter 3

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Show Your Viewers Why They Should Care

Do you remember sitting through a dull presentation in class? Maybe you had to listen to everyone else’s speeches in a public speaking class back in high school or college. You didn’t show there because you were interested in the topic at hand or the other person’s opinion.

You may have asked yourself, “Why should I care?” on more than one occasion. You may be asking, “Why does your presentation even matter?” For this reason, it’s reasonable to assume that others share your negative opinion of yourself. And this is especially true when you’re trying to connect with a new client or colleague who doesn’t know you and might not be enthusiastic about what you have to offer.

How do you then get them interested? For those who struggle with putting their thoughts on paper, this may appear to be an extremely challenging undertaking. However, the good news is that it need not be as frightening as you may be anticipating. Not everyone needs to be Albert Einstein, and not all content needs to be presented in a ground-breaking fashion. That’s where the information is! Plan, report, graph, or analyze statistics—if you’re a professional, you have more than just my word for it. Therefore, you may rest assured that your data is credible. 

You need only come up with an effective message to accompany it. Let’s imagine you’re trying to get a client to donate money so your firm can construct a library in your community. How do you persuade your client to part with their cash? Despite how much we need the money, pleading with you to hand it over (“Please give me the money, we really, really want it!”) is unlikely to work. So the question is, how can you pique the receiver’s interest?

First things first, you need to make sure you’re sending the right message with the necessary backing information. Perhaps you want to convince people that this library is important for the community because of the positive effect it will have on the kids in the area. If you want to stress this point, display some data on the literacy rates of children in your area. This data might be combined with information on the economic background of children in need of the library.

You could then conclude something like, “This library is crucial for the growth of impoverished children in our neighborhood,” which is both concise and persuasive. Our children can’t learn the fundamental reading and writing skills they’ll need to achieve if this library doesn’t exist. You can use these examples to back up your argument and write a compelling call to action.

The writers also suggest establishing essential objectives that your audiences can comprehend quickly and clearly to strengthen your argument. Here, you might use two or three bullet points to highlight your most important goals and encourage readers to take action.

However, after you’ve established your goals, it’s imperative that you back them up with concrete measures. For instance, you may believe it is obvious to your client that you want them to make a monetary donation of a certain amount.

However, tying everything together and outlining how your goals might be achieved through the below measures is essential for avoiding misunderstandings. Convincing your audience that your points are obvious, consistent, and actionable requires backing them up with statistics and concrete examples.

That won’t ensure a receptive audience every time, but it will provide you with a solid strategy for getting your point across. And no matter the outcome of your presentation, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you gave it your all. The best thing about this method is that it can be applied in any scenario, so don’t let your fear of public speaking stop you from giving it a try!

Whether you’re creating a report to send to a coworker through email or a PowerPoint presentation, you may use this technique efficiently. In this scenario, you don’t need an emotional speech or fancy visuals to get your point across. Having a strong foundation is all that’s required.

Concluding Remarks

There’s no denying that it can be nerve-wracking to talk shop in the corporate world. Communicating professionally can be like trying on a new skin due to the stark contrast between our everyday behavior and the expected level of formality and decorum.

The writers, however, are eager to reassure their readers that there is no need to be afraid of professional communication. In fact, formality is unnecessary most of the time. Don’t stress about trying to emulate the language of a lord from the nineteenth century; just get rid of all the “therefores” and “whatsoevers” that come to mind when we think of formal writing.

In its place, you should be cordial, brief, and explicit in your expressions of understanding. Write no more than three brief paragraphs for the body of your email, and put extra effort into creating a catchy subject line.

There are a few easy steps you can take to ensure that your business emails are well-written and convey the appropriate tone. You’ll find that effective corporate communication is far less intimidating after you put these writing skills into practice.

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