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BETTER BUSINESS WRITING SKILLS
– LEARNING POINTS –
At the end of each lesson, I give a series of short learning points. These are a summary of
the key points for you to remember. Here is a list of all those learning points in one place,
perfect for when you want to revise the contents of the course.
INTRODUCTION
What is Clear English?
• Clear English – clear writing – is about getting things done.
• Clear English is about explaining complexity.
• Only use technical language and jargon if it is genuinely a bridge to understanding. It
is usually a barrier.
• Clear writing is for everyone who wants to succeed at work, not just communications
professional.
The Evidence
• Most people prefer documents written clearly.
• The more educated your reader, the higher their preference for clear writing.
Literacy levels
• A reading age is the average reading ability expected of a child of that age in full-
time education.
• The average reading age in the UK is just 9 years old.
• Aim for a reading age of 14-16 years old for a professional, degree-educated
audience. 8-10 for the general public.
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PART ONE: BEFORE YOU WRITE
THINK ABOUT…
Your objective
• Everything you write should have a clear, outcome-based objective.
• Use SMART objectives – Specific, Measurable, Assignable, Realistic and Time-bound.
• Remember Rudyard Kipling’s poem: “I have six honest serving men, they taught me
all I knew. I call them What and Where and When, and How and Why and Who.”
Your reader
• When you write, write for your reader, not for yourself.
• Before you write, visualise your reader in as much detail as you can and tailor your
words accordingly.
• Put yourself in your reader’s shoes. How will they feel when they read what you
have written?
• Use the power of your words to influence your reader’s behaviour.
Your voice
• When writing for someone else, your words must reflect their ‘voice’.
• The best way to do this is to keep your writing clear and simple.
• Make a conscious decision about the style of your own voice.
STRUCTURE
Ideas
• Post-it notes work well for organising a group brainstorm session.
• A Mind Map helps you to visually connect your ideas and inspire new ones.
• Using a structured list to plan your work works best on a screen.
Could, should, must
• Always prioritise your information.
• Divide it into the information you could, should or must share with your reader to
achieve your objectives.
• Headings help your reader to navigate your work and focus on what is important to
them.
• Think of a pyramid, with the most important information at the top.
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PART TWO: WRITING
BUILDING BLOCKS
Words
• You are more likely to achieve your objectives if you use short, simple words.
Sentences
• Poorly written sentences are often too long.
• Overly long sentences often contain too many clauses.
• A sentence should only contain one or two clauses.
• An average sentence should contain 15-20 words.
Padding
• Unnecessary words lengthen your sentences and slow your reader down.
• Many words and phrases can be removed without altering the meaning of the
sentence.
• Look for tautologies, words that mean the same thing.
• Be polite, friendly and to the point.
Paragraphs
• A paragraph should contain a single discrete idea or topic.
• The more white space on a page, the better it will look to your reader.
• Use topic sentences to introduce the topic of your paragraph.
• See if you can improve your structure by moving your paragraphs around.
The whole thing
• Take a break, even a short one, from your document before reviewing it.
• Ask, does my document achieve its objective? Can I improve it?
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WRITING TECHNIQUES
Logos
• Aristotle defined rhetoric as using all available means of persuasion to achieve your
goals.
• Logos is your logical argument supported by facts or figures.
Pathos
• Pathos is about making an emotional connection with your reader.
• Don’t be afraid to inject some passion into your words.
• A metaphor explains something unfamiliar by comparing it to something familiar.
• Stories are one of the best ways to connect to your reader.
• When you can, and when appropriate, tell personal stories.
Ethos
• Ethos is about establishing credibility.
• The credibility can be your own or it can be borrowed.
• Quoting others is a simple way of gaining credibility.
• Logos + pathos + ethos = a very powerful argument.
The active voice
• (Almost) always write in the Active Voice.
• The active voice is Subject – Verb – Object.
• Active sentences are shorter and more engaging.
The passive voice
• The passive voice is Object – Verb – Subject.
• They can be useful for avoiding placing blame.
• They can place the focus on the receiver.
• They should only be used occasionally.
Verbs, not nouns
• Nominalised verbs often end in -ion, -ment, -ing, -ance.
• Use verbs instead of nouns wherever possible.
Taking responsibility
• Avoid passive phrases that distance you or your company from your actions.
• Taking responsibility can be difficult, but it can increase your credibility.
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Keeping it real
• Good writing recognises its readers’ humanity.
• Abstract, bureaucratic writing ignores their humanity.
• Abstract writing is less likely to be read, understood, trusted or achieve its
objectives.
Ambiguity
• Ambiguous writing comes at a heavy cost in time, resource and stress.
• Ask Kipling’s questions to check for clarity. What, why, when, how, where, who?
Being inclusive
• It’s easy to forget that you once didn’t know what something meant.
• Don’t assume your reader’s level of knowledge.
• Avoid phrases like, ‘of course’, ‘as you know’ or ‘you will have seen’.
Management speak and cliche
• A cliché is any term that is over-used.
• Management speak is often made fun of by your readers.
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PART THREE: AFTER YOU WRITE
EDITING
Objective testing
• Only send a document when you are sure it achieves its objectives.
• Refer to the SMART objectives you set at the beginning.
• Beware of bias – positive or negative.
Brevity
• Review your work to make sure it is brief and to the point.
• Respect the fact that your reader is busy and has little time to read your work.
Clarity
• It’s always better to be clear than brief.
• Ask yourself if your mum, or someone else you know well, would understand the
document.
Grabbing your reader’s attention
• Your main objective is to keep your reader reading.
• In print you have about 20 seconds. Online, you have around 2 seconds.
• In an email, grab your reader’s attention with a strong, practical subject line.
• Remember the pyramid structure, and put your most important information first.
Due diligence
• We don’t always read what’s on the page, but what we expect to be on the page.
• We all make mistakes, so remove as many as you can before your reader spots them.
Check your words
• Always use spellcheck.
• Make sure you’re using the correct language settings.
• If you’re unsure of a word, check its definition.
Proof reading
• Someone else will find it easier to spot errors in your work that you will.
• Always have someone proof-read important documents.
• Be a proof-reader.
Read aloud
• Read your work out loud.
• This gives the brain information in a new and fresh way.
• Use in-ear headphones to minimise any embarrassment.
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Hard data
• You can easily perform a statistical analysis of your work with [Link].
• The Hemmingway Editor can help you identify ways to improve your work.
• The reading age target for a professional, degree educated audience is 14 to 16 years
old.
• For the general public, its 8 to 10 years old.
PRACTICE
Timing
• Different people are at their best at different times of the day.
• Focus on what’s most important when you’re at your most productive.
• Experiment to find when you’re at your most productive.
Environment
• Your work environment can affect your productivity – positively or negatively.
• Avoid music. Or at least stick to instrumental music.
• Set your desk, chair, computer etc correctly. Search the internet for ‘Desk
Ergonomics’.
• Try keeping a tidy desk, free from distractions.
• Experiment to discover what works best for you.
A state of flow
• A State of Flow is the feeling you get when things come easily.
• I need three things to enter a state of flow:
1. The skills to do the job.
2. To be inside my own head, usually using in-ear headphones.
3. And pressure in the form of a deadline.
• If you don’t have a deadline, make your own by telling your friends and family what
you’re doing and when you’ll do it.
Writer’s block
• To avoid writers block you need to:
o Relax – with some deep breaths or meditation.
o Think – about your objectives, your reader and your voice.
o And trust the edit – that good writing comes in the re-writing.
