Business Writing Software

Good business writing skills are essential for success in the workplace. No matter what profession you are in, the ability to write good reports and documents will help you go places.

Good business writing is clear, concise, persuasive and courteous. By writing clearly and unambiguously you can easily get your message across.

Write clearly

Give the reason for writing in the opening sentence itself. Your reader should be able to know why you are writing as soon as they begin reading your letter or report.

Use simple sentences

Simple sentences are easy to read and understand. They also minimize the risk of misunderstandings. Hence avoid complicated sentence patterns with numerous clauses and phrases.

Avoid writing words which are over-formal

In your business letters and reports use general business words rather than over-formal words. For example, avoid writing words such as ‘hitherto’ (use ‘up to now) and ‘above mentioned’ (write ‘above’). Similar words that can be avoided without changing the meaning of a sentence are ‘herewith’ and ‘hereby’.

Read the letter or document again and again

Before sending your letters and reports check your grammar and spelling. Use a proof reading application to get best results. These automated tools will save you time which can be spent in writing better letters and reports.

Do not use contractions

Contracted forms such as isn’t, can’t etc., are considered inappropriate in business writing. The practice of using abbreviations such as ‘asap’ (instead of ‘as soon as possible’) should also be avoided. Your reader may have difficulty understanding these terms.

Concise business writing

Business writing should be clear and concise. Business people are busy. You can’t expect them to have the time or patience to read long winding stories. Therefore before you start writing, plan what you want to say. Jot down your points and then develop these points into paragraphs. This method will ensure that you only write what is relevant.

Find shorter ways of expressing yourself

Replace wordy phrases by single words. For example, write ‘by’ instead of ‘by means of’. Similarly, write ‘now’ instead of ‘at this moment in time’. Words that add no meaning to a sentence should also be avoided.

Use action words instead of noun clauses

Action words give your writing more impact than long noun phrases. For example, write, ‘Let us discuss’ instead of ‘Let us have a discussion’. Similarly, write ‘consider’ instead of ‘give consideration to’.

Avoid clichés

Avoid clichés such as ‘to all intents and purposes’ and ‘to push the envelope’. Remember that clichés don’t add meaning to your writing.

Be courteous

Being courteous is not just a question of writing ‘please’ and ‘thank you’. It is also about the tone of your letter or report. Your letter shall not give the impression that you are rude or unhelpful. Therefore choose your words carefully. Using some business writing software is also helpful.

Use Some Business Writing Software

If business writing is important to your career, you should consider using some business writing software. These tools provide templates for just about any business situation imaginable. To prepare a letter or report, you only have to edit the text. Most business writing software tools also have built-in grammar and spell checkers to correct your writing.