How To Write Good - I Mean Better - For Business

Back when I was a journalist, an old editor of mine had a great saying he used to tell his writers: "I didn't have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long letter."  (Meaning of course it can be harder to express yourself concisely than ramble on.)  That focus on thoughtful brevity applies well to business.  In many years in the business world I rarely heard anyone complain a communication was too short, but I often heard complaints they were too long.  Accordingly, here are three simple guidelines on how to write good - I mean better - for business.

Whatever your form of communication - letters, memos, PowerPoints, reports, etc. - though there are naturally differences in format - following these principles can lead to improvements.

1) Know what you want to say.   All too often there's uncertainty over basic message.  It's critical to understand the central proposition you're communicating.  Regardless of what it's called - key message, value proposition, elevator speech and so on - the label is less important than the clarity surrounding it.  Unclear writing often just reflects unclear thinking.  If you're fundamentally uncertain of what your message is, your words will show it.  Take time to really think through and discuss with others as needed what you want to convey.   Clear thinking leads to clear communicating.

2) Keep it short.   Start with the premise that most business people - executives especially - are constantly multitasking and short of time.  Given this harassed state, people generally don't want to read long communications.  It's one of the easiest things in the world to put down what you're reading.  You've got to grab readers' attention and hold it.  Case in point: For years Procter & Gamble was known for its one-page memos - no employee memo could exceed that length.  It imposed strict discipline on the writing process.  (Though I never worked for P&G, I tried to follow this one-page limit myself; I didn't always succeed, but found the practice helpful.)

3) Edit, edit, edit.   (Aka, rewrite, rewrite, rewrite.)  Personal confession: I'm an awful writer.  Even though I was a journalist for 10 years and worked in corporate communications for several decades, my first drafts are an embarrassment; I can hardly stand to read them.  But I'm not a bad editor.  And by around the fifth or sixth pass at  reworking the awkwardness, the words start to resemble decent English.  A famous literary example is that of Ernest Hemingway, who rewrote the ending to A Farewell To Arms 47 times.   Of course, fiction is a whole different animal - and you need a workhorse, not a thoroughbred, for the business world.  But the principle is the same: Rewriting can only help.  Even the best of writers rewrite diligently.

My conclusion: The basic principles of clear thinking and brevity aided by solid editing will improve many forms of business communication  - letters, memos, reports, PowerPoints, etc.   Business writing is all about concise clarity.  Give serious upfront thought to what you want to say.  Keep your message ruthlessly short (though informative enough so someone who's not an insider can understand it).   And rework it enough (though not so much it makes you crazy or causes missed deadlines!) to ensure the language is crisp and communicates what you want it to.

I'd go on longer, but I can feel your attention starting to wander...

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Victor is author of  The Type B Manager: Leading Successfully in a Type A World (Prentice Hall Press).