Writing is writing, no matter the scope. It is of vital importance that your written word (any and all of it) be carefully crafted, professionally presented and grammatically correct.
Let’s start small, yet ubiquitous- the email. Emails go out to clients, employees, investors, vendors, and potentials in all of these categories. For many of these situations, your email may be the initial point of contact, therefore playing the role of first impression.
We don’t need to reiterate the importance of a good first impression, so it makes sense that your emails should ALWAYS be spell-checked, grammatically reviewed and at their core, portray your business’s values, style and look.
Consider having a second pair of eyes on an email of great significance, it can’t hurt to be edited by a peer.
Emails should remain short and to the point- if further discussion is warranted, a phone call or in-person meeting may be necessary. Remember while writing that yours is potentially one of thousands ending up in an inbox. Craft your subject line with care.
With any and all forms of business writing, you could consider working up a brief outline before writing. Get the general ideas on paper, highlight their importance, structure them in an order that makes for fluid reading and then tackle the actual writing.
Cut, then cut down again. Often your first version will be juiced up with extra (likely unnecessary) words. Edit and then edit again, take a break between reads to return with a fresh outlook. Once again, turn to peers if possible.
Often business owners utilize buzzy words, industry jargon or farcified language to attempt to sound more knowledge. Just as often, these attempts do the opposite and highlight your lack of writing skills.
Sticks to what you know- keep in mind that you may eventually meet with the reader of your written works and would rather appear impressive, rather than a
disappointment.
Practice makes perfect, drafts are vital and reading your work out loud are always pretty commonly used tactics for writing improvement.
Another common mistake is the misuse of fact vs. opinion. Consider your audience and cater your message directly, concisely and with careful consideration of the difference between fact and opinion. This is most important when curating newsletter content, blogs and anything that will reach a wider and more diverse audience.
BLURB:
Crisis Management in three simple tips.
It’s inevitable- there will come a day where a small (or big!) crisis affects your business. Whether it be internal or external there are three things as the leader that you should remember: maintain a level head, draw up a step-by-step plan of action, and consider asking for help whenever possible- this is one of those times that delegation is vital.
