Better writing means better productivity

Remember high school English? Youve got 24 hours to finish that 1,000-word essay, but youre 500 words short! Crank out some more sentences. Plug in some new vocabulary words. Who cares if you dont know what they mean? And dont worry about re-phrasing whats already written. Just dont stop until you reach that magic 1,000!

The bad news is that too many employees havent let go of the high school essay syndrome, and their writing continues to suffer. Bad writing can cost the company time and money. Ambiguous emails, confusing client letters and dull proposals can all lower your bottom line. Poor writing is an epidemic spreading throughout the entire corporate world. A recent survey by Information Mapping, Inc. revealed that 40% of respondents said they wasted up to three hours a day reading ineffectively written emails. That hurts!

The good news is that business writing is a learned skill, so employees at all levels, from administrative assistants to top executives, can learn to write more productively. All it takes is a writing training tailored to the needs of participants. The first step is to identify the individuals who most need help with their writing. Then select a trainer who has taught writing to corporate employees. Sit down with the instructor to determine the key documents to address during the writing workshop and whether to incorporate one-on-one sessions. Ask the trainer how to monitor participants progress in the months following the workshop, perhaps through email and phone follow-up.

1. Be clear. Dont make the reader guess key details.

Unclear: The deadline for receiving the lower mailing rates are nearing, at the end of January, so it would be appreciated if you could provide me with the necessary data well in advance, at least two weeks or so before.

Clear: To qualify for the lower mailing rates, please provide me with the data by Jan. 17, two weeks before the Jan. 31 deadline.

2. Be concise. Combine short choppy sentences into a single sentence.

Wordy: The account managers report was extremely well-written. The document was six pages long.

Concise: The account managers six-page report was extremely well-written.

3. Get to the point right away.

Think of yourself as a journalist trying to capture readers attention by putting the most important information first, because most people are impatient and just want you to get to the point! See the example below.

Given the Dec. 15 report showing a 15% decline in new leads, I suggest additional training for the sales staff.

4. Master emailswith compelling subject lines.

Email subject lines, like newspaper headlines, help people decide what to read first. So if you want others to read your emails first, write compelling subject lines, and consider including a suggested action step. Which one of these emails would you click on first?

Vague subject line: Report on Nov. closing ratio

Specific subject line: Nov. closing ratio up 20%/continue trip incentives

If youre not sure whether your employees need a business writing training, read some of their documents. But dont be shocked at the lack of basic skills that you might find. Consider that the vast majority of todays workforce has had no writing training since high school or college. For most, writing has been a long-neglected skill, which can be dramatically improved through a well-orchestrated training that teaches practical and easy-to-understand techniques.

Armed with better writing skills, employees at all levels can gain more confidence. Highly talented individuals who upgrade their writing can demonstrate leadership skills and catapult themselves to higher position with more responsibilities. Plus, better writing skills can mean higher productivity for the entire company.

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