I wish they had told us all, in high school and college, how important our communication skills were to our future. Want to stand out from the crowd at work or in business? Polish your writing skills and I can assure you, you will be ahead of the pack. Writing is important in customer relations, marketing, human resources and more. Let's look at some ways you can be sure your writing doesn't look sloppy and amateurish.
One of the best things you can do to improve your writing is to read more frequently. Many people don't enjoy reading for pleasure. If this is the case, at least spend some time reading business books or magazines. Pay attention to sentence structure, punctuation, grammar and style to improve your own writing. While you are improving your writing, you are getting increased business knowledge as well.
Spell check is a fantastic tool for those of us who are spelling-challenged. Do use it, but don't rely on it or grammar check to catch all your errors. Better to use the tool and then proofread after or pass off to someone in your office you trust to proofread for you.
Editing and revising are required steps in the writing process. Many professional writers consider these the most important steps of writing. If you are working on an important document or letter and want it to be polished, powerful and persuasive, plan on revising it several times. This also improves your writing skills.
Some words are commonly misused. Words like loose vs. lose, it's vs. its and affect vs. effect are often used improperly. To see a list of these words so you can avoid misusing them, do a web search for commonly misused words and you will find several good references. Bookmark one or two of these sites to refer to routinely when writing.
Keep a good style/grammar guide book on hand. Review it often and make note of the situations where your most common errors occur. Until you become aware of them, you'll keep making them. If you do a lot of business writing, there are nice laminated cheat sheets you can buy and use for quick reference.
A common error for many writers is using too many words in an attempt to appear professional. It doesn't. Ernest Hemingway encouraged writers to use short sentences.
Be aware of common filler words like "however" and "of course". Revise your sentences and see how few words you can use while still making your point.
Different parts of the country make different mistakes with the English language. The Midwest struggles with "I seen that" versus the correct "I saw that" while the northern regions tend towards "Can I go with" versus the correct "Can I go with you?". Be aware of these common mistakes so that you can prevent making them while speaking and writing.
Remember that your writing says more than you realize. It certainly says more than the message you mean to convey and creates an impression about you and your business. Professional writing indicates a professional business and creates credibility and trust. Improving this basic skill is time well spent.
One of the best things you can do to improve your writing is to read more frequently. Many people don't enjoy reading for pleasure. If this is the case, at least spend some time reading business books or magazines. Pay attention to sentence structure, punctuation, grammar and style to improve your own writing. While you are improving your writing, you are getting increased business knowledge as well.
Spell check is a fantastic tool for those of us who are spelling-challenged. Do use it, but don't rely on it or grammar check to catch all your errors. Better to use the tool and then proofread after or pass off to someone in your office you trust to proofread for you.
Editing and revising are required steps in the writing process. Many professional writers consider these the most important steps of writing. If you are working on an important document or letter and want it to be polished, powerful and persuasive, plan on revising it several times. This also improves your writing skills.
Some words are commonly misused. Words like loose vs. lose, it's vs. its and affect vs. effect are often used improperly. To see a list of these words so you can avoid misusing them, do a web search for commonly misused words and you will find several good references. Bookmark one or two of these sites to refer to routinely when writing.
Keep a good style/grammar guide book on hand. Review it often and make note of the situations where your most common errors occur. Until you become aware of them, you'll keep making them. If you do a lot of business writing, there are nice laminated cheat sheets you can buy and use for quick reference.
A common error for many writers is using too many words in an attempt to appear professional. It doesn't. Ernest Hemingway encouraged writers to use short sentences.
Be aware of common filler words like "however" and "of course". Revise your sentences and see how few words you can use while still making your point.
Different parts of the country make different mistakes with the English language. The Midwest struggles with "I seen that" versus the correct "I saw that" while the northern regions tend towards "Can I go with" versus the correct "Can I go with you?". Be aware of these common mistakes so that you can prevent making them while speaking and writing.
Remember that your writing says more than you realize. It certainly says more than the message you mean to convey and creates an impression about you and your business. Professional writing indicates a professional business and creates credibility and trust. Improving this basic skill is time well spent.
About the Author:
With 30 years of consulting experience, Steven Schlagel provides training and coaching for startups, entrepreneurs and small business owners. Check his site for more articles to increase your success!
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