Write for Business - Blog

Here's the best advice when it comes to voice: Use a conversational, yet professional voice. I've stated this before (see my last blog, "Voice Lessons"), and all of the leading writing experts, in one form or another, say the same thing. Write as if you were conversing with your working peers in a professional way - neither too informal or slangy nor too formal or stilted. Aim for somewhere in between those two extremes - the business middle.

When it comes to voice, experience is the only true teacher, as it is with most acquired skills. (And voice is an acquired skill) Ask a baker how she is able to produce bread with just the right crust, and she will tell you that it comes from experimenting and experience. So too with voice. If you're truly comfortable with the way that you sound in your writing, then you have been at it awhile, consciously or unconsciously playing with the taste and texture of your words.

But what if you lack experience? Well, you'll just have to be patient. Voice, remember, needs time and experience to develop. In the meantime, here are a few things you can do to jumpstart the process:

• Practice the craft. Write nonstop for at least 10 to 15 minutes daily. Write about anything and everything: A neighbor really grinds your beans. Write about it. You've heard about a new development at work. Write about it. Just be sure to approach each writing with honesty and sincerity. This practice will help you become more fluent as a writer and help you develop your writing personality. But this will only happen if you stick to a regular writing routine: Nulla dies sine linea. No day without a line.
• Become a regular reader. Read anything and everything. Read newspapers, business magazines, popular magazines, mysteries, blogs, box tops. As you read, you will internalize different manners of expression, which will, in some mysterious way, become part of your own writing repertoire.
• Strive for simplicity, clarity, and honesty. Of course, when you're just starting out, the temptation may be to do just the opposite - to impress the reader with your intelligence and vocabulary, to sound like someone that you're not. Well, resist the temptation and keep things simple and real. Unfortunately, this may be easier said than done. As editor Patricia T. O'Conner says, "Simplicity takes practice." So be prepared to revise or rewrite a message several times before you truly feel comfortable with it.
• Look for good models. Refer to your company's style manual (if there is one) to get a feel for the voice in the writing models. Do they meet the business middle criteria? Do they sound "real" to you? Also refer to business writing Web sites such as UpWritePress.com or business writing books such as Write for Business for models to help you with voice.

The main goal in all business writing is to present information clearly and accurately, but I believe that imparting the information with a little voice and sincerity can only enhance the message. I'm not referring to technical documents when I say this, but to most letters, messages, memos, news releases, flyers, brochures, and such. Just make sure to aim for the business middle:

Too informal and casual: Thanks for the offer as Software-Training Specialist. I'll take the job for the money you offered.…

The Business Middle: Thank you for offering me the position of Software-Training Specialist at Evergreen Medical Center. I am happy to accept the position at the annual salary of      .…

Too formal and stilted: This correspondence is in reference to the position of Software-Training Specialist at Evergreen Medical Center. My decision is to agree to the conditions of employment for that position that were expressed to me.…

- Dave Kemper

Already is an adverb meaning “before or by the specified time.” All ready is an adjective form meaning “completely prepared.” (Use all ready if you can substitute ready alone in the sentence.)

The shipment already arrived this morning.

The sales staff is all ready to take orders.

(From Write for Business, page 224, and Proofreader's Guide PDF, page 36)

Allusion is an indirect reference; illusion is a false impression or image.

Are you under the illusion that most people understand your allusions to the works of Aristotle?

(From Write for Business, page 224, and Proofreader's Guide PDF, page 36)

In The Business Writer, Verne Meyer, John Van Rys, and Pat Sebranek explain that workplace writing communicates two messages:

1. The direct message stated in the actual words and ideas
2. The implied message suggested in the writer's voice, or special way of expressing him- or herself

The authors state, "Voice is the between-the-lines message that your readers get whether you want them to or not. The result may be good or bad."

The following passages show how important it is to project the appropriate voice in business writing. When the voice is off kilter, the writing suffers from a lack of credibility, trustworthiness, sincerity, or so on.

From a Cover Message to Department Heads

Discussion: In the first passage, the writer is too full of him-or herself ("I've revised…" and "My revision…"); the voice suggests arrogance and/or overconfidence and detracts from the actual purpose of the message. The voice in the second passage keeps the attention where it should be, on the new checklist.

From an Adjustment Letter

Discussion: The voice in the first passage suggests disinterest and/or insincerity and certainly wouldn't be well received. The voice in the next passage is polite and sincere, and sets an appropriate tone.

From a Reply to an Inquiry

Discussion: The voice in the first passage is too emotional and flowery, and thus not believable or trustworthy. The polite, professional tone in the second passage is much more appropriate for business-related correspondence.

From a Progress Report

Discussion: The voice in the first passage projects a biased, demeaning tone with the use of "foreign or nonwhite families." The second passage expresses the appropriate sensitivity to families in need by not calling out any particular groups.

Best Advice: Try to write as if you are discussing the topic with your peers or clients in a professional, polite, and sincere way. Such a voice will always make a good impression - and get your message across in the appropriate way.

Soon after taking office, Barack Obama warned us repeatedly that the economic downturn would be with us for an extended period of time, even with the government bailouts and the stimulus package. We all knew that things were bad, real bad, but it didn't help that Obama continued with his dire warnings, seemingly on a daily basis. I kept thinking, Come on, throw us a carrot, even a baby one, but it didn't happen.

I'm not suggesting that the president should have misled us, but surely he could have found something to say to give us a little hope, to restore some of our confidence. Isn't the world of commerce, after all, built on confidence and positive thinking - people trusting one another to get things done? Once the trust is gone, so is the business.

A case in point: The media won't let us forget that one of their own, the newspaper industry, is in serious financial trouble. We all understand the problems (free online news, reduced print readership, dwindling ad dollars, etc.), but don't the dire predictions simply make a bad situation worse? For years, advertising has been a major source of income for newspapers. But few businesses will spend their advertising dollars on a medium that is, as we are continually reminded, on life support.

Needless to say, I don't recommend a lot of negativity in your business writing. Instead, keep your correspondence as positive as you can, even when you have bad news to share. It just makes good business sense. For guidance, turn to a trusted business-writing guide such as Write for Business. Here are just a few of the tips provided in that resource:

Use positive phrasing.

• Stress what can be done, not what can't, nor who's to blame.
• Avoid building sentences on negatives: no, not, never, no one, nobody.

Be tactful.

When you are tactful, you avoid offending anyone, or putting someone on the defensive, which, in turn, helps you maintain good relations with the receiver.

Offer constructive criticism.

• Mention strengths and weaknesses.
• Focus on solutions and improvements.

Use personal pronouns effectively.

• Use you and your in a positive manner.
• Use I, we, us, and our when they stress unity.

Be mindful of your purpose.

If the purpose of your letter is to share good news, it is easy to be positive. Sharing bad news, however, is quite another kettle of fish.

If you're not sure exactly how to word a bad-news letter, review a few examples before you get started. Here is the opening part of a letter informing the receiver that her loan application has been denied.

Discussion: First of all, notice that the tone of the two brief paragraphs is professional, polite, and helpful. Also note that the first few sentences serve as a buffer to soften the bad news. Finally, the letter provides advice to help turn the negative news into a positive. (This example is one of the many contained in Write for Business.)

- Dave Kemper