It may surprise you to know that the average person in business reads no faster than people did 100 years ago. But, studies suggest that the total information produced for print is doubling every 18 months.
So...we have to process information faster and faster just to maintain our current level of knowledge.
This can seem an insurmountable task given the pressures and time constraints that most of us experience when trying keep up, never mind get ahead, in our work. And if you're the person doing the writing, which in business could mean memos, emails, reports, proposals, letters etc., you have to produce high impact writing if you expect it to be read.
Etiquette experts suggest that you can accomplish this by showing consideration for the reader. Write what the reader needs instead of what you want. Specifically this means writing shorter, more concise, straightforward documents in a conversational way while maintaining a certain level of professional formality.
A few tips:
Once you're finished writing, no matter what it is, go back and edit it down at least 20%.
Try to keep emails to 3-5 sentences and letters to one page.
Where possible, use outline formats and bullets so the reader can review quickly and then decide if they have time or interest in reading support materials.
Write with words you would use in face-to-face conversation. For exaple, if you wouldn't say, "here is an envelope, please find enclosed..." don't write it. Instead, write what you would say, probably something like, "here is the costing sheet you asked for".
Write shorter sentences and use shorter words. Instead of writing, "the results of the quarterly report were surprisingly higher than we initially anticipated', write, "The quarterly report results were high".
Always be honest about the subject of emails or letters and put the subject line right out front.
Leave some white space and room for notes on the page.
Number the pages and clearly identify topics and headings but limit yourself to 2-3 changes in font, size, and italics or bold so the reader is not distracted.
