Top 10 Tips for Strategic Business Writing - Part 1 by Dianna Booher

http://www.booherresearch.com 1-817-283-2333 Executive Communication Expert Dianna Booher Business Writing: Top 10 Tips for Strategic Business Writing With the advent of smart phones, social media, and texting, we're writing more---not less---than five years ago. And more people write more. We used to pick up the phone for day-to-day tasks. But so many people screen their calls with voicemail that we've found it faster and easier to get through by writing than calling. It's just words on screen rather than words on paper. In either case, if you're finding it more difficult to get your message across above the noise, keep these top 10 writing tips in mind: 1. Think before you write. Plan what you want to say and summarize your point to yourself in a sentence. If you make this rule a practice, you'll eliminate the first draft of most documents. 2. Use the "So what?" prompt to turn information into communication. Imagine your reader asking, "So what?" about the situation or information you're sending. Then provide a summary answer. . 3. Make your writing actionable. What do you want your reader to do, buy, consider, approve, feel, think, decide, support. Say it directly and specifically. 4. Distinguish between a purpose statement and a message statement. A purpose statement promises to tell---later. A message statement actually informs. 5. Tune in to the tone of directives, apologies, complaints, and sales documents. Brief is good. Blunt is not.