Business Writing Tips e-newsletter : April 2007

Unify text with transition words

Use words that bring your text together, like the ones in bold below. See how each acts as a link from one sentence to the next:

To improve your writing, try this: Before starting your next document such as a meeting recap, imagine that your boss is phoning from the airport with only one minute to find out what happened and the next steps. With this pressure, you'd be forced to immediately state the key points, which is how you should approach every document. Though most of your readers don't have to board planes in 60 seconds, they're still impatient.

Don't break up sentence flow

Change the order of words so you don't break up the natural flow of ideas.

Interrupts flow

The shipping department made many careless errors, which we discussed at Tuesday's meeting, that annoyed our largest customers.

Flows naturally

At Tuesday's meeting, we discussed the shipping department's careless errors that annoyed our largest customers.

Use explicit subheads to lure readers

Write subheads that clue readers in on what's next, inviting them to read more. Compare the ordinary and explicit subheads below:

Ordinary

Problem
Challenge
Solution
Next steps

Explicit

Problem: number of security breaches doubled in 6 months
Challenge: safeguard all intellectual property
Solution: software to prevent unauthorized data access
Next steps: purchase by May 1, install by June 1

Grammar tip: use a consistent tense

Inconsistent

Once Sue finished the budget, she left the office and was walking to the diner to join her colleagues.

Consistent

Once Sue finished the budget, she left the office and walked to the diner to join her colleagues.

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