Here’s a birds-eye view of some business writing fundamentals that make your writing not only more organized but 3x more impactful!

Just like revenue, communication is the lifeblood of every company.

Written communication greatly affects how businesses make decisions, solve problems, and establish their internal culture! 

According to Towers Watson’s research:

Businesses that communicate with bravery, creativity, and discipline engage workers AND provide better business results.

That’s why by the end of this article, you’ll have gained practical business writing pointers you can apply immediately. 

What we’ll be discussing:

• What Is Business Writing Anyway?
• 4 Popular Business Communication Styles To Learn and Apply 
• The 3 Business Writing Fundamentals To Use Today
• Ready To Take Your Business Writing To New Heights?

What Is Business Writing Anyway? 

Business writing is a form of communication that is used DAILY in the workplace. You’ll find it in:

• Emails
• Memos 
• Business documents 
• Large-scale client presentations
• Research and development projects
• Marketing campaigns

And this is just to name a few!

At the end of the day, business writing is a formal type of communication, and it creates the same “end game” as when you text a friend:

To get information from A to B. From YOU to the recipient(s).

The difference with business writing is that it follows a particular format and style. 

Business writing can also include more dynamic elements. Things like using bullet points, data, statistics, to suit your specific audience’s way of taking in information. 

For example, if you’re the president of your company writing an email to an executive of another company. The way you communicate will be different from how you communicate to your employees via email. 

Why? 

Because the audience (person) is different and the context of the communication is also different.

4 Popular Business Communication Styles To Learn and Apply 

Here are some writing styles that you should always keep in mind while writing a business document.

We generally come across four types of communications. Make sure that you recognize the best one for a given circumstance and use it accordingly!

1. Action-based Communication 

One element of business writing is “action-based” pieces. 

For this style, “active voice” is used to encourage the reader to take action! You’ll find many businesses that have a product or service to offer, always implement an action-based writing approach. 

If you use this style, then you’re looking for your readers to take action, right? 

So whether you’re writing a blog post, ad, email newsletter, or even direct mail flyer: 

You should do a clear call to action and give transparent next steps for the reader to follow.

You’ll also find this type of communication even inside an office:

A project manager may issue a note to his team outlining weekly objectives and strategies for achieving them. On that note, he’ll likely give deadlines and next steps to follow through on the project. 

The tone of action-based communication should be “galvanizing” because that’s what spawns inspired action. 

So when it comes to action-based writing, think:

• What is the outcome I want by sending this communication?
• Am I clearly outlining what I want my reader to do after reading?
• Am I using language that my reader resonates with so that my message lands the right way?

If you’re marketing, many experts also suggest you add a sense of urgency (a time limit, for instance) to drive people to convert on what you’re offering. 

2. Informative Communication

Not ALL business writing pieces have a long-term or grand objective. 

Some papers have no purpose other than to notify colleagues of something, whether an email informing staff of a change in employee perks or just a help manual for the office copy machine.

Informative items like these should be on the short and straightforward side of things. 

And another good rule of thumb?

Anticipate any questions your readers might have on your longer informative pieces. For instance, adding a frequently asked questions (FAQs) section about the material to help clarify things.

Here are other common examples of informational communication: 

• Business revenue reports 
• Meeting agendas
• eBooks, whitepapers, pamphlets, and articles 

3. Persuasive Communication

Sometimes, you want to take on a solid persuasive tone in your business writing. 

Persuasive writing is when you write in a way that falls in line with your audience’s needs, wants, values, and desires.

When they feel like you’re meeting their needs, whatever you’re persuading them on becomes a no-brainer to them

And in business?

This can mean the difference between signing 6 new clients in a single month or none at all. 

Copywriting is the writing style that “persuades” because it’s prevalent in all sorts of marketing communications and sales pages. 

So when you think of persuasive writing, think copywriting. 

With that said, here are 11 ways to make your business communications more persuasive:

1. Use the second-person “you” voice to tell your readers how they will benefit from doing business with their company.

2. Use descriptive words that have emotion behind them. Example: Instead of “confused,” say “puzzled.” (Using a thesaurus is a great way to begin implementing more emotional words!)

3. Use statistics to back up your claims. 

4. Use authority and credibility (whether from you or an expert) to bring more trust in what’s said.

5. Hook your audience’s attention: You can start off with a question, a surprising statistic, a random-seeming analogy, and so on.

6. Show social proof, reviews, testimonials, and more.

7. Create a “profile” of the average commonalities of your audience. Then talk about things they care about in your persuasive writing.

8. Speak like your audience, use their industry jargon and slang.

9. Show empathy to your audience. Genuinely know where they’re coming from and maybe what they’re struggling with.

10.  Show commonalities between who your reader is now and who you are or used to be. 

11. Repeat things. If you need to emphasize a point, pick different sections in your business writing piece to repeat the message. This is a great way to remind your reader of one or more main ideas. 

4. Objective Communication

Some of your business communications won’t be easy, meaning you’ll have to explain uncomfortable truths to others.

As “uncomfortable” as it may get, it’s often necessary, especially if you’re a business leader of some sort (founder, executive, manager, etc.)

An example of objective communication is a human resources person that has to draft a letter informing an employee of a layoff or severance package.

Another example is a B2B client sending an email to a service provider, telling them they’d like to cancel services because the quality hasn’t lived up to par.  

So, when you’re writing your objective communication, try adopting a strong yet empathic tone and writing concisely to convey critical facts straightforwardly!

• Strong tone – authoritative, concise, and not too verbose. 
• Empathetic tone – Understanding where the other is coming from, write with their feelings in mind. 

Honing your objective communication the right way can help you address touchy subjects better with business partners and employees.

Which leads to healthier and more honest business relationships!

The 3 Business Writing Fundamentals To Implement Today

When crafting any type of business writing (including the ones mentioned above), adopt these 3 fundamentals to keep your writing sharp!

1. Your Objective

A clear objective acts as a guide, a reference point, and an anchor for your content strategy. 

Your objective establishes the letter’s tone, style, and organization because it includes the main takeaway you want your readers to get from your writing.

As a matter of fact:

Defining your objective from the start helps ensure that everything goes smoothly and stays organized. 

For instance, say your goal is to motivate and invite employees to participate in the company’s annual talent contest as a team-building exercise.

Since your objective is active participation and even excitement, you can’t bore them with overly formal sentences, excessive work jargon, or long paragraphs explaining how the activity will increase their productivity.

Instead, you’ll want to quickly state what the objective is and use words that emotionally resonate with them. 

This example would be a mixture of persuasive, action-based, and persuasive business communication. 

Keep lines short yet professional, utilize bullets, and use exclamations in your writing to keep your messaging consistent with “excitement.”

Your objective is your purpose, so to get your purpose across, you have to be clear about it. 

Are you writing to:

● Educate?

● Convince?

● Argue?

● Invite?

● Confirm facts?

● Conduct an investigation?

● Seek permission?

● Reject or approve?

● Propose or recommend?

When you nail down your objective, it prepares the ground for your next business writing fundamental, knowing your target audience!

2. Your Target Audience

The second critical step in writing effectively in business is having a clear understanding of your audience. 

Here are some techniques to get a better handle on your who you’re talking to:

If you’re writing an external message to another business, make sure to research the other company’s vision, purpose, achievements, and objectives to see how you can help bring forth its vision.

Why?

Because if your messaging speaks directly to these points, the business will understand that you’re interested in helping them with their goals, and that you’re not just another “salesperson.”

As a result, they’ll be much more inclined to consider doing business with you.

Don’t know where to start? 

You can always utilize the company’s website, social media platforms, and other business resources to collect this data.

But maybe your audience is just one person. 

In this case, you should strive to be aware of his or her preferences, pain points, problems, and desires. 

And the best part? 

Addressing just 1 or 2 of them in your letter (sales page, marketing collateral, proposal, etc.) will increase their attention and recall because, after all, people remember things that are relevant to them. 

The following guiding questions may help you as you improve your business writing to a targeted audience (company, individual, etc.):

● Why should the reader be concerned?

● What advantage does the reader get from working with me?

● Who is my reader?

● How does my reader think?

3. Word Choice & Grammar

In business writing, grammar and language are critical!

The use of language alone conveys information about a company’s competency, culture, and business practices. 

As a result, it is necessary to avoid grammatical mistakes and improper writing in corporate communication. 

Try using grammar-checking software like Grammarly to make sure your words and phrases are coming across the best way they can!

Complicated, broad nouns and wordy lines should be avoided – unless it’s a technical writing piece, of course!

When you have your objective down and know your audience, you’ll have an idea of the right words to use in your writing piece. 

Ready To Take Your Business Writing To New Heights?

Business writing doesn’t have to be a chore. 

I hope this article gave you key insights on writing styles and the 3 cardinal business writing fundamentals. 

Need more knowledge on business writing to sharpen your axe? Would you like to have your business writing even done for you?

The Allyson Group has you covered!

Book a call with me here, and our content writing team will create perfect content for your business!