— E.B. White

It can be tempting to use hedge words like just, very, seemingly, and their ilk. Sometimes, we use these words because we fear being too bold or appearing too certain; we want to acknowledge the room for disagreement or more information on a topic. In other cases, we are unsure whether our message is valuable, so we offer it noncommittally in case others shoot it down.

In both cases, avoiding hedge words will add strength to your message.

If you are afraid of making a point too boldly, remember that there is always a chance that people will disagree with you; however, if you make your point using fuzzy language, your readers might not understand you well enough to know if they agree or disagree.

If you have something valuable to say, say it. If it is not valuable, why say it? But don’t hedge your words with language that makes you seem unsure of your message.

Resist the urge to fatten up your work by hedging your points with namby-pamby modifiers. If your goal is to make your point clearly, why clutter it up with words like very and seemingly?

Notice as you read whether these words add anything to your comprehension other than an uncomfortable sense that the writers don’t stand behind their words.

· just

· by and large

· rather

· seemingly

· somewhat

· kind of

· mostly

· really

· very

· pretty

· little

· sort of

· it would seem

· in some respects

· for the most part

· for all intents and purposes

What is wrong with hedges and modifiers? They block your points. They betray uncertainty. They consume the reader’s time and energy with words that add nothing to your message.

So, for the most part, just be very careful to be pretty clear when you write, because it would seem that when you add hedges to most of your statements, you seem sort of a little unclear about what you are trying say.

​

Call Worktalk When:

• Companies lose customers due to poor messaging from sales and customer service teams;
• Clients complain about communication from professional service firms’ staff members;
• Employees need to humanize the output of AI-assisted writing programs so it doesn’t sound fake;
• Employees need help developing the right prompts for AI-assisted writing programs to generate more effective outputs;
• Employees waste time repeatedly emailing one another because their messages are unclear.

Contact me at lizd@worktalk.com or 310.396.8303.

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If you missed the last Writamin on being gruntled that irregardless is a word, find it here.

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The managing director of a large wealth management company recently complained to me that his staff seemed unable to forge warm relationships with the firm’s clients. “They are reluctant to pick up the phone or invite the client to lunch,” he lamented. “Even their emails veer between formal and stilted or breezy and inappropriately casual.” Recognizing the need for improvement, the firm hired me to work with them, and soon, their team showed a greater awareness of practicing the language of connection.

Effective verbal or written communication is crucial for building strong relationships in the workplace. When we write at work, we aim to engage our readers and achieve a specific purpose, such as gaining approval, obtaining information, or fostering collaboration. However, if readers feel that you do not care about or understand them or that you have disregarded social norms they value, their minds may close. Then, you will fight an uphill battle to get your point across.

Here are four ways to build rapport and inspire greater loyalty and satisfaction in your readers.

1. Spell their names correctly

I was coaching a senior accountant at a regional accounting firm, helping him compose a proposal for a prospective client who was leaving their current firm. “Did you ask them why they are changing service providers?” I inquired. “Yes,” he replied. “They said that the other firm consistently spelled their name wrong.”

Losing the client was a blow to the original firm, yet they lost the business through a simple error.

Most of us want our names handled correctly. More important, remember that people generalize. In this case, the client concluded that their accountants did not know or value them, neglected to proofread, and were careless about details. These conclusions led them to jump ship.

Be especially careful about using the right form, particularly if a person’s name is commonly spelled several ways, such as Stephen/Steven, Alan/Allen/Allan, or Kelsy/Kelsey.

2. Open with a comment that shows you know who they are

Open by making a pleasant comment that falls within professional boundaries. For example, if they mentioned in your last conversation that they were taking a cruise, write, “I hope you had a great time on your cruise.” If they recently had a child, say you hope the parent is getting enough sleep.

Let the reader know that you are not simply using them for business purposes. The more the reader feels seen and understood through your opening comment, the more open-minded they will be to your message.

3. Use personal pronouns such as I, you, and we

Business writers often default to fall into using the third-person pronouns rather than using the more colloquial and humanizing tone of the first-person, second-person, and first-person plural pronouns.

Writing “The firm has changed its policies” sounds formal and cold. “We have changed our policies” sounds like you are taking responsibility for the change. Similarly, “Clients are urged to change their passwords regularly,” sounds stuffy. Instead, you could write, “We recommend that you change your password regularly,” which sounds like friendly advice.

4. Match your reader’s tone

Be aware of your readers’ age, educational background, job role, and English proficiency, and write with words that suit the individual reader. Avoid starting emails with “Hey,” which many people find maddening. However, if they always address their emails to you with “Hey,” you can match their style.

If writing to a non-native English speaker, avoid idioms. “We’ll have to tear the Band Aid off” is meaningless to a foreigner. Similarly, saying “It’s raining cats and dogs” conjures confusing images.

Instead, use clear and direct language that is easy for all readers to understand, regardless of their cultural background.

These are just a few examples of ways to build bridges with your colleagues and clients when you write to them. Of course, the best way to connect with other people is to actually care about them, and show them with your language.

Click here to read more articles on Building Relationships with Language

The Art of Conciseness: 5 Ways to Master Brevity

The Language Of Leadership

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In today’s whirlwind business environment, concise communication is crucial. With emails, reports, and memos flooding inboxes daily, the ability to streamline your business writing can ensure that you are the person whose messages are read and understood. Conciseness saves time for the reader, although it might require the writer to apply more little grey cells. As 18th-century British lexicographer Samuel Johnson wrote, “Easy reading is hard writing.” Here are some strategies to help you master the art of brevity in your business writing.

First, embrace the principle that less is more. Instead of padding your sentences with unnecessary words or phrases, aim to be brief. Words like “just,” “very,” and “most” are often unnecessary, as are many adjectives and adverbs. Shorter emails and documents are easier to read and require less time and effort from the reader. In an age of endless inputs, it pays to streamline the reader’s experience.

1. Write shorter sentences

Long sentences dilute the potency of your message. Aim for an average sentence length of around 20 words as measured by Microsoft Word or another readability tool. Disciplining yourself to write shorter sentences makes your writing easier to read and increases the odds that your communication will succeed.

In addition to trimming excess words, pay attention to the structure of your sentences. Aim for simplicity and coherence, avoiding convoluted phrases or awkward constructions. Instead of writing, “Not only did the merger not contribute to productivity, it actually created unwieldy challenges in the corporate culture,” you could write, “The merger did not contribute to productivity and created unexpected challenges to the corporate culture.” Break up long sentences into shorter, more digestible chunks, and use transitional words and phrases to guide the reader through your writing smoothly.

2. Prefer the active voice

Additionally, opt for the active voice whenever possible. The active voice makes your writing more dynamic and reduces wordiness. Instead of writing, “The report was reviewed by the team” (passive voice), say, “The team reviewed the report” (active voice). According to an article in The Harvard Business Review, brain research indicates that we comprehend active sentences more quickly than passive ones. This is because active sentences follow a more natural, subject-verb-object structure, which aligns with how our brains process information. Using the active voice helps your reader grasp your message.

3. Write with verbs

Another tip for streamlining your business writing is to substitute verbs for unnecessary nouns. Rather than saying, “Make a decision,” simply say, “Decide.” Instead of writing, “We are taking it up for consideration,” write, “We are considering it.” When you can choose between using words like “request,” “work” and “need” as either nouns or verbs, opt for the verbal form. So instead of writing, “as per your request,” you would write, “as you requested.” This shortens your sentence and makes you seem more direct. Similarly, instead of saying “provide assistance,” say “assist.” By cutting out unnecessary nouns, you can convey your message more advantageously.

4. Use straightforward language

Minimize using jargon or overly complex language. While it may seem impressive to use industry-specific terminology, it often alienates readers and obscures your message. Instead, opt for clear and straightforward language that the average non-technical reader can understand. Remember, the goal of business writing is to communicate ideas clearly, not to show off your vocabulary.

5. Remember to revise

Lastly, remember to revise ruthlessly. After drafting your message, review it with a brutal critical eye. Great authors revise their work ten or twenty times–surely, you can tweak an email twice. Look for opportunities to tighten your prose, eliminate redundancy, and clarify your message. Remember, every word should serve a purpose and contribute to the effectiveness of your communication.

Well-structured, concise messages convey efficiency and professionalism. They demonstrate that you value the reader’s time and have put your thoughts into a clear, direct format. You might have to stretch yourself to absorb these new habits. However, by keeping your sentences short and to the point, preferring the active voice, and substituting verbs for unnecessary nouns, you can streamline your communication and ensure you deliver your message effectively.

So the next time you sit down to compose an email or draft a report, remember: Less is more.

Click here to read more articles on clear writing:

How to Take Your Business Writing From “Average” to “Great”

The Language Of Leadership

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But when I was dating my husband more than thirteen years ago, something he said changed my life forever.

We were discussing raising children, and he said, “I learned that instead of telling a child that he can’t do something, you should tell him what he can do.” In other words – even in a situation where you have to deny something to a child, there’s usually a positive action that you can focus on.

So instead of saying, “No, you can’t draw with the markers,” you can say, “We’re going to take a break from the markers right now, but you can play with the etch-a-sketch.”

It’s true that sometimes kids will push back and sometimes you’ll have to lay down the law with a firm “no,” but for all those other situations the “no’s” can be avoided by offering the positive alternative.

As it turns out, it’s not just parenting that benefits from communicating in the positive. In work, orienting oneself toward the positive is constantly applicable.

Rather than: “I can’t turn that document around by July 2.”

You say, “I can get it to you by the 8th, if that still works.”

Rather than: “This example doesn’t really work for the purpose it’s being used for.”

You say, “This example is really interesting – but I think it would work better over here.”

Rather than: “This colleague’s judgment seems totally off base.”

You say, “I can see how so-and-so’s perspective might be very useful in another situation.”

Sometimes positivity is about finding the silver lining to the cloud. But more often, it’s as simple as refusing to focus on negative space (what isn’t there, or isn’t working, or isn’t good) and focusing instead on what is. So your secretary might not be the world’s greatest Excel whiz, but she keeps the paperwork in tip-top shape. Your colleague may not be the king of creativity, but he is reliable and consistent and gets his work done on time. There is almost always something that is there, however much you may notice what’s missing. Positivity is about catching it.

Why is positivity so valuable? We are more willing to continue communicating within the safe haven of a positive environment. In other words, positivity is like a lubricant—it keeps communication moving smoothly in an organization. The more we communicate, the more we tap into the tremendous power of collaboration.

Almost all issues can be resolved as long as the communication machine’s cogs are still running. That includes changing or critiquing what is currently being done, identifying mistaken priorities, addressing unrealistic targets, and refocusing or revamping a project’s focus.

Negativity, on the other hand, acts as a wall. Like a big red stop sign, it causes people to pause, and retreat. While it may be necessary sometimes, it cannot be the go-to of an organization’s communication.

So, if you notice yourself stating points negatively, remember that the negativity hides a hidden growth mindset. You just want things to be better!

Now, let’s use positive language to help you share your message more positively with others.

Call Worktalk When:

• Companies lose customers due to poor messaging from sales and customer service teams;
• Clients complain about communication from professional service firms’ staff members;
• Employees need to humanize the output of AI-assisted writing programs so it doesn’t sound fake;
• Employees need help developing the right prompts for AI-assisted writing programs to generate more effective outputs;
• Employees waste time repeatedly emailing one another because their messages are unclear.

Contact Worktalk today. Click here.

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Erica’s situation is not unique. In my experience as a business-writing consultant, I regularly coach employees who are asked to rewrite emails, documents, and other communications multiple times. Often this happens because the executive who assigned the task feels the finished product is conveying the wrong message. In Erica’s case, she failed to ask for much-needed clarifications surrounding the purpose of the message, the person it was intended for, and the point she was supposed to make. As a result, she was unable to communicate what was expected.

Where Most People Go Wrong

Writing errors often arise even before a person sets pen to paper. While planning is the most critical part of the writing process, unfortunately, many individuals have not been equipped with a quick, effective system for preparing to write.

What can you do to get better at business writing?

This simple three-question framework, which I call the three P’s will help you jump-start your writing process — whether you’re tackling an email, a formal document, social post, or another form of written communication. Before diving in, ask yourself these questions:

• What is the purpose of this document?
• Who (person) is going to read it? What are that person’s emotional trigger points and questions that might have an impact on my message?
• What, in one or two sentences, is my point?

These three P’s make up your writings DNA and can help you to streamline the writing process, clear your mind, and create more impactful work. Here’s how to use them.

Purpose: The North Star

The three P’s begin with purpose — the North Star of your message that steers it toward its goal. The most common purposes of business documents, ranging from brief emails to voluminous reports, are:

• To inform
• To request
• To persuade

Think of purpose as the intention — the result you want to achieve. For example, every document contains information, but that doesn’t mean that the purpose of all documents is to inform.

If you are writing a report on the outcome of a marketing initiative, ask yourself what the purpose of the report is. Are you simply informing your managers of the results or persuading them that you did a good job and deserve more resources? Or think of an email to a client regarding the need to submit important paperwork. Are you informing them that the documents are necessary, requesting that they send them, or persuading them that they will benefit from sending the materials promptly? Knowing your purpose in advance creates the context for your whole document.

To narrow down on the purpose, ask yourself:

• What do I want the reader to do after reading these words? If they are supposed to act or think differently, then you are probably requesting or persuading.
• Am I just sending this as an FYI? Then your purpose is to inform. Note that when you choose informing as your purpose, you are assuming that the person will not respond. To get a response, you must ask for it by making a request or showing the benefits of responding.

In a recent writing class, I asked Ed, a participant, to identify the purpose of his document. “To inform,” he replied.

“What are you informing the recipient of?” I asked.

“To inform him that his purchase order (PO) is about to expire and that he needs to renew it within 14 days if he wants to continue making purchases.”

There was information in the document, but the reader was supposed to act to renew the PO. Thus, the real purpose of Ed’s document was to request that the reader renew his PO within 14 days. With this purpose in mind, he wrote a message that moved the client relationship forward. Ed might have thought that telling the client his PO was expiring would make them realize that they should renew it; however, his client might be deluged with emails and other work and unable to focus on the next steps to take. The client needed guidance about what action was necessary, and that meant that Ed had to make a request.

Person: An Understanding of Your Audience

How do you feel when you read something that contains words you don’t understand? Or something that sounds like it was written for a child? Probably, you are less receptive to the message when the language aims too high or too low and does not treat you as an equal.

Your document will not generate any outcome until the readers understand your message. They may agree or disagree, like or dislike, but unless they understand you, your efforts are in vain. If you want readers to understand your message, you need to know them. Three elements make a difference:

Speak the reader’s language.

Say, for example, you are writing to a prospective customer about your data security service. If you are addressing the chief technology officer, you can use some technical terms; however, if your message is directed at the chief executive officer, you might use fewer technical terms on the assumption that the CEO leaves technical details to that department.

Particularly when writing to an audience in a different culture or to people who speak English as a second language, it is essential to use clear, straightforward language, and avoid idioms that might baffle your readers. Show respect by choosing words and sentence structures your readers will easily understand. Be mindful of using jargon or too many acronyms. As a practice, identify acronyms the first time you use them.

Anticipate and answer the reader’s questions.

As readers read, questions form in their minds. They ask questions like, “What am I supposed to do about it? When is it due?” and of course the most fundamental question, “What’s in it for me?”

For example, if the HR department sends a company-wide memo regarding a new health insurance plan, employees will naturally ask how the new plan will affect them. By proactively addressing such concerns in their initial memo, the HR department can avoid receiving countless inquiries.

Readers may also have more specific questions that you should aim to answer in your message. For example, if you are responding to a customer complaint about a phone bill, the reader’s questions may include, “Why did this cost so much?” or “Why wasn’t I made aware of this more clearly?” Anticipate and answer the reader’s substantive questions.

Target the reader’s “hot buttons.”

Each of us has “hot buttons” — emotional trigger topics that make our hearts go pitter-pat. For one person, a hot button might be cost or For another, it might be productivity or avoiding litigation. Whatever the person’s emotional makeup may be, you can be sure that there are topics that will cause them to jolt awake and pay close attention to your message.

For example, when the engineering staff of a regional water utility consulted me about how to gain executive approval for a new valve that would cost $1 million, I advised them to downplay the cost (although, of course they disclosed it). Instead, I suggested they highlight the gains in reliability and safety and the avoidance of the negative publicity associated with the flooding that would occur if the old valve failed.

Remember that you can only fulfill your purpose if you engage your reader. So, consider your readers: What makes them tick? Are they people who value profit above all, or do they have higher values such as environmental impact? What topics can you allude to that will get and keep their attention?

Point: The Heart of the Matter

Have you ever received a document that you read several times and could still not discern the point? This situation usually arises when writers themselves have not clarified the main point in advance. If the writer does not know the point, the reader will be hard-pressed to see it.

The point is your essential message. It is closely connected to your purpose and may at times overlap with it. If you imagine that communication is like shooting an arrow, then the purpose is the direction in which the arrow is aimed. The person is the target. The point is the arrow: It’s the message you are sending to your reader.

Returning to the story of Ed and the client’s renewal of the PO, the purpose was to request. The point then becomes, “Please renew the PO.” Similarly, if you have written a report about your marketing campaign, your purpose is to persuade. The point is that the campaign produced a measurable impact on sales and is worthy of further investment.

When identifying the point, ask yourself what you would say if you ran into your reader on the street and he said to you, “I didn’t have time to read your email. Just tell me what it said.” What you would say in 15 seconds to your reader is probably your main point.

Get to the point very early in your document, preferably within the first 40 to 50 words, while your reader is still paying attention (and before they delete or archive your email).

The Symbiotic Relationship of the Three P’s

The magic of the three P’s lies in their symbiotic relationship. Purpose sets the direction and context of the whole message. Once you know the purpose, you ask yourself how you can fulfill it. You can only fulfill your purpose through the person who reads — and hopefully accepts — your message. After you have established your purpose and analyze the person, you will be in a position to hone your point. One example I like to give is this:

Imagine that you own a South Seas Island, and you want to sell it. Your purpose is to persuade your prospect to purchase the island. You have two prospective buyers. One is the CFO of a major multinational corporation. His plan is to develop the island into a luxury resort. The second prospect is an indigenous matriarch who was born on the island, moved to the mainland, and made a fortune selling to tourists. Her plan is to preserve the island’s natural habitat and make it a retreat for her family. You have the same purpose, but two very different readers. Would you make the same points in both sales presentations? Obviously not. Purpose leads to person, which leads to point.

Integrating the three P’s into your workflow ensures that your emails, posts, reports, proposals, and anything else you write, serve their intended purpose, delivering clear, actionable points that resonate with your readers. Perhaps this is why students from my business writing training have reached out to me years later to say that they continue to integrate the Three P’s into their daily work.

The post How to Take Your Business Writing From “Average” to “Great” appeared first on Worktalk.