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Business Writing with Impact
(Source Credit: Melanie Joy Douglas, Monster.ca)
Readers surmise personalities of writers from their writing style. A bland, boring writing style suggests a bland, boring person - right or wrong. If you would like to create the impression that you are energetic and assertive, you should develop a writing style suggesting just that. In any business, you will make more of an impact, if you write with impact.
Here are some tips for being concise and assertive.
Being Concise:
1. Cut out Clutter
Think about your half-dead plant at home. Removing the half-dead leaves fortifies the living ones. Just the same, a sentence full of useless or meaningless words or expressions is invigorated when you prune away the dead syntax. Simply put, wordiness weakens.
Consider these cluttering phrases and their concise alternatives:
at this point in time-now
due to the fact that-because
when all is said and done-[omit]
with regard to-about
it is possible that-maybe
it is probable that-probably
in all likelihood-likely
as a matter of fact- actually
for the purpose of- for
in the near future-soon
in the eventuality that-if
in view of the fact that-since, because
be of the opinion that-think, believe
2. Avoid Which, Who, That Clauses
Instead of cluttering a sentence with many clauses, simplify the clause into a single word.
Before: The cars that are damaged will be repaired by two mechanics who are umemployed.
After: The damaged cars will be repaired by two unemployed mechanics.
3. Kick the Noun Habit
Are you addicted to nouns? Do you endlessly transform verbs into nouns? This bad habit increases sentence length, drains verb strength, slows the reader, and muddies the thought.
Consider these wordy noun phrases and their concise verb counterparts:
conduct a discussion of discuss
create a reduction in reduce
engage in the preparation of prepare
give consideration to consider
make a discovery of discover
make an assumption of assume
perform an analysis of analyze
reach a conclusion about conclude
take action on act
Being Assertive
1. Use Active Verbs
Verbs are, by definition, action. Therefore, using strong, specific verbs will increase your assertive style. However, as you might recall from grammar class, verbs may be used actively or passively. An active verb in a sentence means that the subject does the action, while a passive verb means that the subject receives the action - it is acted upon.
Compare:
Active: I ran the employment booth at the job fair.
Passive: The employment booth at the job fair was run by me.
While the passive voice is useful in certain situations, as a general rule, use the active voice in business writing.
2. Eliminate Expletives
Business writers try to be objective in their writing, and sometimes begin sentences with impersonal expressions such as "it is," or "there is." While sometimes these phrases (called expletives) can be useful, more often than not, they add dead weight to the sentence.
Before: It was discovered that staggered hours were unacceptable to our supervisory staff.
After: We discovered that our supervisors did not want staggered hours.
3. Eliminate Cliches
Cliches, or overused and overworn expressions, should be avoided in business writing at all costs:
* Rear its ugly head
* It goes without saying
* Tighten its belt
* Easier said than done
* It stands to reason
* Nip in the bud
* With all due respect
* Increase by leaps and bounds
* There is no time like the present
* Strike while the iron is hot
4. Make Important Ideas Stand Out.
* Place keywords in strategic positions. (The most emphatic parts of a sentence are the beginning and end.)
Before: The Monster contract will be a money-maker, despite our early concerns. After: The Monster contract, despite our early concerns, will be a money maker.
* Apply graphic highlighting. Underlining, italicizing, or boldfacing, used sparingly, can be very effective ways of stressing or drawing attention to information. Moreover, you can organize a long list of thoughts using headings and bullets, numerals (1), or letters (a).
* Use repetition. Repeating a key word or phrase can build the drama and interest of a sentence. It should be used very sparingly. For example:
Babyboomers believe. They believe in teamwork and that it is critical to success. They believe in relationship-building. They believe that their work ethic is measured in hours worked. They believe that technology brings with it as many problems as it provides solutions. They believe rules should be obeyed unless they are contrary to what they want -- then they are to be broken.
* Use contrast. Highlight your point through contrast. It adds style and personality.
Before: I won this freelance contract through hard work.
After: I won this freelance contract, not through luck, but through hard work.
* Vary sentence length. Long sentences are more reflective, as they wind their way toward the conclusion. Short sentences, by contrast, are emphatic.
Beware Spell Check!
The problem with spell checkers is that they don't find all the problems, because spell checkers cannot understand words in context.
In their book, Business Communication: Process and Product, Guffey, Rhodes, and Rogin suggest typing this poem in your Word program, and see what your spell checker detects:
I have a spell checker
That came with my PC.
It plainly marks four my review
Mistakes I cannot sea.
I've run this poem threw it,
I'm sure your pleased too no.
Its letter perfect in it's weigh
My checker tolled me sew.
Some users attest that their spell check shows errors with the words "your" and "it's," while others indicate that none of the words appeared with the red swiggly underline, indicating spell check registered a spelling error.
How to Handle That Dreaded Question and Answer Period
(Source Credit: Lenny Laskowski, author or "No Sweat Presentations-The Painless Way to Successful Speaking" via Susan Berkley at The Great Voice Company)
Many presentations today are followed by a question and answer period. To some people this can be exciting. To others it can be a nightmare. In fact, there are some presenters who purposely avoid the question and answer period altogether. Here's a 5 step approach to handling questions along with some additional tips to make your next "Q and A" session go more smoothly.
1. LISTEN TO THE ENTIRE QUESTION BEFORE YOU RESPOND. Not waiting to hear the entire question can cause you to provide a response that has nothing to do with the question. Force yourself to LISTEN to the entire question and make sure you understand it before you begin to speak.
2. REPEAT THE QUESTION OUT LOUD SO THE ENTIRE AUDIENCE CAN HEAR IT. This does three things: (1) It helps you make sure you understood the question, (2) it gives you a chance to value the question and think of an answer, and (3) it assures the other people in the audience can hear the question. (editors note: repeating the question is especially important if your presentation is being taped as the audience may not be micd and people listening to the tape may miss the question altogether)
3. CREDIT THE QUESTIONER. Say something like "That was a great question" or, "Glad you asked that one" or even "I get asked that question by many people". One word of caution, if you credit one questioner, be sure to credit EVERYONE. You want every audience member to feel equally important.
4. RESPOND TO THE QUESTION HONESTLY. If you do not know the answer do not try to fake it. Be honest. Say you do not know, but DO promise to research the answer and make sure you get back to them. For proper follow-up have a pencil and paper ready to write down the questions you can't answer on the spot along with the name & contact information of the person who asked.
5. BRIDGE TO THE NEXT QUESTION BY ASKING A QUESTION. "Does that answer your question?" "Is that the kind of information you were looking for?" This is critical. Once they respond with "YES" you now have permission to move on.
ADDITIONAL TIPS FOR HANDLING QUESTIONS
A. ASK PEOPLE TO STAND UP WHEN THEY ASK A QUESTION. This does two things: It shows you who is speaking, and it makes it easier for the audience to hear the question.
B. HAVE SMALL SHEETS OF PAPER AVAILABLE FOR PEOPLE TO WRITE DOWN THEIR QUESTIONS DURING YOUR PRESENTATION. This helps them remember their questions later.
C. ALLOW PEOPLE TO PASS THE QUESTIONS TO YOU IN WRITING IF THEY FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE STANDING UP AND ASKING THE QUESTION OUT LOUD.
When speaking to a difficult crowd accepting 'written questions only' allows you to remain in control. Remember, if you are speaking to a really difficult crowd, there is no law that says you MUST answer questions. Feel free to tell the audience you are out of time. Thank them and then exit gracefully. Politicians do this all the time at difficult press conferences).
For more information on Lenny Laskowski visit http://www.ljlseminars.com or call 800-606-4855.
For more information on the Media Relations and Public Presentation services offered by the Rempel Group-21 Communications, please contact us at 1-800-665-5604 or email "infoatrempelgroup.com"