Why is good business writing important?
Good writing isn’t the preserve of copywriters and marketing campaigns; it’s something all professionals can use to achieve more.
As so much business communication takes place through writing, from emails to reports, it’s a major factor in how well you perform at work. Your writing shapes the way stakeholders respond to you, and it can make or break opportunities including winning clients, gaining promotions, and generally getting the support you need to do your job.
Before we look at why it’s important, what does it mean to write well? Your technical knowledge ensures your writing is relevant and accurate. If you’re an accountant, for example, you can provide useful, up-to-date financial advice. If you work in sales or marketing, you know which product benefits are likely to engage your audience.
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But including the right information is only half the battle when it comes to good business writing. The other half is knowing how to present that information in a way your reader can act on, using things like a clear structure and straightforward language. You can learn this skill quickly and easily through our online business writing course or one-to-one coaching.
So, how exactly does good writing help you accomplish more at work?
1. It influences people
Whether you work alone or within a large organisation, getting things done relies on persuading others. Maybe you need a colleague to prioritise your email over the hundreds of others they’ve received that week. Or perhaps you want a prospective client to start working with you.
Often, you’re persuading stakeholders in writing, such as by email or through a sales proposal. For you to achieve your purpose, your writing must be powerful enough to influence the reader’s actions, and this is where the quality of your writing can make a significant difference.
Good business writing is persuasive because it’s clear, it has a well-defined objective, and it focuses on the audience’s needs. This makes it more likely you’ll get the desired response from your reader.
2. It strengthens relationships
Persuading people isn’t all about one-off requests – it requires strong long-term working relationships. What fuels these relationships? Communication, of course. Where communication is poor, working relationships turn sour or fizzle out, just as with romance and friendships.
If your writing isn’t clear, relevant, or tailored to your reader, you might find stakeholders are less eager to communicate with you in the future. Conversely, writing with your reader in mind helps you begin and maintain good relationships that support your objectives.
3. It makes you more efficient
Most of us dedicate a large portion of our work time to writing. Just think about how much of your day you spend on emails, reports, presentations, and other documents. By making the planning and writing process smoother, you could free up time to spend on other valuable activities.
For many people, revisions take longer than the initial write-up. But when you know how to plan and write effectively, you can prevent endless reworks and get your message right the first time.
4. It prevents misunderstandings
Have you ever read to the end of an email and been unsure what you were supposed to do with it? This is all too common, and unclear communication can be costly for everyone involved.
Firstly, it wastes time – not just the time it takes to write and then read something ineffective, but the time spent clarifying the writer’s intention through follow-up communication.
Email chains can drag on for days or weeks when the original message isn’t clear, with questions firing back and forth until everyone gets it. Sometimes these exchanges lead to unnecessary meetings, when the information could have been shared in just a few sentences in the first place.
Secondly, miscommunication leads to misinterpretation, which could have disastrous consequences for your organisation. When you rely on writing to share vital information, it’s important to consider your reader’s perspective; you know what you mean, but will everyone else? Bad habits like poor structure, rambling sentences, and jargon cause confusion.
On the other hand, good business writing is unambiguous, using straightforward language and a logical structure to make things simple for the reader.
Want to harness the power of good business writing for yourself? Our online course teaches you everything you need to know through detailed videos and interactive exercises. Take the course to start influencing your readers and achieving more at work.
