6 Tips for Improving Your Business Writing Skills

The modern corporate environment is completely data-driven these days. So, it doesn’t matter if you’re a small business owner or a corporate powerhouse. You’re likely to spend most of your time interacting with other entrepreneurs and business owners verbally and through written text.

Sure, you can always use business letters and good, old-fashioned emails. However, other business professionals expect that you know how to write excellent grant submissions, promotional copy, training materials, business proposals, and presentations.

Unfortunately, the issue here is that business writing isn’t a skill that many business owners and entrepreneurs prioritize these days. Of course, every entrepreneur learns business writing during their academic journey.

But, writing well and knowing how to write are two completely different things. So, if you’re an entrepreneur or business owner who has never prioritized business writing, now is the time you take it more seriously.

On that note, let us look at a few tips for improving your business writing skills down below. Let’s get started!

Always Prefer Quality Over Quantity

When you’re writing a business document, you might want to make it as informative as possible. However, as you add more and more content to your piece’s body to explain your point, people will be less willing to read it.

For example, if you were to take a 2000+ word business proposal to a potential investor, they might avoid reading it entirely due to its word count alone. But, if you compress it into a 500-word document, they’ll be happy to read through it.

The bottom line here is: get to the point as quickly as possible, whether you’re writing a business plan, business proposal, or marketing copy. Take a page out of Zorro’s book. Act fast, make your “Z,” and get out!

Avoid Technical Jargon at All Costs

Technical jargon is usually a no-no when it comes to business writing. In fact, phrases like “strategic synergies” and “blue-sky solutions” will typically have no value in front of simpler alternatives such as “opportunities to collaborate” and “brainstorming sessions.”

Of course, some business jargon is necessary to sound professional when discussing technical specifications in a business document. But it is generally wise to avoid these words and go for simple language.

Always Read Over Your Material After You’re Done Writing It

It is an excellent practice to proofread your material after writing it. After all, nothing is more embarrassing than an avoidable grammar mistake in an otherwise excellent document.

But unfortunately, mistakes and errors are bound to happen, especially if you’re rushing to churn out multiple business documents every day, week, or month.

Therefore, make it a habit to double-check and proofread your business documents well before their submission date to avoid unnecessary eye rolls! You can also use online proofreading tools or reach out to a professional proofreader for help.

Use Active Voice Instead of Passive Voice

Active voice is a method of structuring a sentence in which a particular person performs an action. It is easier to understand, concise, and stronger than passive voice. For instance, you can write, “My HR department will look at your proposal and contact you in a week,” instead of writing, “Your proposal will be looked at by the HR department.”

Follow Simple Formatting Rules

Instead of adding colorful fonts, italicizing text, or incorporating various font sizes, keeping your business documents professional and clean would be wise. After all, you wouldn’t want your readers to think that a 10-year-old wrote your document!

So, keep your font type and size consistent across your entire business document to show a touch of professionalism in your writing. Similarly, replacing large text with infographics, charts, and tables is also an excellent idea.

Furthermore, try to make full use of bullet points, white space, headings, and subheadings to make your business document easy to read and scan.

Don’t Forget Your Five “Ws.”

Just as a newspaper journalist writes a scoop or story, you must also use your five “Ws” to your advantage. Why? Where? When? What? Who? are the questions that your target audience wants to know the answers to!

For example, “what?” is relevant for people looking to understand something, and “who” is relevant for people you would want to target. So, ensure that you address the five “Ws” in your business documents!

Wrapping Up

Sure, hiring a freelancer will allow you to skip the hassles of sitting down and writing business documents entirely. However, if you want to succeed in the business world, it is a no-brainer to follow these tried and tested tips for improving your business writing skills. After all, a freelancer won’t be able to bail you out everywhere. So, consider getting down and dirty and improving your business wordplay to taste immense success!

If that doesn’t work out for you, you can always get in touch with Edit911. We offer the best bang for your buck business document editing and proofreading services!