Writing Secrets You Must Know
BY RIX QUINN
Writing better is critical for students.
But it’s even more important for business communicators.
Let’s face it… if you write
succinctly, you can:
- win promotions
- lead people with your
creative ideas, and
- create instructions for
your employees to follow
Therefore, here are five
secrets about business communications you must know:
1. You must write simply
– We all want simple instructions that are easy to understand.
Choose words that everybody knows, and offer analogies that
are clear and precise.
2. Use action verbs –
Passive verbs like is, are, was, and were simply exist. Active
verbs jump, run, explain, and covey information.
3. Learn from the best
– Read Mark Twain’s brilliant short stories. Study Ben
Franklin’s short quotes and aphorisms. Lean about headlines
and copywriting from researcher John Caples.
4. Compressed messages
– In the fast-paced 21st century, readers demand information
in short, easy-to-absorb form.
It’s been said that the
average adult attention span today is a mere eight seconds.
Can you deliver the theme of your message in that short time?
5. A word about headlines
– Researchers say most of us look at headlines four times more
often than we read anything else. Therefore, that headline –
or the heading on your paper – should capture the reader’s
interest immediately.
Bottom line: Learning to write
clearly might be the most important skill you’ll ever acquire.
Rix Quinn's book
Words That Stick offers simple ideas for both students and
business writers.
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