Tips for Effective Business Writing

Put your main points first. State exactly why you are writing the letter, memo, or other business correspondence up front. But, as noted in the example, in a sales pitch, you can grease the wheels a bit first by reminding the receiver of a past meeting or things you have in common.

Use everyday words. Use words like "about" instead of "concerning," "expect" instead of "anticipate," and "part" instead of "component," for example.

Avoid unnecessary jargon and specialist terms. Don't try to make your letters, emails, or memos too technical. If a topic requires a lot of technical jargon, attach it in a separate report.

Use "we’re" not "we are," and "we’ve" not "we have." In a decided change from a few years ago, in an effort to make business correspondence more accessible, style guides now call for using contractions. Still, use them sparingly.

Use active verbs rather than passive ones. This has long been a rule in journalism, and the style dictum has (thankfully) made it's way to business letters. Active verbs are easier for the reader to read. So, don't say, "The decision has been taken to reduce working hours." After all, who made the decision? Instead, say, "We've decided to reduce working hours." Also write tight. Note how the second sentence requires fewer words by saying "decided" instead of "made the decision."

Don’t be a slave to supposed grammar rules. In other words, go ahead and end a sentence with a preposition if it reads better (and more closely parallels real speech). You don't have to use the awkward construction, "The chairman would like a more detailed explanation for what this investment will be used." Instead, say, "The chairman would like a more detailed explanation of what this investment will be used for."

Avoid too many fonts. Stick to a nice, clean type style such as Helvetica or Times New Roman. Your receiver probably has many things to read during the business day: Make the correspondence easy on the eyes, brief and to the point, and free of errors.

Follow these rules and you'll soon be sending business correspondence that is well received and far more likely to elicit the response you want.