Introduction
Clear, effective business writing is more important than ever. Thanks to the facsimile machine, our skill (or lack of skill) with words is beamed around the world in black and white.
In a survey of Fortune 1000 executives, 80 percent said they've decided not to interview job candidates solely because of poor grammar, spelling, or punctuation in resumes or cover letters.
Of those same executives, 99 percent also said poor writing and grammar hurt an employee's chances for promotion.
In another study, the U.S. Navy determined it could save $27 million to $57 million a year if officers wrote memos in a plain style. Navy personnel spent more time reading poorly written memos than those written in a plain style. Similar savings could be realized in the private sector if corporations stressed good writing in the workplace.
But the best argument for good writing is simple logic: People won't buy what they don't understand.
Try some of the following tips the next time you write a letter, memo, report, proposal, press release, or other business document. Then distribute your work with confidence, because good writing is good for your business.
1. Begin with one grain of sand.
Before you start to write any business document, identify the single idea you're trying to get across. Jot it down in one sentence on a note pad next to your typewriter or computer keyboard. If you were writing a news story, this would be the headline. Or if you were writing a movie, this would be the one-line description in the TV Guide. Here are some examples.
• You want an appointment to explain your new product. (sales letter)
• Using computers to track inventory will save thousands of dollars. (report)
• The janitorial crew will be working new hours. (memo)
Your one-line synopsis is a grain of sand; it will help you begin. Large projects can be built from it, but the grain of sand itself is neither overwhelming nor intimidating.
As you write, reread your one-line reminder. It will keep you grounded, focused, on target. Know what you want before you begin to write, and the writing will come more easily.
2. Give the who, what, when, where, and why.
Be a reporter. There is basic information all people want to know -- no matter the subject. Train yourself to answer in your writing all the questions your reader might ask. Everything you write may not have a who, what, when, where, and why, but at least ask yourself if it does. In good writing, omission of information is by plan, not mistake.
John (who), please study the cost of fish (what) for the next three months (when) at our Seattle facility (where). I believe we can save money by purchasing fish for our performing dolphins from a new Alaskan source (why).
Thinking of your reader's questions before you write helps you organize your writing and makes your memos, reports, and letters as complete as an article in the New York Times.
3. Step up to bat and take a few swings.
All writers have asked, "How do I begin?" You begin by switching your brain into a writing frame of mind.
Athletes often develop rituals to signal to their brain that it's time to perform: Baseball batters dust their hands with dirt, dig in their heels, and take practice swings. Tennis players bounce the ball a few times before winding up for the serve.
You can develop rituals that put you in the mood to write. Some writers use a special pen. Others write better in a particular place, such as looking out a window or not looking out a window. Try some of these rituals:
• Deep breathing. Close your eyes and take several deep breaths to center yourself. Listen to your breathing. Shut out the ringing of the phones, the conversations of your coworkers, the buzz of your computer.
• Visualization. Close your eyes and imagine you are staring at a blank billboard in a snowstorm. The purpose of this trick is to clear your mind of thought, to wipe the slate clean. The mind can't stand a clean slate and begins to compose.
• Affirmation. Look in the mirror and say "Good morning, writer." Repeat this until you believe it.
Rituals simply focus your inner attention on a task to come. Find one that triggers your writing self.

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