5 Business Writing Mistakes to Avoid

Writing is one of the main tasks in any office environment. It is one of the essential communication skills every business owner or manager needs. According to a Forbes report, writing ability is the most important skill in business.

In today’s global business landscape, a lot of written communication takes place between different parties. Whether you are a business student preparing for a business paper or a business manager writing an email, you should appreciate the importance of good writing.  It boosts your credibility, promotes effective communication, enhances dispute resolution at work, and builds relationships, among other things. 

Unfortunately, many people don't take writing seriously, and this leads to problems whenever they work. Poor business writing leads to ineffective communication, legal issues, strained relationships, among other problems. It is also a pointer to incompetence and loss of confidence in your leadership.

If you have plans to venture into entrepreneurship or business management, here are some writing mistakes you should avoid

1.  Using Management Jargon and Buzz Words

The main reason for any form of business writing is to communicate an idea. Whether you are writing a paper for your school exam or a report for the company board, your writing should pass across the message.

One of the most common mistakes in business writing is the use of business jargon and buzzwords, which don't mean a lot. Such overuse of management speak turns off perceptive readers.

You should focus on communicating directly to the reader by using meaningful words. After all, some of your readers might have no background in management or other business-related disciplines.

2.   Typos and Grammatical Errors

Business writing is formal, and in many cases, these documents end up in a file. The reader will refer to them more than once, and it is thus important to avoid grammatical errors, typos, poor punctuation, and any other careless mistakes.

You should take time to read through every word you write and ensure it is correct and also makes sense. Avoid rushing through a business document because this will lead to embarrassing errors which point to lack of professionalism.

If you are a consultant, your clients might question your qualifications and suitability for the job they had in mind.

3.  Long winding writing

If you want to pass a message across in any form of business writing, then do it quickly. In a guide on business writing published on the Harvard Business Review, the write says postponing the message is the greatest disease afflicting business writing. 

Before you start writing, it is advisable to clearly define the objective and create an outline of your paper. Organize your thoughts in this outline and indicate where each idea will go.  Using an outline helps determine the most important points, and these come at the beginning of your paper. 

When you prepare your business writing, it is easy to pass across the message faster and more effectively. Your readers don’t have to read through every word to get your point. This is the mark of great business writing.

4.  Jumbled Up Ideas

As a business expert, it is obvious that you have a lot to say any time you write. But there’s a catch; if you say everything in one paragraph, you might end up confusing the reader.

Many business writers include too many ideas in their papers, and this ends diminishing the effectiveness of their writing.

One of the main advantage of creating an outline before the actual writing is that you identify the main points. It is easy to situate every idea in a single paragraph. You can then leave some ideas out altogether and use them in future communication.

It is not easy for the reader to summarize your communication if you have mixed up the ideas. Try to focus on a few ideas and create specific paragraphs for each.

5.  Forgetting The Reader

Have you considered the reader? Do you know if they can understand your level of language? Is this the best mode of communication for them? It is common for business writers to focus on the content rather than the reader. 

For effective communication, you have to emphasize on the reader’s needs. Research your readers to find out the best way to connect through your writing.

Final Thoughts

Writing is at the core of every business, and it plays a crucial role in getting things done. If you have any form of business writing to do, make sure you identify the objective, define, and understand the reader and communicate directly with them.