Get Ahead, Get Writing

To work =
To communicate
If you think you can do it or
you think you can’t do it,
you are right! – Henry Ford
“I don’t know how to write.”

“Sometimes my brain freezes

when I start to write.”

“Business writing is stiff,

difficult and boring.”
“I don’t know how to write.”
Academic World

•Reports

•Essays

•Theses
 Literary World

Novels
Poetry

Short stories

Essays
Business Writing

Complete
Clear and concise

Correct

Considerate
What do employers look for?

#1 is attitude #2 is communication
skills

*National Center on the Evaluation

of Quality in The Workplace (1994)
Think clearly Analyze
information

Examine Make decisions

alternatives
“I don’t know how to write.”

“Sometimes my brain freezes

when I start to write.”
Writer’s
Block!
“People have writer’s block
not because they can’t write,
but because they despair of
writing eloquently.”
- Anna Quindlen
Mind Mapping
Focused
Freewriting
Why?
Who?

What?

Where?

When?

How?
Writing without thinking
is like shooting without aiming.

- Arnold Glasow
The Business Writer’s
KODE:

•Know your purpose and

reader
•Organize the message
•Draft the message
•Edit before sending
Content Spelling

Grammar Layout
I have a spelling checker.
It came with my pea sea.
It plane lee marks four my revue
Miss steaks aye ken not sea.
Warning:
Don’t turn your computer on
and your brain off!
“I don’t know how to write.”

“Sometimes my brain freezes

when I start to write.”

“Business writing is stuffy and boring.”

Business writing is about making a connection!
✘Complex

✘Lengthy

✘Trite
✘Complex
Jargon

Acronyms
 Aggregate? Total/whole!

Homogeneous? Like/similar!

Subsequent? Next!
•“The news from France
is bad.”

•“The only thing we have

to fear is fear itself.”

•“Ask not what your

country can do for you;
ask what you can do for
your country.”

•I have a dream.”
✘Complex

✘Lengthy
I will repeat it again for
the second time once more.
Please attend to this matter
Immediately at once.
Please affix your signature
at the bottom of the page.
This is to inform you that the
November meeting will be
moved.
 Exercise: Seal With A Kiss
Instead Of Try writing
Conduct an investigation
Come to an agreement
Are in receipt of
Final outcome
First and foremost
Costs a total of
On a regular basis
At this point in time
In the event that
If you will be kind enough to
In reference to the matter of
I wish to take this opportunity to
thank you…
✘Complex

✘Lengthy

✘Trite
As per our discussion…

Attached herewith…

Enclosed please find…

The Recency
Principle
The last thing seen
or heard is best
remembered.
Hoping for your kind
consideration…

Looking forward to Thank you in advance

your reply as soon for your approval.
as possible…
Thank you.
For your
information/guidance/com
End strong!
•Call to action/goodwill

•Specific date & action

•Courtesy words

•Reader benefit

•Contact info
Regardless of the changes in technology, the market for well-
crafted messages will always have an audience.
- Steve Burnett, The Burnett Group