by Rita Mcconnell

Created on: May 11, 2009

There's no escaping it. No matter what profession a person chooses, everyone has to write sometime or another.

The written word has always been the foundation of business communication - and today, considering our growing dependence on e-mail and wired tools like blogs and social networks, success may depend more than even on understanding how to turn a phrase.

In the business world, unplanned and poorly executed written communication can not only add to the complexity of projects and potential for misunderstanding, it can reflect badly on a company or organization's professional image.

Undeveloped or poor writing skills are often the biggest complaint managers and supervisors have about otherwise talented and accomplished employees. And it's many a rising business star who has heard about his or her lack of literary prowess on a performance review. Even in careers that rely heavily on the writing arts, like law, marketing, public relations and academia, bosses often lament the lack of writing capability among their staffs.

Yet there is hope for those who dread writing - even those who specifically chose a career path in order to avoid it or still have nightmares about diagramming sentences in elementary school. Here are some tips to help:

Know exactly what you want to say before you put pen to paper - or fingers to keyboard. To avoid getting off track in a letter, report or other business correspondence, start by writing out exactly what you want the reader to take away from the writing. Next, make a list of your supporting statements, starting with the most important or significant. Then build your writing around those points. Composition teachers often say to students writing essays, "Tell your audience what your going to tell them (introduction), then tell them (body), then tell you what you told them (conclusion)." It's a method that works for business writing as well.

Speak in an active voice. By using action verbs, not only can a writer get a point across more clearly, he or she can often illustrate strength and conviction in what they're saying, which is always welcome in the business world. Don't use passive voice unless you absolutely have to - or in other words, avoid those "helping verbs" like have, has and been.

Keep it simple, stupid. In business writing, say what you need to say, in as few simple words as possible and move on. Avoid the temptation to use fifty cent words to illustrate your intelligence. Think of the written word like technology - everyone may have Windows XP, but fewer use Vista. Words work the same way. Everyone knows what a couch is, but not everyone knows what a settee is. Keeping things simple minimizes the possibility that the reader may misunderstand what you're trying to say.

Finally, know who you're talking to. Business correspondence and writing can be aimed at a wide variety of people, with an even wider array of backgrounds. Writers who keep the needs and expectations of their readers in mind while writing develop more successful pieces than those who do not. Keep in mind what the readers knows about the topic while writing - not what you know as the writer.

Using simple writing tips like these, many already successful business people can add to their overall value within an organization. Good communication skills, particularly in writing, help organizations to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings, legal woes and poor perception of its overall professionalism. Employees who can communicate properly, efficiently and clearly can expect to rise to the top of almost any profession.

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