If you try hitting two birds with one stone, you'll most likely miss both birds!

Let's face it, in today's Business Environment, it's an on-going challenge for
writers to have even well-crafted communications read and understood. That said, why further complicate matters with writing that tries to be all things to all readers?

Business Writers should never sacrifice readability for economy, less they risk putting out communications that are disjointed or downright confusing. Unfortunately, this is often the result when writers attempt to do too many things with one communication.

Business Correspondence, be it a letter, memo, or email message, is most
effective when it deals with a single topic.

Obviously, there are occasions when it makes sense to mix relevant and related
topics in one communication (Marketing and Sales is one example), but grouping topics for no other reason than economy, is neither effective nor logical. And why should readers have to "mine" through lines of copy just to extract information that is germane to them or their situations?

What we are talking about is Unity and Cohesiveness, i.e. one theme, one
message, if you prefer. These two basic elements of effective writing, may seem
quaint and irrelevant in our modern "multi-tasking" world, but nothing can be
further from the truth. Simply put, the sharper the focus of your writing, the
easier it will be to comprehend.

Here are a some tips to consider as you draft your communications:

* Clearly identify the topic.

* Stay on message and don't digress.

* Don't mix topics unless there is a reason to do so.

* Stick with facts.

* Use consistent tone and language.

* Keep it simple!

* Reality Test: Does the communication make sense?

Business Professionals are always looking for ways to do more with their available time, and a "two birds with one stone" strategy can do wonders for one's personal productivity. Unfortunately, as a writing strategy, it will do very little to help you "hit either bird".

Learn more about this author, J. E. Cunningham.
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