Business Writing – A Few Pointers

Less is (Usually) More

I want to introduce you to three words I encountered while working in various administrative jobs in Corporate Canada: curt, succinct, terse. These words have similar meanings.

• Curt is generally seen as being (too) brief, in a rude way.
• Succinct usually means something said briefly, but clearly said.
• Terse, sometimes a synonym for curt, can simply mean abrupt.

In business correspondence, or verbal dialogue, we don’t necessarily need to be curt or terse. But succinct? Yes, much of the time. Following are two real-life examples, drawn from two positions I had. In the first, I was an executive assistant to a vice-president of a large payment processing company. In the second, I was the executive assistant to the President & CEO of a large insurance firm.

In the first example, I had gone into my boss, complaining (I know, wrong move) about a situation with his reports (the managers who reported to him). His succinct reply went something like this: “Don’t bring me problems; bring me solutions.” He wasn’t mad, but he did have his ‘teacher hat’ on at that moment. Had his tone been different – one gets the full message only in person, as much of it has to do with tone and body language – I would have called his reply curt.

In the second example, I had a shared responsibility, alongside other executive assistants, of preparing a massive package for an annual general meeting (AGM). I mean a binder full of information and documents that had to be mailed at times, but mostly couriered, to all board members, a month ahead of the meeting. We got the job done. Later, and I was too naive to have known this at the time, I found out two things about how recipients viewed or used the contents of the binders. First, few ever read everything in the binders. Second, what many / most recipients did before the actual AGM was read the Executive Summary. That alone taught me a great deal about succinct; about the ‘less is more’ rule as it applied to busy business people.

Your Audience

I’m sure you already know how crucial this is; knowing your audience. At first–let’s say you just started a new job, or secured that new client–you may not know your audience at all. I don’t want to oversimplify or overstate this: do your due diligence.

Before you start that new job you should be able to find out something about your employer; not necessarily the person/people you’ll work for. As long as you’re in a positive environment, ask questions. Generally, if they’re deemed pertinent, and aren’t repeated too much (I’ve gone down that road), you’ll be appreciated. For new clients or business associates, again, try to find out as much as possible before you ‘get down to business.’ When I was still more active in the virtual assistance field, I was introduced to a dynamic woman that needed copywriting. Well, I apparently did not understand her at all, and was told the same. End of the relationship.

There is no cookie-cutter pattern for anyone. We’re all so uniquely different. So that cute little thing you say to most people may not work at all, or may backfire, the first time you say it to your new boss, client, or business associate. As a college professor teaching business communication, I had to remind my students all of the time that I was one of their audiences; the fictitious person(s) in my test or assignment were another audience.

More Formal Language

I have used some casual language in this post, to be sure. But the vast majority of the workplaces I found my way to, casual language wasn’t appreciated.

You may work for a company that’s laid back; great. I prefer informal, actually. I had one job, part-time, for a logistics company. I worked there for five years. I was in the upstairs offices, while the warehouse was right below us. It was a very relaxed, to the point of it being a hostile at times atmosphere. I couldn’t quite wrap my head around my boss and her boss, walking up and down the hallways, cussing each other out at the top of their lungs! I got used to it. After a time, I very much appreciated how honest and down to earth everyone was.

At a different job, another of my executive assistant forays, my boss insisted that I answer his phone with “You’ve reached the office of the president, Mr. [X].” I have to tell you, it was awkward to answer the phone that way. But that was his style, and therefore, the office’s style. Same went for dress; formality. I pretty much had to be in business suit every day.

So suss out your business associates as best you can. One of the easiest ways to do that is simply to listen.

In Summary

Business lingo can be very different from what you use normally. I remember when I heard the term “low hanging fruit” one day. I just laughed. I didn’t even know what it meant. (Quite honestly, I came to think it, along with other such haughty terms, as ridiculous.) You may have to, as I have had most of my career, almost speak two languages most days: how you normally speak, and ‘businesspeak.’

Need any help with an upcoming writing/communication challenge? Please send an email to rob@successfulmessages.com. Remember, your initial consultation, up to 30 minutes, is fee!