If your boss has asked you to write a letter, email, or memo, you might be concerned about using proper grammar and want some writing tips to help you portray your boss and your company in a positive light. To write well in a business setting, you need to understand the purpose of what you are writing, use appropriate language, and watch for technical errors. Fortunately, there are plenty of online resources that offer business-writing tips, as well as sites that will help you improve your writing overall.
The first writing tip you should know is an old one: know your audience. Determine who the letter or memo is aimed at—a competitor, coworker, subordinate, or customer, for example. Communication with a client may call for a business letter, whereas information to be conveyed to a subordinate can be put in an email or memo. Consider the recipient when you are deciding whether a formal tone is required or if the information can be conveyed more simply. In some circumstances, it may be appropriate to involve a member of your public relations or legal team in the creation of the content. If you are writing a document that includes potentially controversial information, be sure to clear it with the appropriate departments before releasing it.
Many writing tips cover use of language because it is such an important component of good writing. For most business communication, a concise, professional tone is appropriate. Slang should not be used unless your company's culture supports it. If you're not sure about professional language, read publications written for people in your industry to get a sense of the appropriate tone. It is usually best to phrase information in a positive way when possible. For example, telling a customer that you won't ship an order with a value of less than fifty dollars is less positive than saying that your minimum order value is fifty dollars. In general, people respond better to positively phrased information.
Proofreading is crucial for any kind of writing, but it is especially important in a business setting where spelling or grammatical errors may reflect poorly on the credibility of your company. In addition to using spell-check software, you can ask another administrative assistant to read what you have written. Often a fresh eye will pick up on small errors that the writer does not see. For help with formatting memos and letters correctly, use templates like those found in many word-processing programs. Various online resources offer an array of writing tips; these sites can help you improve your writing and provide you with formatting guidelines for creating different types of business documents.
Following simple writing tips that include proofreading, making good language choices, and knowing your audience can help you write well when you need to convey an important message on behalf of your boss.
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