Writing skills are an important part of communication. Good writing skills allow you to communicate your message with clarity and ease to a far larger audience than through face-to-face or telephone conversations.You might be called upon to write a report, plan or strategy at work; write a grant application or press release within a volunteering role; or you may fancy communicating your ideas online via a blog. And, of course, a well written CV or rsum with no spelling or grammatical mistakes is essential if you want a new job.Today, when anyone can be their own publisher, we see more and more examples of poor writing skills both in print and on the web. Poor writing skills create poor first impressions and many readers will have an immediate negative reaction if they spot a spelling or grammatical mistake. As just one example, a spelling mistake on a commercial web page may cause potential customers to doubt the credibility of the website and the organisation

Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation

Correct grammar, punctuation and spelling are key in written communications. The reader will form an opinion of you, the author, based on both the content and presentation, and errors are likely to lead them to form a negative impression.

If you are unconvinced about the importance of accurate writing, think of the clues we use to identify spam emails, phishing websites, and counterfeit products: poor grammar and spelling.

Similarly, some employers state publicly that any CV or rsum containing spelling or grammatical mistakes will be rejected immediately, whilst a BBC news article quotes research that calculates spelling mistakes cost online businesses millions in lost sales.

Checking for poor writing and spelling mistakes should be seen as a courtesy to your readers since it can take them much longer to understand the messages in your writing if they have to think and re-read text to decipher these.

All written communications should therefore be re-read before sending to print, or hitting the send button in the case of emails, as it is likely that there will be errors. Do not assume that spelling and grammar checkers will identify all mistakes as many incorrect words can indeed be spelt correctly (for example, when their is used instead of there or principle instead of principal) or entire words may be missing. If at all possible, take a break before re-reading and checking your writing, as you are more likely to notice problems when you read it fresh.

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Tips to improve writing skills

Youd think business writing is always carefully crafted, but the truth its often ridden with misspellings, misused words and inaccuracies. The good news is that you can easily improve your business writing in a few easy steps.

First, Know Your AudienceOften our writing suffers because its inappropriate. We write convoluted emails, we format reports poorly, and overall we dont try to make our content reader friendly.

Knowing the purpose a piece of writing serves gives you a sense of direction. Writing a business report should follow a specific format; for example, an in-office email could be short and informal, but a customer email or a PowerPoint presentation should follow guidelines of courtesy, clarity and conciseness. Your audience should be your compass; keeping in mind what the recipient seeks to learn narrows down the possible directions your writing should take.

Style, tone, and vocabulary use should be in line with your audience and situation. This is not just a matter of appropriateness and content effectiveness, its about your flexibility to communicate adeptly with different audiences, to empathize with them, and thus be able to connect at an appropriate and effective wave-length.

Focus on Content and StyleIs your writing organized along the following essential features and rules?

Simple Language Create reader-friendly content by avoiding adjectives, using the active voice, and opting for commonly-known, shorter words. Your aim is to communicate your point across as effortlessly and as quickly as possible. Avoid "hidden verbs" by being conscious of unnecessary nominalization; for example, instead of saying, "Wed love to be of assistance" say instead, Wed love to assist you. The second sentence is more effective and customer-friendly, because its direct, efficient, and comprehensible.

Conciseness and Brevity Business writing has to be succinct. Your audience doesnt have the luxury to browse through multiple report pages to get the information they seek. Respect your recipients time; they should be able to access important information easily. You can achieve this when you:

Stick to your subject matterFocus on factsAim for clarity and avoid ambiguityChoose short wordsAvoid unnecessary dcor (adjectives and adverbs)Distinguishing Opinion From Facts These two aspects of communication should be clearly separated in business writing. Ensure the reader can tell with certainty when something is a fact or merely your viewpoint. This way youll avoid misunderstandings and youll keep your writing ambiguity-free.

Serving a Purpose Each piece of business communication should serve a clear purpose. Make an effort to not divert from this purpose. If youre emailing a colleague with a follow-up email about a report due, dont include three other unrelated requests in the same email.

Use Formatting WiselyEvery piece of writing should be properly formatted to maximize efficiency. Use headlines, bullet points, numbering and other formatting features (bold, italics, different colors) to ensure the reader can skim and scan with ease through your text. But don't overdo it! Too many distracting visual elements take the focus off your message.

This applies to all types of writing. Whether it's an email, a report, or a presentation, formatting helps your writing become clear and user-friendly. When possible, substitute text with visual presentations, graphics or charts.

Proofread Thoroughly, Revise Ruthlessly

Your first draft shouldnt be your final product. Especially if were talking about a business proposal or report, its crucial that you review and edit it multiple times until youve created a respectable version.

Putting so much work in creating a professional piece of writing should wrap up with thorough proofreading. Ensure you check for syntactical, grammatical and typographical errors. If you cannot proofread your own work, have it proofread by someone else to make sure it has flow and readability and its free of embarrassing errors.You can also run it through an online spellchecker to catch common grammatical errors and misspellings, but remember that spellcheckers cannot detect contextual spelling errors (e.g. if the misspelled word is a properly spelled different word, like their/theyre, accept/except, right/write, here/hear). Spelling errors can best be avoided by improving your spelling skills using software like Ultimate Spelling.Being aware of commonly misspelled words or grammatical weaknesses you have will help you anticipate and prevent them from spoiling your writing.Be Aware of Attitude and PerspectiveThis is a rarely emphasized aspect of business writing. Its not enough to know your audience and what they want from you. Its crucial that you also know the different layers of meaning your writing conveys. Word choice, sentence structure, viewpoints and expressions all reveal more than you think about your attitude and perspective on what youre writing about.

The "You"-attitude is an aspect of business writing worth considering. It suggests that your writing should adopt the point of view of the reader, rather than yours. By embracing the recipients perspective youre more likely to elicit positive responses. When the reader is the focal point, then theyre more keen to help, support, partake or act in what you ask them to. The You-attitude more often than not motivates the reader to act towards your desired direction, makes you appear more trustworthy, and promotes a feel-good atmosphere.

It might seem like a lot of work, but its worth it to focus on these five points and polish up your business writing skills. The benefits of doing so are many; youll find it easier to communicate your thoughts and people will be more likely to understand and consider your ideas.

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Importance of writing skills in business

Communication skills, including writing, are one of the most important transferable skills that workers possess. Most business professionals, such as marketing, finance, and research and development managers, need excellent writing skills to properly convey ideas and concepts. There are many reasons that writing skills are important in the business world.

Ads by GoogleEnglish Grammar LessonsGames, Exercises & More. Free Trial Discover Your Merit. Register Now!www.learnnext.com/EnglishGrammarSignificanceDuring a regular business day, bosses write emails to employees notifying them of meetings or providing instructions for specific projects. These written messages must be concise and self-explanatory, so workers can be productive and not waste time asking for further instructions. Business people are busy and well-written communications help save time. Additionally, good writing adds to the credibility of the writer and reflects positively on a company's image.

IdentificationWriting skills are particularly important to advertising copywriters. These professionals create magazine, newspaper, and Internet advertisements to convince readers to purchase a company's products or services. For example, an advertisement's headline must grab the consumer's attention and get her to read the company's offer. A company's sales brochures and other advertising materials must also be written effectively.

Related Reading: The Importance of Good Writing Skills in the Workplace

TypesWriting skills are important in many types of company communications, including emails, reports, presentations, company brochures, sales materials, and visual aids. For example, a marketing research manager's reports should be comprehensive and informative, yet written on a level that any employee can understand. Plus, as more companies operate internationally, emails are replacing telephone communications.

FunctionHuman resources managers need excellent writing skills to attract, select, and hire the right employees. It takes a considerable amount of money to place advertisements and hire employees. Job advertisements must appeal to job applicants with the right education and experience. Human resources managers with the best writing skills know how to state specific qualifications in a job advertisement.

ConsiderationsEmployees must not only know how to write effectively, they must also be discreet in their written work. For example, employees should not write emails when they are angry or upset as emails can be saved and later printed. An employee who says inappropriate things in an email can create trouble or even be fired. Jokes, profanity, and crude written communications are also prohibited in the workplace.

three main types of writing which related to personality:Formal writing can be stiff, humourless, and sometimes with a little arrogance. It contains lots of articles and prepositions but few I-words, and adverbs. Those who score highest in formal thinking tend to be concerned with status and power and to be less self-reflective. They drink and smoke less, tend to are more mentally healthy, but also less honest. Older people tend to have more formal writing.Analytical writing is about making distinctions. Analytical writers tend to do well academically, be more honest, and open to new experiences. They read more and tend to be more introspective.Narrative writers are storytellers. Narrative writing uses lots of function words involving people, the past-tense and inclusive words such as "with" and "together". These writers tend to have good social skills, more friends and are more outgoing.

tips for composing and styling your document:

Start with your audience Remember, your readers may know nothing about what you're telling them. What do they need to know first?Create an outline This is especially helpful if you're writing a longer document such as a report, presentation, or speech. Outlines help you identify which steps to take in which order, and they help you break the task up into manageable pieces of information.Use AIDA If you're writing something that must inspire action in the reader, follow the Attention-Interest-Desire-Action (AIDA) formula. These four steps can help guide you through the writing process.Try some empathy For instance, if you're writing a sales letter for prospective clients, why should they care about your product or sales pitch? What's the benefit for them? Remember your audience's needs at all times.Use the Rhetorical Triangle If you're trying to persuade someone to do something, make sure that you communicate why people should listen to you, pitch your message in a way that engages your audience, and present information rationally and coherently. Our article on the Rhetorical Triangle can help you make your case in the most effective way.Identify your main theme If you're having trouble defining the main theme of your message, pretend that you have 15 seconds to explain your position. What do you say? This is likely to be your main theme.Use simple language Unless you're writing a scholarly article, it's usually best to use simple , direct language. Don't use long words just to impress people.

The term "rhetoric" in modern language has been used to refer to arguments that are designed to obscure the truth. The word has therefore taken on a negative connotation ("All that politician does is spew rhetoric.")