Importance Of Writing Skills In Business Communications example essay topic

THE IMPORTANCE OF WRITING SKILLS IN BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS: HOW AND WHY TO IMPROVE EMPLOYEES' WRITING Abstract This essay describes how poorly written communication can lead to misunderstanding and a possible loss of business. Through this paper the author wants to persuade the employer to sponsor a workshop for all employees to improve their writing skills, to increase business communications and to avoid arguments through poor communication. This paper demonstrates the effectiveness of writing skills and why business communication is important in any kind of business. What can your business achieve with good writing skills and what it the impact of good writing skills on business. THE IMPORTANCE OF WRITING SKILLS IN BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS: HOW AND WHY TO IMPROVE EMPLOYEES' WRITING These last few weeks have been hard for some people in the office. Many arguments erupted and people started to blame each other for the fact that this particular business deal might be lost.

All this arguing amongst the employees does not improve the work environment, and it is apparent to clients that the atmosphere in the office is not professional. The reason for the dispute is clearly due to misunderstanding through poor written communication. This had a negative effect on some people's feelings, which in turn lead to low morale and higher risk of losing business which can be directly attributed to poor writing skills. It is important for our company to look at a way to improve employees' writing skills to avoid similar incidents in the future. One probably has received advertisement mail from various companies and, after reading the first paragraph, the paper ends in the waste paper basket because you did not like what you read in the first sentence. The way the writer started to communicate did not make you read the rest of the document.

The same happened in this last business deal; that message was not understood because it was poorly written. Clearly this is something that should not happen in business writing, especially when writing a letter or a memo, either internal or external. When your employee is not a good business writer, it can affect your business in such a way that you will loose customers. Even inside the office amongst the employees, poor communication can arouse conflict due to misunderstanding. Poor business writing can cost the company a lot of money. If our employees are not able to understand or make them understood, the business is paying the price in lost time, lost customers and lost business deals.

Success in any business depends on one thing: the ability and knowledge to communicate. The knowledge of good business writing is a very important factor and part of our day-to-day business. We have to understand and take some time in writing business letters. It will require a little planning and some thought, but for the company, it can make the difference between successful and failed business deals. We must not forget that our aim is to build a lasting relationship with our internal and external clients. Some people say that writing is the most important way to conduct business.

Business writing can illuminate, clarify, and specify; it should also communicate and convince people to do business with a company. A good business letter should be friendly and approachable with simple words, in short sentences and brief paragraphs. If we start to write business letters like this, there will be a higher possibility that the letters and memos are actually read. We have to teach our employees that it is important in business writing that correspondence should not be too overstated, but to the point, and we should not keep repeating ourselves. We should not write about how lucky the client will be if he / she would continue to work with the company. The writing should convey and communicate the positive influence on the client and make the point about what the company can do for the client.

We have seen in the past that bad writing communication affects people negatively in the office, and clients outside the office often do not like the tone of writing from the employee. Good business writing can make one's employees feel more comfortable in writing letters and memos. It can also improve understanding about what is said in the writing. Indeed, Julian L. Mims (1995) writes in an article that "writing is the major avenue of records management communication while your telephone calls, conversations, conferences, and public presentations unquestionably are important, more significant are your memoranda, letters, brochures, forms, reports, retention schedules, procedure manuals, and other written instruments". (p 27). Mims also pointed out that, while writing, you have to focus on the reader, and put yourself in the shoes of the reader; what would be the effect of your words on the reader. Will the reader, the internal or external clients, understand what you have written down; it is clear and to the point?

All this is important for business communications, and we have seen in the past that not all employees have the ability to write like this and need some extra training. Charles S. Lauer (2002) states that "Too often I find proposals, articles, and memos drowning in verbiage. Some people feel a memo should be filled with adjectives to order to earn others' attention and respect. In reality, the opposite is true.

Memos or proposals written with brevity are more easily understood. Simplicity is the key word. Do you have time to read proposals and memos that go on and on without a point? We are all in too much of a hurry. We want answers quickly.

We do not want to wade through page after page of text that tells us very little about the subject at hand". (p 28). In other words; it is not the length that is important but the context. If we start to write memos that are short and to the point the change is that more people will read them and that important memos are read, and understood, and that they will not end be discarded. Considering all the problems, and arguments we had in the last few days due to bad communication I would like to suggest that we organize a workshop for all our employees to improve their writing skills. This workshop can teach our employers to become good writers, which will reduce stress, and improve the atmosphere on the work floor. Some companies who organize workshops for business stated that writers will learn that writing in corporations is collaborative in nature, even when the boss puts his of her name at the bottom of the page; they appreciate the cultural rhythms of corporate expectations.

Good writing is good management, a person who learns to control the use of language in the writing of effective business documents is often the same person who learns to use language creatively and flexibly in order to lead others to work productively and harmoniously. During this workshop we can learn how to improve our written communication. We will learn methods for organizing difficult subjects into the most easily understood, and logical sequences, and create outlines to maximize our writing time. By organizing a workshop for our employees we can achieve a better understanding through written communications internal, and externally, and avoid future disputes, arguments and loss of clients in the company. According to Mark J. Drozdowski (2003) "Good writing skills are essential, regardless of your fund-raising specialty. Every letter and proposal represents your institution, and bad writing doesn't inspire confidence.

If you " re a good writer, wonderful; get better. I you think you " re not, seek ways to improve your skills". (pC 4). I would suggest organizing this workshop as soon as possible to avoid future misunderstandings, hurt feelings, low moral and loss of business through poor communication. This workshop is something that our company needs for his employers, they will gain knowledge about good business communication, will feel more confident in writing letter and memos in- and outside the office. Overall, it will improve the moral and work environment amongst the employees. I want to finish with a quote from Barret J. Mandel & Philip Vassallo (1999) to convince you that good writing is also good management: "A person who learns to control the use of language in the writing of effective business documents is often the same person who learns to use language creatively and flexibly in order to lead others to work productively and harmoniously.

In our experience, many of the most effective managers are also adept business speakers and writer". (p 338).

Bibliography

Drozdowski, Mark J. (2003) "The Write Stuff".
Chronicle of Higher Education, 50 (5), 5. Abstract retrieved June 4, 2004, from UOP Library, EBSCOhost.
Lauer, Charles S. (2002) "Short and Sweet", Modern Healthcare, 32 (15), 28.
Mandel & Vassallo. (1999) "From 'Me' to 'Us': Crossing the Bridge from Academic to Business Writing".
ETC: A Review of General Semantics, 56 (3), 338. Mims, Julian L. (1995) "Writing for results.