Several months ago, we launched a new feature of brief Workplace Writing ‘Power Points’. Going forward, we’ll share more of these simple tips to help your writing pass the ‘7-C Test’ and become more Clear, Conversational, Concise, Consistent, Credible, Compelling & Correct.
Concise
Now that’s Really a Dumb Question
You know that old adage, ‘There’s no such thing as a dumb question’? Sorry to spoil your fantasy, but that’s wrong. There are plenty of dumb questions. Three of my faves are:
1. Excuse me, do you know what time it is? 2. Hey Mister, got any spare change? 3. Honey, do you want to take out the trash?
Give Your Text a Break with Text Breakers
White space makes your emails and other documents easier to read, understand and use. Avoid long paragraphs by breaking them into shorter ones or converting them with Text Breaker numbers, letters or bullets. Also, consider using bold or underlined text for emphasizing keywords. Text Breakers also enable you to eliminate unnecessary words and phrases.
Stop using ASAP!
If you’ve been reading the periodic articles on business writing techniques and strategies found here, you’ve encountered one of my favorite rants – ‘Specific beats Vague’. So, whenever you have a choice between a vague word, like ‘several’ and a specific word like ‘four’, opt for the specific word.
While there’s nothing inherently wrong with using ‘several, your reader assumes you know the real number and wonders why you didn’t use it instead. When you use an undefined word, your readers will define it for you … and likely not the way you would have defined it.