This is a guest post from talented wordsmith and Valuable Content associate Sharon Tanton. It gives some brilliant tips to improve the quality, clarity and accuracy of your business writing for better business results. 

The case for promoting your business with clear compelling copy is already won. No one would argue that it’s good to be waffly and confusing.  Likewise the need for accuracy. Spelling and punctuation matter, because getting them wrong makes your communications  look unprofessional and this reflects badly on your brand. You know that already. 

But how do you do it? 

Here are my top six tips for creating a clear business voice. 

1.  Short sentences are better than long ones. Really, they are. For example, if you’re reading this hoping to discover the reasoning behind my implication that the length of both word and sentence impacts upon the readability of said article, or web page, then by this point you might be becoming a little weary of it, wondering aloud to yourself, maybe quietly, maybe not, when, oh when, will it ever reach a conclusion, and I might say to you, maybe quietly too, or I might shout it, or even sing it as an operatic soprano might, in top C, that it’s not going to. 

So, short and sweet is better. Cut sentences down. Be ruthless. Don’t be frightened of full stops, they’re your friends, so use them.  

2. And it’s the same with words. Don’t say ‘facilitate’ when you mean ‘help.’ I’m not saying limit your vocabulary, English is full of beautiful words, but if there’s a simpler way to say it, then use it. Your aim is to be clear and easily understood. Get potential clients from A to B without losing them on the way in a maze of confusing words and meandering sentences. 

3. Create a team.  Your voice should reflect your brand. If you’re more than a one-man band use ‘we’ when you’re talking about what you do. We help our customers like this. ‘We’ is inclusive and engaging, and can put you on a level with your potential client. But….read on…. 

4.  Look lively. Get some energy into that copy to engage potential clients. A good trick for creating a compelling business voice is to look at the first words in each of your sentences and make sure they’re different. Long lines of ‘we’s are dull; ‘we do this,’ ‘we do that.’ Yawn, yawn. Throw in some new ones. Shake it up a bit. 

5. Seize the power. Your choice of words can put you in control or shuffle you onto the side-lines. Using an active voice gives your words authority. Don’t say ‘the report will be delivered,’ say ‘we’ll deliver the report.’ Much more powerful. 

6. But our business is different.  What we do is highly technical and specialized. I can’t explain it in simple language. Potential customers need to see how you solve problems for people like them.  Expertise can be a stumbling block if you just dump it in somebody’s path.  Take a step back and get some perspective on what you do. Ask your clients what they like about you, and I guarantee it won’t just be your technical know-how.  If you’re good, it will be your problem solving abilities, the fact you keep your promises, the way you use your skills to make their businesses run more smoothly.   

A powerful business voice communicates these qualities first, and lets the expertise speak for itself. 

Sharon Tanton

{Beautiful balloon image © Lizzie Everard 2010 www.lizzieeverard.com}

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