Home
>
Writing
>
Learn to Talk on Paper: The Art of Effective Business Writing

Learn to Talk on Paper: The Art of Effective Business Writing

Rudolf Flesch, a specialist in writing skills, ran classes for over thirty years for civil servants, lawyers, bankers and the like, on writing business correspondence.

Two tips he stressed over and over again in his classes.

The first: move heaven and earth to wean yourself from the inhibitions and nervous habits that your schoolteachers, bless 'em, have bequeathed to you. Leave no stone unturned to rid yourself of the awkward, stilted and artificial writing styles that have been reinforced daily since your early childhood.

The second: when you write a letter or the like - even if it's a business letter you'd normally place in the "highly formal" category - imagine that the addressee were sitting right there, on the other side of your desk.

Relax. If you really believed the recipient was with you in the room, you would never have the effrontery to begin with "please be advised" or "we wish to inform you".

Incidentally, I've a confession to make. I'm a fairly experienced writer, but time and time again, I find myself committing the very offences that would make Rudolf Flesch cringe.

I'm a sinner! But then - I am aware of it. I try to catch myself in the act.

And when I succeed, I'm pretty ruthless with myself.

When Flesch says you should imagine the person you're writing to you is right there with you in the room, it doesn't mean that informality is appropriate for all categories of written documents.

But more often than not, it's regarded today as a sign of professionalism, rather than the reverse.

More importantly, it's far more effective, as we'll see. And whichever way you look at it, effective communication is the name of the game!

Incidentally, you'll notice that I said we spoke about... rather than we wrote about.

I can't see you as I write. All I can see is my monitor and it's not much of a conversationalist. All the same, I'm using talking words all the time.

I recall my school days in South Africa, round about half a century ago. At the end of every term, we wrote exams, and one paper was always called "English Composition."

From the lowest grade to the highest, the format was about the same. There were generally two questions: The first would begin: "Write an essay of about 500 words on one of the following topics..." The second would be the same, with "letter" substituted for "essay".

Between examinations, the teachers would drum a multitude of rules into our impressionable heads, always accompanied by grim warnings about the terrible consequences of non-compliance! Many of these rules directly contradict what I'm telling you to do now.

Have you ever taken a course in public speaking?

When you do a public speaking course, you don't hear much about grammar and vocabulary. Instead you learn not to be embarrassed, to overcome your inhibitions, to speak without a prepared script and to reach out to the audience in front of you.

We're not saying that good grammar and such things aren't important in writing. They're very important.

But they're not the essence. In some ways, writing is so much harder than public speaking, because your audience isn't right there in front of you. But the object of the whole exercise is to break through the invisible barrier that separates writer and reader.

Notice that question I asked three paragraphs ago? Of course, this is one of the tricks we use to tear down that very barrier.

I could have saved a lot of words by leading right in with: "Those who have taken public speaking course know that..." But a question has a more intimate, personal ring. With a bit of luck, I'll even make you feel I'm talking directly to YOU. Why? Because a person normally peppers his everyday conversation with millions of questions!

For precisely the same reason, this article, is full of word contractions. That is to say: I write "they're" rather than "they are"; "I'll" and not "I will." Certainly sounds more cozy, you will -oops, you'll admit.

"Yes," you may well protest, "let's assume I'm a bank manager or the like? Can I really use that style in writing to my clients? And oh my gosh - what if I'm some kind of government official?" (We won't talk of lawyers for the moment - they're a special class of headache, which we'll have to deal with separately.)

The rejoinder is: "Sure, you can." When you write a business letter, you want to make your point quickly and effectively. Further, you're looking for a response: you want action. An informal style, rather than one of prim and proper conventionality, is more likely to do the trick.

For all that, you could ask me a very strong question:

"This makes sense when you want to be friendly: when you're looking to get the business of a potential customer, or to retain that of an existing one.But what if I deliberately need a stiff and formal tone, as when I'm writing a letter of demand to a debtor?"

We can do no better than to quote an example direct from Rudolf Flesch. Compare these two extracts:

"It is imperative that you submit the above amount within five days. Failure on your part to comply may result in legal action at your expense."

"If you don't pay this amount within five days, we'll start legal action at your expense."

Which of these two versions is more likely to startle the hapless recipient out of his wits?

You be the judge!

Azriel Winnett is creator of Hodu.com - Your Communication Skills Portal. This popular website helps you improve your communication and relationship skills in your business or professional life, in the family unit and on the social scene. New articles added almost daily.

licensed cleaning services Park Ridge ..

In The News:

Scammers create fake Evite invitations that mimic legitimate event emails, requiring users to verify senders and use antivirus software for protection.

The new Apple Watch hypertension feature passively monitors blood pressure patterns over 30 days using sensors to detect chronic high blood pressure signs.

Chrome extension spyware disguised as a free VPN service highlights security risks after it captured private browsing data from trusted sites.

New research shows how fatty acids in cooking oil can safely dissolve and recover silver from circuit boards without harmful chemicals or environmental damage.

The Fox News AI newsletter gives you information on the latest AI technology advancements, and about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Anthropic investigates alarming AI abuse case where hacker automated entire cybercrime campaign using Claude, stealing sensitive data from defense and healthcare firms.

TikTok, Meta and YouTube restrict Charlie Kirk shooting videos with age gates and warnings while X faces criticism for allowing continued circulation.

Cybercriminals use fake troubleshooting websites to trick Mac users into running terminal commands that install Shamos malware through ClickFix tactics.

San Francisco startup Fable launches Showrunner, an AI platform dubbed the 'Netflix of AI' that generates animated episodes from text descriptions with Amazon support.

Apple raised iPhone prices for some models despite receiving tariff relief from President Donald Trump, with the new lineup starting at $799 for the base model.

A two-story 3D concrete printed home in Western Australia demonstrates faster construction methods that could reshape American housing amid rising costs.

Credit scores remain important during retirement for insurance rates and housing applications, while seniors become prime targets for identity theft and financial scams.

Scammers now send unexpected packages with QR codes that redirect victims to fraudulent websites or download malicious software to steal sensitive information.

Meeting AI tools record private conversations alongside work discussions, creating privacy risks that can be managed with proper settings and awareness.

Hotel privacy concerns are valid but rare, with methods to detect hidden tech using smartphone flashlights, mirror tests and scanning apps.

Improve your Wi-Fi speed and reliability with 10 simple router optimization tips that don't require special apps or expensive subscriptions.

A Columbia University breach exposed names, Social Security numbers and academic records of nearly 869,000 people, with notifications beginning in August.

Rental car drivers use AI-powered apps like Proofr to protect themselves from unfair damage fees as major companies deploy automated inspection tools.

Fox News' AI newsletter brings you the latest on technology advancements around artificial intelligence.

OnTrac data breach between April 13-15, 2025, exposed personal information of over 40,000 people including Social Security numbers and medical records.

A woman named Wika announces her engagement to an AI chatbot sparking worldwide debate about virtual relationships and technology.

The notorious people search site National Public Data relaunches despite a previous breach affecting 3 billion individuals, raising fresh privacy concerns.

Revolutionary TRAUMAGEL gel controls life-threatening bleeding from gunshot wounds and traumatic injuries, helping first responders prevent prehospital deaths.

Protect your home network by enabling proper encryption, creating strong passwords, checking connected devices and using VPN and antivirus software.

The Navy's solar-powered Skydweller drone flew nonstop for 73 hours in Mississippi, proving renewable energy can power long-endurance military missions.