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 Writing professionally is a style of writing that is clear, straight to the point, and focused on conveying a message, information or ideas quickly in a professional setting. Writing professionally is NOT about writing long essay, lengthy explanation and elaboration, and certainly not about using bombastic languages. It is more towards informing or persuading the target reader or audience in the world of work, corporate and business.

You need to clearly know in advanced the following before you attempt to write any document:

Purpose of the document:

Describe and define clearly the purpose of this document. 

Eg: a document to persuade the management to consider or adopt a specific concept or idea for a project, OR a marketing document to justify the proposal idea submitted to the client for implementation.

Target audience for the document:

Know exactly who are the intended readers or audience of the document. If there are more than one target audience, specify clearly, so that you know exactly which section is for whom. 

Eg: In a business proposal, the Executive Summary section will mostly be read by the management, while the rest of the sections containing the detailed specifications may be intended for the executives or technical staff.

Tone of the document:

Remember that when you write, your emotions and how you feel at that moment may get transferred into your document. As such, you need to be calm, confident and in control of yourself when you write. It is inevitable that you will use strong and harsh words when you feel angry and stressed. Likewise, you may use weak and maybe negative words when you feel lousy or not in the mood. Know in advanced the kind of tone or take away you wish your reader to get after reading your document.

Eg: If you are proposing a business idea to your client or your management, you may wish to project a passionate and exciting tone, so that the audience can feel the excitement too.

In this article and in the courses offered, we are mainly focused on business and corporate documents. Eg: memorandum, cover letter, manuals, proposals, business letter, corporate communications, etc. This article does not cover technical writing, creative writing or academic writing, which requires different set of skills to write professionally.

Elements of writing professionally

Some of the basics of writing professionally are as follows:

1.  Check for typo, grammar and language.

Regardless of the language used in your document, you need to ensure all documents are free of any obvious errors, mistakes or incorrect language sentences. Today’s software tools now come with spell checks, grammar checks and all sorts of proof-reading tools. Use it. Alternatively, give to someone to check manually, and to verify before releasing the document to your intended audience.

2. Be brief, concise and straight to the point.

Unlike essay writing, business writing are usually short and simple. Keep all sentences short and straight to the point. If there is a need to elaborate, state your main message upfront and then elaborate.

Eg: We propose the project should be completed by XXX (date) because ….. (give your explanation and elaboration).

3. Use positive words.

Where possible, use positive and affirmative words. If ever you wish to say something negative, reverse your logic and say it in a positive manner. Eg: If you want to tell the client NOT to do something or say something, tell him/her what to say instead. Omit the DO NOT bit, and use words like “You shall” or “You may” instead.

4. Organise your thoughts.

When writing professionally, ensure the reader can easily follow your ideas and your train of thought. One idea should lead logically into the next through the use of transitional words,  phrases or statements with clear subjects, headings that are clear, and effective lists. Each paragraph should only have on key point.

5. Use visual words or sentences when describing or elaborating.

Writing professionally involves using specific, precise language to paint a picture for your readers so that they can more easily understand your ideas. If you have to explain an abstract concept or idea, try to use examples, analogies, and precise language to illustrate it. Use measurable descriptors whenever possible; avoid vague terms such as “big” or “good.” Try to get your readers to “see” your ideas by using specific terms and descriptions.

SUMMARY

In the business and corporate world, writing professionally will make a lot of difference whether a company can is perceived as professional or not. The difference between a report that costs RM100 and RM1 million is not just the contents of the report, but also the look-and-feel, formatting and layout of the overall report. 

As some people will say, “a report is a report is a report”. The main difference is who produces the report. Any report done professionally – with great layout, formatting and looks – will always be perceived as worth more than one that is simply done, even if the contents contain lots of solid facts. The next time you engage a consultant, take a look at his report, and compare with other suppliers’ report. You will see the distinction, as the consultant’s report will be template, with colours, fonts, visuals, header and footers to enhance its overall look-and-feel.

For more about developing a professional document enroll into one of our Business Productivity courses.

Contributed by: RICHARD CHIA

The author was previously senior management with a global MNC that emphasises strict global standards in written documentation and presentation communication. He currently lectures at a local University, and is a HRD Corp certified and accredited trainer.

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