There are several ways to
simplify the writing process.
One of the quickest and most
easily adaptable ways is to
create and follow a simple
outline for all of your business writing. While you don't need a
detailed, four-page outline that
encompasses every point you
want to make or every theory
you purport, a simple outline
can assist you in organizing your thoughts, narrowing
your topic, helping you decide
exactly what you want to say,
and ensuring that you cover
every important aspect of your
subject. An outline also helps you jump
over the writer's block hurdle
that plagues nearly every
writer at one time or another. Organize Your Thoughts Before you even begin to
write, spend some time
brainstorming. Grab a sheet of
paper and a pen, or a blank
computer screen and a
keyboard, and write down everything you can think of
that relates to your topic.
Include ideas that are only
slightly relevant, ideas that you
may eventually discard, but
don't filter your thoughts at this point. Spend about 10-15
minutes writing down
EVERYTHING you can think of
about this subject. When you're finished, go back
over what you've written and
eliminate duplicate thoughts,
unnecessary or irrelevant
ideas, or anything else you
don't want to include. Now you have a fairly
thorough list of the general
ideas you want to discuss. Narrow Your Topic Next, look at your ideas more
closely. Do you really want to
cover every one of them? Are
some of these topics better left
unsaid or some such common
knowledge that you don't need to mention them? Only
you can decide what's
important, but focus on what
you really want to say. Ask
yourself some questions, such
as: • Who am I trying to reach
with this writing? • What do I want my readers
to understand? • Are each of these ideas
necessary to my central
theme? • Have I left anything out? Decide Exactly What You Want
to Say Once you have each general
topic area defined, it's time to
think about each area in more
detail. Decide what makes each
thing you've written down
important. Determine what it is that you want your readers to
understand about each specific
idea. Write your first draft at
this point, being careful to fill
in every detail you can. It's
much easier to edit and cut extraneous material than to try
to go back and fill it in later. Cover Every Important Aspect
of Your Subject After you've written your first
draft, you'll want to go back
and evaluate every sentence,
and every paragraph. Have
you covered every important
aspect of your subject? Should you expand an idea more
fully? Can you rewrite a
sentence or a paragraph to
make it read more clearly or
professionally? Now is the time
to do your best work. Ensure that your subject is covered
fully and completely and that
you have said exactly what
you intended to say. Consider Hiring a Professional Most small business owners
and entrepreneurs must wear
many, if not all, of the hats in
the company. While it's easy to
recognize the importance of
your business communications, it's also easy
to allow them to crucial
documents to exit your office
without full consideration for
their impact on your bottom
line. Consider this... if you don't
communicate clearly and
effectively with your clients
and prospects, you'll lose their
attention -- and their business! That's why, if your business
writing skills are less than
professional, you should
seriously consider hiring a
professional writer and/or
editor to assist you. Often, the first thing your
audience sees is your written
communication, and if you fail
there, you'll never get the
chance to show them what
great products and astounding customer service you can
provide!
