8 Ways Sales Can Improve Their Business Writing Skills
In this day and age, you’re more likely to communicate with both customers and co-workers through the written word. That’s why it’s so important that you improve your business writing skills, as with the best skills you can maximise your sales. Here are 8 tips to help you hone your writing.
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1. Stick To The Active Voice
Punchy, energetic text is created with the active voice. This often includes the use of verbs to show the reader you’re doing something for them, right now. The passive voice, on the other hand, can sound rather dreary and dull. Avoid it whenever possible.
2. Start Where It’s Easiest
There’s no reason why you have to start your document at the beginning. Instead, start in the middle, or even at the end. As long as you put everything together in the right order at the end, it doesn’t matter. If you start where it’s easiest first, you’ll find it easier to get the rest of your document written.
3. Be Upfront
“Put your main point right at the beginning of your message,” says resume editor Bernie Dale at Grade On Fire. “If you put it, later on, it muddies your message and readers may tune out before they get to the important bit.” Being upfront shows the reader what you’re looking to tell them, right away.
4. Don’t Forget Draft
No matter what you’re writing, you should be writing a draft before you hit ‘send’. This is because it’ll help you put your thoughts in order, and really help you put a top grade message together. Use the draft to organize your thoughts, and put together communications that pack a punch.
5. Avoid Jargon
When sending messages to your organization, it’s easy to slip in jargon phrases without even thinking about it. When you’re writing to customers though, these phrases can put them off as they just don’t make any sense to them. Avoid using jargon wherever possible, in order to create clear and easy to read messages.
6. Use Online Tools
Online tools will help you craft much more effective messages. Give some of these tools a try:
- Ie vs Eg: This writing blog is full of useful grammar advice.
- Revieweal: This website offers writing communities, recommended by the Huffington Post in “Write Me An Essay”, to help you improve your writing.
- Grammarix: Paste your text into this tool to get a free grammar check.
- UK Services Reviews: If you need to hire a writer, this site will help you pick the best one for you.
- AcademAdvisor: Use the advice on this blog to improve your writing.
- Top Canadian Writers: The writers at this site can help you revise your writing so it’s perfect.
7. Own Your Writing
When you use phrases ‘I think that…’ or ‘I wonder if you should…’, it makes you look like you’re indecisive. Instead, use phrases that look confident, such as ‘I recommend that…’, this helps you own your writing. Being confident in your writing will show you’re confident in your product.
8. Always Edit
Before you send that message off, make sure that you proofread and edit it. No matter how insignificant you think it is, it can make a large impression on your customers. Take the time to really check your writing, or hire a proofreader to do it for you. This will help you appear as professional as you always are at work.
These tips will help you improve those business writing skills, and bring those sales in. Put them to the test the next time you need to compose a message, and you’ll see the difference in the response you get.
Author Bio: Mary Walton is a blogger at Simple Grad, where she reviews online writing services (check an example – Ultius.com Review here). Also, she proofreads content at Best British Essays, a website for UK students.
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