101: Eliminate bad writing
I make a living writing and editing for companies that see inherent value in presenting their brand in a clear, concise, creative and elegant way. The value of good writing – writing that is free of jargon (think “thought leader,” “gaining traction,” “onboarding” or “value add”), grammatically correct, and plainly understandable is imperative. In fact, Inc.com cites a May report showing that $3.1 billion is spent by U.S. companies each year on remedial writing training. Good writing is also a task easily outsourced. Here are three thoughts on why good writing is important for your company: Vague emails work against you, diluting leadership.
Vague emails work against you, diluting leadership.
“Do this right, and you'll get a reputation for truth,” writes Josh Bernoff at HBJ.org on writing, especially in emails to employees. “Clear leadership, expressed in writing, creates alignment and boosts productivity.” Certainly your email should include a greeting, but Bernoff advises managers to lose the filler in emails to busy employees, giving a clear subject line and main message.
You can develop a collaborative internal editing process.
You can develop a collaborative internal editing process. One person can write a draft, another team member can check it for grammatical or spelling errors, and a third can check it for flow and readability. “You cannot proofread too many times – particularly with online writing, where errors are common,” said Cathy Miller at SimplyStatedBusiness.com. This could also be a new way of having colleagues from different departments working together in a way they otherwise would not.
Look for places where bad writing costs you money or time.
Some areas to investigate are badly written forms that don't produce adequate answers; confusing reports; or uninteresting press releases that are ignored by the media, states Impact-Information.com. Ineffective memos are another weak link, as are unintelligible product manuals that could send unhappy customers back to the store – receipt in hand – to make a return.
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