Among the many skills small business owners need to hone, communicating like a pro is one of the most critical. Whether crafting an email to a prospective client or delivering a workshop to peers at a chamber of commerce event, your prowess in communicating affects how others perceive you.

This blog post is the first in a two-part blog series sharing practical tips to help entrepreneurs write and speak better.

 

Six Tips To Help You Write Like You Mean Business

• Set aside dedicated time, so you don’t have to rush through it. The phrase “haste makes waste” is true when writing anything. If you try to squeeze writing in on the fly, you won’t have time to gather your thoughts properly, you’ll struggle to find the right words to get your point across, and you’ll make silly mistakes. That means you’ll need to spend extra time editing—and maybe even completely rewriting—what you originally wrote. Instead, block out some time to tackle writing projects when other priorities—and people—won’t distract you.

 

• Organize/outline the key points you want to communicate. Never underestimate the power of planning. Before you start writing, think about your purpose and the specific details you want to share. Also, consider in what order you should write about those details, so they flow seamlessly and won’t confuse your audience. A good way to do this is to prepare an outline or simply create a list of bullet points that put your main points and key details in logical order.

 

• Make sure you clearly state any action you need readers to take. If you need your audience to do something after reading your email, memo, letter, or other written communications piece, say so openly. Consider making calls to action more prominent by using bold font. If you have multiple action items, put them in a bulleted list. Also, make sure you share the dates/times by which you need responses or tasks completed.

 

• Use tools to edit and proofread. After you’ve written drafts, take advantage of apps and software available (many offer free versions) to help you fine-tune them. For example, the spell check features in Word and email platforms can help you detect misspellings and some basic grammar errors. Also, take a look at Grammarly. It offers a browser extension that checks grammar in your online communications (e.g., when crafting emails and social media posts) and a downloadable version that allows you to check grammar in Word documents. Realize you should still review your writing in addition to using tools. Tools can save time and pick up on items you might otherwise miss, but they’re not 100 percent accurate all the time.

 

• Read your writing out loud. Vocalizing what you wrote will help you ensure your writing projects the right tone. If your “voice” comes across harsh or angry, you may want to make adjustments to soften your approach. When you read your communications out loud, it also enables you to flag anything readers might misinterpret or not understand.

 

• Ask someone else to review. This added measure of review provides valuable insight. By getting a third-party point of view, you can get impartial feedback that enables you to fine-tune your writing before you send it to your intended audience.

 

No matter what type of business you run, you’ll need to write to some degree. You don’t need the skills of Ernest Hemingway to do so, but you do need to give the task some concentrated attention. By devoting enough time, organizing your thoughts, checking your tone, and carefully reviewing your content, you can communicate professionally and successfully.

Stay tuned for Part 2 in this two-part series: Tips to Help Small Business Owners Communicate More Effectively: Part 2 – Speaking