Writing skill is a basal constituent of building professional success. It is to the working world what running is to athleticism. Its application spans a wide spectrum of domains, and in a complex, multivariable jungle that is business, writing ability will also inevitably come in handy in one form or another. Here are a few reasons why writing is important in business.
- Mind your reputation
Not everyone can appreciate the artifice that goes into fine arts or evaluate whatever DJs do, but writing is a very visible skill that even a layman can judge you for. Much of modern communication consists of online messaging, and be sure that every email, text, or application you send out compounds people’s opinions about you. Botched wording and spelling errors are simple missteps with great effect. They can sully your reputation and completely discredit you in the eyes of your peers.
- Craft your image
They say dress for the job you want, not for the job you have. To become a successful businessman, you must carefully consider the public’s perception of your image.
In a shaky and unpredictable world of business, a lot is riding on what kind of first impression you are giving off to people. Verbal prowess is a necessary building block of a clever and confident stature you want to create and project. And the best way to refine your communication skills is through writing, as writing elevates verbal skills.
Remember that businessmen are not just workhorses; they are show ponies, and a high command of your language can give you an edge over the competition and supercharge your progress.
- Tailor your writing
If we so far managed to convince you of the importance of writing in business, you might now be looking for some writing cues. Our titular advice, based on observation, is to try not to overshoot the runway with how much complexity the passing of an idea requires. This will come off as forced and pretentious. Business communication is not about eloquence, but achieving an end, so keep your writing brief and to the point. There is nothing more dreary than having to persevere through someone’s jargony rant, packed with unnecessary terminology and overcomplicated sentences.
But do not make the mistake of assuming succinctness doesn’t take skill. There’s a reason why people with decent language skills still enlist research paper help and other such services from professionals. The virtue of a true writer lies in the ability to pass down an esoteric thought in a way digestible by a commoner, not in needlessly complicating a basic point. This takes a state-of-the-art craft.
Since we wasted that whole paragraph on a single point, consider these additional pointers for your next business-related written communication :
- Always consider who your audience is
- Be aware of your recipients’ familiarity, and adjust your tone accordingly
- Think about what exact information you need to convey and stay on point
- Scan your text for mistakes before sending
- Consider reading your work from the intended recipient’s perspective
- Ask for an outside opinion if you are unsure
- A window into the soul
To be successful in any business, you need to be perceptive. A successful leader needs to be a good judge of other people’s character and intellectual abilities. You can gain valuable insight into workers’ or applicants’ minds through their writing, which has obvious benefits for workforce management.
Similarly, leaders themselves should continuously spare time to enhance their own writing.
These days, things never get done without at least some writing involved in the process. Proficient writing can fast-track the cycle from ideation to realization. Your cool new business idea, for example, can sound amazing in your head but lose all the flare and substance when you poorly commit it to paper.
- Online presence
No modern business is complete without a prominent online presence. And primary means of communication for websites and dedicated pages are, you guessed it, words. There are so many available alternatives of products and services nowadays that no one will give your website a second look if the writing is not up to the standard. These online portals are the first point of contact between a business and a potential customer, so make sure you spend an effort with your writing to leave a good first impression.
- Good writers seem trustworthy
Displaying strong communication skills elevates you in the eyes of partners, employees, and customers. All else equal, good writing makes you credible and trustworthy to people and incentivizes them to do business with you. In contrast, lousy writing speaks of negligence or outright incompetence and marks someone uninterested in the matter or simply unintelligent. This is why anti-scam campaigns teach you to look for grammatical errors in suspicious emails. Modern technology like brandbookcloud has made information sharing, most of which is written text, faster and more voluminous than ever. This has inflated the importance of comprehensive writing skills. Be sure not to compromise your own business interests by leaving a bad taste in everyone’s mouth with your lack of cohesive writing ability.
Final thoughts
It’s difficult to quantify intelligence, but writing seems to be the best medium for it.
To be a good leader, you need to be a pitch-perfect communicator. In business, writing skills help you seem credible, set you apart from the competition, and allow for building useful relationships. Never cut corners on such a versatile tool and treat it as the priority that it is.