Make it Easy to Read
One of my favorite writing coaches is Ann Wylie. Ever since I attended her workshop in 2003, I’ve subscribed to her free newsletter and read her workbooks.
Most of her tips are related to magazine writing, marketing communications and promotional copywriting. But I think the following excerpt on “Cut Through the Clutter” also applies to writing business proposals, reports, letters and other professional documents.
Ann is right when she writes, “One of the best ways to respect your readers’ lack of time is by making your copy easier to read and understand.”
Four Ways to Make Your Copy Easier to Read and Understand
By Ann Wylie, president, Wylie Communications Inc.
Here are four tips for making your copy crisper, clearer and more concise:
1. Cut your paragraphs. Long paragraphs annoy readers. In fact, if your paragraph is too long, readers are likely to skim, scan or even skip it. I like Jon Ziomek’s 1-2-3-4-5 rule for paragraph length. Ziomek, a professor at the Medill School of Journalism, suggests that your paragraph contain:
- 1 main thought, expressed in
- 2 to 3 short sentences, taking up no more than
- 4 to 5 lines on the page
2. Slash your sentences. The longer your sentences, the less your readers will understand, according to an American Press Institute Survey on reader comprehension. The trick? Keep your average sentence length to 14 words for optimum understanding.
3. Translate jargon. What’s a “visual-duration-sensing apparatus”? That’s a clock to those of us who just use, and don’t make, them. To cut the clutter: If it’s not a phrase your Aunt Rowena would use, translate it by defining it on first reference or including a glossary. Better yet, don’t use terms your Aunt Rowena wouldn’t use.
4. Find your focus. One way to reduce the length of your copy is to focus each piece on a single message point. You say you have six messages? Then you have six pieces – not one, long, unwieldy piece. Think packages: boxes, sidebars and related stories.
That’s just simple advice from a writing master!
Tags: Business Communication, business writing, how to communicate at work, writing business proposals and report
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