Clear, Concise and Powerful Business Communications

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Clear, Concise and Powerful Business
Communications

• Suzanne T. Storar
• Lit Writing

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E-mail Saves Time!

• Faster than posted mail
• Can be sent/received outside standard business
  hours

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E-mail Saves Time!

• Except when it doesnt.
• Incomplete, incorrect or missing responses
  require
• follow-up e-mails,
• follow-up phone calls or letters,
• starting over with someone else.

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E-mail Miscues

• E-mail cant give us cues and clues that we
  havent communicated clearly
• Glazing over
• Misstatements
• Immediate presentation of other views, demands

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E-mail Fatigue

• People have received so many unnecessary e-mails
  that they tend to ignore messages until compelled
  to respond.

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How Will Your E-mail Rise To The Top?

• Compose attention-getting e-mails.
• Make requests completely clear.
• Match recipients communication style.

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Why change how you write e-mails?

• Save your time by minimizing follow-up.
• Elevate your professional image by getting
  results.

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Other Benefits

• Todays tips can also be applied to writing
• newsletter articles,
• web copy,
• proposals,
• letters.

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Typical e-mail problems

• Firstthe unanswered e-mail

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The Unanswered E-mail

• Requires follow-up calls, e-mails, letters.
• Makes you feel unimportant.
• Gives the recipient more control.

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The Unanswered E-mail Root Causes

• Vague subject lines
• Unclear actions/requests

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Vague Subject Lines

• Some people follow the advice of time management
  experts to screen their e-mails
• by subject line only.

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Vague Subject Lines

• Subject Port Charles project
• (too general)
• Subject FWFWFW estimate
• (doesnt look like new information)
• Subject Please gather estimate data on the Port
  Charles Project by Wednesday
• (key elements fall off Outlook or other e-mail
  summary screen)

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Compelling Subject Lines

• Subject Estimate data due Wed. re Port Charles
• Subject Pls read new info on Port Charles
• Subject Due Wed., your data re Port Charles

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Unclear Actions

• Subject Port Charles estimate
• I called a meeting two weeks ago to discuss next
  steps on the Port Charles project. I enjoyed
  hearing your progress to date and your feedback
  on the draft proposal. At that meeting, I
  assigned various tasks to each workgroup
  (finance, HR, marketing.) The time has arrived
  to move ahead on the estimate portion of the
  work, and Ill actually begin compiling the
  estimate data Thursday. In order to do that, Ill
  need all assigned input beforehand. Next week,
  Ill need all revised resumes and photos for the
  proposal package.
• Joan
• Thats nicewhat does it have to do with me?

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Clear E-mail Actions/Requests

• Require a balance of
• Structure
• Brevity
• Payoff for the reader

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Structure

• The old rules dont always apply.
• One sentence paragraphs are OK.
• Many visual breaks are best.
• Bullets are your friends.
• Action/request comes early, not and in
  conclusion.

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Brevity

• Address only one action or request per e-mail.
• Eliminate words, phrases, clichés that dont add
  meaning.

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Payoff

• Make the benefit to the recipient completely
  clear.
• Have more you statements than I statements.

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Payoff

• Subject Due Wed., your estimate data for Port
  Charles
• Its time to compile the Port Charles draft
  estimate.
• Please provide your estimate data to me by
  Wednesday, 5 pm.
• Compiling data early will give you time next
  week to make any identified adjustments. That
  way, the final estimate can be both competitive
  and realistic for your team.
• Thank you!
• Joan
• The other topic (photos/resumes) should be
  addressed in another e-mail.

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Your Payoff

• Now you can get responses without having to sound
  like a cast member from The Sopranos.

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Incomplete/Incorrect Responses

• Just as in the unanswered e-mail, the root cause
  is an unclear request
• Remember
• Structure
• Brevity
• Payoff

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Incomplete/Incorrect Responses

• Subject Carpool?
• Are you attending the training session on
  Wednesday? If so, we could carpool since Im
  going that day. If we carpool, lets plan to
  talk about the Port Charles estimate because I
  think Joan isnt happy with the numbers we came
  up with. Or, maybe youre attending on Thursday.
  Either way, just let me know.
• Re Carpool
• Yes.
• Re Carpool
• Yes, Wednesday? Or Yes, Thursday?
• The initial e-mail lacked structure, brevity and
  payoff.
• Now, follow up is needed.

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Communication Styles

• The final step is to match the recipients
  communication style.
• In general, e-mailers are either
• Detailed
• or
• Brief

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Detailed E-mail Style

• Seeks to inform.
• Gives complete background and lots of facts.
• Rehashes information shared earlier.
• Uses a more academic writing structure.

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Detailed E-mail Style

• Detailed e-mailers are often found in
• sciences/tech,
• academia,
• government agencies (staff level).

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Brief E-mail Style

• Seeks to act.
• Builds on earlier e-mails (no recap).
• Writes brief, personalized e-mails.
• Cuts words to save time.

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Brief E-mail Style

• Brief e-mailers are often
• managers,
• C-level officers,
• small business owners,
• generalists.

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Why write like them?

• To get results.
• To gain control of the communication.
• To demonstrate your ability to communicate with a
  variety of people.

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EX Matching Styles

• My initial response to a detailed request from
  Elaine about a new project
• Elaine,
• The workshop sounds very interesting, and I
  believe that I can articulate what I know about
  effective, engaging scientific writing for the
  audience. 
• I have a few questions to help me determine if I
  can devote the right amount of time to the
  project (listed 4 specific questions)
• Thanks for thinking of me.
• Suzanne
• Excellent!  Will touch base with you on Thurs. 
• (Now, shes being brief. And, I didnt get the
  phone call!)

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Matching Styles Brief ? Detailed

• Write short, complete sentences.
• Use acronyms with caution.
• Address, briefly, key facts that answer
• Who?
• What?
• When?
• Why?
• Present a relevant payoff.

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Makeover Brief ? More Detailed

• BEFORE
• Hi Bob! Need estimate cob today. Thx! J
• What estimate? When? Why? And whos J?
• AFTER
• Hi Bob!
• Please give me your draft Port Charles estimate
  by 5 pm today.
• Youll have time to consider and recalculate
  requested changes after I compile the first run.
• Joan

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Matching Styles Detailed ? Brief

• Cut unnecessary words.
• Avoid repeating information from earlier e-mails.
• Place action items close to the top, then follow
  with support information.
• Present a relevant payoff.

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Makeover Detailed ? More Brief

• BEFORE
• Bob,
• The Port Charles project actually represents a
  chance for our company to exceed earnings by 24
  over last year. Therefore, it is critical that
  we do our very best to prepare a proposal that is
  as competitive as possible. At the same time, we
  need to be realistic about what our team can
  achieve given a certain budget.
• In order to present the best estimate possible
  estimate to the Port Charles committee, the
  executive team has determined that we should
  compile each units draft estimates one week
  earlier than usual. That will give us time to
  propose areas where costs can be cut and where we
  may, in fact, be able to expand the budget so our
  staff isnt overtaxed.
• Therefore, as agreed to in our planning meaning,
  please submit your draft estimate to me by 5 pm
  today.
• Thank you.
• Joan

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Makeover Detailed ? More Brief

• AFTER
• Bob,
• Following up from the June 10 Port Charles
  planning meeting
• Please submit your draft estimate by 5 pm today.
• As promised, youll have input on any proposed
  changes to the final estimate. Ill contact you
  next week.
• Joan

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Making the Cut

• Brevity and clarity can be achieved by cutting
  words that dont add meaning.

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NOT Clear, Concise and Powerful

• Actually / Basically
• Neither word adds meaning.
• In order to
• Replace with to.
• Numerous / Various / A Variety of
• Replace with a description or specific number,
  e.g., ten items instead of various items.

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Clear, Concise and Powerful

• For free tips on editing your drafts to achieve
  clear, concise and powerful business
  communications,
• go to www.litwriting.com
• and click on Resources.

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Questions?

• Please e-mail me at suzanne_at_litwriting.com