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Winston-Salem
Black
Chamber of Commerce
| P.O. Box 4462 | Winston-Salem, North Carolina
27115
Phone: (336) 575-2006
| Fax: (336) 306-5702 | Email: rpender1@triad.rr.com
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QUENTIN'S
BIO
Quentin Huff is an attorney, writer, visual
artist, and professional tennis player who lives and works in
Winston-Salem,
North Carolina. Quentin is currently a staff writer for PopMatters: The Magazine of Global
Culture,
and his writing appears, or is forthcoming, in: Casa Poema, Pemmican
Press, Switched-On Gutenberg, Defenestration, Poems
Niederngasse, and The Ringing Ear, Cave Canem’s anthology
of
contemporary African American poetry rooted in the south. His family
owns and
operates Huff Art Studio, an art gallery specializing in fine art,
printing,
and graphic design.
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OFFICE PRACTICE
[Part Two]:
Tips To Improve Your Business Writing
by Quentin Huff
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As you know,
clear and effective communication is a tremendous asset,
whether your goal is to write a business letter or a friendly note. In
business, honing your communication skills will help you build your
contacts and bring lucrative transactions into fruition. Writing,
however, can be difficult and, for most of us, requires precious time
and attention.
Well, never fear. The following tips can help you take control over
what you're communicating. With a little practice, you can minimize the
time you spend writing and maximize the time you spend expanding your
business.
I. Preparation
1. Emphasize process -
you will need to plan,
write, and revise, (PoWeR)
One of the difficulties with writing is the belief that you've got to
write a masterpiece the first time. Many people sit down to write, on
paper or with a computer, and they become overwhelmed because they
don't know what they want to say. This is natural, and also
understandable, but it has also contributed to hours of frustration and
countless bouts of writer's block among fiction writers and columnists.
But it doesn't have to be this way.
Try to view writing as a process. Expect your writing to take shape in
"drafts". Perhaps the drafts of your business letter will be fewer than
in novel writing, but the point is: you should expect to revise what
you write. That means, you don't have to get it right the first time.
Instead, you can perfect it as you re-read and proofread.
Here is the basic process for any type of writing: "P" for Plan, "W"
for Write, and "R" for Revise. Let's call the process "PoWeR":
Your "Planning Stage" will allow you to consider what you want to
write. You might make an outline of your letter or business
communication, or you might simply brainstorm. I prefer to do this on
paper, where I can get my ideas flowing and I can jot down words and
phrases as they come to me. If you get your pen moving, you're likely
to develop more ideas than you expected. Even if you don't have a
problem getting your ideas to the page, a good plan can still keep you
focused and remind you of important information to include.
The "Writing Stage" is exactly what it sounds like -- you write. Follow
your basic plan, but try to avoid obsessive editing or second-guessing
what you're writing. Save that for the Revision stage.
The "Revision Stage" is, nominally, the conclusion to the process,
although it might take place in mini-stages, or across several drafts.
Here, you will proofread for spelling and punctuation errors ("Does
that word have one "s" or two?"), omissions ("Oh, no! I forgot to tell
them when the event was being held!"), and anything else that's out of
place ("Whoops, I meant to add a page number to the footer of each
page!).
2. Continue reading
books, magazines, and
newsletters related to your business.
No big surprise here. Conventional wisdom says that the more you read,
the more likely your writing will improve. Further, reading books and
articles that specifically target your occupation will frequently
demonstrate ways of communicating ideas about your business, and can
suggest options for smoothly incorporating terminology from your field
into your writing. You may already be reading books and trade magazines
pertinent to your business, in which case all you need to do is keep it
up.
3. Carry Pen &
Pad
Fiction writers often use this tip: carry a pen
and a pad with you.
Having a notebook handy, especially one that's small enough to fit in
your pocket, is a convenient tool. Whether you're at lunch or standing
in a line (at the Department of Motor Vehicles, for instance, time
seems to stand still), you can make notes in your pad. Some ideas might
be used to develop proposals. Others might be used to plan your
writing. Maybe a clever phrase pops into your head. Keeping a pen and
pad handy helps you put your "spare" time to good use.
II. Writing
1. Where to Write
Advice about writing will often begin, "When you sit down to write…"
and go on to share the information. Don't, however, underestimate the
importance of the "sit down" part. Where you write can influence how
well you write. That means you should make your office or workspace as
conducive to your needs as possible: comfortable chairs, appropriate
desks and tables, comfortable and appropriate lighting. Environment
makes a difference.
2. Demystify the
Process
There's a scene in the television show Gilmore Girls in which
the main character praises e-mail writing as a return to letter
writing. "It's pure Dickens," she says happily, and when pressed about
whether Dickens wrote more letters than other people, she twists her
face and does an oddball impression of him, complete with a British
accent.
The scene underscores the misconception that writing is a pursuit
reserved for the elite and the pretentious. Writing is serious
business, but we don't have to be serious while doing it. While
you're writing, consider your audience, and approach your writing the
same way you would approach a casual, but businesslike conversation
with them. Ask yourself, "Do people really talk this way?" If you
wouldn't say, "Our company eschews acrimony within the business-client
fiduciary relationship," you probably don't need to write it. And if
you would say it, you probably shouldn't. Just say, "Our company is
pleased to serve its clients." Certainly, you should convey a
professional tone, but there's nothing more professional than a clear
and concise statement of your ideas.
3. Grammar,
Punctuation, & Style
Lessons in grammar and punctuation could run for years and still never
reach a finish line. The concept of "style" is equally difficult, and
more ambiguous. Here are a couple of things to note:
(a) Keep it simple. Short, simple sentences are your bread and butter.
Focus on simple subjects paired with active verbs.
(b) Prepositions. In grade school, I was taught to avoid ending
sentences with prepositions. Prepositions are words like "with", "in",
"on", "from", and "of". Although I suggest approaching your writing
like a conversation, you don't necessarily want to mimic real
conversation. We often end sentences in real conversations with
prepositions, which puts us in conflict with the rule against doing so
in our writing.
Fortunately, we can usually avoid the problem by
reworking the problematic sentence. However, I would caution you
against falling into the "with whom" syndrome. Here's an example:
Offending sentence: "Please consider who you would like to go to the
party with".
The "With Whom" Syndrome: "Please consider with whom you would like to
go to the party."
I suppose the second sentence is preferable to the first, but remember
to ask, "Do people really talk this way?" In this case -- not so much.
Maybe someone who has time warped from the 1800s. There's almost always
a better way than the "with whom" syndrome. The sentence could have
simply been written as, "Please consider your companion for the party."
I have seen instances where "with whom" will have to do, but it doesn't
happen often.
4.
Thesaurus/Dictionary
A trusty thesaurus and a complete ("unabridged") dictionary are your
friends. While these tools usually come in handy to check spelling and
ensure proper word usage, they can be of service at the ground level
too. A thesaurus, in particular, may help you generate ideas. If you
find you're at a loss for words, or if you're repeating a word more
than you'd like, a thesaurus will be of immense help.
III. Revision
1. Proofread & Make
Changes
You've finished writing. Now what? Now it's time to proofread your
work. If you're using a word processing program, such as Microsoft
Word, you probably have a spell check and grammar tool at your
disposal. For spell checking especially, word processing tools are fine
for catching obvious errors, but you have to re-read your finished
product yourself, otherwise you'll end up with the subtle errors that
computer programs don't recognize. For instance, many programs will
overlook mistakes in a sentence if all the words are spelled correctly.
They often miss omitted words, too, like when you wanted to write, "We
will not be meeting you next week," but you instead omitted the "not"
and typed, "We will be meeting you next week." Spelling programs cannot
remind you of what you meant to say. Likewise, be sure to re-read
correspondence that you've produced through vocal dictation software.
Finally, be sure to read your writing out loud, even if you
only whisper it to yourself. Silent reading invites us to skip over
words, whereas reading aloud forces us to say each word.
2. Let
Someone Else Read It
After you've gone over your finished product, let someone else read it.
Maybe a colleague can do it, but friends and significant others may
help too, if the information contained in the writing isn't top secret
or privileged. Specifically, you're looking to have them answer the
following: (a) Do you understand what it says?, (b) Were there any
confusing parts?, and (c) Did I leave anything out?
Letting others read our writing might be a tricky proposition. Writers
can be a sensitive bunch, and readers don't always feel comfortable
offering a critique. Nevertheless, the feedback is valuable. Isn't it
better for a friend to tell you that you spelled the name of your
company wrong than to let your intended audience see the mistake?
3.
Keep Copies & Develop Templates
Once you're done and you've finalized your writing, consider turning
your finished product into a "template". In the legal community, we
call them "go-by"s. Keep copies of what you've written and put them in
a file for reuse. That way, the next time you need to write a "thank
you" letter, an invitation, or dispute letter, you'll have one to get
you started.
You can also buy commercial templates, but I've found these to be
rather generic. In the time it takes you to customize them, you could
have saved the money and worked out a letter of your own.
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 The
WSBCC is a proud
member of the National Black
Chamber of Commerce
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©
2003-2007
The Winston-Salem Black Chamber of Commerce, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Website graphics and content remain the property of the individual
artists, designers, and authors.
This
site designed, hosted, published, & promoted by Huff Art
Studio | contact: webmaster@huffartstudio.com
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