Regardless of your job, rank, or industry, written communication is a skill that can set you apart from your peers. Here’s a three-step framework to help you level up as a writer—whether you’re writing an email, a formal document, a social post, or something else.
 
First, determine the purpose of what you’re writing. What result do you want to achieve? Are you looking to inform, persuade, or make a request? Let that purpose inform the substance and style of your communication from beginning to end.
 
Then, identify exactly who your audience is and speak directly to them. This means using language that they understand and a voice that resonates with them. It also means anticipating and answering their questions—before they need to ask. 
 
Finally, what’s your point? This is the essential substance of your writing. To locate the message you’re aiming to deliver, ask yourself how you would explain it to your audience in 15 seconds or less. Then, get to the point early in your document, within the first 40 to 50 words.
This tip is adapted from “How to Take Your Business Writing From ‘Average’ to ‘Great,’,” by Elizabeth Danziger
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