Written Communication has always been important to an individual and an organisation. With the increase in emails, we need to ensure that we get our writtten communication correct.

We need to plan and structure our communication, to ensure it meets its objectives. Any written communication needs to concise, comprehensive and comprehensibles to ensure it is successful in its outome.

On this page we focus upon some business writing techniques.

For a full copy of the hints and tips click on the link to download the PDF.

Apostrophes

An apostrophe is a raised comma (‘) which shows that a letter or letters have been omitted from a word or it is used to indicate ownership.

People often worry about using apostrophes, however, they should not cause any problems as there are clear guidelines. if you understand the guidelines, apostrophes are easy to use.

Email

Email is used more than ever as the most common form of business communication and so many people seem to get the even the simplest principles incorrect. If we get it right, then the impression we create will be enhanced and we will increase our influence. Ultimately your communication objectives will be met and that will increase our success.

The growth of Email as a communication method in business has been dramatic. It has become the preferred method of communication for large numbers of people and often the preferred way of working with a customer. However, that doesn’t mean that email is always used in the right way or is effective.

Grammar

There has been a lot of discussion recently about literacy, so we thought it would be a good opportunity to look at the elements of grammar. Grammar is there to give us a set of rules for written and spoken English.  Due to a lack of understanding of the rules or through carelessness some people make language errors. Such errors can lead to misunderstanding and a failure in communication.  It helps to understand why errors are made if you make sure you know the names and the use of the various parts of speech.

Punctuation

The sole purpose of punctuation is to help the reader to understand clearly the meaning of what is written.  Errors in punctuation can create confusion and lead to failure in communication.  If you are using rather a lot of punctuation marks in your writing, you can be sure that errors are being made and you should begin again.

When we speak, we automatically use punctuation by inserting pauses to allow our listener to understand our conversation.  We also give our listener many other clues to help him or her understand our message. Punctuation enables us to do the same writing. It helps us to make sense of what we read and understand our writing. It separates one group of words from another and gives the reader clues and special information.

Written communication - Planning

When you talk to someone, you get immediate feedback that tells you whether they understand. With a written message there is no immediate feedback and there is the danger that people will misunderstand your meaning.  You can reduce this danger by good preparation.