How to Write So People Understand You by Amanda Twentyfive, 25th Dimension Marketing July 2008
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How often do you read something at work and think to yourself, “What is this person talking about?” You read the e-mail, company announcement, proposal, etc. over and over, and yet it still doesn’t make sense. Oftentimes the writing is filled with corporate-speak, misspellings, wrong words, and other foibles.

Not everyone is a good writer, and that’s ok. However, if your job requires that you communicate with others on a regular basis, there are some basic tenets you can follow to make yourself understood. Remember – how you write is as important as how you speak, and people who don’t take the time or make the effort to write in an understandable manner lose respect and aren’t taken as seriously as those who can clearly express their ideas. Listed below are three major things you can do to make your writing easier to read.

1. Lose the corporate-speak: This is a particular pet peeve of many employees. Ever heard of “Buzzword Bingo”? It’s a game employees play during meetings. The first person to get a Bingo wins. How do you get a Bingo? It’s simple. Make a Bingo board on your legal pad, then write down all those awful corporate-speak phrases in the squares. Every time someone uses a phrase on your board, put an X through that square. When you’ve got a Bingo, you’ve won!

So how does Buzzword Bingo relate to your writing? Well, think of all those phrases – “think outside the box”, “achieve synergy”, “performance-based”, “re-engineer”, “lessons learned”, “bleeding edge”, etc. When you’re writing, how often do you throw these phrases around? If you’re a typical employee, you’re guilty of doing this pretty often. But why? Do you want to sound authoritative? Do you think people will believe you know what you’re talking about if you fill your writing with these over-used and often meaningless phrases?

Think about it – very few of these phrases actually mean anything. To become a better, more understandable writer, eliminate them. If you want people to “think outside the box”, why not just ask them to look at the problem from a new perspective? Doesn’t that sound clearer?

2. Check your spelling: How many times have you read something that was filled with misspellings? In this age of Spell Check, it’s simply unacceptable to have misspellings in your writing. However, don’t rely solely on Spell Check. If your missive is being sent to a large number of people, have someone who is a good writer proofread it for you before you send it.

3. Use the right words: Do you know the difference between affect and effect? Between your and you’re? Its and it’s? If not, learn the difference. These are three of the most common examples of the misusage of words. How do you figure out which of these words is the correct one to use? The most straightforward and easiest way is to read the sentence out loud.

Your ear will recognize that you’ve used the wrong word even if your brain doesn’t – it just won’t sound “right”. In the case of your and you’re and its and it’s, it’s a matter of reading the sentence with and without the contraction (the apostrophe which makes you are into you’re, etc).  Here’s an example:

Your going to be a star.

You’re going to be a star.

Which one sounds right when you read it aloud? The second one should, because you should have read it as “You are going to be a star”.

Using the same format, here’s how to tell if you should use its or it’s:

Its raining outside.

It’s raining outside.

Which sentence sounds correct? If you picked sentence two, you’re right! After all, in sentence two, if you read it aloud and remove the contraction, it is raining outside.

Now, let’s try to understand the difference between affect and effect. This one is a little trickier, but with practice, you’ll have it down pat. An affect is an influence, whereas an effect is a result. Let’s break that down: an example of affect is “The snow affected Jeff’s ability to drive.” In order words, the way that Jeff drove was influenced by the snow.

An effect could be: “The effect of the snow covering the trees was amazing.” Or, the trees looked amazing as a result of the snow. Does it still sound hazy? Remember this: affect is a verb, effect is a noun (usually, but don’t worry about the times it’s not).

If you follow these three never-fail rules, your writing will improve. No one wants to decipher everything they read – make your writing understandable, and your career and reputation will thank you for it.

Amanda Twentyfive is owner and principal of 25th Dimension Marketing. Amanda has extensive experience in marketing, specializing in copy writing, market research, and event planning. Her previous experience includes time spent with CTG, an international IT consulting firm; Appraisal.com, a real estate appraisal software manufacturer; and Ivoclar Vivadent, one of the world’s leading dental products manufacturers.

Amanda holds an MBA from Medaille College. She can be reached at 716/608-8910 or manda903@rocketmail.com. Visit the 25th Dimension Marketing website at www.25thdimensionmarketing.com for more information and examples of her work.

Email: manda903@rocketmail.com
Company Profile: 25th Dimension Marketing
Company URL: http://www.25thdimensionmarketing.com

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