9 Ways You Can Improve Your Writing Skills

Business writing skills are more important than ever before. In a world full of emails and messages, you need to be able to get your point across in writing. If you feel you need some help with your business writing skills, here are nine tips that will help you improve.

1. Make Your Main Point in the First Sentence

Whatever you have to say, put that main point in your first sentence. You can then back it up with additional information that you have to share. That way, the recipient knows exactly what you're contacting them about, and they won't have to dig to find the important information.

2. Watch Your Tone

It's famously difficult to get across your meaning via text. After all, you're missing all the tone and body language that goes with it. Business writing expert Valerie Henderson from Academized says: “It helps if you think of writing like sitting across from the recipient at a lunch meeting. You want to be informal, but still business like.”

3. Use Simple Language

Writing an email isn't the time to show off your amazing vocabulary. Your aim is to get your point across as quickly as you can. That means that your language needs to be simple and your sentences short.

4. Put as Much Info in the Email Subject

If you're sending an email, it's a good idea to put as much relevant information as you can in the subject line. “Meeting Thursday 1 p.m. Room 2” says more than “Meeting,” for example.

5. Proofread Your Communications

No matter what you're sending, proofread it first. Good, well written communications show that you're professional and care about the image you're putting out about yourself and your company.

6. Use Helpful Online Tools

There are a lot of online tools designed to help improve your writing. Give some of these a try and improve yours:

• Easy Word Count: This tool will give you a quick word count of what you've written. It'll highlight any mistakes you've made, too.
• Do My Essay: Work with the writing instructors at this service to help you improve your grammar.
• Paper Fellows: This writing community is happy to help any writer. They have lots of helpful guides, too.
• Assignment Writing Help: These writers will lend a hand with proofreading when you need an extra set of eyes.
• Cite It In: This tool will give you the right citation for any source that you use in your writing.
• Write My Paper: This site offers writing consulting when you want some assistance on improving your writing.

7. Use Writing When Appropriate

An email isn't always the best way to get your information across. Would this be better in a meeting or a phone call? Decide before you fire that communication off.

8. Use Good Grammar

Good grammar is the cornerstone of good writing. These rules are in place, so everyone can easily understand what you're writing. If you feel as though yours needs some help, there is assistance out there. Work on improving yours.

9. Use Templates

Did you send an email or letter that you felt went really well? Hold onto it. Saving those communications means you have a good template to use the next time you need to send a similar message. It'll save you a lot of time and effort in the long run.

These nine tips will help you improve your business writing and make a good impression at work. Keep working on your writing, as it can be a deciding factor when you're looking to move up in your career.