A rising young executive at a Northeastern manufacturing company was asked to write an article for his industry's trade journal. Unfortunately, his first draft offered a long, disorganized, and wishy-washy perspective on the state of his industry, flat writing, and contradictory opinions about how and why he entered the field.

That first effort would have done little to advance his reputation with customers and competitors. Fortunately, the executive decided to rewrite his first draft and apply the five basic principles of better business writing to that effort. Not only was his second draft enthusiastically accepted by the trade journal editor, but he received several complimentary phone calls, especially after sending copies of the published article to current and prospective customers.

Penning a well-written article for a trade magazine, company newsletters, or even a popular magazine is a great way to advance your career and reputation. So is learning to write clear, concise business letters and memos. You will quickly gain a reputation as a perceptive thinker, since clear and effective writing is, after all, perceived to be a sign of clear and effective thinking. Conversely, poor business writing can hamper your career prospects and advancement, whether you are employed and trying to work your way up the ladder or you are seeking a new job.

More senior company executives admit that what they want most from their employees, especially at the managerial level, are excellent oral and written communication skills. Effective business writing ranks right up there as a key characteristic of quality job candidates as well, say executive recruiters. Interestingly, the facsimile machine and the more widespread use of e-mail--has actually made better business writing more essential, since communication by fax or e-mail—which showcases your writing ability quickly and to a larger number of recipients--has become so wide3spread. (There are also fewer assistants or secretaries retyping business communications before that writing is sent through regular mail, fax, or e-mail. It is up to you, more than ever before, to make sure your business writing is first rate, before it leaves your pad, typewriter, fax machine, or computer.)

Learning to write more effectively on the job is not a laborious or elusive goal to accomplish. Whether you have tried and failed in the past or never even though about it before, you can master the art of better business writing. Simply take a little time to read about and practice and the following six key rules for better business writing:

1.Know what you want to say.

This first point may seem obvious, but it reflects a more fundamental issue that underscores effective business writing. Namely, poor writing usually reflects undeveloped thinking. You must decide what you want to convey before scribbling or tapping out your first word. For example. Consider a letter you want to write to a potential customer. Keep in mind why you are writing. Are you trying to follow up on a phone conversation? Are you attempting to establish, or cement, a relationship? Are you simply dashing off a cover letter to alert a customer that your catalog, sample order form, or information sheet is enclosed?

Rule No. 1 is that effective business writing must have a clear point. If necessary, write an outline or draft your thoughts and examples on a scratch pad to help you better organize your thoughts before writing.

Make sure you have done all the necessary research – books, articles, reports, interviews, or any other research materials that you need – so you are confident about the points you plan to make in your business writing.

2.Target your audience, then tailor your message.

You may think it is faster and easier to use “boiler plate” letters, memos, or handouts. Perhaps you or an assistant have compiled “prototypes” for the various types of business communications you send regularly. This may seem like a faster way to go, yet this short-cut approach will likely backfire one day.

Effective business writing is targeted to a particular audience and, even better, a specific person. What and how you write to a C.E.O. should be different in content and tone from something you write to a colleague at your own level, within your company or elsewhere.

Of course you may refer to samples of what works well for different types of letters, but those samples still have to be tailored exactly to your audience for each c communication. Remember that every piece of business writing you pass along ahs the potential of furthering, or derailing, your career. It may seem farfetched that a well-written interoffice memo could earn you a promotion, but it is a solid step in that direction. Other will remember your style and clear-headedness, perhaps not tomorrow, but down the road when a new opportunity emerges.

On the other hand, you can be sure that someone important to your career will never forget a poorly worded memo, or one that earns outside attention because it contained volatile language or was critical of a fellow employee.

You should also tailor the language you are using to your target audience for any particular business communication. AA letter to a vice president of a large, conservative corporation should read much differently than one to the eccentric entrepreneur of a small, creative company, especially if you are on a first=name basis with one of those executives and just an acquaintance with the other.

3. Deliver your message as succinctly as possible.

Most everyone in business today is overworked or understaffed – and even if neither of those situations is true, everyone today is very busy trying to excel and succeed-- which increases the value of correspondence that is short and clear. Yet, since conveying your essential ideas and information is the reason you are writing, do not sacrifice content and quality to write short. If it takes a paragraph or two to convey all the information you need to share, use that amount of space. But do not write a second or third repetitious or superfluous paragraph just because you have receives letters written that way. When you think about, did you find reading that extra paragraph or two enlightening or a waste of time (and annoying)?

It is usually harder to write short than to write long. Writing short usually involves more effort on your part to edit and rewrite till it is as concise and clear as possible.

IN general, the harder you work to write and rewrite your writing so it is clear and pointed, the easier (and faster) it will be for someone to receive your business communication, zip through it, grasp your key ideas, and also have a favorable opinion of your writing ability.

Let us say that you are writing a recommendation letter for a colleague. A few lines should do. But you also want to be sure to include such key information as when, where, and on what type of projects you worked with the person you are touting.

4. Use appropriate words and materials.

You have to consider business protocol and etiquette when choosing both your words and the material you use to convey them. Is company letterhead more appropriate than a note card? Should the salutation be “Dear Mr. Johnson” or would “Dear John” be more appropriate? Should you sign just your first name over your typed complete name, or your first and last name?

Consider an example shared by the CEO of a New York advertising agency who was at a meeting with several layers of employees. The firm’s president called on a lower-level administrator, who addressed the president by his first name. There was a hushed silence through the room. The protocol was that the president could call everyone by his or her first name, but a lower-level employee, especially in a formal meeting situation, was supposed to addressed the president by his last name as “Mr. -----.”

Do not make the same mistake in your writing where, even worse, it is on paper for all to see your faux pas. When in doubt, review other salutation you have used, or received, with that person or someone at that level.

If you are very eager to hear from your contact, use words in your closing to convey your urgency. For that reason, be careful about relying on such cliches as “Looking forward to hearing from you soon” which tend to tune out the reader because it is so predictable and boring. Try a more dynamic closing, such as “I am very eagerly awaiting your reply” or “I hope to get your reply before I leave next week for my two-week vacation.”

Are you writing to express regret or elation? Can a reader tell from your choice of words? While your language should be subdued in a note of condolence, a congratulatory letter should have energy to it: “Well done!” conveys the same thought, but with enthusiasm, than the more subdued “We are pleased to acknowledge your excellent job.”

5. Create writing you would want to receive.

Grab a pile of business notes, letters, faxes, and even e-mails you have received recently and sort them into three piles: awful, nothing special, and outstanding. Focus on the worst letter or e-mail and ask yourself: “What makes this so awful?” Is it insulting, wordy, negative, distant, offensive, too long, boring? Next, review an outstanding letter, memo, or e-mail. It probably stands out because it is memorable, clear, interesting, grammatically correct, spelled properly, neat, and concise. Sometimes it helps to speak your writing out loud to hear how it sounds.

Make sure you at least have a basic spell check program, and even a grammar checker, in your computer. Spell and grammar check your writing on the computer; if you do not use a computer, consult a written version of the dictionary and a grammar book, such as Struck and White’s Elements of Style, for basic writing questions.

There also should be a connection created between you and the writer. Thanks to the language that person chose to use, as well as the way he or she presented it, you want to deal with him or her further. Even if you do not do business together, you are likely to feel as if that person is someone likeable, competent, and a potentially someone who would be good to do business with (and maybe even potentially a future friend).

6. Read.

The key way to improve your writing, besides by writing more and more, is to expose yourself to excellent writing by reading. Read exemplary business writing – in books, journals, newspapers, or reports. But do not confine yourself to just business publications. Experiencing good writing will enhance your own writing skills whether it is the latest thriller or a best-selling business book.

The need to create one-on-one, personalized communication has never been greater. Ironically, it often takes about the same amount of time to write an original one-or two-p [paragraph letter or memo as it does to duplicate and mail a form letter that does not sit your situation exactly (and probably will not create as positive an impression or have as high a response rate as an original, personalized, short note or letter). Successful executives find a way to write a personal letter, even writing it in their own hand or, if necessary, having an assistant type it for them. The key is that the message is usually personalized, short, to the point and, hopefully, conveying a positive, upbeat spirit.

Ask yourself whether what you have just written (and plan to send) will move along your relationship with the recipient. After all, relationship building is one of the key goals of effective business writing. To that end, watch out for unnecessary jargon and buzzwords, as well as slang and sexist terms or anecdotes that might upset your reader. Adhere to the old truism that when in doubt, leave it out.

Remember that one of the pluses (and potential minuses) of business writing is that it is permanent and available for later review, unlike the typical phone call. For that reason, you have to be especially careful about what you include. Yet do not become so fearful that you are afraid to write anything down. That type of business-writing phobia, unchecked, will sabotage your career.

If after reviewing these guidelines you decide that a course in business writing, or working with a coach or tutor, would help your career, contact a local community college or adult school. Most offer low-cost programs taught by professional editors or writers. You might also contact your company’s training department to see what it offers. You might also hire a business writing consultants referred to you by other satisfied clients. Some companies will either create a course for you (and your colleagues if you enlist others to attend), or reimburse you for taking an outside class that will directly enhance your business performance. They realize, as you should, that how you write reflects on others’ perception of your company and the quality of the people it employs.

*This is an edited version of the article “Use Better Writing to Boost Your Career,” that appeared in the October 2, 1994 issue of National Business Employment Weekly. Copyright Ó 1998 by Jan Yager, Ph.D. Dr. Yager is available to deliver speeches, conduct workshops, or consult with individuals or companies, on better writing skills. Dr. Jan Yager, 1127 High Ridge Road, #110, Stamford, CT 06905 On the web: www.janyager.com e-mail: jyager@aol.com Phone (203) 968-8098 Fax (203) 968-0193