by N. Powell
www.inkthinkerblog.com — One of the key elements in maintaining and growing a business is attracting good clientele. Businesses design and coordinate their efforts to project a professional image that defines their services to the client. Businesses are under tight deadlines and every minute is critical to a company’s earning power. While emphasizing “time is money,” businesses can sometimes ignore the time-honored adage “the customer knows best.”
In the rush to make sure a project meets deadlines, businesses forget that what is said in print reflects a client’s belief of the values the company possesses. Taking the time to make customers happy is time well spent in maintaining customer loyalty.
In the rush to get a message out, executives often rely on subordinates to draft and release memos they have produced. Common sense dictates that the articles be proofread and checked prior to release; however, these items are released without a second glance. Sometimes, this can lead to embarrassing situations.
To avoid any embarrassing or comprising situations, read and edit the works before any public display. Does the correspondence reflect the company’s mission statement? Do the words sound appropriate and understandable to the customer base?
Below are some writing tips to enhance a company’s writing style.
1. Maintain a friendly and confident tone with your clientele. Don’t sound condescending and confrontational, even if time is of the essence. Consider the following sentence taken from a company response to an article written by a reporter on the results of an audit:
He obviously can not be counted upon to be completely objective and neutral in his writing.
The sentence leaves the reader wondering about the sincerity of the company in question. The same message may be conveyed to clientele without using “finger pointing”:
We feel that the reporter did not write an accurate or objective account of the situation.
2. Use diplomacy and tact while crafting the document. Avoid derogatory and discriminatory language. Promote goodwill.
3. Use a positive tone rather than a negative one.Never tell the customer that they don’t know how to do something.
It is not possible that our website dropped your data. You should log on to the website and enter your data again, making sure you click on the save button. If you cannot do that, you should read the Help file first.
Customers won’t appreciate the chastisement. Try revising the sentence to a style that is similar to the one shown below:
We will look into the problem and get back to you once it’s been resolved. In the meantime, please try logging in and entering your data again. We are here to help you in any way.
4. Empathize with the client. Let the clients know that the company sees things from their perspective and will find solutions to fit their needs.
5. Keep correspondences concise. Eliminate unnecessary words. Be succinct. Consider this description of how a software product will make life easier for the users:
The Teleforms software product promotes increased efficiency in that it eliminates the need for clerical personnel such as data entry workers to manually manipulate data into the database. The Teleforms product works in such as way as to export the scanned data directly into a database stored in Oracle.
What a mouthful! Now, consider this direct and concise statement of the paragraph above:
Teleforms eliminates manual data entry into the database. The scanned data is exported directly to Oracle.
6. Use concrete facts and avoid the generalities. Too often, managers think that laying out all possible solutions will generate more clientele. The danger inherent in such a tactic is that too many promises are made then broken. Not only will this affect your reputation with the public when delivery is not possible, but it will appear dishonest. Use statistics, figures, specifications, and product details to make the sale.
7. Use an active voice to give vitality and purpose to statements. A passive voice makes a document weak and uneventful. Using an active voice also tightens the document. Consider the following paragraph:
The user would access the form from the main menu. The form can be found when clicking on ‘Reports’ and then ‘Abstract Report’. The abstract form will be displayed as shown below in screen #1.
Revising the paragraph to an active voice enhances the ease of reading and understanding.
Access the form from the main menu. First, click on the ‘Reports’ menu, followed by ‘Abstract Report’. The form is displayed on screen 1.
Appearances make or break a business. Style with substance in the writing style is key to maintaining a company’s financial success. Before finalizing any correspondences or public releases, read the document aloud and consider the reaction of the client – would you do business with this company based on what you’ve read? Remember that words on paper are representative of the company’s image.
N. Powell is a full-time programmer and a part-time freelance writer from Southern California. She has served as a technical analyst in the public education system and in the brokerage industry.
Although this article was published by Kristen King, the original author retains all copyright and should be contacted for reprint requests.
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