There have been more changes in the way we do business, including writing, in the last few decaders than in the past few centuries. With each passing year, these changes become more evident and hard to ignore. Improved technology, innovative research and marketplace competition require business leaders to upgrade their communication and online writing skills.
Those who possess an effective writing skill are quite valuable to their organisations as they can provide invaluable inputs and make all the difference in winning proposals, negotiations and pass their technical skills to others as efficiently as possible. Consider these two simple questions before you start your next report and master the art of creating user friendly memorable reports:
Who are your Readers
Anything you write should always be written with the reader in mind. The more you understand your typical reader, the more you can target them with concise and clear writing. Many reports are generated without considering the type of readers who might read them and subsequently results in bored readers who don’t understand the content and simply give up reading.
How Reports are Read
Another way to work out your strategy when writing is to understand how your readers read:
- Details. Reports are not novels. Reports are scanned and large chunks are skipped.
- Volume. Many readers usually have a lot more to read. They want you to get to the point as quickly as possible.
- Speed. Readers also want you to make it easy for them to consume the content as quickly and as easily as possible.
Once you know what your readers expect, you can write much better content. It pays to understand the psychology of your readers. Always plan to get your draft reviewed by a representative reader and expect comprehensive constructive feedback. Make sure you act on what they tell you. Don’t take anything personally, it is just that it is easy to view everything from your own point of view and not see it from a reader’s point of view.
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