Did you know that most people today spend over 25 per cent of their time writing? The problem is, too many messages are unclear, long-winded and confusing. Employees are losing hours reading and re-reading messages, missing key information, and making errors. Here are three ways you can make a huge difference every time you put your fingers on the keyboard:

  1. Use conversational language

Decades ago, business writing was passive, wordy, and really boring. It put a distance between you and the reader, and that was fine in the 50s, because people built relationships slowly then. Today, we need to build relationships quickly, so it makes sense to use writing that's as close as possible to spoken language.

So write as though you are having a conversation – because you are!

  1. Write like a human, not a template

Let's compare some template and human writing:

Template: You are required to attend the above-mentioned meeting to report on progress that has been made since last month's meeting. Kindly advise your availability.

Human: I would like you to attend this meeting to report on the great ideas you mentioned last month. Please confirm that you can join us.

Please, get rid of all this boring, template language that's spread like a virus all over the world.

Go through all your template emails, and transform them to human!

  1. Build relationships with your writing

Today's world is fast-paced and technology-crazy. You need to come across as a human instead of a robot. Make your writing positive, interesting, and add a personal touch. Good writing can help you build credibility, influence people, win more clients, and achieve your goals.

So aim to connect and build relationships with every email you write.

HERE'S A GOLDEN RULE FROM TIP #1:

Write like a human, not a robot. 

Help your readers get to know the real person behind the message. This will help make a big difference – to you, and to your reader!