Writing more Effectively

for your most important Communications by Peter/CXO Wiz4.biz 1/13

1. Purpose & Path. What is your Objective (ie, convey info or a call to action?). Draft your key Ideas.

2. Get additional Input from others – if needed – to provide all relevant info you need to convey what you want.

3. Quickly Draft your Document. Just let the ideas flow. Don’t stop to do any corrections. Do them when finish.

4. Write to Express, not Impress. Everybody’s busy. Keep it short and to the point.

5. Let it Age – a few hours, a day (if possible). This clears your mind and you will look at it with a fresh per-spective.

6. Follow the Flow? Read the whole document and determine if there’s a smooth flow of ideas and that ideas are covered adequately.

7. Keep it Short & Sweet. Go back and chop up long sentences – so they’re short & punchy = easier to read.

8. Personify the Personal. Read again and see where you can change [ I to we or you, We to us, etc.] to make it more appealing & personal to the reader.

9. Use Active vs Passive voice – to cite the person or organization that is responsible for the info. (ie, your recommendation, we decided)

10. Thin out needless Phrases – that don’t add anything, any meaning or are redundant.

11. Use the Direct Approach. (ie, Nouns ending in “ion”, “al”, “ment”, etc) to make subject more to the point.

12. Avoid Power Words. (ie, utilization vs use, paradigm vs model, caveat vs warning, reiterate vs repeat)

13. Better Openings & Closings. Nice to talk with you & share ideas (good). (ie, as we discussed vs per our discussion,

14. Use Contractions to be more conversational, personal.

15. Check to be Correct. Spelling & Grammar – to be more professional.

16. Final Review avoids a Coo (Coup = Hostile Takeover) After a short ageing period, read a hard copy for your final feelings on message. Modify as needed.

Comments: Can you think of anything else we should do?