Business Grammar, Style & Usage: A Desk Reference for Articulate & Polished Business Writing & Speaking
by Alicia Abell ISBN:158762026x
Aspatore Books © 2003 (140 pages)
This book features easy-to-follow instructions and 10 techniques for preparing polished written documents and writing and speaking in an articulate manner; it also covers misused punctuation and spelling, misused terms, and developing a writing style.
Table of Contents Business Grammar, Style, & Usage—A Desk Reference for Articulate & Polished Business Writing & Speaking
- Introduction
- Chapter 1 - Writing Well For Business
- Chapter 2 - Getting Grammar Straight
- Chapter 3 - Dealing With Questions of Style
- Chapter 4 - Avoiding Common Mistakes
- Chapter 5 - Composing Office Documents
- Bibliography
- List of Tables
Introduction
Wielding his red editing pen, my former boss, President Bill Clinton, used to mutter, “Words, words, words,” as he slashed away unnecessary fluff from the speeches we’d given to him. Clinton wanted to speak to Americans, not over them, and he believed quite strongly that filling his text with unnecessary rhetoric only alienated the audience. Clinton was spot on. One of my colleagues used to say he was more Hemingway than Faulkner. Clinton wanted workers on the factory floor to understand him as well as the academics at Harvard and the members of Congress in Washington.
To achieve that goal meant never sacrificing the content or quality of an argument, but just framing it in a way that would keep our audience engaged, no matter what their level in life. It also meant keeping the President’s speeches organized, so that he offered a coherent argument, not a rambling lecture that would require a decoder ring to figure out.
It’s the same as talking to a doctor who can describe your condition in layman’s terms, versus the one who’s had his head in the books for too long. There’s a reason, in the end, Clinton is often described as one of the greatest communicators of the last century – a title shared with Ronald Reagan and Franklin D. Roosevelt. While Woodrow Wilson delivered powerful speeches, and his texts are worthy of bound volumes, no one ever accused him of being too cozy with the lower classes.
Speaking to people, not over them, isn’t easy. In fact, I’d argue that boiling down ideas into “Clinton-speak” is even harder than using the high-brow “industry-speak.” But it’s a skill that’s essential to great communication, no matter what your field of expertise. And it’s an approach that’s as applicable to a memorandum from the CEO to shareholders as it is to a speech at a board of directors meeting.
Think about it: How many meetings have you sat through where the speaker loses you less than five minutes into the discussion? Maybe his talk is filled with language so technical that you need a Ph.D. to figure it out. Or it’s so disorganized that it looks like the floor of your college dorm room. Perhaps he doesn’t even try to connect with his audience – no jokes, no stories, just numbers. Or maybe he leaves you wondering what in the world he wanted from you.
There’s simply no reason anything you hear or read should ever lose your attention or – even worse – intimidate you. The last thing any communicator should do, at any level, is marginalize his audience. The most important thing is to have your audience buy in to you and your message; the more comfortable they feel, the more they’ll be engaged with what you’re saying. You’ve received the highest compliment when someone in the audience leaves your discussion feeling as though you were talking directly to him.
This skill isn’t easy to acquire, but you can start on your way by following five simple steps:
Organize your message. Like a good lawyer, build your argument in a coherent manner; the more your audience can follow along, the more attention they’ll pay. There’s a simple saying in the speechwriting world: First tell your audience what you plan to tell them; then tell them; and then close by telling them what you just told them.
Make it easy to follow. Arrange your points in a way that encourages your audience to follow along. I usually organize my points numerically throughout the speech. (For example, “Today I’m going to discuss three reasons to buy this book. First, this book will help you … Second …”) Also, don’t fill your speech with two-dollar words you learned on the SAT. People shouldn’t have to carry a dictionary to follow you. That’s not to say, of course, that you shouldn’t use descriptive language to help get your point across.
Make your best points first and last. When you’re making your argument, put your best point first and your second best point last. You always want to come out of the gate strong and leave your audience with a good impression.
Encourage your audience to like you. If you can, start with a joke or a good story, even if it’s recounting something you heard on the Tonight Show. The more you give the impression you’re a regular person, the more people will like you, relax, and actually listen to what you’re saying.
Keep it short. Most television programs last only a half- hour because people just don’t have the patience to sit through anything longer. Your speech should never run longer than 30 minutes or, if possible, 20.
These steps are doable – and many of their tenets apply to other types of documents, as this Guide to Business Writing shows you clearly and concisely. You can even follow the steps without spending thousands of dollars on a speech coach. Eat your heart out, Woodrow Wilson.
Josh Gottheimer
Cambridge, Massachusetts
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Business Grammar, Style & Usage: A Desk Reference for Articulate & Polished Business Writing & Speaking
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by Alicia Abell
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