Dear Robert,

Writing is definitely not my strong point. As a matter of fact, I now have most of my material edited because I never know where my message may end up, and in many cases once it's up, it will never come down. I asked one of my Igniter associates--The Igniters is a weekly networking meeting that takes place in Phoenix, Arizona--to provide some tips that might help my readers.

A Message From A Pro

Recently a professional writer/editor posted a question on LinkedIn: "Has writing gone the way of the dodo?" He lamented the decline in the quality of business writing and wondered about the causes.

I'm sure you've experienced it, too. When a communication is well written, you don't notice the writing. You focus on the message and move on. But when an email, proposal, or website is badly written or contains mistakes, two things can happen--the miscommunication can cost time and money and/or the reader can make negative judgments about the writer. Are these the results you want, particularly in this economy?

More than two dozen people responded to the post on LinkedIn with their theories--a decline in standards and accountability, people reading less, a deteriorating education system, the just-get-it-done culture, time constraints, and the effects of texting, blogging, Twittering and the like.

Additionally, as I see it, people often fall into poor stylistic or grammar habits and go unconscious. They may have forgotten lessons learned in English class long ago, and taking the time to review and polish these skills has not been a priority.

Whatever the reasons, they are not excuses. Good writing is still good business. The ability to write clearly, concisely and with impact is valuable. Those who write well look professional, are considered credible and become successful, no matter what their expertise, industry or work product. And as one respondent pointed out, instant correspondence, online content and social media make effective writing more important all the time.

Every time you write, you make an impression. What kind do you want it to be? Take the time to review your work, check resources to ensure correctness, and generally be conscious of grammar, punctuation, wordiness, flow and the like. Your readers will appreciate the effort, even though they may never tell you directly, and it should positively affect your bottom line.

Thank you Lisa for your comments!

M. Lisa Forner, MA, is a champion of effective writing. Her service, 360 Writing Tools, combines training, editing and resources to help professionals improve their ability to connect with readers and convey a professional image.
www.360writingtools.com