How to make your writing more concise
Emails or reports that use a lot of superfluous, ‘fluffy’ language, or are just simply too long, don’t get read. Or if they are read, they’re often misunderstood because the ‘fluff’ was confusing!
Being able to write concisely, without losing a professional and approachable tone, can take a bit of practice. But here’s a few tips from our team that can get you started in the right direction.
Use active voice
Active voice is much more concise and direct than passive voice. For those who are more technically minded with your grammar, the formula for active voice is subject / verb / object, where as passive voice is object / verb / subject. Think of passive voice like ‘Yoda speak’! For example:
Active voice: We used the computer
Passive voice: The computer was used by us
The active voice is much clearer and shorter, whereas passive voice is not only longer, but could also be confusing.
Remove unnecessary adverbs and adjectives
This usually occurs when we become overly descriptive with our message; or in academic-like writing. In business writing, you typically don’t need to use as many descriptive words, because we just want to get to the point quickly. So either cut them out, or replace multiple adverbs with one word. For example:
We are working very quickly to build … or, we are quickly building
The client is a very important official … or, the client is important
These changes are absolutely necessary … or, these changes are essential
Look out for redundant words and phrases
Redundant means words or phrases that repeat themselves. Sometimes you’ll find you’ve repeated the same sentence or message in a different way. Other times, you might find you’ve used words that mean the same thing. Either way, when editing your work, be aware of the key message you want to get across, and if you can see it has been said multiple times in multiple ways, edit the extra words out!
Replace short phrases with single words
Verbose writing is often borne of a background in academia, simply because writing in that particular style was expected of us for so long. But in business, we don’t need to impress anyone with our flowery language! We simply need to get to the point. So when re-reading your writing, look for short phrases that could be replaced with a single word, like the examples below:
In the event that … if
With regards to … regarding, about, concerning
In a timely manner … quickly, promptly
As a means of … to
Due to the fact that … because
In the majority of instances … typically, usually
Use visual devices
A picture paints 1,000 words! Can you replace some of your writing with a visual device like a diagram or chart? For example, instructions, processes, or strategic concepts can often be depicted in a visual way. And considering most people are visual thinkers, your message is more likely to be understood if you do use a visual instead of lengthy explanations.
