Part of having good communication skills is being able to put your thoughts and ideas on paper. It needs to make sense and be understood whether it's an email to a friend, memo to the staff, formal letter to a customer or detailed report to the CEO.
The more formal or detailed the information, the more effort is needed.
The more formal or detailed the information, the more effort is needed.
The following are the basic steps to consider:
1. Who is the reader? a customer, colleague, friend or the CEO?
1. Who is the reader? a customer, colleague, friend or the CEO?
2. What format and tone is needed? An informal memo , informal email, formal letter or detailed report?
3. The hard part - writing it.
- What is the objective of the document?
- Gather the information needed.
- Determine the main theme.
- Create a rough draft, especially if it's a report or presentation - it helps to break up the information into manageable parts.
- Be empathetic - keep in mind the needs of the reader.
- Keep language simple - the reader shouldn't need a dictionary close by to understand it.
4. The structure
- Use headings and subheadings, bullets and numbered lists.
- Keep sentences and paragraphs short.
- Use visual aids if you can - helps keep the reader's attention.
5. Grammar - always use good grammar, no matter who the reader is, it makes you look more professional.
6. Proof reading
- DO NOT rely on spell checker only. It will miss common mistakes, fore example: affect / effect, its / it's.
- Read your document out loud.
- Check headings and subheadings for errors - these are often overlooked.
- Have someone else read it, new eyes will pick up mistakes that you may have missed.
In business today everyone is busy and don't have time to read long drawn out documents. It is important to keep them concise and easy to understand.
That concludes communication skills. I hope you have enjoyed reading them as much as I have enjoyed writing them.
That concludes communication skills. I hope you have enjoyed reading them as much as I have enjoyed writing them.
This is your ADMIN ANGEL signing off.
Have a wonderful weekend, till next time.
Have a wonderful weekend, till next time.