5 Mistakes in Business Writing You Don’t Know You’re Making

When you observe some examples of business writing, the style seems easy to understand. You need to write clear sentences and call people to action. However, your attempts don’t always deliver successful results.

When you’re trying too hard to explain something you know too well, you end up using big words and complex sentences. The problem is: you think that the message is just perfect. You understand it, so you think everyone else understands it. That’s one of the biggest mistakes in business writing: thinking that everyone understands what you understand.

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Let’s see what else can go wrong. In the continuation, we’ll list 5 of the biggest mistakes in business writing, which writers are not aware of.

1.  Passive Voice

I’ve been doing research for quite a long time, and your organization has impressed me with its online reputation.

Passive voice is acceptable according to the rules of grammar. Even the Grammar Nazis can’t blame you for using it. Those who are after pure simplicity, however, won’t like it. Passive sentences are unnecessarily complex.

I did quite a research and your organization impressed me with its online reputation.

That sounds much better, doesn’t it? When you write in active voice, you appear more confident. Take another example: Thousands of dollars were saved thanks to the projects I’ve been part of. The subject in the sentence is not clear. I worked on projects that saved the organization thousands of dollars. That I in the beginning of the sentence sounds powerful. It presents you as the source of action. 

2.  Slang

During the negotiations, when we were sure we were going to make an alignment with Mr. M., we got the cold shoulder.

Alignment is a fancy word for agreement, which not everyone will understand. What about the cold shoulder? It’s a metaphor that means someone deliberate ignored you. But, will the recipient of this message understand what you want to say? You can’t expect them to use the dictionary or search Google to figure out what your message is.

Do not use slang in business writing! Don’t use any abbreviations, such as thx or CU. When you’re talking to a close person who also uses slang, it’s okay. When you’re writing mass emails or blog posts, or you’re communicating with important people, keep the language clean and proper. 

3. Blank or improper email subject lines

What do you write in the subject line of an email message? Before we get any further, let’s make this clear: leaving it blank is out of the question. The recipient needs to understand what the message is about as soon as they get the notification on their phone. A subject like Wednesday is not okay. Using the date as a subject is also not okay.

In professional business communication, it’s important to specify the purpose of your message. New task: deadline next Wednesday works much better than a date or a simple Wednesday set as subject line.

4. Skipping the editing part

When you want to present your business in the best way possible, you have to think about the impression your writing is creating. It doesn’t matter whether you’re writing a blog post, LinkedIn updates, or an important email message - the content has to be flawless every single time. Many people don’t realize how many mistakes they made… until they see the message few days later and they have no chance to fix the damage. So we advice you to check editing and proofreading tips and to read your letter several times.

It may take some additional effort to edit the content to perfection, but guess what: it took you longer to write it. Make sure to read every single word, phrase, and sentence. Is there logical connection between all aspects of the text? If you find it difficult to edit the content to perfection, you can always rely on an online editing service. You’ll find the perfect one when you check essay writing service reviews. These affordable services deliver what you need.

5.  Too much excitement

Yes, the reader of your message should feel your excitement about the project or whatever else you’re writing about. However, don’t forget that the etiquette of business writing demands a certain level of restraint.

Good News Robert! We got the deal! I can’t believe we got it! A weekend of celebration ahead! x-D

This message is okay if you’re writing to your mother, your partner, or a friend. If you’re a serious business person writing to a serious business partner, this is not the language you need. Remember this rule: no emoticons, no exclamation points, and no overly casual language in business writing.

Emoticons are cool because they help you express your emotions, so the recipient of the message won’t misunderstand your jokes. In business writing however, they make you seem childish. You don’t want to leave that impression, do you?          

Did you catch yourself making some of these mistakes? When you’re aware of the flaws in your writing, it will be easier to achieve a higher level of clarity. You’ll be getting better with practice!   

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