The ingredients of a credible writing style
Honesty, trustworthiness and credibility are all vital to a good business reputation. You may be used to reflecting these values in what you do and say at work, but what can you do to inject them into the written word?
I started thinking about this on the back of a piece by Rosa Say on keeping your promises in business. There's something about the focus of Rosa's work on values, of breathing those values of aloha in everything you do, that starts me wondering about how we might manifest this approach in our writing too.
Of course there's no getting away from honesty of purpose and intention - but if we take that as read what else might we identify as the ingredients of credibility and honesty in the way that we write?
Use plain language. You're trying to reduce the distance, the gap, between the words you use and the thing that you're describing in the real world. The plainer the language the easier it is for your reader to make sense of it in their own terms, and to make their own judgements.
Use short sentences. You don't have to write staccato style but shorter sentences help readers to follow what you're saying. It allows them to keep up. To form their own opinions. Not to get lost (or worry about being misled) in your breathless prose.
Avoid jargon. Jargon throws readers because they don't know exactly what it means. It leaves the writer with 'wriggle room' to define the words the way they choose.
Don't over-hype. Readers will be (naturally) suspicious of what sounds like exaggerated promises and over-blown claims. Try and find the words that are as close to what you're describing as possible.
Cut out excess words. Too many superfluous words can look like a smokescreen. A camouflage. Readers might wonder what you're trying to hide. Cutting out excess words will help you get to the point, and help your readers form a clear picture of the point you're trying to make.
Be specific. Again this is about giving your reader the power to form a judgement on what you're saying. Cut the waffle. Be specific. What specifically should your readers expect from the service, the product, the event, the training, the occasion that you're writing about?
Follow through. There's no point working on your writing style if your actions don't match your words. Apologise if you break a promise. Follow through on your commitments. Explain if you can't.
Changing your writing style won't allow you to 'fake' honesty - but paying attention to your words will help your credibility and authenticity to shine through. Keep cutting away at the flannel, the waffle, the sales pitch, the jargon - and reveal, with confidence, a closer picture of the truth that lies within.
Explore the confident writing at work archive for more suggestions on business writing with confidence.
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Joanna Young, The Confident Writing Coach
Because our words count
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