• Write clearly and concisely. (Business writing should be more clear and concise than other forms of writing. Rarely should a piece of business writing be more than one page. If the document is more than one page it should probably include a brief, one paragraph "Executive Summary" at the outset. Avoid excessive use of the passive voice.)
• Proof/edit your work more than once before printing out a finalized version. The finished product shouldn't look like your initial draft. Reading each line backward can help you avoid the distraction of content. Remember to re-read slowly and carefully and to use spelling and grammar checkers after editing, and before printing, your final copy. Read your printed copy before submission to make sure that correctly spelled words are the correct words for the sentences.
• Pretend you are the reader with no prior knowledge during your editing. (Is the content understandable on its own?)
• Create e-mail messages in a business environment as you'd create a written memo. Include proper punctuation and formalities.
• Use bulleted, or numbered, lists as effective tools to quickly alert the reader to key points or conclusions.
• Keep your sentences short (but not simplistic; each sentence should still add meaning).
• Avoid abstractions and use concrete language.
• Structure elements in a series in parallel form. (For instance, on a resume, list your job activities with a series of active verbs as the first word--"Organized..., Managed..., Performed..., etc." not "Organized..., I managed..., Once helped to..., etc." Notice the parallel format of this Dos and Don'ts list.)
• Sum up, or otherwise highlight, key points briefly. Avoid repetition in the body of the work, however.
• Utilize commas correctly, without creating run-on sentences.
• Pay attention to paragraph length and structure. (Include only one main idea per paragraph--included in the first sentence, if possible.)
• Use a reader-based (you rather than I) approach. Plan your communication around the recipient's questions and expectations.
• Adapt to your intended audience: level of education, degree of formality based on your relationship, interest and knowledge of subject, and organizational expectations.

• Don't write for a business audience the way you would talk, or write an e-mail message, to a friend.
• Don't use Courier or other inappropriate fonts. Stick with Times New Roman or something similar. Likewise, don't use font sizes smaller than 10 on a regular basis. The same could be said for sizes larger than 12.
• Don't write a rambling essay for business readers. Writing a fictionalized novel requires a very different technique from summarizing facts and conclusions for your boss or colleagues. Organize your thoughts into relatively short sections under descriptive headers.
• Don't utilize the same adjective or verb repeatedly.
• Don't misplace your modifiers. The meaning will become unclear or even the opposite of what you intended.
• Don't shift number, tense, gender, subject, or point of view.
• Don't inject your opinion. Phrases like "I think..." or "In my opinion..." should be avoided. Save your own musings for when they are asked for. At that point include them in less formal modes of communication (possibly verbal).
• Don't exaggerate. Again, you are not writing fiction. Exaggeration will lessen your work in the eyes of others and leave you open to exception. Avoid words like always, never, etc.
• Don't use sexist language, out-dated expressions, and jargon which your reader might not understand.
• Don't wait until the last minute to begin writing. Sleep on your drafts.

Case's Guide to Grading Written Materials

Five Cs that result in better business communication

Al Case - Faculty Profile