Page 48 - How to write effective business English your guide to excellent professional communication by Fiona Talbot

Writing across generations – for colleagues as well as clients 37

List of power words

you results health guarantee love discover
proven safe low-cost save new we
value for money pioneering cost-effective advice

help support now immediate fast today easy
effective benefits advantages integrity reputation
quality expert expertise breakthrough world-class
disruptive innovative valuable professional best
premier excellence authentic eco-friendly unrivalled

passionate inspirational please thank you talented
amazing awesome exciting friendly personable
reliable up-to-date caring responsible collaborative

trust well-informed sharing

Write for your boss

I mention the need to blend in, because you do need to check out
how bosses expect you to write. Look at their writing. Is there a
generational style; a corporate house style? Beyond that, do people
write differently for each target audience? Tune in.
Analyse why you’ve been hired. Was it because you are tech-savvy
and/or you’re buzzing with ideas? In that case, managers might re-
ally appreciate you offering constructive suggestions if you feel the
writing there is outmoded or simply doesn’t work as it should.
So, how could your writing actually help improve things?
Streamlining communication could be a quick win. Busy bosses
dread information overload: people constantly seeking direction
and copying them in unnecessarily to lengthy, disordered missives.
They’re too busy to sift through data. Conversely, they also hate
having too little information to make informed decisions.