As a follow up to business writing tips for international business people Part 1, this article will look at how to revise your business documents so that they communicate the intended message in a way that is appropriate for the intended audience.

As the purpose of business writing is to effect a positive change through the provision of information and persuasion, it is imperative that the author has a sound understanding of the document’s primary purpose and the manner in which it is to serve its reader. Moreover, a business document must clearly state the main ideas to be communicated early and leave no doubt as to what action the reader should take once they have finished reading.

Understanding the target audience will enable business communications to be personalized and thus highly relevant to their readers. The ability to personalize content is a result of researching the audience to a point where you know them well and tailoring its content to meet their specific needs. When writing, use language and tone appropriate to the reader and try to anticipate the audience’s reaction.

The logical arrangement of ideas will not only improve the level of professionalism of a document but will also play an instrumental part in how well it achieves its objective.

As business people are usually very busy, arrange ideas so that the main point is easily obtained and additional content follows on in a logical manner, in order of importance. Where possible group similar information together and limit paragraphs to one main point.

Expect readers to question the claims and accuracy of content within business documents. As a result, write documents to communicate the intended message whilst remaining concise so as to not waste the reader’s time. Include enough information to support your main point. If diagrams, charts, tables and graphs are available, include them where appropriate.

After completing your initial draft(s), ask a colleague to read it through and identify elements that need further explanation/support or can be removed entirely.

Business writing tips for international business people (1)