Clarity, Brevity & Impact - And Proofreading - Why Good English Matters

By Paul Parry

You cannot underestimate the importance of good English, particularly if you are in business. Credibility suffers when your English is poor.

Why? It's simple. Because your target market (and your competitors, if they see it) will focus on your mistakes instead of your message. Potential customers will wonder that if your company cannot be bothered to get its advert right, will it actually deliver a good product or service?

So what should you do to help your cause? Whether you write yourself or hire a professional, there are certain things you can do to make your position as strong as possible and achieve the right result every time.

1. Aim for clarity

Be very clear about what you want to say and how you want to say it. Consider very carefully your audience, the tone you want to adopt and the language you want to use. That means, for example, not using jargon if your audience is made up of pre-school children. It sounds obvious but it is often overlooked.

So think of your message and stick to it. Be clear.

2. Brevity

Avoid flowery language and strive for brevity: do not write three words when one will do. Clichés can help but try to avoid them if possible as they can make writing (and you) appear clumsy and/or lazy.

3. Impact

Know what effect you want to have with your words and use language and tone accordingly. Do you want to influence, sell, inform, educate or entertain? Write specifically to get the desired result. Use words that your audience will respond to. For example, use of the word 'you' is one of the things that makes advertising copy so powerful, just like its use of the imperative (verb forms that command, such as 'Run!', 'Switch now!' and 'Just do it').

If you employ these simple tactics every time, you are onto a winner with your words.

However, there is one more thing you can do to supercharge your writing:

4. Proofread

Once your copy is written, read it - more than once and preferably on paper rather than a screen. I know that is not very environmentally-friendly, but it is easier to spot mistakes on paper.

Employ this strategy and your words will work for you. If you rely on words to win business, think about every one of them. Each word must earn its right to be there. And if you haven't got time to write, read and re-read your company's communications, get a professional to do it for you.

Paul Parry is a freelance writer and proofreader who has been commissioned to produce copy for several SMEs. He is the author of a novel, numerous articles and several ebooks, including 'Improve Your English', which is available as a free download at his website, EnglishLanguageExpert.com. Areas of specialist knowledge include the English language, English football (soccer), British social history and digital media. http://www.EnglishLanguageExpert.com Clarity. Brevity. Impact. Always.