Truth 2. If you can say it, you can write it

A colleague sent us a press release that began, “Transformation of a dream often begins with acts of imagination that elevate a starting vision of change above the intimidating presence of things as they are.”

“Jack,” we asked on the phone, “what do you mean?”

“Oh, that you’ve got to have a dream to make the dream come true.”

Why didn’t Jack just say what he meant, or find other simple words to say the same thing without sounding like Rodgers and Hammerstein? Why do we write so much “stuff” that is so different from what we’d say if someone asked us in conversation what the new gizmo does, or why the acquisition is so important, or how the new system works?

Maybe the answer comes from another famous theatrical production number: “Tradition.” We may have learned to write in long, complicated, formal fashion to fill up English term papers or impress professors. In the business world, we may have learned to imitate other people’s bad writing.

How to escape from this morass? By believing in this basic principle: Good business writing today is very close to good spoken language. So, if you can say it…you can write it!

We’re aiming for you to write the way you speak: clearly, unpretentiously, using short words, short sentences, simple structures, and a natural flow of ideas. Historically, oral storytelling predated writing by eons, and most of the greatest classics in every language—the Bible, Homer, Chaucer—were written records of oral tradition.

But this spoken-word basis got lost somewhere after the printing press was invented in the fifteenth century. Now, happily for writers in the business environment, it’s back. No one has time to write long-convoluted-dense-abstract-ambiguous messages…and almost no one wants to read them.

The definition of good writing we developed as part of Truth 1 is universal. Effective business writing in the twenty-first century has come to mean writing that is simple, direct, clear, easy to read, and…conversational. When it’s read aloud, it sounds a lot like spoken communication.

Of course, there are important differences between spoken and written language, and you need to know how to make the transition from the first to the second—and we’ll show you how to do it. But the important point to remember is that successful writing “sounds” a lot like speech. In fact, many professional writers routinely read their work aloud to be sure it is say-able. When it’s not, they make changes.

“Old” business writing vs. “new”—Here’s a kind of statement that is often seen in business writing. Actually, one of the authors wrote it for this book:

The amount of human interaction in contemporary office contexts is continually diminishing, because of technology.

When we checked out this sentence, we realized that it didn’t meet the say-ability test; when read aloud, it’s awkward and wordy and has a sing-songy tone. You’d never express the idea this way when talking to someone.

Here’s a rewrite that’s much closer to speech:

Today businesspeople don’t talk to each other very much; we mostly send e-mails.

How “saying it” helps you connect—There are many reasons why a conversational approach to writing succeeds in the business setting. Personal contact is diminishing. More and more of us work out of our homes. Even in office situations, we may be distant from colleagues and those we report to, or who report to us. We connect with the outer world to an amazing degree through e-mail, letters, reports, proposals, Web sites, blogs, texting, online communities, and print materials.

The human race isn’t really ready for this. We are accustomed to making judgments about people’s trustworthiness, value, and simpatico level in face-to-face situations. Imagine holding a jury trial where all the information is delivered by e-mail and you never see the accused, the judge, lawyers, or other jurors. Would you want to make a decision only on the bare facts? Without hearing tone of voice, seeing expressions, and observing body language and interactions? Observing the pauses and hesitations?

The lesson for writing: You need to recognize what can and can’t be accomplished in written communication and take account of those limits. But here’s something that doesn’t get a lot of attention: When the written word is substituting for in-person interaction, a conversational style can be a big asset.

Further, in using a spoken-word base to plan a communication, you give yourself the advantage of suggesting individuality or even personality in your message. Business communication need not be coldly factual and neutral. Much of it would work better if it seemed more individualized.

When you think about how you would say something—especially to a specific person—you automatically choose words, expressions, and structures that characterize a personal interaction. Your language picks up warmth and spontaneity that can be very effective. Of course, on the other hand, you have to guard against displaying negative feelings, which can happen with equal ease.