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Top Tips For Effective Written Communication
Visual communication which includes body language, facial expression and symbols accounts for 55% of the communication process. Auditory communication such as the tone, tempo and volume of voice accounts for 38% of the communication process. Words themselves only account for 7% of the communication process. *These percentages vary depending on which reference material is referred to. So how do we rise to the substantial challenge of communicating effectively only with words? Get Attention - wave the flag! Depending on how long your communication is, it is important to engage the interest of your target audience from the first sentence. So make sure that your first words are written in a way that will make your reader want to read more! Be Succinct. Say what you need to say in as few words as possible. Most people have time constraints of one sort or another, so the shorter your message, the more chance you have that your audience will actually read the whole message. Be Clear. It is vital to choose language that makes your message clear so that it is not open to misinterpretation. If you want a response to your message, then ask for it clearly. If your intent is for the reader to take some action, then make sure this is laid out in easy to understand language. If you are imparting information then make sure it is presented in an easy to follow format. Accuracy is not negotiable! If your information is not accurate then quite simply you have wasted your time and the time of your reader. Enough said. Know your audience. It is important to understand who your audience is. You should tailor your tone to suit your audience. You may need to be formal or informal or perhaps humorous or light hearted in tone. Research your audience so you can be clear on how best to tailor your language to suit, and ensure the message is received loud and clear. Use everyday language in general - save the literary words and tone for an audience you know will appreciate and understand it. And remember to take into account regional and cultural differences otherwise you could be writing about apples and your audience will think it is all about spaghetti. Take advantage of whatever tools you have. Whilst this article is about written communication - there is a visual element to this that is often overlooked by many people. And that is simply formatting. In other words, lay out your words in a visually appealing format - use bolding, underlining, vary the font and so on to present the words in such a way that the important points are visually highlighted. This will help to make the information more digestible visually and therefore more engaging. Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com For more information on innovative business Technical Writing, Training Materials Development, Resume Writing, Job Interview and Management Coaching, or Change Management Consulting, contact Romana Stratton, wordsmith and principal of Extreme Business, at extremebusiness.com.au. Romana will be happy to provide a free half hour consultation to discuss how Extreme Business can help your business grow and achieve set goals! |
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