The 5 P’s Of Powerful Business Writing: Audio Writing Tips

This month’s podcast (5 mins) explores powerful writing within the context of business writing, looking at 5 P’s that will help you to write with power, authority and confidence.

The 5 P’s of Powerful Business Writing

Purpose: Know what your writing and business purpose is and focus on that as you write. Your writing will take on a different quality as a result

Passion: We don’t often associate passion with jargon filled business writing, but if you focus on what matters to you about the business you’re in, the ideas you want to express, the way you want your clients or colleagues to feel, the difference you want to make – that will help to bring your writing to life, to give it more power

Plain English: Chose the plain, simple words and you’ll make it easier for others to follow. Plain English doesn’t clutter up or disguise: it provides you with the tools to communicate with clarity, to let the power of your message shine through

Presence: Concentrate on what you’re writing and why, on your writing purpose, on the difference you want to make and your readers will feel you present in your words. (Compare that with the machine like quality of so much business writing.)

Personality: Bring something of yourself to your words and writing – tying back in to your writing purpose, the passion you feel for your subject, your (personal) choice of plain words, and your choice to be fully present in your writing. People will notice the difference and your writing will be more powerful as a result.

As I was recording this I thought of another two: product (taking good care to finish and polish your writing) and pride (in your message, in a well-edited piece of work) but I’m sure there are more. What other P’s can you think of that contribute to powerful business writing?

Postscript: I need to add another P here, a postscript pointer to Karen Swim’s series on The Essential P’s of Business. Karen, I did write and record this post and podcast at the weekend before your series started, and I was loath to record another… Hope you don’t mind! Maybe it just goes to show how much we think on the same lines?