What does professional writing look like?

Less corporate speak, more everyday speech

The problem with a lot of professional writing is that when trying to sound ‘professional’, many writers resort to corporate speak. They use vague terms that confuse the reader, convoluted sentences that are too long, and an official tone that sounds pompous.

After working in an office for a while, many professionals find themselves writing words they’d never use in everyday life. Corporate buzzwords like ‘blue-sky thinking’, ‘drill down’ and ‘synergy’ become part of their vocabulary.

When writing at work, resist the temptation to use these words. Instead, say what you mean using simple, everyday words. Edit your work to remove vague expressions and reduce your word count. No-one wants to spend time reading content that’s longer than it needs to be.

To help get your message across efficiently, choose specific, concrete words that convey your meaning. If you’re referring to an email, use the word ‘email’ not ‘correspondence’. And choose simple, active verbs, like ‘investigate’ rather than ‘conduct an investigation’. This simple strategy will give your writing an energy boost and help you get to your point quickly!

More action, less ambiguity

One of the biggest barriers to clear professional writing is the passive voice. This grammatical structure is often used by writers who are trying to sound professional. But it can easily backfire.

Take this example, ‘An audit into our office’s sustainability initiatives will be conducted.’ This sentence structure removes accountability and transparency. There’s no way of knowing who will do the auditing.

By forcing your reader to guess who is doing the doing, you slow them down and raise questions in their mind. Of course, sometimes you won’t know who is doing the doing, and in cases like that, the passive voice is appropriate. But wherever possible, it’s best to use the active voice. Try this structure instead: ‘Alex will audit our office’s sustainability initiatives.’

A lighter tone of voice, plain and simple

Professional writing has a reputation for sounding stuffy and impersonal. But it doesn’t need to be. You can use contractions, pronouns and other humanising words, such as ‘please’, to lighten the tone of your writing.

To engage your reader, keep your tone friendly and to the point.  Your readers would much prefer to read this: ‘Thanks for your email and the comments you made’ rather than ‘Receipt is acknowledged of your recent communication, whose contents have been noted’. Wouldn’t you?