What’s the secret sauce for engaging, inspiring and motivating communications? Writing in plain English, of course! Our five essential ingredients make it simple to write easy-to-digest communications.
When you communicate, you need clarity and brevity. That’s because being understood is essential to doing business.
But what’s the secret ingredient to clear and concise communication? Plain English. An ancient saying goes, “unless you use speech that is easily understood… [you] will, in fact, be speaking into the air.”
The body only benefits from the food it digests. Likewise, your audience only benefits if they can effortlessly take in your message. Communicating in plain English will help you to engage, inspire and motivate.
Here are our five essential ingredients for everyday-English communications:
1. Keep sentences short Long sentences are hard to digest. That’s why most business-writing guides recommend 15-20 words in a sentence. Wrote a long sentence? Try splitting it into two. Don’t be afraid to cut words. If you can say it in two words instead of three, do so—as long as the result still sounds natural.
2. Use active voice
Plain English is about being clear and concise. The more direct, active voice achieves both. Readers always know precisely who or what acted in your sentence. Plus, the passive voice often results in wordy sentences that stretch out like a cheese-string.
3. Provide clear instructions
Cook: One word. A complete thought. No confusion. Use imperatives if you need to give instructions. Not only is it clear as a consommé, but it’s also easier to understand.
4. Avoid jargon, acronyms and buzzwords Like spices, use jargon sparingly, adding just enough to enhance your message and credibility. As an expert, what’s evident to you may be foreign to someone else. So, before using a technical term or acronym, ask yourself, “Do most of my audience understand this?”
5. Use bullets and lists
Portion information into lists. These visually display how items are related and add plenty of white space to a page. It also helps to logically split up information, preventing you from writing long, confusing sentences.
Remember, plain English is palatable. Toss these five essential ingredients into your business communications, and you’ll always have well-informed audiences.
About Victoria
Victoria believes that great communication has the power to change the world. She's passionate about helping organisations to lift their profiles, inspire action and achieve remarkable results by crafting and delivering their stories and messages in a clear, compelling and persuasive way. If you've got a question about how to produce high-quality communication plans or content, you can contact Victoria here or connect with her on LinkedIn.