The most common mistake that business people make in their business writing is not

getting to the point

soon enough I see new hires make this mistake and I see CEOs make this mistake.

I'm not saying that their writing is confusing necessarily or that it's filled with
grammatical mistakes

or that it's poorly thought out in many cases.

Their writing is clear.

It's logical and it's professional.

What I am saying is that they don't get to the point soon enough and this mistake
cost their organizations

countless thousands of dollars each year in lost productivity.

Plus it wastes everyone's time.

The writers time and the readers time the challenge that you face with your readers
is that they are

busy your readers don't have enough time in their day to read every document that
comes across their

desk from start to finish that is so they skim they read your first few sentences
they skim the rest

of your document and they likely read your conclusion or your recommendations.

This means that unless you get right to the point in the first few sentences of
your document you likely

will never make your point.

And if you never make your point then your reader will never get your point.

Business Writing basics says that to get to the point you need to communicate your
key message in two

ways early and clearly.

Let's look at each of these in order.

First get to the point early if you're like most business people you like to give a
little background

before you make a request.

You'd like to provide a rationale before you make a recommendation.

You'd like to present your research before you present or state your findings.

In other words if you're typical you'd like to get to your point slowly.

To you it makes sense to get to the point eventually to you it makes sense to lead
your reader step
by step to your conclusion.

But to your business reader it doesn't.

As I said business readers are busy they need you to get to the point early they
need you to return

to business writing basics.

Let me show you what I mean.

This is a memo from a company to its employees memo aren't spear fishing.

You may be vulnerable to fishing attempts spear fishing is an email fraud attempt
that targets a specific

organization or person seeking unauthorized access to information to avoid being a

victim of phishing

attempts.

Please remember the following.

Keep in mind most companies banks and agencies will not request personal
information from you in an

email or request it over the phone.

Never click a link in an email to go to a secure site always enter the you are L
yourself never open

unexpected attachments from unknown sources use strong passwords make sure
antivirus software is updated.

A great video produced by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence

shares detailed information

regarding spearfishing.

Click the link below to watch the video and afterwards check out their YouTube page
for other insightful

videos regarding security there is a mandatory workshop on spear fishing being held
this week in the

main auditorium on the usual training day.

It starts at 9 a.m..

Attendance is required RSVP is should be sent to security at Acme core dot com if
this memo arrived

in your email inbox today would you read it all the way through.

Probably not because it ignores business writing basics.

The memo looks like it contains simple tips on preventing spear phishing.
It looks like the kind of memo that you can file away.

The writer does not do anything in this memo until the last paragraph to let you
know that this email

is essential reading for you.

If you did not read this memo right to the end that means you didn't attend the
mandatory workshop being

held in the main auditorium.

I doubt that anyone in your organization attended this is a classic example of

getting to the point

too late.

The most important part of this memo is the announcement that there is a workshop
that you the reader

must attend but you don't know that by reading the headline.

The subject line you don't know that by reading the introduction you don't know
that by reading the

bulleted points.

So what should the writer have done instead the writer should have returned to
business writing basics

by getting to the point immediately.

Here's how this memo should look.

Mandatory workshop on spear fishing this Thursday you are required to attend a
mandatory workshop on

spear fishing.

This week you must RSVP to this email so we know you are attending.

When Thursday 8th of May starting at 9 a.m. where main auditorium RSVP send an
email to security at

Acme corps dot com saying that you will be attending this workshop.

Why you need to attend this workshop you may be vulnerable to phishing attempts
spear phishing is an

email fraud attempt that targets a specific organization or person seeking

unauthorized access to information

to avoid being a victim of phishing attempts.

Please remember the following.

Keep in mind most companies banks and agencies will not request personal
information from you in an
email or request it over the phone.

Never click a link in an email to go to a secure site always enter the U.R.L.
yourself never open unexpected

attachments from unknown sources.

Use strong passwords make sure antivirus software is updated.

A great video produced by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence

shares detailed information

regarding spear phishing.

Click the link below to watch the video and afterwards check out their YouTube page
for other insightful

videos regarding security see the difference.

The first memo buries the most important information at the end of the document the
second memo puts

this information where it belongs at the beginning anyone who received the second
memo might not know

anything about spear fishing but they would know that there was a workshop being
held that week on the

topic of spear fishing and they would also know that they were required to attend.

This brings me to my second point.

Get to the point.

Clearly take a look at these two memos again and you'll see that the first one is
fuzzy.

And the second one it's clear the first one is vague.

The second one is specific notice the differences.

The first memo tells you that the workshop is being held this week.

That's unclear.

The second memo tells you that the workshop is being held on May the 8th.

That's clear.

The first memo tells you that the workshop is being held on quote the usual
training day unquote.

That's unclear.

The second memo tells you that the workshop is being held on Thursday.

That's clear.

The first memo tells you that attendance is required unquote but by whom.
You can't be sure because the writer is not clear.

The second memo tells you that you the recipient of this email are required to
attend a mandatory workshop.

That's clear as you can see the first memo is slow in getting to the point and is
unclear unspecific.

The second memo gets to the point immediately and is clear and specific.

Here's how to do it.

Make your request first give your reasons.

Second give the meeting invitation first give the background for the meeting.

Second state your recommendations first state your findings that led you to those
recommendations.

Second state the policy change first give the reason behind it.

Second give the order first give the details.

Second state your research findings first describe your methodology.

Second state the sales results first described how you reach them.

Second make the announcement first give the context.

Second.

In other words get to the point enough said.