12 tips to improve corporate writing

Why corporate writing is bad and how to fix it

Slow, cumbersome, abstract—all of these adjectives have been used to describe corporate writing. But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are plenty of ways to spice up the often-drab annual report or demystify a jargon-laden letter from the CEO. The key is to stop writing for executives and start writing for employees.

“Today’s audience is busy, cynical and overwhelmed by media,” says Jim Ylisela, former president of Ragan Consulting. As a result, “people don’t have time to read everything that comes their way—they choose to read things they like and what they have to.”

So how do you make sure corporate writing is interesting and important enough to rope in a reader? Heed the following tips:

1. Be clear

Don’t get caught up using technical terms and convoluted sentence structures. Use straightforward language and explain what you’re talking about. If it’s not written clearly, nothing else will matter because people won’t understand it.

2. Use action verbs