Dumbing down message saves time, money
The following sentence might confuse you, but chances are good it looks familiar, maybe even a little too familiar:
“Although we strenuously continue to easily outclass our competitors on an enterprise-wide level of actionability, our global customer-care agents are experiencing a skill gap in terms of their abilities and knowledge in the area of satisfying customers, particularly when their first-call response rate is measured against industry benchmarks and their call-resolution rate is compared to rates achieved by other entities in this space.”
It’s a funny sentence. But if this is anything like how people in your organization write, it’s an expensive joke that costs both money and business.
In plain language, this writer is simply saying, “While we’re ahead of our competitors overall, our global customer-care agents need to be better at resolving customer issues quickly.”
Plain language is all about being clear and straightforward. It’s writing that readers understand the first time they read it. Plain writing doesn’t draw attention to itself by using inflated language, obscure words or fashionable buzzwords. Instead, it has a transparent feel. It uses simple language and has a warm, conversational feel. It’s respectful, not baby talk. It is always driven by the reader’s need for simplicity and clarity.
You’d think plain language would be an easy sell, but it isn’t. The strongest resistance comes from assumptions people have about what makes them appear professional or businesslike. There is a widely held belief that being professional is achieved by using big words, clichés and buzzwords. The truth is, professionalism is all about being good and ethical in what you do. It’s about getting the facts right and being courteous.
Also, people fear readers will be insulted with a simply stated message, that simplicity implies the reader cannot understand something complex. This is especially true when writing “up.” The truth is, the more senior the reader, the plainer they want the writing. A CEO doesn’t want to be impressed with vocabulary; she just wants to know the bottom line so she can make her decision.
Another resistance to plain language often comes from corporate cultures where unplain writing abounds. If you are surrounded by it, it’s not surprising that you’ll adopt it. It begins to seem natural.
Too often unplain writing is a cover for fuzzy thinking. As Albert Einstein writes, “If you can’t explain something simply, you don’t understand it well.” When you write in a plain style, your message appears right on the surface and any gaps or gray areas stand out.
The benefits of plain language are compelling. Consider these cases published by Joseph Kimble in Writing for Dollars, Writing to Please:
•By rewriting just one letter in plain language, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs was able to save $40,000 US per year. And that’s just one letter.
•When Allen-Bradley Company revised its computer manuals into plain language, calls to the call centre dropped from more than 50 a day to two a month.
•General Electric’s technical writers created a plain language manual for the company’s software. In one test, customers who used the older version of the manual made about 125 more calls a month than customers who used the new, plain version. GE estimates it saves between $22,000 US and $375,000 US a year for each business customer who uses the revised manual.
•When Federal Express revised its ground-operating manuals, it improved both the time it took employees to find information and the accuracy of the information they found. FedEx estimates the revised manual saved the company $400,000 US in the first year, just in the time employees spent searching for answers.
The costs of poor writing do not appear on the balance sheet. If they did, businesses would do more about them. The biggest cost is staff time, both for writers and for readers. Consider this: A government department sends a two-page memo to 15,000 employees that takes an average of 10 minutes to read and digest. The real cost to the department is $100,000 in salaries. The memo is about keeping the staff kitchens clean. Is this really a $100,000 problem?
There are other benefits too. Readers overwhelmingly prefer it, so it builds and strengthens relationships with your readers. Letters, e-mails, reports and documentation, written in plain language, are easier to understand and remember. Think how important this is when you’re communicating information about health and workplace safety.
How do you achieve a plain language style of writing? Start by placing the needs of readers in the forefront. Consider their needs and don’t overestimate their prior knowledge. Remember that what’s at the front of your mind isn’t necessarily at the front of their minds, and most will appreciate a quick refresher on the topic. Use simple language, avoid jargon and minimize the use of technical language. Be conversational and concrete, and avoid clichés and buzzwords. Good plain writing speaks to a human being, so use personal pronouns. Make the structure logical, which enables readers to navigate through the document easily and scan it quickly. Finally, write informative headings and link ideas logically throughout the document.
To make sure the company’s writing respects readers’ time and builds and reinforces relationships, make sure all customer correspondence is clear and plain. That means taking a hard look at form letters, websites and contracts. Make sure staff use plain language in everyday writing — e-mail, reports and documentation.
Jody Bruner is the founder and president of Bruner Business Communication, a Toronto-based training company specializing in written communication. She can be reached at (416) 781-0141 or at www.brunerbiz.com .
“Although we strenuously continue to easily outclass our competitors on an enterprise-wide level of actionability, our global customer-care agents are experiencing a skill gap in terms of their abilities and knowledge in the area of satisfying customers, particularly when their first-call response rate is measured against industry benchmarks and their call-resolution rate is compared to rates achieved by other entities in this space.”
It’s a funny sentence. But if this is anything like how people in your organization write, it’s an expensive joke that costs both money and business.
In plain language, this writer is simply saying, “While we’re ahead of our competitors overall, our global customer-care agents need to be better at resolving customer issues quickly.”
Plain language is all about being clear and straightforward. It’s writing that readers understand the first time they read it. Plain writing doesn’t draw attention to itself by using inflated language, obscure words or fashionable buzzwords. Instead, it has a transparent feel. It uses simple language and has a warm, conversational feel. It’s respectful, not baby talk. It is always driven by the reader’s need for simplicity and clarity.
You’d think plain language would be an easy sell, but it isn’t. The strongest resistance comes from assumptions people have about what makes them appear professional or businesslike. There is a widely held belief that being professional is achieved by using big words, clichés and buzzwords. The truth is, professionalism is all about being good and ethical in what you do. It’s about getting the facts right and being courteous.
Also, people fear readers will be insulted with a simply stated message, that simplicity implies the reader cannot understand something complex. This is especially true when writing “up.” The truth is, the more senior the reader, the plainer they want the writing. A CEO doesn’t want to be impressed with vocabulary; she just wants to know the bottom line so she can make her decision.
Another resistance to plain language often comes from corporate cultures where unplain writing abounds. If you are surrounded by it, it’s not surprising that you’ll adopt it. It begins to seem natural.
Too often unplain writing is a cover for fuzzy thinking. As Albert Einstein writes, “If you can’t explain something simply, you don’t understand it well.” When you write in a plain style, your message appears right on the surface and any gaps or gray areas stand out.
The benefits of plain language are compelling. Consider these cases published by Joseph Kimble in Writing for Dollars, Writing to Please:
•By rewriting just one letter in plain language, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs was able to save $40,000 US per year. And that’s just one letter.
•When Allen-Bradley Company revised its computer manuals into plain language, calls to the call centre dropped from more than 50 a day to two a month.
•General Electric’s technical writers created a plain language manual for the company’s software. In one test, customers who used the older version of the manual made about 125 more calls a month than customers who used the new, plain version. GE estimates it saves between $22,000 US and $375,000 US a year for each business customer who uses the revised manual.
•When Federal Express revised its ground-operating manuals, it improved both the time it took employees to find information and the accuracy of the information they found. FedEx estimates the revised manual saved the company $400,000 US in the first year, just in the time employees spent searching for answers.
The costs of poor writing do not appear on the balance sheet. If they did, businesses would do more about them. The biggest cost is staff time, both for writers and for readers. Consider this: A government department sends a two-page memo to 15,000 employees that takes an average of 10 minutes to read and digest. The real cost to the department is $100,000 in salaries. The memo is about keeping the staff kitchens clean. Is this really a $100,000 problem?
There are other benefits too. Readers overwhelmingly prefer it, so it builds and strengthens relationships with your readers. Letters, e-mails, reports and documentation, written in plain language, are easier to understand and remember. Think how important this is when you’re communicating information about health and workplace safety.
How do you achieve a plain language style of writing? Start by placing the needs of readers in the forefront. Consider their needs and don’t overestimate their prior knowledge. Remember that what’s at the front of your mind isn’t necessarily at the front of their minds, and most will appreciate a quick refresher on the topic. Use simple language, avoid jargon and minimize the use of technical language. Be conversational and concrete, and avoid clichés and buzzwords. Good plain writing speaks to a human being, so use personal pronouns. Make the structure logical, which enables readers to navigate through the document easily and scan it quickly. Finally, write informative headings and link ideas logically throughout the document.
To make sure the company’s writing respects readers’ time and builds and reinforces relationships, make sure all customer correspondence is clear and plain. That means taking a hard look at form letters, websites and contracts. Make sure staff use plain language in everyday writing — e-mail, reports and documentation.
Jody Bruner is the founder and president of Bruner Business Communication, a Toronto-based training company specializing in written communication. She can be reached at (416) 781-0141 or at www.brunerbiz.com .
