The science of strong business writing
Parent Post
Strong writing skills are
Strong writing skills are essential for anyone in business to communicate with peers effectively and to sell any ideas, products, or services. Whether it’s a succinct declarative statement in an email or a complex argument in a report, your writing has the potential to light up the neural circuitry of your readers’ brains.
Let’s look at the eight S’s that are the hallmarks of good writing. 👉
Social contentOur brains are
Social content
Our brains are wired to crave human connection—even in what we read. We don’t want to just read about people, though—we want to understand what they’re thinking as quickly as possible. Ways to help readers connect with your writing:
- Reveal more traces of yourself in it.
- Think voice, world view, vocabulary, wit, syntax, poetic rhythm, sensibilities.
- Include the human angle in any topic you’re discussing.
- Use the second person ‘you.’ This can be particularly helpful when you’re explaining technical or complicated material.
The eight S’s are
The eight S’s are effective tools for engaging readers because they trigger the same neural responses that other pleasurable stimuli do.
They’ll lead you to the writer’s version of the Golden Rule: Reward readers as you would yourself.
SeductivenessAs humans, we’re wired
Seductiveness
As humans, we’re wired to savor anticipation. People are often happier planning a vacation than they are after taking one. You can generate a similar reaction by winding up people’s curiosity for what’s to come.
So start a report with a question. Pose your customer problem as a conundrum. Position your product development work as solving a mystery. Put readers in a state of uncertainty so that you can then lead them to something better.
SpecificitySpecifics awaken a swath
Specificity
Specifics awaken a swath of brain circuits. Using more vivid and palpable language will reward your readers. More specific words activate more neurons in the visual and motor-strip parts of the brain than the general ones. Another specificity tactic is to give readers a memorable shorthand phrase to help them retain your message.
Smart thinkingMaking people feel
Smart thinking
Making people feel smart—giving them an “aha” moment—is another way to please readers. One way is to draw fresh distinctions. Another strategy is to phrase a pragmatic message so that it also evokes a perennial, universal truth.
StorytellingStories, even fragments of
Storytelling
Stories, even fragments of them, captivate extensive portions of readers’ brains in part because they combine several elements.
When you incorporate stories into your communications, big payoffs can result. In an experiment, marketing students formed more-favorable impressions of the pitches with richer narratives, giving them higher marks for entrepreneur credibility and business legitimacy.
SurpriseOur brains are wired
Surprise
Our brains are wired to make nonstop predictions and have an affinity for the unexpected. If your writing confirms the readers’ guess, though possibly a yawner; surprise can make your message stick, helping readers learn and retain information. So reward your readers with novelty and unusual wordplay.
Stirring languageOur brains process
Stirring language
Our brains process the emotional connotations of a word faster than its logic. We then combine the immediate feeling and subsequent thought to create the meaning. So when you write your next memo, consider injecting words that package feeling and thought together.
Metaphors often work even better. For example: Instead of saying “challenge the competition,” you might use “outwit rivals.” So before you start composing, get your feelings straight, along with your facts.