This may come as a shock to some, but some of the documents I read are sometiimes very long and not terribly interesting. I dont fault a business for being complicated. Heart surgery is complicated, and that is a good thing. But often I reach the final paragraph and I still dont know what a business actually does.

Ive learned to inquire politely, in various ways. Inevitably, I ask:

Just tell me why people give you money?

Suddenly all the fancy words disappear in the muddle of customer features, benefits and innovations.

WHY do people pay us money? Thats easy:
We fix their computers, or
We tell them how to run their business, or
We sell them software that organizes their information.

Network solutions providers? Strategic Entrepreneurial Consultants? Back End IT Enterprise Management Systems Engineers?

No. Just give me those verbs fix, tell, organize these are the words hidden in those complicated paragraphs muddy with well intentioned meaning.

Next time youre trying to describe your business, err on the side of clear communication.

Customers give me money to _______.

The words will work magic for you!

Beth Parker
Professional Writer
www.bethparker.com

President, CAWEE
Canadian Association of Women Executives & Entrepreneurs
June 2008-June 2010

It’s official. I read it in Harvard Business Review (I always wanted to say that!). Apparently when the wise folk recently surveyed all of the ways that companies mismanage risk, “poor communications” came out as number five! The article goes on to attribute such failure to our current economic mess.

“Communications failures have certainly played a role in the most recent crisis”, quotes HBR. For example, a recent report from the Swiss bank UBS to its shareholders attempted to present its subprime or housing related exposures. Unfortunately, the readers of the report didn’t fully grasp the severity of the situation, in particular because the writing was overly complex… and directed to the wrong audience.

I love it when clarity wins over thick data, long words and complicate phrases. Remember this. Your audience may be very intelligent – or not so. Without a doubt, they are busy people with lots on their minds. If you are presenting a message that matters, such as asking for funding, approving a strategic plan or perhaps outlining serious risk, pay a professional to clearly communicate the message.

It’s value well spent, and it could keep us all out of trouble.

Beth Parker
Professional Writer
www.bethparker.com

President, CAWEE
Canadian Association of Women Executives & Entrepreneurs
June 2008-June 2010