We communicate daily by speaking to people in person, by talking on the phone, and in writing. Does your communication style meet the right criteria for business and administrative communication?

• Is your message clear?

  A clear message ensures that your audience won’t be left with questions
  or assume the intent of the communication. This saves time for your
  audience, as well as the sender of the message.

• Is your message complete?

  Don’t leave our pertinent information. Try to anticipate the questions
  your audience may have, and answer them in your communication. Again,
  this will save you time because your audience will be able to pull all
  of the needed information from your communication.

• Is your message correct?

  Not only should your message be free of spelling or grammatical areas,
  all of the details should be correct. I was sent an email communication
  in advance this week, that would be going out to 300 of our staff. In
  the email was a phone number for support, but it wasn’t the correct
  phone number. Imagine how frustrated a user in need of support would
  have been when they dialed a provided number and found it was wrong!

• Is your message going to save the receiver time?

  Your message should be clear enough so that your audience can digest the
  information and take action. It should make the receiver’s life easier,
  not give them a headache as they try to understand a complicated
  document or misguided memo.

• Is your message going to build Goodwill?

  Make sure that your message conveys a positive outlook, of both the
  sender and the organization represented. Even when bad news must be
  given, it’s still important to be polite, respectful, and let people
  know that you care.

Take a look at what you’re writing and see if you can’t beef it up to match the criteria above more closely.