7 Reasons To Communicate Clearly

7 Reasons To Communicate Clearly

Writers Write creates resources for business writers. In this post, we give you 7 reasons to communicate clearly.

Are you as annoyed as I am when you listen to politicians? 

With the elections in South Africa on 7 May 2014, I thought candidates would at least try to communicate clearly. I don’t understand what most of them are saying, and I don’t care about their messages because of this. I am tired of jargon and ambiguity. I wish someone would just say what they mean.

When we communicate in plain language, misunderstandings disappear. Readers actually read our information and use it. Our audience listens to us and understands our words. We don’t spend precious time explaining what we meant.

7 Reasons To Communicate Clearly

7 Reasons To Communicate Clearly

Communicating in plain language:

  1. Streamlines procedures and paperwork.
  2. Increases understanding and satisfaction.
  3. Reduces confusion.
  4. Reduces complaints.
  5. Reduces enquiries seeking clarification.
  6. Creates a positive image.
  7. Saves time and money.

Why waste resources?

Why write documents that are dense and difficult to understand? People don’t have the time, patience or energy to wade through badly-written material. They don’t want to listen to boring long-winded speeches. Everyone benefits from using plain language. Non-profit and the public service sector improve their reputation in the eyes of the public. Private industry gains a competitive advantage.

In South Africa (even though you wouldn’t think so from listening to most politicians, lawyers, and business leaders) communicating in plain language is necessary. The Consumer Protection Act, National Credit Act and the Companies Act (to name a few) have made the use of plain language compulsory. Compliance helps you avoid unnecessary legal costs.

Buy The Report Writing Workbook if you need help writing reports and proposals. If you want to improve your business writing, buy The Complete Grammar Workbook.

 by Amanda Patterson

© Amanda Patterson

If you enjoyed this article, read these posts:

  1. Nine Things To Avoid When You Write A Report
  2. 93 Extremely Bad Business Writing Habits to Break
  3. 1500 times a day – how to stay afloat in the information deluge
Posted on: 11th April 2014
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