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[ Administrative Assistance ]
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WordPower: Every Word Counts
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by Phil Stella
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What's in a word? A lot -- the words you use make a difference.
We media communicators spend a big part of our workday writing, whether it's a script, proposal, memo, or marketing piece. Even though we're committed to the value and impact of the visual message in our scripts, remember that our words are the message. They affect clarity of meaning and impact results. Too often, however, we choose words out of habit.
To achieve WordPower in everything you write, make every word count. Go beyond the first word or usual word to accurately and consistently convey a clear meaning to specific readers or viewers. To create an audience-centered script, you must use audience-centered language. Here are some simple guidelines to energize your word use and improve your results.
Choose a short, simple, familiar word when it's just as clear or clearer as a longer word. The extra syllables don't add anything to your meaning and may detract from your message. But don't trade clarity for brevity. Scripts should sound conversational, and so should routine documents, because effective business writing is people talking to people on paper.
Avoid "big wordism" whenever possible. Don't try to impress people with your educated vocabulary. Impress them instead with your clarity and credibility. For example, why use anticipate when expect is just as clear? The same goes for utilize vs. use, compensate vs. pay, and individuals vs. people.
Find the single precise word that best conveys your meaning and use it or a pronoun every time. Playing "synonymania" can result in confusion.
Minimize modifiers -- find an unmodified word that conveys the exact meaning. So "more than a little bit over plan on costs" becomes "15 percent over plan." Or "very, very slow response time" becomes "12.5 second response time."
Avoid vague words or references because your readers or viewers will define them -- and they may come up with a different meaning than your intended. Turn "lots of complaints from many people" into "30 complaints from 13 people." Turn "several customers account for most of the revenue" into "six customers account for 73 percent of the revenue."
Avoid qualifiers like perhaps, might, I think, maybe, and somewhat. These wimpy words imply lack of confidence or competency. Be comfortable being confident and assertive. "I think perhaps we should consider starting...." reads better as "We should start..."
Also, avoid passive voice. Active voice is more conversational, clearer, and shorter. Passive voice is vague, wordy, and stuffy. Rewrite "project time logs are to be sent to the supervisor" to read "send your project time logs to the supervisor."
Now that you've improved your individual word choices, carry that momentum on to phrases. Cut out any unnecessary words or whole phrases that don't enhance your message or tone. Remember, never sacrifice clarity or tone for brevity.
Use short verbs instead of longer noun phrases that add unnecessary words and a more formal, stuffy tone. Turn "reach a decision" into "decide" and "... in the process of the investigation of" into "investigating."
When you combine these various WordPower guidelines, this is what can happen. Start with: "Due to the fact that we were unable to locate appropriate suppliers in the state of New York, the agency is now in a position to grant an approval for the use of out-of-state suppliers to fulfill our needs for October, November, and December 2007" (46 words).
By cutting unnecessary words and phrases and converting to simpler language, you can provide a better message and fewer words: "Because we couldn't find appropriate in-state suppliers, we (or name of agency) now approve going out-of-state for Q4 2007 needs" (19 words).
What's in a word? By now, you should agree -- a lot. Go beyond the first word you think of and use the best word you can think of for the specific message and receiver. Harness WordPower in everything you write, and make every word count.
Phil Stella runs Effective Training & Communication, Inc. and is a veteran video writer/producer, communication skill trainer & speaker. Contact him at (440) 449-0356 or etcpjs@aol.com.
WordPower Reminders
Remember to use:
- Short, simple, and conversational words
- Precise and specific words
- Verbs instead of noun phrases
- Few qualifiers
- Active voice instead of passive voice
- Short, simple, and uncluttered phrases
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