In business, we write to get the job done. At least, that’s how it happens in most industries.  We compose emails that communicate our message effectively; we write reports that detail all necessary facts; and we produce memos that tell people exactly what they need to know.

Because of that, nobody reads a business document hoping to find sentences that look like it came right out of a professional wordsmith.  You can leave the creative imagery and witty banter at home.  As long as people can understand your message, everything is fine.   Well, almost fine.

If you write poorly on a regular basis, people could develop an unpleasant impression of you.   Bad writing, to put it bluntly, can make even bright people look dumb.  And an image like that among people in your organization can really hurt you in the long run.

When you write in a clear, organized and persuasive way, it does more than leave people with a good impression.  Doing that gives them an additional incentive to read in detail, instead of just trying to scan what you wrote as quickly as possible (something I’m betting many of us do with business documents).  Everyone, after all, appreciates the finer points of good writing.

Sloppy writing is unsightly.  More so now, with English grammar and spell-check software readily available from many sources.  Not only is it tough to read, it’s an indication of many things, foremost of which is your lack of concern for the reader.

In this day and age, there is no excuse for sloppy writing.  That’s true whether you’re writing emails for business associates, letters to close friends or essays for your college classes.  If an additional few minutes with a grammar software can sufficiently clean up your mistakes, why not do it?

Doing a few things right can get rid of many hallmarks of sloppy writing:

1. Fix your spelling.   Your spell-check software can fix spelling on the fly (recommended) or in batches, depending on your preferences.
2. Fix your grammar.  Bad grammar obfuscates even the wisest ideas and the most well-meaning messages.  Fix it with your English software and do your readers a worthy service.
3. Fix wordiness.  Most of the best grammar and spell-check software can alert you to instances of wordiness, too.  Make sure you fix them whenever your attention is called to excessive word use.
4. Fix ambiguities in language.  Adjectives that are inappropriate for the noun and pronouns that can refer to multiple things are examples of ambiguities that are downright sloppy.  The software can detect some of them, but you’ll need to employ a watchful eye, too.

When it comes to lowering your efficiency as a writer, there’s no worse culprit than this: drafting and editing at the same time.

In some ways, it’s the manner we are generally taught to write from a young age.  When the teacher asks you to stand in front and write a sentence on the board, she corrects any mistakes right on the spot.  Imagine years of that type of action repeated through elementary and high school, and you understand people’s tendency to write and criticize their work at the same time.

It’s also the way many skills are taught.  When you’re learning tennis, for instance, and are hitting the ball with bad form, the instructor will shout for adjustments to make while you’re in the court.  As such, it isn’t surprising that we think it’s the way to do things.

Time and again, however, it’s been shown that writing and editing at the same time leads to less-than-ideal results.  When your critical mind is in full force while you draft, you tend to waste a lot of time.  Instead of simply expressing your ideas directly and fixing them later, you end up:

1. Deliberating on every sentence you produce.
2. Second-guessing the very words you put on paper.
3. Wasting precious time turning things over in your head.

Doing this is similar to running your grammar corrector software after every sentence you produce.  It’s just a bad idea that will add unnecessary delay to your work.

It doesn’t matter how smart you are.  If you write poorly, it reflects the same  negative light on you.  People won’t think you’re very smart.

That’s why learning to write well is such a valuable skill, regardless of what field you’re in.  Everyone ends up having to write in some form, whether it be emails, reports or documentation of your work.  You’re going to do it, so you might as well do it right.  If you write and end up doing a piss-poor job at it, it can affect your work standing.

Say, you’re working as an engineer and are tasked with putting a report together.  No matter how good of a job you did, if you submit a report that’s practically unreadable without pausing every three sentences,  what kind of perception will develop in your superiors’ minds?  It’s not that hard to imagine that the poor writing can take away from your in-field abilities.

What if I’m a prospect you’re trying to sell on the merits of doing business with you?  Then you send me an email proposal fraught with mistakes, not even receiving the benefit of a high-quality writing software.  How do you think I will feel?  Will it encourage me to get on board or will scare me away?

Bad writing makes smart people, that means you, look dumb.  Don’t let it.  Not when proper grammar and clear text can be just a grammar software away.

Spelling, grammar and punctuation are all important components of writing.  Haven’t we all heard this time and time again?  Despite the repeated reminders, most people continue to ignore them, producing text that is fraught with errors on all of those fronts.

Why fix your grammar?  Because good grammar helps lessen confusion for your readers.  Writing that follows the rules of usage will contain structure that makes sense for anyone even moderately-versed in English.

Why fix punctuation?  Because poorly punctuated text is simply tough to read.  Imagine a person speaking in a single tone without pause – that’s how badly-punctuated writing typically read like.

Why fix spelling?  Because wrong spelling can lead the reader down the wrong path.  Imagine saying “definitely” instead of “defiantly” – that’s a world of difference right there.

When working on these areas of your writing, you can either labor over it all on your own or commission the help of a good proofreading software.  Naturally, we recommend the latter, as it uses up less of your time, apart from likely being more thorough.

All you need to do is ask a college professor for a random sampling of essays that students turn in and your frustration will likely grow.  Errors in all of the above areas can be easily remedied both with a writing software and some basic proofreading efforts.

Ever wrote 1000 words of copy and, upon reviewing, decided that it’s utter rubbish?  We’ve all had those days.  Sometimes, the material we write just feels so off that we’d rather hit delete than try to fashion it into shape with the help of a writing software.

Here is valuable advice that you’ll be best served hearing out, though: nothing that you write is ever a waste.

Instead of chucking the entire piece, I highly recommend just opening up another document for your second attempt.  Regardless of how bad you think the original is, it carries innate value that can help you through the completion of the new piece you are doing.

For instance, the original copy you’ve written can serve as a reference for the updated piece.  Instead of having to return to your notes or, worse, research again, you can simply use what you’ve previously written as your basis, since you’ve already did all the fact-checking while working on it.

Additionally, rarely will you write entirely garbage pieces.  After the initial frustration you’re feeling has passed, you are more likely to notice a few well-written sentences and paragraphs among the flurry of words.  If they fit in with the way you’re writing the new piece, you can simply cut and paste them.  Instead of writing entirely from scratch, you can take the good parts from the previous version and use it to supplement your new one.

No work that goes into writing is ever a waste.  Think about it – even the most badly-written pieces have allowed you to get a grasp of a subject.  How bad is that?

There are many ways to lose a person’s attention while they’re going through your copy.  Ineffective writing isn’t that hard to do.  Want to lose your readers and have them abandon your copy before getting halfway through?  Follow these things every good writer should avoid and refuse to run your copy through an English writing software which can catch them.

1.  Don’t do any transitions.

Jumping from one thought to another without an appropriate transition can leave your readers feeling like something’s been pulled from right under them.  How would you feel if you were watching Heroes and the next scene they cut into shows a storyline that happened on Entourage?   With the right transitions, even the most implausible juxtapositions can be acceptable, with the reader happy to go along.  If you’re going to change subjects, always close the first one and lead into the next.

2. Ramble incoherently

I hate a lot of emails and forum posts for this reason.  Too many people just ramble on endlessly, with no thought or structure to what they’re putting down on paper.  If your ideas aren’t clear to you, they aren’t going to be any clearer for readers when you put them down on paper.  Get some structure and work through your ideas step by step.

3. Pepper it with jargon and slang

Jargon has its place.  Unless you’re writing for a very tight audience, though, it usually just causes you to lose readers.  Unless you’re certain that your audience has the same background that you do, jargon just makes your copy difficult to comprehend.