The Science of Strong Business Writing

Specifics awaken a swath of brain circuits. Think of “pelican” versus “bird.” Or “wipe” versus “clean.”  Our neurons actually “embody” what the words mean: When we hear more-specific ones, we “taste,” “feel,” and “see” traces of the real thing.

Using more vivid, palpable language will reward your readers. Another specificity tactic is to give readers a memorable shorthand phrase to help them retain your message.

Our brains are wired to make nonstop predictions, including guessing the next word in every line of text.

If your writing confirms the readers’ guess, that’s OK, though possibly a yawner. Surprise can make your message stick, helping readers learn and retain information.

Our brains process the emotional connotations of a word within 200 milliseconds of reading it—much faster than we understand its meaning. So when we read emotionally charged material, we reflexively react with feelings. Reason follows. We then combine the immediate feeling and subsequent thought to create meaning.

So when you write your next memo, consider injecting words that package feeling and thought together. Instead of saying “challenge the competition,” you might use “outwit rivals.” In lieu of “promote innovation,” try “prize ingenuity.” Metaphor often works even better.

We’re wired to savor an­tic­ipation. One famous study showed that people are often happier planning a vacation than they are after taking one. Scientists call the reward “anticipatory utility.”

You can build up the same sort of excitement when you structure your writing. Start a report with a question. Pose your customer problem as a conundrum. Position your product development work as solving a mystery. Put readers in a state of uncertainty so that you can then lead them to something better.

Please the readers by giving them an “aha” moment:

• Draw fresh distinctions. Ginni Rometty, formerly IBM’s CEO, offered one with this description of the future: “It will not be a world of man versus machine; it will be a world of man plus machine.”
• Phrase a pragmatic message so that it also evokes an universal truth. The founder of Herman Miller, wrote: “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between the two, the leader must become a servant and a debtor.” That’s wisdom not just for business managers but for anyone in a guiding role.

Our brains are wired to crave human connection—even in what we read. We don’t want just to read about people, though—we want to understand what they’re thinking as quickly as possible.

• One way to help readers connect with you and your writing is to reveal more traces of yourself in it. Think voice, world­view, vocabulary, wit, syntax, poetic rhythm, sensibilities.
• Remember also to include the human angle in any topic you’re discussing.
• Use the second person (“you”). This can be particularly helpful when you’re explaining technical or complicated material.

Few things beat a good anecdote. Stories, even fragments of them, captivate extensive portions of readers’ brains in part because they combine many of the elements I’ve described already.

When you incorporate stories into your communications, big payoffs can result. Research shows that people form favorable impressions of the pitches that have richer narratives, giving them higher marks for entrepreneur credibility and business legitimacy. They also are more willing to invest in the projects and share infor­mation about them. The implication: No stories, no great funding success.