Cut the waffle: the benefits of plain English
A short, punchy message increases your chances of being heard above the social media chatter.
So why do so many people use long words and complicated language in their blog posts and updates?
Maybe it’s hardwired from our school days. Teachers’ requests for a 5,000-word essay struck fear into our hearts and we resorted to padding and long words in an attempt to sound more knowledgeable than we really were.
It didn’t work then, and it doesn’t work now.
Using plain English, and clear, concise language can make the difference between winning and losing business, or a potential client choosing your company over a competitor.
So, when every character counts, here are 18 waffle-busting ways to get straight to the point:
Instead of writing this… | write this |
---|---|
as and when | when |
we will endeavour | we’ll try |
in due course | soon |
we are able to | we can |
in a timely manner | on time |
additional information | more details |
in order to | to |
we have a requirement for | we need |
regarding | about |
a significant number | lots |
in close proximity | near |
per annum | a year |
please advise | tell us |
prior to | before |
until such time | until |
please ensure | make sure |
at the end of the day | ultimately |
utilise | use |
No more confusing words!
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