Business Writing Tips

Have you ever stared at a blank screen, fingers poised yet frozen, wondering where to begin? In Business Writing Tips For Easy And Effective Results, Robert Bullard argues that the struggle with writing isn’t about talent — it’s about clarity, structure, and confidence. He contends that anyone can learn to write well if they understand their audience, adopt simple frameworks, and approach writing as a skill rather than an art form reserved for a gifted few.

Bullard draws on years of experience as a trainer, journalist, and editor to deliver a highly practical manual for business communication. His central message is that effective writing is both learnable and teachable. It doesn’t require literary genius — just structure, empathy for your reader, and disciplined editing. Every word in your document, email, or report should serve a clear purpose: to inform, persuade, or motivate your audience.

Why Writing Feels Hard

Bullard begins by addressing why many professionals find writing painful. Childhood grammar rules, unrealistic expectations of perfection, and misguided attempts to sound 'professional' often paralyze people. He reminds readers that business writing isn’t a school essay — clarity trumps complexity. At school, we learned to write long, formal essays to impress teachers; in business, our readers just want to understand quickly and act decisively. The author also dispels myths from the grammar police – you can split infinitives or start sentences with “And” or “But” when it improves flow (as even the Plain English Campaign advises).

The Three Shifts of Great Writing

Bullard frames writing improvement as three essential shifts: from fear to confidence, from self to audience, and from complexity to simplicity. The first shift involves giving yourself permission to write imperfectly. Drafting freely before editing breaks the illusion that your first words must be polished (“Write, don’t edit”). The second shift involves focusing on who you’re writing for — understanding their needs, their concerns, and even their reading habits. A memo written for a team of engineers should sound different from a newsletter for clients. Finally, you must declutter: remove jargon, overstuffed sentences, and empty buzzwords, replacing them with human, everyday language.

The Roadmap to Effective Results

The book is arranged as a practical course through five main stages of writing: preparing, drafting, refining, targeting, and polishing. Each part moves from inner psychology to skill, offering a structured approach that mirrors how professionals actually work. From identifying why writing feels hard, Bullard moves to how to overcome it — use planning tools, develop a natural voice, and recognize that good writing flows from knowing what you want to say and why. He later explores persuasion, structure, and specialized writing (for websites, blogs, reports, and press releases), before ending with editing and grammar essentials.

Why These Ideas Matter

In a world flooded by emails, proposals, and reports, communication has become currency. The difference between a message that gets acted on and one that’s ignored often boils down to writing quality. Bullard’s framework matters because it gives you tools to cut through noise, to make each line serve a purpose, and to use words that move people. He argues that writing well isn’t about showing intelligence—it’s about showing thoughtfulness towards the reader.

“People don’t have to read your work,” Bullard warns. “Faced with unclear, self-centred writing, they’ll stop — and they won’t come back.”

By the end, Bullard promises not just ease and efficiency but pleasure — the quiet satisfaction of words working exactly as you meant them to. His voice throughout is supportive, not academic. “Writing skills can be learned,” he insists, “and taught, improved, and mastered.” Whether you’re a manager preparing a report or a new graduate writing business emails, you’ll find his process a guide for turning blank pages into persuasive communication. Writing, in Bullard’s view, isn’t the art of decorating thought — it’s the art of transmission. Get that right, and your writing starts to work for you, not against you.

Bullard begins where most people secretly live: that uneasy space between wanting to write well and fearing that you can’t. He dismantles familiar excuses—bad school experiences, lack of time, fear of imperfection—and shows that writing difficulties come from habits of thinking, not ability. We tell ourselves writing must sound 'official'; in truth, our best voice is often the one that sounds most like how we talk.

Common Roadblocks

Bullard identifies ten main obstacles: fear of grammar mistakes, lack of confidence, poor feedback experiences, writing like others instead of like ourselves, and the illusion that good writing happens in one draft. The myth of perfection, he says, is toxic. In training workshops, he finds that participants freeze up, aiming for flawless sentences before finishing a paragraph. His advice: just start. “WRITE, don’t edit.”

The Psychology of the Blank Page

What we call 'writer’s block’ often stems from anxiety, not ignorance. When you stare at a blank screen, Bullard encourages you to recognize the feeling as normal – even professionals get it. It’s your overactive critic whispering doubts. His antidote is momentum: write anything, even if rough or incomplete. Once words exist, they can be shaped; until then, you have nothing to work with.

Replacing School Habits

A key theme of early chapters is unlearning how we were taught to write. At school, essays followed strict academic formulas, rewarding complexity and length. Business writing, however, values brevity, clarity, and results. Where you once wrote to meet a page count, now you write to make decisions happen. He even challenges old grammar taboos: starting a sentence with 'And' or 'But’ is fine if it improves rhythm.

By inviting readers to question outdated rules and perfectionist mindsets, Bullard empowers them to see writing as a skill that can serve personal and professional purpose. The first step to writing better, he concludes, isn’t grammar—it’s liberation from fear.

Once fear is tamed, Bullard shows how to write more easily and efficiently. The secret? Preparation, planning, and self-control. He insists most writing mistakes aren’t about language at all — they’re about poor planning and jumping in too early. It’s like beginning a DIY project without reading the instructions: you end up redoing parts you could have avoided.

Start Smart, Not Fast

Don’t rush into writing. Think through your goals, audience, and key messages before typing a single word. Take time to ‘incubate’ ideas: mull over them while driving, exercising, or showering. This reflective period helps you see structure and connections before you commit them to paper. Bullard likens it to sketching a map before taking a journey.

Plan Your Structure

Bullard recommends dividing projects into sections with word counts beside each— a trick borrowed from journalism. Knowing how much space you have keeps you from gathering excess information or rambling. He suggests writing out-of-order: begin where you feel confident, not necessarily the introduction. The start can wait until you know how the rest flows.

Use Natural Language

You’ll write faster if you stop trying to sound formal. “Dress down your writing,” Bullard says. Picture talking to a reader sitting across from you. Replace jargon with conversation. Everyday English isn’t dumbing down—it’s speeding up understanding. Somerset Maugham, whom Bullard quotes, said, “Good prose should resemble the conversation of a well-bred man.”

His final rule: edit later. Flow matters more than polish in early drafts. Think of writing like driving — stopping every few feet to fix the mirrors kills momentum. Power through first; perfection comes second. By replacing anxiety with process, you discover that writing well is mostly about rhythm, not brilliance.

Perhaps Bullard’s most repeated idea is deceptively simple: know your audience. Too many business documents are written from the writer’s point of view, not the reader’s. We talk about our company’s history or mission instead of customers’ needs. His advice? Turn the camera around. “Serve your readers on a plate.”

Build a Reader Profile

Before writing, Bullard recommends creating a detailed reader profile, much like magazines use to shape content for target demographics. Include age, interests, values, and motivations. Whether you imagine a single person or a composite audience, write directly to them. John Steinbeck’s advice encapsulates this: “Your audience is one single reader.”

Reduce Jargon and Complexity

If your writing sounds good to colleagues but alienates outsiders, you have a jargon problem. Bullard urges readers to translate insider terms into human language. Ask: would someone outside my field understand this? Even within organizations, internal divisions—HR, marketing, finance—should tailor language to one another. Simplicity, again, is respect.

Anticipate Readers’ Concerns

Good writing answers silent questions before the reader asks them. What if it costs too much? What if it fails? Including reassurance, clear next steps, and testimonials builds trust. People don’t just read — they weigh your words against their fears. By predicting objections, you transform text into a conversation of reassurance.

Bullard also values brevity and structure. Lists, subheadings, and short sentences help scanning readers — especially online. Every paragraph should pay rent. If it doesn’t serve the reader, delete it. Writing to real people, not imaginary corporate audiences, renews empathy and dramatically improves clarity.

To write like a pro, study the pros. Bullard breaks down lessons from three groups — journalists (Mass Markets), advertisers (Marketeers), and feature writers (Maestros). Their shared mantra: KISS — Keep It Short and Simple.

From Journalists: Clarity and Timing

Journalists survive on deadlines. Their stories hook attention fast with impactful first lines and short, punchy sentences. Bullard borrows techniques from tabloids to demonstrate that brevity sells, no matter the audience. He cites The Sun’s discipline of short paragraphs and active verbs. Clarity is compassion: you show readers you value their time.

From Marketeers: Emotion and Self-Interest

Advertising copy taps into our deepest drivers—fear, desire, pride, belonging. Bullard encourages writers to “hook onto” current cultural trends or shared phrases. Align your message with what’s already in readers’ minds (“piggybacking”). A time-limited offer or an emotional trigger (“Feel like the lord of the manor”) magnifies attention and desire.

From Maestros: Structure and Rhythm

Feature writers master flow. They use 'signposts' (“There are three reasons for this…”) to guide readers, and vary sentence length for melody and engagement. Reading your text aloud, Bullard suggests, instantly exposes clumsy rhythm. As Philip Pullman observed, stories feed our deepest need after food and shelter. Your document, too, should ‘sound good.’

Good business writing isn’t just functional—it’s human. It provokes response, gently urges action, and respects readers’ intelligence. By adopting professional habits—brevity, emotion, rhythm—you rise from competent to compelling.

Tone of voice, Bullard explains, is how your personality comes through in writing. It’s not ‘what’ you say but how you say it—the blend of vocabulary, sentence rhythm, attitude, and mood that makes your writing sound uniquely yours. This is how readers decide if they trust you.

Discovering Your Voice

Every brand and person has a tone of voice, whether intentional or accidental. To find yours, Bullard suggests imagining your organization as an animal, car, or personality: are you a dependable Labrador or a sleek Tesla? This exercise clarifies the emotional impression you want to create—friendly, professional, authoritative, witty?

Matching Words to Values

He urges companies to define three brand values and ensure writing reflects them. For example, an IT company might embody “Reliable, Proactive, Knowledgeable.” These should echo in every email and brochure. Real-world examples include the plain warmth of Pret A Manger’s copy (“Little and often is the key. Hot off the shelves.”) and the witty informality of Innocent Drinks.

Technical Tune-Ups

Tone also depends on mechanics: short sentences sound friendly; long ones, formal. First-person (“we/you”) feels inclusive; third-person feels corporate. Contractions (“we’ll,” “can’t”) create approachability. Active voice propels energy; passive drains it. Even punctuation shapes emotion—colons and dashes suggest confidence, while excessive semi-colons can sound stuffy.

Ultimately, tone is strategic empathy. You’re not just conveying information—you’re shaping how readers feel about you. Adopt warmth for customers, authority for proposals, and clarity everywhere. As Bullard puts it, “The best tone is simple, grown-up language.”

Once fundamentals are in place, Bullard turns to the craft of persuasion—how to grab attention and move readers to act. His framework adapts the classic AIDCA model: Attention, Interest, Desire, Conviction, Action. If you structure writing around these stages, he says, you’ll naturally guide readers from curiosity to commitment.

Start With Attention

Everything begins with a strong start—headlines, subject lines, or introductions that make readers stop scrolling. Use questions (“Want to blow your competition away?”), surprising facts, or emotional hooks. Shorter headlines (under 14 words) work best. Replace dull newsletter titles like “Monthly Update” with something human and specific.

Build Interest and Desire

Once you’ve hooked them, show genuine understanding of their world. Speak to needs and benefits, not features. Don’t just describe what you sell—show how it solves problems or fulfills aspirations. Desire grows not from logic but emotional resonance. Bullard’s examples include charity leaflets that frame every donation as a story, not a transaction.

Create Conviction and Action

Readers need proof: believable testimonials, social evidence, clear credibility. Then remove friction by telling them exactly what to do—sign up, call, or visit a link. Scatter calls to action throughout, not just at the end. In proposals, combine reason and reassurance: research-backed facts humanized by empathetic tone. Words such as “discover,” “learn,” and “join” energize response.

Persuasive writing, Bullard concludes, is not manipulation but clarity of motive. It’s showing readers what’s in it for them clearly enough that saying yes feels like the natural next step.

Bullard devotes his final chapters to improvement through editing. The principle: no one writes well, only rewrites well. He estimates 25–40% of total writing time should be spent editing and proofreading. This isn’t wasted effort but where good writing becomes great.

Editing With Fresh Eyes

He distinguishes editing from proofreading. Editing shapes structure and coherence; proofreading fixes surface errors. Good editors, he says, are sculptors—they cut, shift, and refine until ideas flow. To get perspective, print your draft or ask a colleague to review it; screens breed blindness to typos and tangled sentences.

Grammar Without Anxiety

His grammar advice demystifies, not intimidates. He corrects common errors—mixing fewer/less, misusing apostrophes—yet aligns with modern, flexible English. Some rules can bend when rhythm or clarity improve. Focus not on pedantry but precision. “Clarity beats correctness,” he implies, echoing linguist Steven Pinker’s The Sense of Style.

Proofreading and Consistency

Bullard outlines procedures used by editors: verifying acronyms, maintaining consistent formatting, and reading aloud for rhythm. He even references British Standards proofing symbols as a nod to craft. The goal isn’t perfection but reader ease. Typos are speed bumps in thought; remove them, and your message glides.

His closing challenge—don’t rush the last stages—captures his ethos. Professional-level writing doesn’t come from flair but patience. Whether you’re drafting a proposal or publishing a report, pause, reread, and give your work time to breathe. That’s the difference between text that simply communicates and one that leaves an impression.