Business Writing: Tips from a Pro.

• Position: Brief Article

"Have you ever taken two hours to write a report that could have been written in one?" asks business-writing coach Susan Schott Karr. "Spent too much time staring at the screen instead of banging away at the keyboard? Or, worst of all, muddled through, only to dislike the result?" If so, Karr has some pointers.

* Ask why you're writing. "What do you expect the reader learn? If it's easier to pick up the phone or speak in person, skip your documentation efforts. If not, make sure to spell out your purpose at the beginning." Examples: "I'm writing to add some definition to our fourth-quarter results." Or, "As you know, the FASB is ending pooling-of-interest accounting. Therefore, I'm writing to explain the transition rules."

* Ask to whom you're writing. "Is there a secondary audience -- someone else who might end up reading your writing? Keep your audience in mind as you select wording, offer explanations and use technical terms. But if there's anything the reader might not understand, spell it out. In the long run, you'll save time -- the time it will take the reader to come back and ask for clarification. The Wall Street Journal's reporters do a good job at this. They offer definitions for financial and economic terms. The savvy reader can skim familiar descriptions; the curious reader is thankful for the bit of handholding -- that is, unless the message is condescending."

* Find your voice. "There's no room for an adversarial or negative tone. Treat the reader with integrity...