Business Writing in the Time of AI

Marketing Viewpoint by Ruth Winett

Business Writing in the Time of AI*

More pre-writing; less re-writing

You have been asked to write an annual report, describe a new product or service, or persuade co-workers to adopt a new procedure. Writing is not your forte’ , and your deadline is in two days. An AI composition is not an option: you want to express your own thoughts conveyed in your own voice. Here are a few preliminary steps to take and a final checklist. Together, they will save time and help you draft a compelling report or email.

Preliminaries—Pre-writing

Begin with the following steps to achieve your objectives and and eliminate the need to move text during editing.
Clarify your goal(s). Is it to inform, persuade, explain, recommend, describe something, document something, or provide directions?
Identify your audience, and consider what they already know and what you want them to learn from your report or email.
Brainstorm to develop your thesis (main point).
Develop supporting details that will support your thesis, such as examples, reasons, stories, facts, and statistics. If you use AI as a research tool, find and read the sources used. Then, check for accuracy/reliability.
Next develop a quick list/outline/plan for the article. Some people use a technique called mind mapping**.
Start with an introduction that engages your audience, and add the thesis. Then write the body of the report.
End with a conclusion that summarizes your report or a conclusion that tells readers, "what happens next." (e.g., Employees must be present in the office four days a week.)

An Editing Checklist

Careful editing makes the difference between a report that is read and one that is ignored.
Have you stated at the beginning of the report what you are trying to say or accomplish?
Have you provided credible examples, statistics, or other proof to support your main points?
Are like ideas grouped together?
Do the sections or paragraphs proceed in a logical fashion?
Have you used transitions, such as "however," "similarly," "first," or "second" effectively?
Have you sub-divided longer sentences to increase clarity?
Have you defined unusual terms and spelled out acronyms?
Have you listed sources consulted?
Did you use spell check? Did you correct inappropriate substitutions ("their" for "there")?

The Final Touch

If you want to check if your writing is logically organized, try Winett's Secret Sauce: Near every paragraph, write a word or phrase that describes the topic discussed. Consider combining paragraphs or parts of paragraphs that have the same descriptors. For example, if you find that you have intermingled the causes and effects of a problem, group together the causes, and then group together the effects. Move paragraphs if necessary.

Finally, If you are unsure about the impact of your report or email, wait a day or two to distribute it, or ask someone else to critique your writing. Some people use AI to edit their writing, carefully weighing AI's suggestions.

Notes:

*Apologies to Gabriel Garc’ia Márquez, author of Love in the Time of Cholera.

** https://blog.mindmanager.com/what-is-a-mindmap/?utm_medium

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