10 Common Business Writing Mistakes to Avoid

What are the biggest business mistakes we make when writing reports or business documents?  What common writing mistakes should you avoid?  How do you make your business writing even better? How can coaching improve your business writing?

Meet the Author: Steve Jacobs
Steve is a partner at Benjamin Ball Associates, leads the writing team and is an outstanding coach and trainer. Steve has more than 25 years’ experience in corporate and financial public relations. He was a founding partner of the strategic comms division of FTI and more recently was head of comms and IR at Breedon Group plc.  Follow Steve on LinkedIn or visit the contact page. 

Why Good Business Writing is so Important

When you write an business report you are demonstrating an important business skill. The reports you write help with decision-making, strategy development and your career! When you write well, you demonstrate clear thinking.

However, even seasoned business professionals make common business writing mistakes that undermine the impact of their reports. If you understand and avoid these pitfalls, you will significantly improve the clarity, persuasiveness and overall effectiveness of your business reports.

Based on our team’s 15+ years of experience coaching business professionals to avoid business writing errors, here are the most frequent mistakes that people make in business report writing; with tips on how to avoid them.

Common Errors in Business Writing

Let’s review each of these writing mistakes in more detail and identify ways to avoid these errors.

1. Missing a Clear Objective

One of the most common mistakes you can make is to write a report without a well-defined purpose. If your report has a vague or poorly articulated objective you’ll confuse readers and make it hard to get the right decision.

How to Avoid It:

Start by clearly defining the report’s purpose. What is the key message or recommendation you want to communicate?

Summarise your objective in a single sentence and refer back to this while writing your report. Every section of your report should support this objective, so that your message remains tight and relevant.

For example, if your report recommends a new product strategy, your objective might be: “To propose a product strategy that increases market share in the UK by 10% over the next year.”

A clearly defined objective keeps your report on track and helps decision-makers quickly grasp its purpose.

2. Overloading with Information

While it’s important to be thorough, when you include too much detail you will overwhelm the reader and dilute your main points.

How to Avoid It:

Prioritise the most relevant and actionable information in your report. Ask yourself: What does the decision-maker need to know to make an informed choice? Only include data and insights that directly support your recommendations. Where appropriate, provide appendices or supplementary documents for additional details. Never crowd the main report with non-essential content.

When you write a concise report, your report is more likely to be read thoroughly and understood, increasing its effectiveness.  It’s your job as the writer to be a tough editor so that it’s easier for your reader.

3. Failing to Tailor for the Audience

Writing a business report without considering your target audience is a big mistake. Different audiences have different needs: what matters to a CEO or CFO may not be the same as what concerns a marketing or HR director.

How to Avoid This Business Writing Mistake

Write your report for your specific audience. Consider what each decision-maker wants and write your content accordingly. If your audience is the executive team then concentrate on high-level strategic insights and financial impacts. If your report is for operational managers, provide more detailed, practical recommendations.

Customising your report makes it more relevant and engaging to the people whose decisions you are trying to influence.

4. Using Jargon and Complex Language

Another frequent business writing mistake is overusing industry jargon, technical terms or overly complex language. While using jargon may feel impressive, it is more likely to confuse or alienate your readers if they are unfamiliar with these terms. Even if people are familiar with jargon, when your report is written in clear, simple language it is easier to read and digest.

How to Avoid It:

Use clear, simple language wherever possible. “Write for your mother” is a common piece of advice.  If technical terms are necessary, define them. The goal of your business report should be to convey information efficiently, not to showcase specialised knowledge. Always aim for clarity. That means writing in a way that any intelligent reader can understand, regardless of their background.

For example, instead of writing: “The implementation of an AI-driven SaaS platform will catalyse transformational process optimisation.”

Write: “The new software system will help streamline our processes and improve efficiency.”

Simple, direct language improves comprehension and ensures your message is received clearly.  Your job is to use simple language to explain complex ideas.

Why Pick Benjamin Ball Associates for Your Business Writing Coaching

At Benjamin Ball Associates, we’ve been coaching business people to improve their business communication skills for over 15 years.  Our coaching is fast and effective.  We work with individuals and with companies, one-to-one and in groups.  Call us today to learn more.

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5. Poor Structure and Organisation

If your report is disorganised, you will frustrate your readers and make it difficult for them to follow your argument. If your report jumps between topics or presents information in an illogical order, you will confuse decision-makers and weaken the impact of your report.

How to Avoid It:

Use a logical, easy-to-follow structure for your report. Use standard sections such as:

• Executive Summary: A brief overview of the report’s purpose, key findings and recommendations.
• Introduction: Outline the report’s objective and scope.
• Analysis: Present relevant data, insights and evidence.
• Recommendations: Offer actionable, practical suggestions.
• Conclusion: Summarise the key takeaways.

When you use headings, subheadings and bullet points to guide the reader through your report, you are making it easier to understand. Writing a well-structured report will increase the likelihood of your message being understood and acted upon.

6. Weak Executive Summary

The executive summary will probably be the most-read section of your business report, especially by time-poor executives. Yet, many reports have weak executive summaries that fail to capture the key points or offer a clear call to action.

How to Avoid It:

When you write your executive summary, give the reader a concise, compelling overview of the entire report. Your summary should include the main objective, key findings and a summary of your recommendations. Your summary should be written in a way that, if it’s the only part of the report someone reads, they will still understand the essential message.

For example, instead of a vague statement like: “This report covers our recent financial performance and suggests improvements.”

Write: “This report analyses our Q2 financial performance and recommends a cost-reduction strategy that will decrease expenses by 15% over the next quarter.”

When you create a well-written executive summary, you set the tone for the rest of the report and help decision-makers grasp the key points from the start.  Read more about how to write executive summaries.

7. Ignoring the Visual Presentation

The visual layout of your business report is often overlooked, but plays a significant role in how easily your information is absorbed. If the reader sees dense text, lack of white space and poorly formatted charts, they will be put off.

How to Avoid It:

Invest time in the visual presentation of your report. You should break up large blocks of text with bullet points or shorter paragraphs and make sure there is enough white space on each page for a clean, professional look. Include sufficient space in the margin for the reader to make notes. Use charts, graphs, and tables to present data in a digestible format.

For example, instead of presenting a long paragraph of data, use a graph to show trends at a glance. Visual aids can make complex information easier to interpret and can have a greater impact. 

8. Failing to Back Up Arguments with Data

Many weaker reports make bold statements or recommendations without providing sufficient evidence to back them up. The decision-makers you are writing for will probably want to see data, facts and credible sources to feel confident in your conclusions.

How to Avoid It:

Whether it’s financial analysis, customer insights, or market research, use facts in your report to validate your arguments. Include charts, tables, or case studies where appropriate to give your report more weight.

For example, if you’re recommending a new marketing strategy, provide data on projected return on investment or success stories from similar campaigns. This will lend credibility to your report and make your recommendations more persuasive.

9. Neglecting to Address Risks or Challenges

Many business reports include only the positives, ignoring potential risks or challenges. This can create unrealistic expectations and lead to decisions that haven’t fully accounted for possible pitfalls.

How to Avoid It:

When you write your report, acknowledge the potential risks or challenges of your recommendations. Decision-makers appreciate balanced reports that consider all factors. You should identify strategies to mitigate these risks where possible. That way you have demonstrated that you’ve thought through the recommendations thoroughly.

For example: “While the proposed expansion into the EU market presents significant growth opportunities, we need to consider regulatory challenges. By partnering with a local consultancy, we can overcome these hurdles efficiently.”

When you address potential downsides and offer solutions, you build trust with your audience and show you’ve considered the full picture.

10. Weak or Unclear Recommendations

Something else to avoid: A common issue in reports is weak or unclear recommendations. Even if your analysis is strong, if your recommendations are vague you’ll leave decision-makers unsure of what actions to take.

How to Avoid Being Unclear:

Include actionable recommendations. Each recommendation should lead directly from the analysis you’ve presented. You should give practical next steps. Use precise language and include timelines or measurable outcomes when appropriate.

For example, instead of writing: “We should improve customer satisfaction.”

Write: “We recommend implementing a new customer feedback system by the end of Q4 to improve satisfaction scores by 15% within six months.”

When you include clear recommendations, you give decision-makers a plan for action which will make life easier for them.

Conclusion: Master Business Report Writing With Expert Coaching

The art of writing effective business reports involves more than just presenting information. So, avoid these common pitfalls: overloading with data, neglecting your audience, or not giving clear recommendations. This will help you write reports that not only inform but influence senior management.

We’ve been coaching professionals in financial services and business for over 15 years on how to improve their business writing skills.

Ask Louise Angus, our client services director, today about our report writing training programmes and how they can help you build these essential business skills. 

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Frequently Asked Questions About Business Writing Mistakes

1. What are the most common writing mistakes in business communications?

Some common errors include grammatical errors, long sentences, over-use of the passive voice and run-on sentences. Other issues include poor grammar, unnecessary punctuation and using casual conversation style in professional writing.

2. How can I avoid the passive voice in my business reports?

The best way to avoid passive sentences is to understand the subject of the sentence and use the active voice instead. For example, instead of writing “The report was completed by the project manager,” say “The project manager completed the report.”

3. Why should I avoid long sentences in writing business reports?

Too much text in a single sentence can confuse readers, especially if it contains sub-clauses. Keep sentences concise to ensure important information is clear. If a sentence feels too lengthy, break it into a number of complete sentences.

4. Are exclamation points acceptable in business correspondence?

When you use too many exclamation points, you will appear unprofessional. Use them sparingly—reserve them for good news or enthusiastic content marketing, but avoid them in formal business documents like a white paper, board report or press release.

5. How can I prevent grammatical errors in my writing?

Always proofread your writing before sending. A grammar checker can help catch common grammatical mistakes, but the best way is to have a fresh set of eyes review your final draft.  For example, in our firm we always have a second person review major proposals and even blog articles like this one.

6. What’s the most important thing to remember in professional writing?

The bottom line is clarity. Avoid jargon, clarify anything confusing, ensure correct spelling and structure your message logically. Whether writing blog posts, web copy, or business correspondence, maintaining a professional image is key. A great test is to check whether someone with no knowledge of your subject could quickly understand what you have written. If so, you have written clearly.

7. Is correct spelling really so important these days?

Although it’s true that we have become used to shorthand and abbreviated words and phrases through the prevalence of social media, there is no doubt that poor spelling can be construed as laziness and lack of professionalism.

8. Why can’t I just use AI to write my reports

While AI tools like ChatGPT can be very helpful in getting you started and providing basic information and data, every piece of communication is ultimately personal and unique, based upon your own experience and insights.  The more personal and insightful your writing, the more persuasive it will be. Treat ChatGPT like a young intern. They can do the research for you, but you shouldn’t trust them to present to the board!

9. Do documents need different formatting for different business purposes?

Yes! A white paper should be formal and detailed, while web copy can be more engaging. Always tailor the style to the audience. All writing is about your audience and making it easy for them to understand.

10. How can I ensure my written materials are error-free?

Use a grammar checker, review grammar rules, and avoid unnecessary punctuation. Also, watch for similar words with different meanings (like affect vs. effect).  Get someone else to read and check your materials.  That way you’ll appear more professional.

By avoiding these business writing mistakes, you will communicate more effectively and maintain a strong professional image.

If you want to improve the writing skills of your team, get in touch with Louise Angus, client services director, and discuss how we can help you with bespoke coaching and training.

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