The Ultimate Guide to Better Business Writing

Strong business writing helps you win trust, save time and influence decisions. Whether you’re preparing a board update, writing a pitch deck or drafting a report for investors, the way you write sets the tone for how people judge your work.

Clear writing shows clear thinking. Confusing writing makes people question your message and your judgement. This guide will help you in improving your business writing skills.

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. 

Practical Techniques to Improve Your Business Writing

This guide takes you through the techniques used by senior leaders, investment teams and professional writers. You’ll find practical steps, simple examples and links to detailed guides you can explore at your own pace.

We’ve been coaching business executives to write better in business for over 15 years. Learn more about how we can help you. Read more about our report writing training.

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What Better Business Writing Achieves

Clear writing helps you get results. It lets your readers take in your message quickly, ask smarter questions and make decisions with confidence. Poor writing does the opposite. It causes delays, misunderstandings and avoidable rewrites.

If you want help spotting the traps that weaken most documents, you can read our guide to common business writing mistakes.

Here are some of the common drivers that send people looking for better business writing:

• You want senior approval for a project
• Your team needs to persuade funders or partners
• You need a sharp update for your board
• You’re preparing for a major presentation or pitch
• You’re fed up with documents being returned with comments or questions

The good news is that improving your writing doesn’t require grand theory. It’s a set of habits you can learn.

Start With Your Reader

Good business writing starts by understanding the person reading it. Every decision-maker wants clarity. They want to know what matters, what they must decide and what will happen next.

Before you write a single sentence, ask yourself:

1. Who is reading this?

A board member, CEO or investor has limited time. They want a direct message that’s easy to skim

2. What do they already know?

Strip out anything they’ve seen before unless it supports a new point.

3. What do they need from you?

Your writing exists to help someone do something. State that clearly from the start.

These foundations are central when creating structured documents such as business reports and board reports.

Shape a Clear Structure

A good structure carries your ideas. It guides your reader from point to point without friction. Think of it as scaffolding for your message.

Here’s a simple structure that works for most business documents:

• Your main point
• Why it matters
• The evidence
• What you want next

This direct approach helps your reader stay with you and speeds up action. It also makes your editing easier, because you can see immediately when something doesn’t belong.

You’ll see this structure in action in our guide on how to write an executive summary, which explains how to condense your entire document into a short, powerful page.

Use Short, Direct Language

Clear writing is direct writing. Short sentences keep people engaged. Simple words reduce confusion. You don’t need heavy detail or long explanations to sound professional.

For example:

• Weak: “The team should consider developing a revised plan that outlines the strategic implications of the proposed changes.”
• Strong: “The team needs a revised plan showing what the changes mean.”

The second example is shorter, clearer and more likely to be read.

If you want to improve this skill quickly, our business writing training gives you simple techniques you can use immediately.

Use AI Tools Effectively for Business Writing

When used properly, AI can help you write well. But AI tools also pose traps that can be easy to fall into.

Read how to use AI for Business Writing for some practical tips on using AI in business communications.

And read our case study of How to use AI for business presentations for some real life examples of how AI can make mistakes and get in the way of a powerful communication.

Create Flow With the Rule of Three

The rule of three helps your writing feel complete and easy to remember. It’s a reliable way to shape explanations, highlight benefits or summarise options.

For example:

“You’ll see faster decisions, fewer questions and better engagement.”

This rhythm lands your point more firmly than a longer list. You can read more in our deep-dive on the rule of three in writing.

Get to Your Recommendation Early

Senior readers don’t want to hunt for your point. Put your recommendation near the top and use the rest of your document to support it.

A strong recommendation has three parts:

• What you want
• Why you want it
• What will happen next

This applies across all sectors, from finance to government. It’s especially important in board papers, committee updates and business cases where decisions rely on clear, well-evidenced writing.

Use Examples to Bring Your Messages to Life

Examples help your reader understand what you mean without guessing. They turn vague claims into concrete ideas.

For instance, instead of saying “We’re seeing operational delays”, you could write:

“Orders now take five days rather than two. Customers are chasing updates and our support team is spending twice as long on follow-ups.”

The second version is specific and vivid. It gives your reader something real to work with.

Edit With Discipline

Editing sharpens your writing. Your first draft is rarely clear enough. Aim to reduce, tighten and clarify.

Here’s a simple editing sequence:

Step 1: Cut the noise – Remove anything that doesn’t help your reader understand or decide.

Step 2: Simplify sentences – Split long sentences. Replace abstract words with plain language.

Step 3: Strengthen your opening – Make your main point clear in the first few lines.

Step 4: Check your ask – Make sure the action you want is unmissable.

This editing routine helps you turn a messy draft into a crisp, confident document.

Learn more about our report writing masterclass.

When Your Writing Will Be Spoken

Some writing becomes spoken content: leadership remarks, conference talks, internal briefings or investor presentations. Spoken language needs even more clarity because your audience can’t re-read anything they miss.

If you’re preparing remarks or a talk, you’ll find practical tips in our guide on how to write a speech.

Writing That Needs to Persuade

Persuasive business writing is a different skill. You’re not only sharing information, you’re shaping opinions. This is common in pitch decks, management presentations, teasers and deals.

Here are some guides to help you develop this skill:

• How to write a killer pitch deck
• How to write a successful VC pitch deck
• How to write an investor pitch deck
• How to write an investment teaser
• How to write a winning M&A management presentation

If you want help creating something high stakes, you can work with a professional pitch deck writer and review our real estate pitch deck case studies for inspiration.

Turning Clear Writing Into a Strong Presentation

Many written documents become the basis for presentations. When that happens, your message needs to work in two different formats: on the page and on the screen.

A good presentation:

• Highlights your main messages visually
• Uses as few words as possible on each slide
• Lets you speak with confidence rather than read text aloud

You can explore these ideas further in our presentation expert guide.

Better Writing for Pitch Decks and Investment Material

If you work in fundraising or dealmaking, you already know how much clear writing matters. Investors skim. They decide in seconds whether to keep reading.

Strong pitch decks:

• Explain the problem simply
• Show the opportunity clearly
• Present the numbers in a clean, readable way
• Use a narrative that makes sense even if the presenter isn’t there

You’ll find detailed guidance in our pitch-related articles and training, including the pages on VC decks, investor decks and teasers listed above. How to write a pitch deck.

How to Build Long-Term Writing Confidence

Writing improves with practice. You’ll see the difference quickly if you make a few simple habits part of your routine:

Write your key message before starting the document
It’s easier to create a strong opening when you know exactly what you need to say.

Read your draft aloud
This helps you spot clumsy sentences and catch where your writing stumbles.

Ask a colleague what they took away from your document
If their takeaway matches your intention, you’re on track.

Keep a small list of phrases to avoid
Everyone has habits that weaken their writing. When you spot yours, remove them from your drafts.

Improve your writing process.

Bringing Your Skills Together

Better business writing helps you gain authority, speed up decisions and create smoother relationships with your stakeholders. With clear structure, simple language and tight editing, your writing becomes easier to read and harder to ignore.

Use this guide as your starting point. Explore the detailed resources linked throughout. And if you want tailored support for yourself or your team, we’re here to help.

Speak to an expert. Get a free consultation

Why Choose Us:
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For 15+ years we’ve been the trusted choice for leading businesses and executives throughout the UK, Europe and the Middle East. We’ll help you improve corporate presentations through presentation coaching, public speaking training and expert advice on pitching to investors.

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Speak to Louise on +44 20 7018 0922 or email info@benjaminball.com to transform your speeches, pitches and presentations.

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