{"id":10712,"date":"2017-01-31T23:06:35","date_gmt":"2017-02-01T05:06:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trainingmag.com\/how-to-write-in-plain-language\/"},"modified":"2017-01-31T23:06:35","modified_gmt":"2017-02-01T05:06:35","slug":"how-to-write-in-plain-language","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trainingmag.com\/how-to-write-in-plain-language\/","title":{"rendered":"How-To: Write In Plain Language"},"content":{"rendered":"

Writing effectively means writing your materials or Web content using plain language and focusing on the needs and goals of your audience. Everything you produce or present should be audience-driven and written in the clearest, simplest language possible.<\/p>\n

Documents written in plain language get better results than materials written to \u201cimpress.\u201d Have you ever known someone who refused to read the newspaper or a newspaper\u2019s Web content because it was \u201ctoo easy\u201d? Probably not. But those same people probably don\u2019t read your professional journal, unless it is in their area of expertise, because it is \u201ctoo hard.\u201d<\/p>\n

So how do you write in plain language? Three simple steps:<\/p>\n

1. Understand and assimilate the principles of plain language. <\/strong>You have written in plain language if your audience can understand what you wrote, what you are trying to achieve, and what you want from them\u2014after a single reading. See the chart below:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

2. Identify your actual audience and target your actions to their needs and goals. <\/strong>We tend to write documents as if we are the intended audience. If your audience doesn\u2019t \u201csee\u201d themselves in your document, they are far less likely to respond the way you expect. Audiences may not have your level of expertise, so they need you to simplify your written content.<\/p>\n

Note that simplification is NOT \u201cdumbing down.\u201d It takes thought and hard work to ensure you write effectively so your audience will respond appropriately. It is worth your time to spend a few minutes to determine and write down:<\/p>\n