B2B documents | Proof Communications

Filler Instinct

July 7, 2020

B2B documents, Blogs, Editing, Writing tips

Written business content needs to be free of filler words. Filler words (and phrases, for that matter) are those that you can safely jettison to make your key points sharper and your message easier to digest. But what’s so bad about a filler word? Hear ‘filler word’ and think ‘empty calories’ – they have the same effect. Like something that tastes good for about a nanosecond but which is ultimately unsatisfying (and does nothing for your hips). Filler words use…

Filler Instinct was last modified on July 7th, 2020 by Proof Communications Team

How to proofread tricky words

July 2, 2020

B2B documents, Editing, Proofreading tips

They say English is the world’s most difficult language to learn. And proofreading certainly has its challenges. The English language may be blessed with many words, but quite a few set out to trip us up. Here are some of the most common words that even the best English writers confuse and which are important to look out for when proofreading. Unique Many businesses like to think of themselves as the most unique in their industry. But ‘unique’ means truly…

How to proofread tricky words was last modified on July 2nd, 2020 by Proof Communications Team

The ‘write’ words

June 25, 2020

B2B documents, Blogs, Writing tips

Do you have to write business documents for your organisation? Even the world’s best-selling writers struggle from time to time and rely on revision (and editors) to improve their drafts. They know that it takes time to write a good document, and that they don’t have to be word perfect first time round. Help! I’ve got writer’s block Facing a blank sheet of paper (or screen) is very intimidating. It’s not unusual for experienced writers to suffer from writer’s block,…

The ‘write’ words was last modified on June 25th, 2020 by Proof Communications Team

Proofreading Stakeholder Documents

June 18, 2020

B2B documents, Proofreading tips

You may be surprised to learn that in long, complex business documents, such as annual reports, financial statements, bids and proposals, PDSs and reports, typos are actually rare. In a typical 150 page annual report, for example, we usually find only a handful of spelling mistakes, even in the 70 pages or so of very dense, copy-heavy financial statements. What’s more common, however, is inconsistency in how phrases, titles and financial terms are presented. This is usually due to different…

Proofreading Stakeholder Documents was last modified on June 18th, 2020 by Proof Communications Team

21 copywriting tips anyone can use

June 11, 2020

B2B documents, copywriting, Writing tips

1. Write in a voice you feel comfortable with; don’t create a persona that’s not you. 2. Words such as “hope” and “try” sound wishywashy. Use words like “will” and “can” instead to create a stronger, more confident message. 3. Always, always, always ask someone else to proofread what you’re about to publish for the whole world to see. 4. If words don’t come easily to you, invest in someone to write for you. 5. Tell the customer what they…

21 copywriting tips anyone can use was last modified on June 11th, 2020 by Proof Communications Team

38 surefire ways to write better business documents

June 9, 2020

B2B documents, How to win business, Preparation guides

1. Whatever you write online represents your brand, so make sure your company’s social media pages look and sound as professional as your website. 2. Use humour sparingly and wisely. 3. Using contractions such as “you’ll”, “it’s” and “we’ll” reduces formality and puts your copy on a much more personal level. 4. A great headline zeroes in on one big idea; usually your most important benefit. 5. Watch out for overly long sentences. Break them up to make copy more…

38 surefire ways to write better business documents was last modified on June 9th, 2020 by Proof Communications Team

Don’t fall into these four common grammar traps!

April 9, 2020

B2B documents, Editing, Grammar tips, Proofreading tips, Writing tips

The extra comma Ah, the debate about the use of the extra comma. One only has to look at the well-known question, ‘What is this thing called love?’ to realise the extraordinary power of a little black squiggle to change that sentence’s meaning entirely when inserted after ‘called’. Try it, and you’ll see what we mean. Commas, of course, are used to separate items in a list. For example: ‘I bought wine, gin, tequila, and more wine.’ Note that extra…

Don’t fall into these four common grammar traps! was last modified on April 9th, 2020 by Proof Communications Team

Request for tender? How to get to know the prospect

April 7, 2020

Annual reports, B2B documents, How to win business, Tender writing tips

As any organisation knows, one size does not fit all: clients have different needs and companies must respond to this to deliver the best customer experience. Likewise, when tendering for work, businesses need to tailor their offer to their prospects’ requirements. It’s always good to have a face-to-face relationship with prospects and to keep leads warm. That way, you may be invited to tender when the contract comes up. Knowing the prospect well will mean that when the time comes…

Request for tender? How to get to know the prospect was last modified on April 8th, 2020 by Proof Communications Team

Writing proposals: What’s Common Sense isn’t always Common Practice

February 25, 2020

B2B documents, How to win business, Tender writing tips, Writing tips

The reason so many proposals and tenders fail to make it past the first cut? The proposal writer confuses activity with preparation. Not understanding the difference between the two can have major implications for your business and directly impact your chances of winning. Poorly thought out and poorly written proposals or tenders are: A sure sign of numerous re-writes, ending in a rush to submit a final document that’s nothing like you wanted it to be. Indicative of many contributors…

Writing proposals: What’s Common Sense isn’t always Common Practice was last modified on February 25th, 2020 by Proof Communications Author

Failure to proofread leaves job applicant furious

February 12, 2020

B2B documents, copywriting, Proofreading tips, Typos, Writing tips

A little while ago the SMH carried an article by Tom Cowie, reporting events after a lawyer hired a resumé writing company to write her job application for a government agency. But when both parties failed to spy numerous mistakes and the lawyer wasn’t granted an interview, a lengthy legal stooshie ensued. The lawyer said she had ‘sent some documents’ through to the resumé writing company to help with her application, including a previous CV. Preparing for an overseas holiday,…

Failure to proofread leaves job applicant furious was last modified on February 12th, 2020 by Proof Communications Author