Business Writing Tips by Robert Bullard Summary

Business Writing Tips by Robert Bullard provides actionable strategies for mastering clear, persuasive communication in professional settings. It covers 17 essential topics, including overcoming writer’s block, structuring emails/reports, and refining grammar, with 170 practical tips for crafting messages that drive results. The book emphasizes reader-centric writing, avoiding jargon, and adapting tone for different audiences.

This book is ideal for professionals seeking to enhance workplace communication, small business owners improving customer outreach, and aspiring copywriters mastering persuasive techniques. It’s particularly valuable for those tackling complex documentation, marketing content, or internal team collaboration.

Yes—its focus on timeless principles like clarity, audience adaptation, and concise messaging ensures relevance. The practical exercises, updated digital communication strategies (e.g., blogs, websites), and actionable frameworks for modern challenges (e.g., remote work collaboration) make it a enduring resource.

Bullard highlights three common pitfalls: overusing jargon/acronyms, prioritizing self-promotion over reader needs, and neglecting structure. He provides fixes like active voice conversion, simplifying sentences, and using headings/lists for scannability.

The book suggests breaking tasks into smaller steps, starting with outlines, and using prompts like “What does my reader need to know?” Bullard also advocates time-boxed writing sessions and iterative drafting to reduce perfectionism.

Key frameworks include:

• READER-first: Tailor content to audience pain points.
• SMART goals: Specific, measurable objectives for each document.
• The 5Cs: Clear, concise, coherent, compelling, credible.

Bullard advocates balancing correctness with readability—prioritizing clarity over rigid rules. Tips include limiting sentence length, varying paragraph structure, and using contractions judiciously. Common debates (e.g., starting sentences with “and”) are addressed with real-world examples.

A standout story involves a marketing team reframing a product as “It’s just a shower” to simplify messaging—illustrating the power of relatable language. Bullard also cites Philip Pullman: “Stories are the thing we need most…” to underscore narrative’s role in persuasion.

Strategies include:

• Subject lines: Use action-oriented phrasing (e.g., “Approval needed: Q3 budget”).
• Opening lines: Start with conclusions, not context.
• Editing: Cut redundancy using the “50% rule” (trimming half the initial draft).

Some advanced writers may find the basics repetitive, though the structured exercises and industry-specific examples (e.g., press releases, case studies) add depth. A few reviewers note the focus is more on foundational skills than niche formats.

His 10-year journalism career informs techniques for hooking readers quickly, fact-checking efficiently, and adapting tone across formats—from formal reports to conversational blog posts. This duality makes the guide versatile for diverse business contexts.

Unlike theoretical guides, Bullard emphasizes immediate application with checklists, templates, and before/after examples. It bridges academic rigor (e.g., grammar rules) and real-world pragmatism, making it ideal for time-constrained professionals.