The Problem - Business writing is something that few people will volunteer to do, and fewer still do well, or if they do, they don't have the time. Yet writing is a necessity for every company. A company's first contact with clients and potential employees is based on business writing. Keeping in touch with clients and established employees is generally handled through writing. Sales are generated by emails, article marketing, blog posts, Tweets, and social networking sites, and those sales lead to increased revenues. Optimum use of those powerful tools is partially dependent upon the ability to craft words. While it is true that the days of newsprint may be limited, the written word is more powerful now in this electronic age than ever it has been before. We truly are in the age of communication.
The Proof - While large companies like Microsoft and American Funds have communications departments staffed with well trained business writing professionals, crafting the company image with every word, small- and medium-sized businesses generally pass this work off to random staff members. Understandably so, as hiring an experienced business writer will cost a company around $5000 per month after salary, taxes and benefits, and most small businesses do not have sufficient writing needs to keep that person busy enough to justify that price, let alone having the budget to pay for it.
The Result - The business writing chores get passed off to workers who normally handle customer service, billing, sales, secretarial work, or any manner of other things that have nothing to do with being a business writing professional. They do not have the expertise to produce professionally finished written material. The result is that some of the most important company image-building opportunities are lost. Worse yet, a great company can have its reputation irreparably soiled because first contact with the public comes off as less than professional.
The Solution - For small- and mid-sized business models, the best way to get professionally produced documents is to outsource the responsibilities of the communications department to an outside vendor instead of hiring a full-time business writing professional. Outsourced communications vendors can handle every type of written communications task with finish and have the experience necessary to make a small- or mid-sized business appear as true experts in their fields. Yet, they do all of this at a fraction of the cost of one full-time employee, and they can do the work more efficiently, because writing is their focus.
A top end outsourced communications department will normally initiate their business relationship by doing a needs analysis. This is done by consulting with the owners and the experts within the company, thereby determining what the business writing needs are of the individual client. They then network with the company's operations, sales, human resources, and customer service representatives, or the equivalents in smaller organizations, producing plans for ongoing document needs. Depending on the company, these needs may include white papers, client correspondence, employee handbooks, job descriptions, brochures, website content, press releases, or any other area where expert writing skills are required. They will develop a relationship with the client, so they get to know the business almost as though they were on staff.
Companies are as individual as the people who own and manage them, and each one has unique document needs. While outsourced communications departments generally will offer good quality packages, a top end communications company will work with the business hiring them to create entirely customized service plans appropriate to the company's requirements and budget. Small and medium-sized businesses succeed because their owners and employees have a high level of competence and expertise in their industry. They are generally not writers, and even if they are, their time is better spent running the business and bringing in sales rather than completing mundane writing tasks. Good quality business writing, handled by a professional outsourced communications department, can make all the difference in the success of a small- or mid-sized business.
Jennifer Walker is the President of Your Document Professionals. YDP helps small and medium businesses generate revenue, improve their profit margin, maximize the long-term value of their company, and manage cash flow by providing professional and timely business writing services at a low flat monthly rate. For more information about the benefits of outsourcing your communications department or how YDP can help you, visit the website at
http://www.yourdocumentpros.com.
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