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Category: Communication

9 tips on writing effective surveys

What do your customers think? The answers are often uncovered through a survey. But writing a customer survey is more compli­cated than most people think. If you’re ever tasked with finding out what people think, use these tips for writing survey questions:

How to be a better business writer

Whenever possible, choose concrete words to express your ideas, says Deborah Dumaine, author of Write to the Top. “Abstract writing is open to many interpretations, all potentially inaccurate,” she says. “Make a real effort to clarify your ideas so that the reader understands your intention.”

Lead your peers by stepping back

Before administrative professional Ilja Kraag wrestles for too long with a difficult task at work, she checks in with her peers. “How do you do it?” she asks them. That trait—reaching out to others—is what makes Kraag a natural leader. The org chart may not show it, but Kraag leads her peers by setting the right example.

Do perfectionists make better writers?

Paradoxically, being a perfectionist could get in the way of your ability to polish your business-writing skills. One professor at Smith College, Randy O. Frost, has studied perfectionism for years. He believes that perfectionists avoid writing tasks, procrastinate about them, and avoid having others review their work—all of which hinder improvement.