Did your mom ever force you to practice your cursive? No matter how much I practiced, I could never get my cursive (especially my s) quite right. While cursive is now a dying art, it reinforced the idea that writing is one of the most crucial things we can learn in school. Lucky for me, I have always loved writing, and even wrote a few “books” in elementary school, which consisted of fantastical 6-7 page stories.
My mom, being in early education, always supported my crazy books and writing ideas, and I know it’s that nurturing that has helped me become the writer I am today. While not everyone is a great writer (and many more have no desire to be one), the fact remains that having a knack for the written word brings about a lot of benefits.
Provides Eloquence
Being a great writer, whether it’s in your blog or the emails you write on a daily basis, can make you seem more polite, educated, and knowledgeable about the topic at hand. I have seen many brilliant people skewered because of their terrible grammar in their blog posts and leaked emails. While it’s okay to be more casual in emails with people that you have a closer relationship with, you should consider upping your game when it comes to colleagues, supervisors, and clients.
And when it comes to blog posts, if your writing skills just aren’t up to par, consider hiring a ghostwriter. I’ve ghostwritten for many well-known people in the tech and marketing industry, so let me know if you need any help!
Makes You More Persuasive
While it can make you seem more at the top of your game, really great writing skills can also make you more persuasive to just about anyone who reads your content. The ability to craft a well-written argument is a skill that shouldn’t be undervalued. Persuasive writing is even a course at my alma mater that’s required for many students.
Most communication is now through email instead of the phone or in-person, depending on your industry and work. Writing emails that state your opinion and argument is something that all business people should actively be improving. After all, persuasive emails to potential clients or employers is one of the easiest ways to get new business.
Provides Clearer Communication
Being persuasive is important in emails, but being a good writer makes your communication more clear. Even when you aren’t focusing on being persuasive, getting your point across can cut down on emails sent back and forth, as well as edits for long content (like white papers and e-books). This boils down to saving you time by getting it right the first time.
Even if you don’t have an interest in writing for fun, or you don’t think you are a great writer, consider reading up on writing and practicing your persuasive and communicative emails. See if more effort in your writing makes a difference. My mom and I are betting that it does!