Transactional writing communicates a specific message or idea to achieve a particular result.
Transactional writing may typically be undertaken by letter, email, instruction, report, paper or proposal. The purpose of such writing is to invite people to take action.
The style you apply (your words) and the tone you deploy (level of formality) must match the needs of your recipient or audience.
In business, transactional writing is often deployed to persuade a potential customer about the benefits of a particular product or service in return for payment.
Top Tip
In any transactional piece of writing, state the purpose in your first sentence so that your recipient knows the reason for your communication.
Below are some transactional writing categories. In each case, the purpose is to convey clear and direct information to achieve a particular outcome.
Letters
Examples include sales letters, application letters, and other business correspondence.
Emails
The purpose may be to inform, inquire, or confirm.
Reports
Reports present researched facts, formal statements and findings (or results) of some individual or group.
Most reports are written to elicit reader response, whether for agreement, approval or action. There are many difference types of reports from financial reports to progress reports.
Whatever the intended readership, the purpose of reports is to put across information with conclusions drawn from evaluated options.
Proposals
Proposals comprise formal offers which may involve products, services, partnerships or funding.
Instructions and Guidelines
These may include instructions for operating a product or service or may include manuals for specific processes within an organisation or business.
Letters
These may be written for many reasons where you wish to achieve a particular result. Such letters are not purely written to inform.
The following is an example letter written by a seller of office space who wishes to promote the virtues of biophilic office space. Biophilic offices are designed to bring elements of the natural world inside such as natural light, ventilation and greenery to create a natural working environment. The letter could be structured like this:
Dear (Recipient’s name)
I am keen to introduce you to a new office space opportunity that has the potential to positively transform your team’s working environment.
As we discussed, the place in which your team operates plays a crucial role in their productivity, creativity, and well-being. That is why I believe this office space is ideally suited to your need, and will deliver the following benefits:
Well-being
Our spaces incorporate abundant natural light, and indoor gardens. These features have been shown to reduce stress, increase focus, and improve overall mental health.
Productivity
Studies show that working within natural elements reduces stress, uplifts spirits and creates an environment which translates into improved performance and creativity.
Sustainability aligned to your environmental policy
We use sustainable materials, energy-efficient systems, and water-saving technologies which align with your corporate sustainability policy.
Design
A biophilic office communicates your brand’s dedication to innovation, wellness, and the environment.
Cost
A 5-year lease will amount to £… pa which we understand is well within your outlined budgetary figures. I am pleased to inform you that the client is also prepared to offer a financial incentive of a 50% reduction over the first 3 months if the lease is signed before date …
Visit
I would be delighted to give you a tour of this office space and discuss how we can tailor the environment to your needs.
Please let me know of a time which would be convenient for you to visit. Alternatively, please feel free to call me on …………
Yours sincerely,
Emails
Business emails should be structured in the way that you would write a letter and be focused, clear and concise. The level of formality required depends on the person to whom you are writing.
Headings and subheadings can help your reader to understand the information that you are presenting. Bullet points can help your reader to understand the key points.
A business email typically comprises:
- Subject header
- Salutation
- Opening line
- Body
- Closing line
Subject header
If your email is a continuation of previous correspondence – it is important to retain the thread of all previous messages – but edit the subject header for your message as appropriate.
Salutation
Dear, Hi, or Hello, as appropriate.
Opening line
After a friendly acknowledgement, state the purpose of the email.
Body
Structure your information and apply logic and reasoning to your analysis of information in the same way you would if it were a letter. Use bullet points if you wish to highlight multiple points. Detail actions and deadlines as applicable.
Closing line
For example, “I look forward to hearing your views.”
Reports
Once the purpose of the report has been decided, every section of the report should be written to support that purpose.
Reports should be written to:
- Inform
- Persuade
- Instruct
- Elicit response
- Generate action
Rules for good report writing
There are questions to ask before report writing:
1. Who is the report for?
2. What is the purpose of the report?
3. What are your objectives?
4. How will you present your content for best effect?
5. What do you want readers to do after reading your report?
Audience/Reader definition
You should know your audience – what appeals and interests them and the messages which will have best effect.
Writing for your audience
A technical audience may be satisfied with facts and figures with a limited narrative. A broader audience may need charts and graphics with clear written content in support.
Clear objectives
The most important question to answer is “What do you want readers to do after reading your report?” This represents your objective and what you need to be most clear about.
Executive summary
Here ‘s an example of the first few sentences of an executive summary of a market report:
This report provides an analysis of the current UK market, trends, the competitive landscape given our current positioning, and the options we need to consider to take advantage of future growth prospects.
Key messages
The report must look “readable”.
If the title is appealing, it is more likely to attract.
“Opportunities to Boost Market Share” is more appealing than “Our Trading Environment”
Whatever the title, it must be accurate.
Structure
Your report should be:
- Easily understood and in logical order.
- Concise.
- Clear. There should be no ambiguity of objectives.
- Precise. Information presented should be relevant.
Write in the style and language appropriate to the readers. If 95% of your readers understand technical language (perhaps jargon) then use technical language. If not, write in plain English.
Proposals
The most important part of a proposal is the executive summary. It should reflect the main body of the document.
The executive summary is the most important part of the document because it is likely to be read by all stakeholders. But don’t think of it as purely a summary of your document. It is much more important than that.
Think of it as an elevator pitch – an opportunity to promote your idea. Think impact, engagement, and appeal. From your first word to your last, your executive summary requires high energy.
Your first sentence should be a benefit-focused entrée into an appealing, scene setting, first paragraph.
It should detail your vision, mission, the problem, proposal, and payback. It needs to mirror your document in the precise order of your document – from the proposition, market description, considerations, resources required and return on investment to cash flow. It needs to be well-structured, appealing, and highly credible.
Sketch out your executive summary in draft before starting your document. It should represent the skeleton of your document. Produce it in rough draft before writing your document and complete it after writing your whole document.
An executive summary – over one or perhaps two pages – should have seven parts:
- Proposition summary and how it meets the customer/market needs
- Background
- Situation definition – problem or opportunity
- Approach and proposition
- Financials / costings / payback
- Benefits/rationale to approach
- How to make it happen
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