We’re being blasted by record snowfall. Hour after hour. Day after day. Inches and inches of snow. Thigh-high snow. Unrelenting, never-ending snow.

It is irksome, annoying and monotonous.

And there’s nothing I can do about it.

But irksome, annoying and monotonous copy? Well, that’s something that can be helped.

Here’s how:

~ Vary sentence length.

~ Use active voice.

~ Choose highly descriptive words.

~ Eliminate redundancies.

~ Create logical paragraph transitions.

~ Start some sentences with verbs, some with nouns.

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Thanks to the digital age, all of us are communicators of one kind or another. So let’s make sure we’re doing it right.

When it comes to communication, how well do you fare — compared to my five best practices?

1. Before you start writing (yes, even an email), do you pause to think about your intended audience?

If so, give yourself 1 point. Give yourself an extra point if you’re able to describe your audience in a sentence like this: “This email is going to my subscribers who are short on time and need practical tips for writing better and faster.”

Points _____

2. Using one to two sentences, can you synopsize your message?

If so, give yourself 2 points. If it takes three or more sentences, give yourself 1 point. If you can’t do it, take 0 points.

3. Is your message easy to understand? Hint: Ask someone to read what you wrote and then briefly tell you what it said. If they can do it easily, give yourself 2 points. If it’s more difficult, give yourself 1 point. If they really have trouble, take 0 points.

Points _____

4. Have you used jargon, misspelled words, convoluted sentences, misplaced modifiers, bad grammar and the like?

Nope? Give yourself 1 point. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, give yourself 0 and contact me.

Points _____

5. Do you have a clear call-to-action? In other words, does your reader know what you want them to do with the information you’ve given them?

1 point if you have a CTA, 0 if you don’t.

Points _____

How’d you fare?

7-8 points – Well done! You’re a credible communicator.

5-6 points – Very nice. You’re better than average.

3-4 points – Not bad. A little work and you could create more credible communication.

0-2 – Sorry, but you’re a serious slacker. Time to make some improvements.

Just remember my 5 best practices for better communication:

1. Think about your audience.
2. Know what you want to say.
3. Simplify your message.
4. Watch for grammar mistakes and spelling errors.
5. Include a clear call-to-action.

Where do you fall short?

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Regardless of your job title, you probably have to write something every day (email, memo, documentation).

Improve your writing instantly with my three top tips:

1. Read it out loud to see how it will “sound” to the reader. Fix anything that trips you up. (I call these hiccups.)

2. Examine each individual word. Can you delete it? If not, can you substitute a short, simple word? (One of my favorites is swapping “use” for “utilize.”)

3. Vary sentence length. Some should be short. Some long. Still other sentences should be longer, since they create a rhythm that’s more interesting to the reader.

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Are you guilty or innocent of complicating your message and thereby making it less clear? Let’s find out.

Do you favor big words over small ones? If you say “utilize” instead of “use,” you’re guilty.

Have you created your own language by turning a noun into a verb? Really now, if you say “bulletize,” give yourself another guilty.

You’re guilty again if you craft sentences that rival those of Charles Dickens. Learn to self-edit (delete words and condense phrases) and to chop sentences into two or more thoughts.

Are you driven by your organization’s lexicon, throwing buzzwords and acronyms into every (or even a single) sentence? Guilty again. Save the jargon for emails to your boss. Instead, talk to your customers about what matters most to them in a way they (or even your own grandmother) can understand.

Post your worst sentences here and I’ll give a few of them a before-and-after makeover.

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