People accustomed to writing for the eye often don’t realize that writing for the ear demands an entirely different approach.
By remembering and using a few simple guidelines, you’ll make on-hold messages, sales presentations, and other spoken communication significantly more compelling and effective:
• Write with a single listener in mind to make copy more personal.
• Don’t sweat grammar. Conversational copy is easier to understand.
• Stick to short words. They’re more well-known and communicative.
• Use short sentences, because the listener can’t go back to re-hear the first part of a sentence.
• Since listeners can’t see numbers, keep them simple.
• Suppress sibilance’s pesky hiss by shunning “s” and “sh” sounds.
• Read it aloud. If you stumble or gasp for breath, rewrite it.