business-writing

name	business-writing
description	Use when drafting or revising non-academic prose such as emails, memos, letters, plans, articles, web copy, speeches, resumes, or executive briefs; use academic-writing for scholarly outputs and executive-communication for decision-led executive synthesis.
metadata	{"portable":true,"compatible_with":["claude-code","codex"]}

Business Writing

Single entry skill for any non-academic prose artifact. For reports, proposals, and white papers (longer-form persuasion artifacts with structural conventions of their own), load report-and-proposal-craft instead.

If the artifact explains, argues, persuades, recommends, evaluates, or interprets, run critical-reasoning-and-argument before drafting. This applies to market notes, strategy memos, intelligence-style updates, internal comms, speeches, fundraising letters, and executive briefings.

If the artifact describes how a system, process, workflow, operating model, interface, data architecture, requirements set, or design system works, run systems-process-requirements before drafting.

Channel router

Channel	Right reference	Process spine
Email	references/maxwell-7-steps.md § email · references/roman-raphaelson-principles.md § email	Subject line carries verb; ask in first line; ≤200 words
Memo	references/roman-raphaelson-principles.md § memos	Title, action recipient, obvious structure
Letter (sales / fundraising / complaint / recommendation)	references/roman-raphaelson-principles.md § letters	Open with reader's interest; specific ask + deadline; PS line
Plan / strategy	references/persuasion-and-narrative.md · references/maxwell-7-steps.md § organize	SCQA + plain English
Blog article	references/blog-publishing-workflow.md · references/web-copywriting.md	Hook → problem → solution → CTA
Web copy / landing page	references/web-copywriting.md	F-pattern; value above fold; ≤400 words / page
Speech / presentation	references/roman-raphaelson-principles.md § speeches	Tell-tell-tell; one idea / slide; one ask
Resume / cover letter	references/roman-raphaelson-principles.md § resumes	Customised; achievements with numbers
Internal comms (status, updates, FAQs)	references/roman-raphaelson-principles.md § memos · references/persuasion-and-narrative.md	Lead with the news; numbered structure
Multi-language artifacts (EN / FR / SW)	references/language-standards-en-fr-sw.md	Apply per-language register rules
Hard scenario (bad news, decline, apology, discourteous reply, policy change)	references/scenario-playbooks.md	Resolve the four axes before drafting; pick named scenario
Pitch deck (investor / VC)	references/extended-channels.md § Pitch decks	Three critical questions; four-part structure; one visual per slide
One-pager / capability statement	references/extended-channels.md § One-pagers	Headline + CTA + testimonial; Think/Feel/Do test
Training material / instruction manual / course	references/extended-channels.md § Training material	Five learning principles; tools, not just text
Business plan (for lender / angel)	references/extended-channels.md § Business plans	Argument hierarchy first; story supports; meet lender early
Grant proposal (foundation / agency)	references/extended-channels.md § Grant proposals · report-and-proposal-craft	Read the call; budget reconciles to methodology
Performance appraisal	references/extended-channels.md § Performance appraisals	Behaviour → calibrated phrase → specific action
AI-assisted draft of any of the above	references/ai-assisted-writing.md	WI before AI; embed evidence-discipline clause in every prompt
Long-form magazine piece — essay, criticism, investigative, profile, explainer	references/long-form-business-journalism.md	Pick the family (essay / investigative / profile / explainer) before choosing length
Growth strategy / commercial memo	../../extracted-books/growth-profit-disruption-research-notes.txt · references/persuasion-and-narrative.md	Growth engine first; metrics and experiments support

The seven-step process (load references/maxwell-7-steps.md)

Every non-academic artifact runs through:

1. Identify Readers & Purpose — name primary/secondary readers; one-sentence purpose.
2. Collect Information — source dossier; triangulate load-bearing facts.
3. Brainstorm — 15–20 candidate items without self-editing.
4. Organize — pick a structural pattern; outline as descriptive headings.
5. Draft — write fast; do not edit while drafting; use [TK] placeholders.
6. Revise — four passes (structure, paragraph, sentence, word) — never combined.
7. Proof — mechanical only; on paper or out loud; two human eyes.

Skipping a step or combining Steps 6 and 7 is the #1 quality failure.

The master rule (Roman & Raphaelson)

"Don't mumble."

Every sentence carries its point at full volume. Hedge soup, Latinate fog, and bureaucrat voice are cardinal sins. Detail in references/roman-raphaelson-principles.md (the 18 principles).

Reference index

Reference	Load when
references/maxwell-7-steps.md	Always — process spine for every artifact, plus channel overlays
references/roman-raphaelson-principles.md	Sentence-level prose discipline (18 principles, per-channel rules for email/memo/letter/plan/proposal/presentation/fund-raising/resume)
references/persuasion-and-narrative.md	Plans, pitches, fundraising, exec summaries — Hood plain English + Shiach persuasion + Geffner business style + Rubie/Provost narrative; also "make it sound less AI"
references/web-copywriting.md	Web pages, marketing copy, landing pages, blog post structure
references/blog-publishing-workflow.md	Producing a full blog article (topic dev, drafting, on-page structure, image prep, site integration)
references/language-standards-en-fr-sw.md	Multi-language artifacts: English (British/East African), French (Francophone African), Kiswahili (East African)
references/ai-assisted-writing.md	Any deliverable where an LLM is in the production chain — WI/AI division of labour, prompt design, fact-check discipline (Lindsell-Roberts)
references/scenario-playbooks.md	One-off communication artefacts where the message is hard — bad news, decline, apology, discourteous reply, policy change (Ramsey four-axis frame)
references/extended-channels.md	Pitch decks, one-pagers, training material, business plans, grant proposals, performance appraisals (Henwood / Lindsell-Roberts / Garner)
references/long-form-business-journalism.md	Long-form magazine writing — essay, investigative, profile, explainer — with craft lessons drawn from The Best Business Writing 2014 (Starkman et al.)
../../extracted-books/human-english-craft-synthesis-2026.md	Cross-channel reader-centred English: genre register, grammar, collocation, rhythm, evidence-aware revision, and proof/read-aloud
../../extracted-books/growth-profit-disruption-research-notes.txt	Business growth, product-led growth, profit improvement, disruption, creativity, and commercial research productization

Universal anti-patterns

• Mumbling — soft openings, hedge stacks, evasive verbs.
• Latinate fog — facilitate, utilize, leverage, optimize, expedite.
• Bureaucrat voice — heretofore, pursuant, said party, the aforementioned.
• Passive evasion — "it was decided that…" hiding the actor.
• Adjective inflation — significant, substantial, world-class, leading.
• Buried lead — recommendation on page 4.
• Walls of text — paragraphs over 5 sentences without break.
• One-size email — same long email used for an ask, an FYI, and a heads-up.
• Drafting before outlining (Step 4 skipped).
• Editing while drafting (Step 5 corrupted with Step 6).
• Combining revision passes (rewriting in circles).
• Treating proof as revision — missing typos and link rot.
• Sounds-like-AI prose — repeated reporting verbs, unhedged certainty, perfectly parallel sentences, no quirks. Load references/persuasion-and-narrative.md.

Universal ship gate

• Channel identified; right reference loaded.
• Step 1 purpose statement written.
• critical-reasoning-and-argument run where the artifact contains a claim, recommendation, interpretation, or persuasive ask.
• systems-process-requirements run where the artifact describes systems, processes, requirements, scope, workflow, data, interfaces, or design systems.
• Outline approved before drafting.
• Lead carries the news; nothing buried.
• Average sentence ≤20 words; max 30; varied length.
• One idea per paragraph; ≤5 sentences typical.
• Active voice unless deliberate.
• No Latinate substitutes where Anglo-Saxon works.
• No vague adjectives (significant, substantial, very, really).
• Numbers, names, dates instead of adjectives.
• First-revision cut ≥25 %.
• Channel-specific rule applied (subject line, F-pattern, slide discipline, etc.).
• Mechanical proof on paper / out loud; two human eyes for external artifacts.
• Multi-language: per-language register rules verified.

Companion skills

Use When

Use for non-academic prose where channel, audience, purpose, and action determine the form.

Do Not Use When

Use academic-writing for scholarship and report-and-proposal-craft for formal long reports or proposals.

Inputs

Input	Source/provider	If absent
Audience, channel, purpose, desired action	Requester	Stop and clarify the communication task
Facts, voice, constraints	Approved sources and organisation	Mark gaps; do not invent authority or examples

Workflow

1. Select the channel and desired reader action.
2. Gather verified substance and choose the fitting reference.
3. Draft answer-first in the requested voice.
4. Stop on unsupported persuasion; recover by qualifying or removing it.
5. Test clarity, accuracy, tone, and actionability.

Outputs

Artefact	Consumer	Acceptance condition
Channel-ready draft	Intended reader and sender	Purpose, evidence, voice, and requested action are clear

Writing Evidence Guidance

The source notes, audience/action decision, and final checklist support the draft.

Writing Capability Notes

Drafting is allowed only when requested. Sending, publishing, impersonation, spending, or binding commitments require explicit authority.

Degraded Mode

Fallback without facts or voice guidance: provide a labelled draft with gaps and placeholders; mark unavailable checks not assessed and do not present it as send-ready.

Decision Rules

Choice	Action	Failure/risk avoided
Reader needs a decision	Lead with the ask	Buried action
Claim is persuasive but unsupported	Remove or source it	Misrepresentation
Formal long-form deliverable	Route to report craft	Wrong structure

Quality Standards

The piece is specific to its reader and channel, factually traceable, concise enough for the purpose, and clear about the next action.

Business Writing Pitfalls

• Writing before naming the reader; define them.
• Burying the ask; lead with it.
• Inflating weak evidence; qualify it.
• Copying one voice across channels; adapt deliberately.
• Sending a draft without authority; keep it unsent.

Worked Example

A decision email opens with the requested approval and deadline, then gives only the evidence needed to decide.

References

• Seven-step process
• Channel scenarios

Evidence Produced

Evidence	Consumer	Acceptance condition
Audience-action decision and source notes	Sender, editor, and approver	The draft's facts, voice, channel, and requested action trace to approved inputs

Capability Contract

Minimum capability is read-only access to the brief, approved facts, and voice guidance. Drafting, editing, sending, publishing, spending, or binding commitments require explicit authorisation.

Anti-Patterns

• Writing before identifying the reader. Fix: define the reader and desired action.
• Burying the ask. Fix: lead with the decision or response required.
• Inflating weak evidence. Fix: source, qualify, or remove the claim.
• Copying one voice across channels. Fix: adapt register deliberately.
• Sending an unapproved draft. Fix: keep it labelled as a draft until authorised.

Companion skills

• report-and-proposal-craft — long-form persuasion (reports, proposals, white papers).
• critical-reasoning-and-argument — mandatory for non-academic prose that argues, recommends, evaluates, interprets, or persuades.
• systems-process-requirements — for process notes, operating-model descriptions, requirements summaries, workflow explanations, and system/data/interface descriptions.
• academic-writing — papers, essays, theses, dissertations.
• web-scraping-foundations — for pulling source material when needed.