Many business owners constantly seek new ways to save money and increase
profits. One such money-saving measure is to use readability formulas on all text and
materials. Readability formulas let you know if your text is readable by your target
audience (your customers, suppliers, employees, etc). Studies show that readable text
matched to the grade-level of your readers can increase their interest and improve your
results to get your message across. Here’s how:
EMPLOYEE INSTRUCTION MANUALS. Employee instruction manuals contain
important instructions for employees to perform their job duties. This is an all-important
document for the efficient internal working of a company. Using readability formulas will
ensure your employees can read these manuals so they can perform their duties properly
and efficiently. If your employees are performing well, your business’ productivity
increases, and this translates into increased profits. Also, using readability formulas can
reduce the number of times you revise your manual for better readability; this saves you
time and money.
INTERNAL REPORTS. An organization’s internal reports should meet the reading
level of its employees; otherwise your employees will find the reports meaningless
because they can’t understand them. You’ll also have to spend more money on resources
and labor to revise the reports.
BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE. The employer-employee correspondence forms
the backbone of an organization. If this correspondence lacks readability, your employees
can’t process the exact instructions. Using readability formulas on internal
correspondence will ensure clarity and convergence of ideas between employer and
employee. This will improve employer-employee relationship and increase the overall
productivity of the business.
PRODUCT/SERIVE SPECS SHEETS. The product/service specifications are an
integral part of your company’s products/services. Using readability formulas on the
product/service specifications ensures your customers/clients fully understand your
products or services. A readable product/service specification saves you money and time
by avoiding unnecessary customer complaints.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brian Scott is a contributing writer for Literacy News and a writing tutor for Writing Answers.
