Examples

Benefits

Here is a summary of the most common benefits of simplifying business communications.

Simplifying helps to:
keep customers happy	by minimising the hassle of dealing with complex products and services
build brand loyalty	by creating brand-building opportunities from every document, from brochures to monthly statements
increase sales	by using plain language to differentiate products at the sales stage, and using relevant cross-sell messages to increase share-of-wallet at the post-sale stage
reduce queries	by making sure customers understand products and processes from the start
cut production costs	by ensuring that no unnecessary documents are produced, and, where appropriate, re-using content across print and online channels.

Who has benefited?

Organisations that have gone on record as having benefited from simplifying their communications include some of the world’s largest and most successful:

A UK Government plain English initiative saved
£9 million in printing costs
General Electric saved US$275 000 by redrafting user-manuals into plain language
British Telecom cut customer queries by 25 percent by using plain language
Royal Mail saved £500 000 in nine months by redesigning one form in plain language

Source: Joe Kimble Writing for Dollars

The devil – and the benefits – are in the detail

As the examples above show, it’s often the detail that results in the largest benefits. While simplified communications are certainly not a cure for all problems, they often catalyse other changes, as well as provide tangible benefits in their own right.

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