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One of the world’s most famous and successful investors is an advocate of plain English. His name: Warren Buffett.
I wasn’t aware of this until I came across a preface he wrote to a document called A Plain English Handbook: How to create clear SEC documents.
In his preface the ‘Sage from Omaha’ covered some of the principles of plain English writing.
He offered this useful piece of advice:
“Write with a specific person in mind. When writing Berkshire Hathaway’s annual report, I pretend that I’m talking to my sisters. I have no trouble picturing them: Though highly intelligent, they are not experts in accounting or finance. They will understand plain English, but jargon may puzzle them. My goal is simply to give them the information I would wish them to supply me if our positions were reversed. To succeed, I don’t need to be Shakespeare; I must, though, have a sincere desire to inform.”
Right there, in one paragraph, Mr. Buffett has captured the essence of plain English. He makes three key points, all central to the idea of plain English writing.
First point: keep in mind the needs of your target audience. Second, reject jargon and write in plain language. And third, write to inform not to impress.
I then read some of Warren Buffett’s annual reports and sure enough the man practices what he preaches.
His reports are unlike any other financial documents I’ve read; in fact, you can learn a lot about plain English copywriting just by reading them.
Copywriting tips
He may be renowned as an investor but Warren Buffett is also a great communicator. So if you want to write like Mr Buffett, here are a few tips, which are ideal for anyone and not just people working in the financial services or investment industries.
1. Use personal pronouns (I, We, You, Us)
Refer to your company as ‘we’ or ‘us’ and your readers as ‘you’. This will give your document a more pleasing tone and allow you to express yourself vividly. People also respond more positively when addressed personally.
2. Write short sentences
Aim for an average of 15-20 words per sentence in your document. Make only one or two point per sentence. Keep your paragraphs short, too.
3. Write in the active voice
An active sentence typically has a subject (the doer) performing an action: ‘we sent the report last week’. A passive sentence is the opposite and often obscures the doer: ‘the report was sent last week’. Studies indicate that documents written in the active voice are easier to read and understand.
4. Use verbs not nouns
Verbs add vigour and life to your writing. Don’t change your verbs into a noun to describe an action. For example, use ‘consider’ not ‘consideration’, ‘implement’ instead of ‘implementation’ and ‘notify’ rather than ‘notification’. Sticking with verbs will also make you write in the active voice. Note the ‘-ion’ ending to those words; that’s a sure sign you are using the passive voice.
5. Be economical with words
Use only as many words as you need to; for example:
- ‘Now’ instead of ‘at this present time’
- ‘For’ instead of ‘on behalf of’
- ‘About’ instead of ‘in connection with’
Get rid of unnecessary words, which are used either habitually or to make a mundane task sound more impressive; for example:
‘A new bank account is in the process of being set up…’ can be shortened to ‘A new bank account is being set up…’.
6. Use expressions and words familiar to your audience
Inflated words add little value; buzzwords even less. Stick to words used in everyday conversation. For example:
- ‘Issue’ not ‘promulgate’
- ‘Stop’ not ‘terminate’
- ‘Pay’ not ‘remuneration’.
Write in plain English to convey your message
I love Warren Buffett’s writing. It’s straightforward and to the point and best of all refreshingly free of corporate mumbo-jumbo. It’s no accident his messages come through loud and clear.
It’s a pity his approach is not widespread. If writing plainly is good enough for Warren Buffett it’s good enough for anyone.
The benefits of plain English are proven, and, as he says, “[when you write in plain English] you will be amazed at how much smarter your readers will think you have become”.