Put the conclusion first. Business readers decide in the opening lines whether to act, approve or keep reading, so every document here leads with its answer and backs it up afterwards.
Known as BLUF: bottom line up front.Twelve documents, three jobs
Who reads it, and what they need first
Each document has a typical reader and a first thing that reader is looking for. Get that opening right and the rest of the structure follows.
| Document | Main reader | Length | Open with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proposal | Client deciding whether to hire you | 5 to 20 pages | Their problem and the result you will deliverHow to Write a Business Proposal: Complete Guide → |
| Report | Manager or board | 5 to 15 pages | The main finding and what to do about itHow to Write a Professional Business Report → |
| Executive summary | Senior decision maker | 1 to 3 pages | The recommendation, in one sentenceHow to Write an Executive Summary that Gets Read → |
| Memo | Colleagues across the company | 1 page | The change or decision, and when it appliesHow to Write Effective Business Memos → |
| Meeting minutes | Attendees and absentees | 1 to 2 pages | Decisions made, then action itemsHow to Write Effective Meeting Minutes → |
| SOP | The person doing the task | As long as the steps | Purpose and scope, then numbered stepsHow to Write an SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) → |
| Press release | Journalists | 1 page | Headline and a lead with who, what, whenPress Release Format and Structure Explained → |
| Performance review | The employee | 1 to 2 pages | An honest one-paragraph overall summaryHow to Write Performance Review Comments that Help → |
The structure under every document
Journalists call this the inverted pyramid; management consultants call it the Pyramid Principle. The idea is the same: the most important information goes first, and each layer below supports the one above it. It is the backbone of status reports for busy executives and analytical reports with recommendations.
It works because business readers are busy and skim. A board member may read only the first paragraph of a report. If your recommendation is on page six, they never reach it. Put it on page one, and the rest of the document becomes evidence they can check if they want to.
The exception is bad news to someone outside your organisation, such as a rejection letter. There, one sentence of context before the news reads as courtesy rather than delay.
An annotated memo
A complete one-page internal memo. Each part on the left is explained on the right. For other layouts, including memos to managers and policy memos, see memo format, with examples.
Plain words that replace business jargon
Plain language is not less professional. It is faster to read and harder to misunderstand, especially for readers whose first language is not English. Swap the left column for the right. The method behind it is set out in plain language techniques for professionals and how to avoid wordiness.
Register by document
Register means how formal your writing is. Here is the same idea, a delay, written at the level each document expects.
| Document | Register | How the delay is written | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Board report | Formal | The launch has been rescheduled to Q2 owing to supplier constraints; the revised plan is set out in Section 3. | Impersonal, precise and cross-referenced, because it goes on record. |
| Client email | Neutral | We’re moving the launch to April because a supplier is running late. Here’s the new plan. | Clear and direct, with “we” taking ownership. |
| Team memo | Neutral | The launch moves to April. Your deadlines in the attached plan have each shifted by four weeks. | Focused on what changes for the reader. |
| Team chat | Informal | Heads-up: launch is now April (supplier delay). New dates in the plan. | Short, with brackets standing in for full sentences. |
Writing any business document in six steps
- Step 1 · 5 minKnow the readerWrite down who will read it and the one decision or action you need from them.
- Step 2 · 5 minWrite the bottom linePut that decision or action into one sentence. This becomes your opening.
- Step 3 · 10 minOutline the reasonsList two or three supporting points, strongest first. Everything else is detail.
- Step 4 · 30 minDraft quicklyWrite without editing. Fill the outline; leave gaps marked [CHECK] rather than stopping.
- Step 5 · 15 minCut and formatRemove a third of the words. Add headings, bullet points and bold labels where readers will scan.
- Step 6 · 10 minCheck and sendVerify every name, number and date. Read the first paragraph alone: does it stand on its own?
How long is an executive summary?
About 5 to 10 percent of the full document, and never more than three pages. Write it last, once you know what the document actually concludes.
The part of the minutes people actually read
Attendees, discussion and decisions all belong in meeting minutes, but the action list is what keeps a team accountable. Every action needs three things: the task, one named owner, and a date. Send the minutes within 24 hours.
| Action | Owner | Due |
|---|---|---|
| Send revised budget to finance | Priya Shah | 14 Nov |
| Book venue for the March launch | Tom Reyes | 21 Nov |
| Draft client FAQ for review | Ana Silva | 28 Nov |
One owner per line, never “the team”. Full templates in How to write effective meeting minutes.
One bio, three lengths
Keep three versions ready. Use the third person for conference programmes and company sites, the first person for your own profiles. More examples by career stage in professional bio examples and LinkedIn summary examples.
Maya Chen is a product designer who helps fintech teams turn complex tools into products people enjoy using.
Maya Chen is a product designer with ten years in fintech. At Ledgerly she led the redesign that lifted daily active users by 40%. She speaks on accessible finance and mentors early-career designers.
The short version, plus career background, two or three results with numbers, education or certifications that matter to this audience, and one human detail to close.