2. Abbreviations

Most businesses operate in specialised fields filled with technical phrases that have been shortened to abbreviations. Some of these, such as ‘CD’ for ‘compact disc’, may be fairly well known to the general public. Most are not. My advice is to check whether any abbreviation you want to use has entered common usage by looking to see if it is listed in the dictionary. If not, assume your readers will be ignorant of its meaning. Do them a favour by spelling out what it stands for the first time you use it. Being aware of the exact meanings of common abbreviations can also help you stay clear of embarrassing mistakes such as ‘PIN number’.

One area to be particularly wary of is technological abbreviations that have entered the mainstream. A good example is ‘WAP’. This stands for wireless application protocol, a standard which allows mobile phones to receive internet content, but it is not likely to mean much to the person on the street even when spelt out. One option if you are writing to a general audience is to spell out the abbreviation and follow it with a brief description of what the technology does: ‘a wireless application protocol mobile, which can receive internet content . . .’ This is hardly succinct but it does, with any luck, leave the reader in no doubt as to what you are talking about. Other technological abbreviations, such as IP (for internet protocol) or SMS (short message service) are becoming more common as equipment based on them enters the mainstream. However, they have yet to attain the same currency as, say, ‘IT’, which can nowadays safely be used in its abbreviated form without danger of confusion.

Abbreviations are a particular problem for copywriters in internal communications, because each business not only uses standard trade jargon but also has its own shorthand for departments, processes, job titles and so on. The experienced writer may guess that RSM stands for ‘regional sales manager’ but other abbreviations can be completely baffling, and not just for outsiders. In one organisation I have come across, employees are handed a book (not a list) containing several hundred abbreviations that they might encounter. Clearly, in situations like this, it is safe to assume that even many long-standing employees may not have been able to digest every single acronym. It will be up to you to establish with the client which ones are likely to be widespread enough to warrant use without being spelt out.