My Thoughts
Why Your Admin Team's Writing Is Costing You More Than You Think
You know what drives me absolutely mental? Getting an email from someone's EA that reads like it was written by a caffeinated teenager on their first day. Three spelling mistakes, zero punctuation, and somehow they've managed to make a simple meeting request sound like a hostage negotiation.
After 18 years in business consulting across Brisbane and Melbourne, I've seen companies hemorrhage credibility simply because their admin staff couldn't string together a professional sentence. Yet most organisations treat administration writing training like it's some optional nice-to-have rather than the business-critical skill it actually is.
Let me be brutally honest here. Your reception team, PAs, and admin coordinators are often the first point of written contact your clients have with your business. They're drafting the initial emails, handling complaints, coordinating schedules, and managing correspondence that directly impacts your bottom line.
The Hidden Cost of Poor Admin Writing
Here's a stat that'll make your accountant weep: companies lose an average of 67% of potential clients within the first three written interactions due to unprofessional communication. I've seen this play out countless times in real client situations.
Take one manufacturing company I worked with in Adelaide last year. Their admin team was sending quotes that read like grocery lists. "Hi, here's your quote. $45,000. Let us know. Thanks." No context, no value proposition, no professionalism whatsoever. They were losing tenders left and right, and management couldn't figure out why their competitors were consistently undercutting them on supposedly identical services.
The problem wasn't their pricing. It was their presentation.
After implementing structured administrative writing protocols, their conversion rate jumped 23% within six months. Same services, same pricing, completely different written communication approach.
What Most Training Gets Wrong
Most writing courses focus on grammar and spelling. Big mistake. That's like teaching someone to drive by only showing them the steering wheel.
Admin writing isn't about perfect grammar - though that helps. It's about understanding business context, reading between the lines, and translating complex information into clear, actionable communication.
Your admin team needs to know the difference between writing to a CEO versus a trade contractor. They need to understand when to be formal versus conversational. Most importantly, they need to grasp the commercial implications of their written communication.
I once had a client whose EA consistently used phrases like "as per your request" and "please be advised" in every email. Technically correct, but it made every interaction feel like a legal proceeding. We shifted her language to more natural business communication, and suddenly their client feedback improved dramatically.
The Australian Context Matters
Here's something most generic training programs miss entirely: Australian business communication has its own rhythm and expectations. We're more direct than Americans, less formal than Brits, and we definitely don't appreciate unnecessary corporate jargon.
Your admin team needs to master this balance. Too casual and you sound unprofessional. Too formal and you sound like you're trying too hard. It's a delicate dance that requires specific training in Australian business communication norms.
One of my Perth clients learned this the hard way when their new admin coordinator (fresh from a US corporate training program) started signing off emails with "Have a blessed day!" Client complaints flooded in within weeks. Not because the sentiment was wrong, but because it felt completely out of place in the Australian business context.
What Actually Works in Admin Writing Training
Forget theoretical workshops about apostrophe placement. Your admin team needs practical, scenario-based training that mirrors their actual workload.
They should practice writing emails for angry customers, coordinating complex schedules, explaining service delays, and handling sensitive information requests. This isn't creative writing class - it's business communication bootcamp.
Role-playing exercises work brilliantly here. Have them write responses to difficult scenarios: a client threatening to switch suppliers, a vendor demanding immediate payment, a senior executive requesting urgent information. These situations require nuanced communication skills that can't be learned from a textbook.
Template development is equally crucial. Not cookie-cutter responses that sound robotic, but flexible frameworks that maintain professional standards while allowing for personalisation. Your admin team should have go-to structures for common situations while understanding when and how to deviate from them.
The Technology Integration Challenge
Modern admin writing isn't just about emails anymore. Your team needs to master communication across multiple platforms: CRM systems, project management tools, instant messaging, social media interactions, and automated response systems.
Each platform has different communication norms and technical constraints. A response that works perfectly in an email might be completely inappropriate for a LinkedIn message or internal Slack channel.
Training programs need to address this multi-platform reality. Your admin staff should understand how tone and formality shift across different communication channels while maintaining consistent brand voice and professional standards.
Microsoft Teams has completely changed how we handle internal communication, but I still see admin teams using formal email language in casual team chats. It creates unnecessary distance and makes simple coordination feel bureaucratic.
Measuring the ROI of Better Writing
This is where most managers get nervous. How do you quantify the value of improved admin writing? It's actually more straightforward than you might think.
Track client retention rates before and after training implementation. Monitor response times to complex inquiries. Measure the number of follow-up clarifications required for initial communications. Survey client satisfaction with administrative interactions.
One Sydney-based professional services firm saw their admin-related client complaints drop 89% after implementing comprehensive writing training. Their client onboarding process became smoother, their project coordination improved, and their overall professional reputation strengthened significantly.
The investment in training paid for itself within four months through improved client relationships and reduced communication errors.
Beyond the Basics: Advanced Admin Writing Skills
Once your team masters foundational communication, you can tackle more sophisticated challenges. Executive-level correspondence requires different skills entirely. Board meeting minutes demand precision and political awareness. Crisis communication needs careful tone management and stakeholder consideration.
Your senior admin staff should understand the strategic implications of their written communication. They're not just processing information - they're representing your organisation's values, competence, and attention to detail.
I've seen exceptional EAs who could defuse tense situations through carefully crafted emails, coordinate complex multinational projects through clear written protocols, and maintain executive relationships through thoughtful, professional communication.
These aren't innate talents. They're learnable skills that require proper training and ongoing development.
The Personal Touch That Makes the Difference
Here's where many organisations miss a crucial opportunity. Your admin team should develop their own professional writing voice while maintaining company standards. This isn't about creating corporate drones - it's about empowering them to communicate authentically within professional parameters.
Encourage them to find their communication style. Some excel at warm, relationship-building language. Others shine with crisp, efficient updates. Both approaches can be highly effective when properly developed and appropriately applied.
The key is consistency. Your admin team's writing should feel cohesive across different personalities while allowing individual strengths to emerge.
Making It Happen
Start small. Identify your highest-impact admin communications and focus training efforts there. Client-facing emails, vendor coordination, and executive support usually offer the biggest improvement opportunities.
Provide regular feedback and coaching. Writing skills develop through practice and refinement, not one-off training sessions. Create systems for ongoing skill development and peer learning.
Most importantly, treat this as the strategic investment it actually is. Quality admin writing training isn't a cost centre - it's a competitive advantage that touches every aspect of your business operations.
Your admin team's writing represents your organisation every single day. Make sure it's representing you well.
Our Favourite Blogs: