“I can’t wait to write some SOPs today!” said no practice manager, ever.

Back-end writing (i.e., the non-glamorous stuff that makes you fall asleep at your desk or suddenly inspires you to organize your overflowing junk drawer) is a dreaded and time-consuming task most practice managers love to loathe.

Unfortunately, a professional, productive, efficient, and safe practice must produce back-end writing projects, which include: 

  • Forms
  • Employee handbooks
  • Training manuals
  • Standard operating procedures (SOPs)
  • Job descriptions 

In honor of Practice Managers Appreciation Week, November 12 to 18, the Rumpus Writing and Editing team has prepared some helpful hacks to make back-end writing move to the top of your to-do list, if not your heart.

#1: Consider your reader or end-user when composing back-end copy

In other words, write with your goal in mind. Think how the intended audience will interpret and use the form, policy, memo, or instruction list. Consider:

  • Circumstances — Determine the scenario or situation that will call for the form or procedure to decide on the information that must be included. Are you writing a training manual, an application for paid time off, a position available ad? 
  • Voice — Is the piece instructional, disciplinary, or persuasive? This will determine your writing style and structure (e.g., practical, formal, promotional).

Respecting your audience will ensure they can understand, apply, and benefit from your writing, which means your practice will, too.

#2: Prioritize clarity and conciseness

No matter how well written, if your documents or brochures are lengthy, complicated, or confusing, busy veterinary team members and clients simply won’t read them. At best, your target audience will quickly skim or scan the long piece you’re so proud of, and miss vital information.

Start with an outline, idea map, bulleted list, or similar blueprint to identify key ideas for your project, create a framework, and write clear and concise copy. Once you’ve finished your first draft, review your work, and delete anything that doesn’t compliment the main idea. Simplify complicated concepts and language as much as possible to prevent frustrating or overwhelming your reader.

Streamline the information for easy viewing and processing. For example, if your copy is instructional (e.g., an SOP or training manual), consider a step-by-step format that breaks the procedure into logical, easy to follow actions. This approach also makes large writing projects more manageable, because you can work on one small section at a time.

#3: Turn to templates 

Templates increase back-end writing efficiency, decrease frustration, and ensure uniformity. Many free templates are available online for various back-end writing tasks, including SOPs and forms. Simply download and customize templates or use them as inspiration to create your own.  

You can also use Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT as starting points for efficiently creating forms, memos, and other back-end projects. Simply use the prompt for the document type you want, the overall tone, and any important specifics. Once you have a suitable document, customize the copy to align with your practice values and voice and delete undesirable errors, typos, and inaccuracies.

#4: Have an organization outsider review your copy

Back-end writing may be dry and technical, but still should be easy to read and understand. Unfortunately, when you’re writing the 15th subsection of your employee handbook, objectively assessing your work is almost impossible. 

Therefore, you should ask someone outside the organization—ideally outside the veterinary industry—to read your finished work and provide unbiased feedback. An external source can not only proofread for typos, spelling errors, and grammar, but also help you gauge readability, comprehension, and whether the audience will clearly understand what you have written.

#5: Outsource your writing needs 

Successful back-end writing requires time and focus. If you’re running short on these valuable commodities—who isn’t?—or you’d rather do almost anything than write another policy, form, or instructional handbook, consider outsourcing your back-end writing needs to professional copywriters.

The Rumpus Writing and Editing team combines award-winning writing and editing with a deep and personal understanding of the veterinary industry to deliver customized copy for every possible veterinary project, large or small. Our team works with you to fully understand your project and your business to ensure your finished product matches not only your goal, but also your brand. You’ll think you wrote the document yourself—without any agony, frustration, and overtime!

The next time you’re tempted to put back-end writing on the back burner, remember to focus on clarity, brevity, and readability. Break down large ideas and concepts into bite-sized pieces for easier writing and reading. And, know when to ask for help. The Rumpus Writing and Editing team is only a click away—contact us to schedule a one-on-one consultation.