Business Communication Chapter 4

1
Business CommunicationChapter 4

• The Writing Process for Written and Spoken
  Messages

2
Preparing a Draft

• You have planned either an inductive (indirect)
  or deductive (direct) approach and an appropriate
  sequence for your primary and supporting points.
• Burst write to get the ideas down on paper.
• Check the point-by-point sequence to assure its
  effectiveness.
• Use the 12 writing steps I described last time
  (Chapter 3).
• Then begin to edit and polish.

3
Writing

• Tom (subject) transferred (verb) overseas
  (complement).
• Phrase (no subject or verb) some of the
  employees
• Clauses As the president reported this morning,
  the job can be completed by the end of the year.
• Dependent Clause (incomplete idea) As the
  president reported this morning,
• Independent Clause (complete idea) the job can
  be completed by the end of the year.

4
Writing Faults

• Run-on Sentence
• A new printer has been ordered it should be
  delivered tomorrow.
• Fixes
• A new, recently ordered printer should be
  delivered tomorrow.
• A new printer has been ordered. It should be
  delivered tomorrow.
• A new printer has been ordered and should be
  delivered tomorrow.

5
Writing

• Comma Splice
• The number of questions has been reduced, the
  survey will require less time to complete.
• Because the number of questions has been
  reduced, the survey will require less time to
  complete.

6
Writing

• Business people tend to be action-oriented. If
  you want to influence them, usually use active
  voice and active verbs.
• The subject of the sentence should be the doer
  not the receiver.
• Reports are communicated electronically by our
  sales representative.
• Our sales representative transfers reports
  electronically.
• Corrected sentence is more visual.
• Additional advantage 25 fewer words!
• Example Mistakes were made. President Bush
  speaking about the Iraq war and trying to evade
  responsibility.

7
Writing

• Keep sentences as short and direct as possible.
• To emphasize or de-emphasize, use labeling words
  most important less significant
• Use position (first or last in the sentence) to
  emphasize a word The project was successful,
  but without your efforts it would have failed.
• Space allotment lots of words important
• few words not important

8
Writing

• Make the document clear and inviting in order to
  entice reading rather than recycling
• Typically, each paragraph is a unit comprised of
  a lead sentence (capturing the main idea),
  supporting points and often a summarizing
  sentence.
• Maintain a standard approach (inductive or
  deductive) throughout the document and locate the
  lead sentence in the same place in each
  paragraph.
• Dont make sentences and paragraphs too long or
  too complex, but vary their length and
  complexity.
• Invite the readers eyes with white space rather
  than reject them with density.
• Use parallelism (see the previous bullet point).

9
Writing

• Establish coherent (laminar) flow by
• Repeating a key word used in the previous
  sentence
• Using a pronoun to represent a word in the
  previous sentence. I ask you to take this
  responsibility. But it can be shared
• Using connecting words or phrases such as
  however, therefore, in addition, in contrast,
  nevertheless, also, consequently, moreover

10
Writing

• A well-written business document looks like an
  old professor. A short statement paragraph at
  the top. A short summary paragraph at the end.
  And a bulge in the middle.
• The middle paragraphs should typically consist of
  a lead statement, three or four points supporting
  it and perhaps a summary statement. Thats
  six to ten lines.
• Be consistent. Dont shift from active to
  passive voice, first (I) to third (we)
  person, or present to past tense in the same
  document.

11
Writing

• Proofread before sending spelling, syntax,
  punctuation, etc. Sloppy writing tells the
  recipient you dont care.
• Avoid imprecision, bias and jargon.
• No computer can match a good human editor, but
  fightthebull.com can help.
• Be courteous. Dont be afraid to use please
  and thank you.
• NEVER communicate in anger. Write it, put it in
  the drawer and look at it again the next day.
  Chances are, you wont send it.
• Over time, thoughtful, well-written
  communications will establish your reputation as
  a dependable, respected thinker people want on
  their team.

12
Proofreading

• Correct word? Their/theyre/there affect/effect
  youre/your.
• Most effective/best word?
• For important documents, you may have to
  proofread in pairs (example annual reports).
• Format properly (Appendix A of the textbook)
• Big picture is the document visually appealing
  does it invite the eye?
• Others eyes listen to your editor!

13
Writing

• Useful Graphic Techniques to make documents
  easily digestible
• Bulleted lists (as I am doing here)
• For your needs, then, the most appropriate
  in-service training method is web-based
  instruction. This training is least expensive,
  allows employees to remain at their workstations
  while improving their skills, affords constant
  awareness of progress, and lets employees
  progress at their own rates.

14
Using Bullets

• Web-based instruction is the most appropriate
  in-service training method because it
• is least expensive.
• allows employees to remain at their workstations
  while improving skills.
• affords constant awareness of progress.
• lets employees progress at their own rates.

15
Writing

• Break the document down into sections and put a
  boldface heading on each.
• Connect headings to the readers needs (Who is
  eligible? How do I apply? What do I need to do?,
  etc.)
• Use a consistent style (question, question,
  question)
• Center and/or capitalize major headings. Use
  smaller type, left-side placement and underlining
  for minor headings.
• Use tables and graphs.
• Use demarcation lines and borders.
• But be conservative dont clutter the document
  with too many distracting graphics techniques.

16
Proofreading

• Dont rely just on spell-check
• For sale fully fascinated and spade damnation
  puppies
• For sale fully vaccinated and spayed Dalmatian
  puppies
• Its difficult to proofread on a computer screen.
  Print out a copy and use a pen.
• Is the information clear, complete, concise and
  accurate?
• Is it arranged persuasively (and-then, and-then,
  and-then logic flow)?