Writing for Business

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Writing for Business

• Business style
• Types of business writing
• Formal reports , letters, e-mail,

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Types of business writing

• informal reports
• formal reports
• letters
• e-mail
• memos
• advertising (leaflets, posters, press releases)
• talks and presentations

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Why is business writing different?

• Finding solution to problems is more important
  than discussing theory
• Its purpose is to help decision making
• Must be easy to be read quickly
• Should contain necessary information only
• It is usually written to a particular person (s)
• Accuracy is of vital importance

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Making it easy to read

• Carefully planned structure
• Numerous subheadings
• Numbered paragraphs
• Concise language
• Tables and diagrams
• Bullet-points
• Business-like presentation

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Writing objectively

• Provide facts and evidence
• Give both sides of the argument
• Give opinions based on facts not supposition
• Be precisePeople are taking sick leave far too
  often Last month an absence rate of 10 was
  reported by five departments. In the opinion of
  the CEO this is having a damaging effect on the
  company

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Writing formal reports - structure

• 1 - Title Page
• 2 - Contents list
• 3 - Executive summary
• 4 - Terms of reference
• 5 - Methodology
• 6 - Findings
• 7 - Conclusions
• 8 - Recommendations
• 9 - List of references
• 10-Appendices

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Formal reports -

• 1 - Title page
• title should communicate what the report is about
• must include name of author(s) and person for
  whom report is written (addressee)
• should look business-like (avoid pictures)
• 2 - Contents Page
• should include page numbers of all main
  sub-titles
• needs separate contents for text tables
  diagrams

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Formal reports -

• 3 - Executive summary
• a summary of the reports key findings
• so that readers can determine whether to read the
  entire report
• 4 - Terms of reference
• Who is writing the report?
• Who requested the report and when is it due?
• What is it about?
• Why is it being written? (give the background to
  the problem)

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Formal reports -

• 5 - Methodology
• What you did to investigate the problemPeople
  you spoke to, library search, web-sites, research
  methods, questionnaires, interviews
• 6 - Findings
• Clear description of what you found out
• Objective description of data, graphs, diagrams,
  etc.
• This includes relevant theory you have identified
• No opinions, just a neutral description

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Formal reports -

• 7 - Conclusions
• Summarise key points of your findings
• Identify any further problems uncovered by your
  findings
• Discuss the meaning and implications of the
  findings in relation to the original problem
• 8 - Recommendations
• List the action that should be taken to resolve
  the problems identified in your conclusions
• (not always required)

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Formal reports -

• 9 - List of references
• Use Harvard format as for academic writing
• Dont forget to include references in the text
  where you have used other peoples ideas or data
• 10 - Appendices
• Only include if documents are referred to in main
  report
• e.g. - questionnaires, letters, interview reports

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Business letters -

• Use standard layout for business letters
• Structure
• Paragraph 1 State intention of the letter
• Paragraph 2 Main body provide information
  present it in logical form
• Paragraph 3 Conclusion summing up possible
  suggesting future action
• Tone
• variable between formality informality.
  (Generally more impersonal than notes to friends!)

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E-mail

• Almost no style rules apply
• Usually informal
• Should be clear and concise
• Start with the persons name and finish with
  yours (but this is a matter of choice)
• Must be accurate and legal (email may be
  forwarded to other people with your name on it)
• Should not be personal business (many companies
  now routinely monitor staff use of e-mail)

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Summary

• Types of business writing
• Business writing style
• Formal report structure
• Letters and e-mails