Introduction to messages and the writing process - Business Communication

Introduction to Messages and the Writing Process

Session -9

Informal Writing

• Retains some casual qualities (personal pronouns, contractions)

• Corresponds to proper conversation

Example: “I’ve read your excellent proposal. I predict the administrators will approve it.”

Formal Writing

• Maintains distance between writer and reader.

• Avoids personal references and contractions.

Example: “The proposal is excellent. The executives are likely to approve it.”

The Process of Writing (3 of 6)

• Then analyzing and organizing the information.–In the direct order if positive or neutral

reaction expected–In the indirect order if negative

reaction is anticipated

The Process of Writing (4 of 6)

• Writing the message–Follow preceding chapters’ clear

writing instructions.–Present in good format.

The Process of Writing (5 of 6)

• Rewriting–Rewrite.–And rewrite, and

rewrite.–Get input from

others.

The Process of Writing (6 of 6)

• Finally, editing, polishing, and presenting–The rewrite process is useful while you’re

learning (as a student).– In your eventual work assignment, you first

draft may be the finished product.

Routine Business Letters

““Once An Arrow Leave The BowOnce An Arrow Leave The Bow

You Can Not Recall It”You Can Not Recall It”

Routine Business Letters

GOALS

• BUSINESS WRITING has only two goals:– to make people understand you, and

– to get them to take some action

• Do you want your reader to: – buy your product or service?

– confirm a decision?

– simply like you & you are good to do business with?

Routine Business Letters

WRITING INTERNATIONAL LETTERS

• American letters are direct, informal and concise.• Japanese letter begin with references to nature• Germans start letters with a long, formal lead-in• Italians may refer to the receiver's family and

children.

Routine Business Letters

PLANNING

• Business Letters Require PlansAny kind of communication requires planning, whether it is a report, memo, or a business letter.

Three major elements exist in the planning of a business letter:– Analyze subject / reader

– Know your objectives / Idea

– Organize your letter

Routine Business Letters

PLANNING

• Analyze subject / reader– Much of your writing will be directed to the people

you have never met.– Realize how important it is to adapt your messages

to your receivers’ views, needs, interest, attitude and culture.

Routine Business Letters

PLANNING

• Know your objectives / Idea– The idea you include depend on the type of letter

you are sending and the background and the need of your receiver.

For instance: In a response from a large resort hotel to a person who has asked about rates, you might send a brief list of in-and-out of season price. If you limited your response to this list, you would miss an opportunity to sell the other services you have to offer.

Routine Business Letters

PLANNING

• Organize your Message:– Always keep in your mind the order in which you

are presenting your idea to the addressee is as important as your idea.

– Disorganized, rambling text of your letters often seem careless, confusing, and unimportant. However, different approaches are necessary for different cultures.

Routine Business Letters

BUSINESS LETTER WRITING• PURPOSE:

– Letters can be informational or persuasive and covering Claims, Inquiry, Orders, Quotation, Tender & Request for Adjustments.

ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGY:

Generally organization use two types of strategy:

1)Direct Message2)Indirect Message

Routine Business Letters

BUSINESS LETTER WRITING

• Indirect Messages:Negative, Persuasive, ConvincingGiving psychological treatment 4 to 5 paragraph

with neutral reaction Buffer – neutral opening by praising

Appreciation, Similarity in agreement, Congratulations,

Good News, Assurance / Confidence Explanation Bad news (eg. I wish I could have attend the meeting …..) Alternatives Courteous Close end

Routine Business Letters

BUSINESS LETTER WRITING

– Exceptional Letters’ Scenario:

the Exceptional Messages have –ve aspect but that will be processed in direct manners:

Refusals (Routine Matters)Job RefusalsContract RefusalsShow Cause NoticesExplanation LettersTermination Letters

The 3x3 Writing Process

The model used for this course has three main steps, and each main step has three subcategories. The three major categories are

Prewriting Writing

Revising

The following slides will discuss the subcategories of each of these three main steps.

Guffey’s 3-x-3 Writing Process

• Phase 1: PrewritingAnalyzing, anticipating, adapting

• Phase 2: WritingResearching, organizing, composing

• Phase 3: RevisingRevising, proofreading, evaluating

Prewriting

Analyze...Y ou r p urpo seT he au d ien ce

Anticipate...T h e a ud ien ce 's n ee ds

Adapt...T h e m essag e to th e pu rpo seT h e m e ssa g e to th e a ud ien ce

Prewriting

Writing

ResearchG a th er the in fo rm ation

OrganizeD e cid e o n the o rd er o f the in fo rm ation

Com poseD ra ft th e m e ssa ge

W riting

Revising

Revising...C o nte n t

O rg an iza tionS ty le

Proofreading for...G ram m arS pe lling

P un c tu a tion

Evaluating...T h e e ffec tive n ess o f the d ocu m e nt

Revising

Worrying and planningwritingrevisingproof reading

25%

25%45%

5%

Time investment in each of the category

Analyzing the task

In analyzing the task, first we need to

• Identifying the Purpose of message

• Selecting the Best channel

Primary Purpose of the message

A message may serve two important purposesThe primary purposes for sending business message are typically to Inform and persuade A secondary purpose is to promote GoodwillActually we wanted to good in the eyes of our audience

Choosing Channels

Channel

Face-to-faceconversation

Telephone call

Voice mail message

Fax

E-mail

Best use

To share personal message, be persuasive, or deliver bad news; richest communication channel

For convenience when nonverbal cues are unimportant

To leave message for response when convenient

To cross time zones, to produce written record, for speedy delivery

To exchange information conveniently and quickly, but problematic for some messages

Choosing Channels

Channel

Face-to-face group meeting

Video or teleconferencing

Memo

Letter

Report

Best use

When group decisions and consensus are important

To disperse data or elicit consensus from geographically dispersed group

To produce formal, written recordfor insiders

To produce formal, written record for customers and other outsiders

To deliver complex data internally or externally

Communication channel

• Face to face conversation• Telephone call• Voice mail messages• Fax• Email• Face to face group meeting• Video conferencing • Memo/ Letter

Profiling the audience

Primary audience• Who is my primary reader or listener?• What is my personal & prof. relationship with that

person?• What position does the individual hold in the

organization?• How much does that person know about the subject?• What do I know about that person’s education, beliefs,

culture and attitude?• Should I expect a natural, positive, or negative

responses to my messages?

Profiling the audience….. Contd.

Secondary audience• Who might see this message after the primary

audience?

• How do these people differ from the primary audience?

Spotlight Receive Behavior

• Our messages should be focus on “Reader Benefit”

• Adapting message to the receivers need means putting yourself in that person shoes

• It is called as EMPATHY

• EMPATHIC sender think about how a receiver will decode a message.

Developing Reader Benefits

Sender-focused

“We are requiring all staffers to complete these forms in compliance with company policy.”

Receiver-focused

“Please complete these forms so that you will be eligible for health and dental benefits.”

Developing Reader Benefits

Sender-focused

“Our warranty becomes effective only when we receive an owner’s registration.”

Receiver-focused

“Your warranty begins working for you as soon as you return you owner’s registration.”

Avoiding gender Bias

Gender Bias

female doctor, woman

Attorney

Waiter/ Waitress,

stewardess

Mankind, man-hour

The doctor……. he

Improved

doctor, attorney

Server, cabin attendant

Humanity, working hours

Doctors….. they

Avoiding gender Bias

Gender Bias

Executives and their wives

Businessman, salesman

Improved

Executives and their spouse

Businessperson, sales representatives

3- X- 3 WRITNG FOR BUSINESS MESSAGES

CHP # 4 5 PRESENTED BY SAAD & SAMSON

PREWRITING

• Analyze

• Anticipate

• Adapt

3- X- 3 WRITING FOR BUSINESS MESSAGES

CHP # 4 6 PRESENTED BY SAAD & SAMSON

WRITING

• Research

• Organize

• Compose

3- X- 3 WRITNG FOR BUSINESS MESSAGES

CHP # 4 7 PRESENTED BY SAAD & SAMSON

REVISING

• Revise

• Proofread

• Evaluate

Organizing Data

process of organization may begin before you collect data

might occur simultaneously with data collection

ideas follow in a sequence helps readers

Tips To Organize Data

• cross out idea that are obvious irrelevant; simplify and clarify

• add new ideas that seem to be appropriate

• study the ideas for similarities

CHP # 5

Listing and Outlining

Alphanumeric outline

I. First major component A. first subpoint 1. detail, illustration, evidence 2. detail, illustration, evidence B. second subpoint 1. 2.

II. Second major component

A. first subpoint 1. detail, illustration, evidence 2. detail, illustration, evidence B. second subpoint 1. 2.

CHP # 5

Decimal outline

I.0. First major component

1.1 first subpoint 1.1.1. detail, illustration, evidence 1.1.2. detail, illustration, evidence 1.2. second subpoint 1.2.1 1.2.1 2.0. Second major component

2.1. first subpoint 2.1.1. detail, illustration, evidence 2. 1.2. detail, illustration, evidence 2.2. second subpoint 2.2.1 2.2.2

CHP # 5

Organizing ideas into Patterns

Types of patterns

A. Direct pattern (for receptive audience)

B. Indirect pattern (for unreceptive audience)

Benefits of Direct Pattern

• saves the readers time

• sets proper frame of mind

• prevents frustration

Benefits of Indirect Pattern

• respect the feeling of audience

• ensures a fair hearing

• minimize the negative reaction

CHP # 5

Research Methods

FormalInformal

Research Methods

Formal Search Methods

a) Search ManuallyLibraries, reference books, encyclopedia, etc.

Formal Search Methods

b) Access ElectronicallyInternet, Databases, Compact Discs, etc.

Formal Search Methods

c) Investigate Primary SourcesDevelop firsthand information from the source by organizing focus groups or putting questionnaire.

Formal Search Methods

d) Experiment Scientifically Present choices with controlled variables instead of asking for target audience’s opinion.

Informal Search Methods

a) Look in the FilesBefore asking others for help, see what you can find yourself.

Informal Search Methods

b) Talk with your BossGet information from the individual making the assignment.

Informal Search Methods

c) Interview the Target AudienceConsider taking with individuals at whom the message is aimed.

Informal Search Methods

d) Conduct an informal Survey Gather helpful information via questionnaires or telephone surveys.

Informal Search Methods

e) Brainstorm for IdeasDiscuss ideas for the writing tasks at hand, and record atleast a dozen ideas without judging them.

Informal Search Methods

f) Develop a Cluster DiagramTo help you generate and organize ideas.

Organizing Concept

Organizing Data

Primary Purpose >>>>>>>>>>>>> Grouping & Patterning

• Necessary before or during collecting data.

• For more complex work it may be ongoing.

Organizing Ideas:Writers of well organized messages group similar ideas together so that the readers can see relationships and follow arguments.

Organizing Data

• Self Composure

Are you organized?

Organizing Data

Approach varies with project nature and type.

IMPORTANT TECHNIQUES

• Listing– For Simple Massages

• Outlining – For Complex Massages

Organizing Ideas Into Patterns

A. Direct Pattern for Receptive Audience

B. Indirect Pattern for Unreceptive Audience

Placing of Main Idea!

•Direct

•Indirect

Audience!

•Receptive

•Unreceptive

Direct Pattern for Receptive Audience

Important

Getting to the main idea quickly………!

Direct Pattern for Receptive Audience

Three advantages:

1. Saves reader’s time

2. Sets a proper frame of mind

3. Prevents frustration

Indirect Pattern for Unreceptive Audience

Works well with three kinds of messages:

Bad News

Needs persuasion

Important Idea

Three benefits:

1. Respects the feelings of the audience

2. Ensures a fair hearing

3. Minimizes the negative reaction

Indirect Pattern for Unreceptive Audience

Composing Message

Composing the First Draft

How to create an Effective Sentence?

• Using short sentences

• Avoiding dangling & misplace modifiers

Composing the First Draft

Example of Dangling & Misplaced Modifier

Dangling Modifier: To win the lottery, a ticket must be purchased.

Improved: To win the lottery, you must purchase a ticket.

Misplaced Modifier: Seeing his error too late, the envelope was immediately resealed by Mark.

Improved: Seeing his error too late, Mark immediately resealed the envelope .

Composing the First Draft

•Emphasizing important ideas

•Using the active voice

•Using the passive voice selectively

Composing the First Draft

Drafting Effective Paragraphs

1. Discussing one topicEffective Para focus on one topic

2. Using transitional expressions to build coherence, such as;Additionally, for example, accordingly, furthermore, etc

3. Composing short paragraphs Fewer than 8 lines

4. Organizing sentences into paragraphs

• Main Sentence• Supporting Sentence• Limiting Sentence

Drafting Effective Paragraphs

5. Using the direct paragraph plan

6. Using the pivoting paragraph plan

7. Using the indirect paragraph plan

Drafting Effective Paragraphs

Linking ideas to build coherence:

• Sustaining the key ideas

• Using pronouns

• Dovetailing sentences

Drafting Effective Paragraphs

THANK YOU