Bus Emb500class 5 Ch5

THE WRITING PROCESS AND THE MAIN FORMS

OF BUSINESS MESSAGE

(CH5)

BUS/EMB500Mhb

The Importance of Skillful WritingWhich one is important?

- Skillful Oral Communication

- Skillful Use of Graphics

- Skillful Written Communication

While hiring organizations tend to place writing skills ahead of other communication skills.

Organizations seek strong writing skills while considering whom to promote

Planning

•Determining goals

•Analyzing the audience

•Gathering and collecting

•Analyzing and organizing

•Choosing a form

Drafting

•Being Flexible

•Keeping going

•Using your own favorite strategies

Revising

•Revise content, structure and format

•Editing sentence and words

•Proofreading

A MODEL OF THE WRITING PROCESS

Planning the Message

Problem-solving Approach

Determine the goal

Analyze your audience

Gather information

Analyzing and organizing the information.

Choosing a form, channel and format

Drafting

Avoid perfection when drafting - Being perfect at the first place may cause forgetting important

pieces and purposes.

- Premature perfection will slow down your progress which may frustrate you.

Keep going - Do not let minor problem or grammar distract you. Revise

letter.

- Drafting relatively quickly will enable you to put all your ideas and thoughts.

Use any other strategies that will keep you working

productively - Write at your most productive time of a day/ write in chunks/

start with your favorite part/ take breaks/ …. whatever works for you!

Revising Revision requires going back over to your draft carefully

several times.

It is recommended that you follow “Levels of Edits”

Revising: top level concerns whether or not you all necessary information, if the pattern of organization logical, if overall message coming through and if formatting is appropriate.

Editing: Focus on your style. Flow of the sentences so that readers can easily follow. Whether the sentences emphasizing the right things. Combination pieces of information in a coherent manner. Choice of words.

Proofreading: Mechanical and grammatical elements

Finally, get feedback from others

The Importance of Readable Formatting

Do not put off your readers with a daunting physical format.

The writer is responsible for making the important formatting decision. (No secretary or Assistant now a days)

Type, font, heading, typographical emphasis, numbers/bullets

etc.

Read through the memo at page 93-94

Letters

The oldest form of business communication. Letters are still an important form of business communication.

In business, letters are primarily for external audiences.

There are variation in formats

Date, inside address, salutation (Dear Ms..), body, complimentary close (sincerely yours).

Other needed items are: subject line, attention line, return address (if letterhead is not used)

March 07, 2013

Professor/Dr. Abdul Hannan Chowdhury

Dean, School of Business

North South University

Baridhara, Dhaka

Sub: (if required)

Atten: (if required)

Dear Sir/ Dear Mr. Chowdhury:

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Sincerely yours,

Gentleman

HR Director

Encl

Cc:

Memorandums (Memos)

Memos are internal letters. Email has largely taken over their function, but they are still medium in some situation.

Larger companies use/used to have printed template.

Memo vary widely in formality organization to organization

MemorandumMemo/ Memorandum

To: Faisal Rahman, Production Director

From: Faruque Khan, HR Director

CC: Mustak Karim, Chittagong Plant Manager

Date: March 07, 2013

Ref: Safety Committee Meeting Held on Feb. 25, 2013

_______________________________________________________________________________________

As agreed in safety meeting, I request you to do necessary action to prepare safety manual hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

EMAILIn a very short time , email has become a

mainstream form of business communication.

Pros: It eliminates “Telephone Tag” Saves time Facilitates fast decision Cheap Provide a written record.

Cons: It is not confidential. Can be shared with others easily. Does not show emotion ( when as a substitute of telephone

or face-to-face communication May be ignored or delayed ( Huge influx of emails)

EMAIL

The Prefatory Elements The mechanical parts are standardized through template

of the software you use except the message. To: , Cc:, Bcc:, Subject:, Attachment:, Message:

The Message Beginning Formal : Ms, Mr., Dr., Professor etc. before last name with

“Dear” usually at the beginning. Informal: First name with “Dear” usually at the beginning. Our subcontinent? Other Countries? When you are writing some one you don’t know/not sure

who to address?

EMAIL

The Message Structure Generally “top down” approach for short messages. Longer messages usually follow more complex pattern (discuss

later). Some resembles business reports or some other document form.

Email Formality Complicated to discuss because email messages are extremely

diverse. It may range from highly informal to formal. Casual : casual language (whatever someone feel like) Informal : Informal language resembles polished

conversation. Formal: Formal language keeps a certain distance between

writer and reader.

EMAIL

Traits of Effective Email

Conciseness: Cut non essentials and write concisely. Minimize references to previous communications. ( >>> <<<)

Clarity: Use the technique of ch2 and ch3

Courtesy: We all want to receive courteous and fair treatment (highly culture sensitive)

Correctness: Correctness is desired even in quick, informal messages.

EMAIL

Closing of the message “Thanks”, “Regards” or whatever appropriate Depends on the reader and formality of the message.

(signature with all detail, first name, etc.)

Emphasis devices in email Depends on the system you are using.

Initialisms in Email FYI, BTW, LOL …!

Inappropriate Use of Email

Some authorities suggest not to use email when: The message is long, complicated or requires negotiation. Questions or information need clarification and discussion. The information is confidential and sensitive, requires

security, or could be misinterpreted. The message is emotionally charged and really requires tone

of voice or conversational feedback to soften the words or negotiate meaning.

The message is sent to avoid direct contact with the person, especially if the message is unpleasant and uncomfortable or seems too difficult to say face-to-face.

The message contains sensitive issues, relays feeling, or attempts to resolve conflict. Email may make conflict worse.

The Newer Media in Business Writing Text Messaging

Instant Messaging

Social Networking ( face book, , MySpace, Twitter, LinkedIn)