Ch02

Ch. 2-1Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 6e Ch. 2-1

Chapter 2

Writing for Business Audiences

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 6e Ch. 2-2

Improving Your Business Writing

• The best business writing is• Audience oriented

• Purposeful

• Economical

• To improve your writing skills, you need• Good teaching materials with excellent model documents

• An effective writing process

• A trainer (like your instructor)

• Practice

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 6e Ch. 2-3

The Writing Process

Stage 2: Writing

ResearchingOrganizing

Composing

Stage 3: Revising

RevisingProofreading

Evaluating

Stage 1: Prewriting

Analyzing

AnticipatingAdapting

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 6e Ch. 2-4

Factors Determining Channel Selection

• Importance of message

• Amount and speed of feedback required

• Necessity of a permanent record

• Cost of the channel

• Degree of formality required

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 6e Ch. 2-5

Factors Determining Channel Selection

Possible Channels:E-mail, fax, letter, memo, report, telephone,

voice mail, meeting, conversation, Web• What channel is best to announce decreased

insurance benefits for 250 employees?E-mail or memo

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 6e Ch. 2-6

Factors Determining Channel Selection

• What channel is best for a sales message promoting

a new product to customers?Letter

• What channel is best for responding to similar customer inquiries?

Web, letter, telephone

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 6e Ch. 2-7

Reader Benefits

Instead of this:We are promoting a new plan that we believe has many outstanding benefits.

Try this:You will enjoy total peace of mind with our affordable hospitali-zation plan that meets all your needs.

Shape your statements to involve the reader. Strive to develop the “you” attitude.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 6e Ch. 2-8

Reader Benefits

Instead of this:Before we can allow you to purchase items on this new account, we must wait two weeks to verify your credit.

Try this:You may begin making purchases on your new account in two weeks.

Shape your statements to involve the reader. Strive to develop the “you” attitude.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 6e Ch. 2-9

Reader Benefits

Instead of this:I need your response immediately so that I can make the employee vacation schedule by next week.

Try this:Your quick response means your vacation schedules will be ready next week.

Shape your statements to involve the reader. Strive to develop the “you” attitude.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 6e Ch. 2-10

Conversational Language

Instead of this:The undersigned takes pleasure in . . . .

Instead of this:It may be of some concern to you to learn that your check has been received and your account has been credited for $250.

Try this: I’m happy to . . . .

Try this:We’ve credited your account for $250.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 6e Ch. 2-11

Positive Language

Instead of this:Employees may not use the First Street entrance during remodeling.

Instead of this:We cannot fill your order until we receive an exact model number.

Try this:Employees may use the Market Street entrance during remodeling.

Try this: We can fill your order once we receive an exact model number.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 6e Ch. 2-12

Hidden Messages

Some words and phrases convey a

negative and unpleasant tone. They

may imply a hidden message that the

writer does not intend. Think twice

before using the following negative

expressions.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 6e Ch. 2-13

Hidden Messages

Negative Language:You overlooked

You state that

You failed to

You claim that

You are wrong

You do not understand

Your delay

You forgot to

Hidden message:You are careless

But I don’t believe you

You are careless

It’s probably untrue

I am right

You are not very bright

You are at fault

You are inefficient and careless

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 6e Ch. 2-14

Inclusive Language

Instead of this:Have you called a salesman?

Every executive has his own office.

Try this:Have you called a salesperson?

All executives have their own offices.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 6e Ch. 2-15

Revise this sentence to create a more conversational tone and to state your idea positively.• The undersigned takes great pleasure in

welcoming you to our staff.

I’m happy to welcome you to our staff.

Try Your Skill

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 6e Ch. 2-16

Try Your Skill

Revise this sentence to create a more conversational tone and to state your idea positively.• We cannot send your order from our

warehouse until June 1.

Your order will be on its way to you June 1.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 6e Ch. 2-17

Try Your Skill

Revise this sentence to create reader benefits.• I have 15 different financial plans to offer my

investors.

You have 15 different financial plans from which to choose.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 6e Ch. 2-18

Try Your Skill

Revise this sentence to create reader benefits.• We want all newly hired employees to use our

carpooling program for at least three months.

As a newly hired employee, you won’t have to drive to work for the first three months because you can carpool.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 6e Ch. 2-19

Plain Language

Avoid federalese, bureaucratese, and inflated language.

Federalese: Each person to whom the request is herein addressed

is henceforth solicited to submit, or to have his or her department

representative submit, to the Department of Labor official

described above, a comment on whether the proposed plan, in his

or her considered view, meets the requirements of the 2003 law.

Simple Translation: You may wish to comment on whether the

proposed plan meets the requirements of the 2003 law.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 6e Ch. 2-20

Familiar Words

Less familiar words:encounter

extrapolate

obligatory

terminate

Simple alternatives:meet

project

required

end

Avoid long, difficult, and unfamiliar words. Use short, simple, and common words whenever possible.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 6e Ch. 2-21

Try Your Skill

Revise this sentence using simpler language.• You may encounter difficulties in terminating

the contract.

You may meet difficulties in ending the contract.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 6e Ch. 2-22

Try Your Skill

Revise this sentence using simpler language.• As stipulated, we extrapolated the budget

figures for two years.

As required, we projected the budget figures for two years.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 6e Ch. 2-23

Try Your Skill

Revise this sentence using simpler language.• Will you utilize workbooks during the

obligatory training period?

Will you use workbooks during the required training period?

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 6e Ch. 2-24

Try Your Skill

Revise this sentence using simpler language.• We anticipate that a majority of the

alternatives will be fundamental enough to meet our requirements.

We expect that most of the choices will be basic enough to meet our needs.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 6e Ch. 2-25

Seven Ways Technology Can Improve Your Business Writing

• Fighting writer’s block• Collecting information electronically• Outlining and organizing ideas• Improving correctness and precision• Adding graphics for emphasis• Designing and producing professional-looking

documents, presentations, and Web pages• Using collaborative software for team writing

Ch. 2-26Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 6e Ch. 2-26

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