Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 4 - 1
Writing Writing Business MessagesBusiness Messages
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 4 - 2
The Three-Step ProcessThe Three-Step ProcessWriting CompletingPlanning
Analyze Situation
Gather Information
Select Medium
Get Organized
Revise
Produce Message
Proofread Message
Distribute Message
Adapt to the Audience
Composethe Message
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Adapt to the AudienceAdapt to the Audience• Be sensitive to audience’s needs• Build strong relationships• Control style and tone
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Audience SensitivityAudience Sensitivity
• Adopt a “you” attitude• Demonstrate business etiquette• Emphasize the positive• Use bias-free language
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The “You” AttitudeThe “You” Attitude• Speaking and writing for an audience
– Wishes– Interests– Hopes– Preferences
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Business EtiquetteBusiness Etiquette• Show respect• Be courteous• Use diplomacy
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Emphasize the PositiveEmphasize the Positive
• Avoid negativity• Stress benefits• Use euphemisms
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Use Bias-Free LanguageUse Bias-Free Language
• Age • Gender• Disability • Race or ethnicity
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Audience RelationshipsAudience Relationships
• Establish your credibility• Build the company’s image
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Establish Your CredibilityEstablish Your Credibility• Honesty• Awareness• Endorsements• Confidence
• Objectivity• Credentials• Performance• Sincerity
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Project Company’s ImageProject Company’s Image• Be a spokesperson• Follow guidelines• Observe colleagues
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Controlling Style and Controlling Style and ToneTone
• Use a conversational tone• Write in plain English• Select active or passive voice
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Conversational ToneConversational Tone• Avoid using obsolete language• Avoid preaching or bragging• Control emotions and intimacy• Use humor or satire carefully
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Writing in Plain EnglishWriting in Plain English• Straightforward• Understandable • Conversational
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Using the Right VoiceUsing the Right Voice• Active voice (subject-verb-object)
– Direct – Concise – Vigorous
• Passive voice (subject-verb-object)– Indirect– Tactful– Reserved
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Composing the MessageComposing the Message
• Word choice• Sentences• Paragraphs
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Choose Strong WordsChoose Strong Words
• Correct• Effective• Abstract • Concrete
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Communicate EffectivelyCommunicate Effectively
• Select powerful words• Choose familiar words• Avoid clichés• Minimize jargon
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Write Effective Write Effective SentencesSentences
• Choose the type of sentence• Emphasize key thoughts
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Craft Good ParagraphsCraft Good Paragraphs• Topic sentence• Support sentences• Transitional elements
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Paragraph DevelopmentParagraph Development
• Illustration• Comparison and contrast• Cause and effect• Classification• Problem and solution
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Using TechnologyUsing Technology• Style sheets and templates• Auto-completion or auto-correction• File or mail merge• Endnotes and footnotes• Indexes and tables of contents• Document wizards
