Business Writing

Transcript Business Writing

BUSINESS WRITING SKILLS

The quality of your relationships and results will be determined by the quality and quantity of your communication with other people.

Ronnie Morris Central Area Vice President Coca-Cola Bottling Company of North Texas

ELECTRONIC WRITING

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Blessing

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Faster

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Simpler

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Spelling/grammar checkers

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Curse

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Faster

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Simpler

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Spelling/grammar checkers

ELECTRONIC WRITING

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Americans becoming dependent on computers for literacy

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Working vocabulary of average 14-year-old dropped from 25,000 to 10,000 words over past 50 years

ELECTRONIC WRITING

"As technology improves and expands, literacy declines. With e-mail, writing just keeps deteriorating. People say, 'Get computers in schools,' [but] we have children who can't read and write and speak." Lynn Agress Founder of Business Writing at Its Best

IT’S A MATCHING GAME

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Avoid impersonal writing, such as e mail and notes, for “heavy” messages.

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Deliver “bombs” in person, if possible. Otherwise, use formal communications such as letters.

REMEMBER

In emotional situations ...

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The more emotional the message, the more personal the medium

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High emotion: In person (assess & adapt)

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Medium emotion: Handwritten letter (careful choice of words, paper, ink)

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Low emotion: Typed letter (careful choice of words, paper, formatting)

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STOP and THINK before communicating

REMEMBER

Concerning office e-mail ...

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Informal/impersonal

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Research says: Visit or phone call often is better for your image

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Spell-check, edit, proofread

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Avoid anything nearing “off-color”

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E-mail belongs to your employer!

REMEMBER

Regarding the last word ...

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You don’t always have to have it.

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It can do your career more harm than good.

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Pick your communication medium carefully.

B

USINESS

T

HAT

H

ITS

W

RITING THE

T

ARGET

TRIVIA QUIZ

ANSWER What report gets better reaction: 3-page or 10-page?

It depends.

TRIVIA QUIZ

ANSWER Maximum meat/Minimum fat Attention to detail

TRIVIA QUIZ

ANSWER What’s the key to effective Effective editing document organization and meat/fat ratio?

TRIVIA QUIZ

ANSWER What’s the key to detail-oriented writing?

WHY IS WRITING SO HARD?

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Language idiosyncrasies: The bandage was wound around the wound. The farm was used to produce produce. The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse. We must polish the Polish furniture. He could lead if he would get the lead out. The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert. Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.

WHY IS WRITING SO HARD?

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A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum. When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes. I did not object to the object. The insurance was invalid for the invalid. There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row. They were too close to the door to close it. The buck does funny things when the does are present.

WHY IS WRITING SO HARD?

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A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.

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To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow. The wind was too strong to wind the sail. After a number of injections my jaw got number. Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear. I had to subject the subject to a series of tests. How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

LET'S FACE IT

“English is a crazy language! English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race (which, of course, isn't a race at all). That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.” Author Unknown

COMMON WEAKNESSES

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Wordiness

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Technical jargon

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Basic language problems

REMEMBER

On the written page, being clear and concise is more important than being impressive, brilliant, literary, or academic.

BUSINESS WRITING TIPS

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Know audiences’ preferences

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Be adaptable

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Use reference materials

BUSINESS WRITING STYLE

Recommended for Neeley students Franklin Covey’s

Style Guide

For Business and Technical Communication

WORD TO THE WISE

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Memorize most troublesome rules

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For most people, those include …

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Apostrophes

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Hyphenated words

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Semi-colons

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Dashes

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Rule-breaker rules

PRACTICAL MATTERS

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Professors/boss preferences

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Time issues

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Stress issues

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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Most important part of document Last piece of document created VERY short Introduction/body/conclusion Enough detail to reflect content Concise and complete enough

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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Comprehensive restatement of …

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Purpose

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Scope

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Conclusions

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Results

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Recommendations

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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No new information Use transitional words/phrases Follow organization of document

Do not

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Tables Figures refer to document’s … Appendices References Other explanatory materials

EFFECTIVE WRITING

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Determine best uses of technology

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Software skills

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Attachments to be shared via e-mail

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How far to trust technology

WRITING SCHEDULE

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Establish absolute deadlines

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Meet deadlines on schedule

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Work backwards from project due date to set working due-dates

THINK IN REVERSE

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Finalized document due on ________

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Proofreading due on ________

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Final draft due on ________

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Editing #2 due on ________

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Revision due on ________

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Editing #1 due on ________

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Rewrite due on ________

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First draft due on ________

WHY IS DRAFTING SO HARD?

We don’t write the way we speak.

FIRST DRAFT

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Center on subject and substance DON’T worry about editing and proofing —yet BUT, don’t neglect editing and proofing or you get the OOPS factor …

“OOPS!” FACTOR

Fyrst, lern ta spel!

“OOPS!” FACTOR

Suppose attendance will drop?

“OOPS!” FACTOR

So much for the secret.

“OOPS!” FACTOR

New product offering?

“OOPS!” FACTOR

Talk about oxymorons!

“OOPS!” FACTOR

Care to check in?

PICTURE LESSONS

Writing should be this clear.

PICTURE LESSONS

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Consider readers’ perspectives

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Plan ahead

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Edit carefully

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Proofread carefully

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Have someone else read it

E

DITING &

P B

ROOFREADING IN USINESS

S

ETTINGS

EDITING RULES

(& PRACTICE) unnecessary.

EDITING

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Split Infinitives

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A split infinitive consists of the function word

, followed by an adverb (usually an -ly adverb), followed by an infinitive: to happily

conclude, to weakly demur, to needlessly suffer.

•

The driver is instructed to periodically check the oil level. (split infinitive)

•

The driver is instructed periodically to check the oil level.

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The driver is instructed to check the oil level periodically.

Star Trek

:

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"to boldly go where no man has gone before.“

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Here, the presence of the adverb boldly between the parts of the infinitive, to and go, creates a split infinitive. The construction can often be avoided by placing the intervening words after the verb or before the to marker:

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"to go boldly where no man has gone before" "boldly to go where no man has gone before."

EDITING

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Spell out all…

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Uncommon symbols

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Abbreviations

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Acronyms

EDITING

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Focus on content and meaning

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Facts/analysis/recommendations

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Numbers and charts

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Structure and organization

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Sentence/phrase interpretation

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Consistency

EDITING TIPS

ACTIVE VOICE

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In sentences written in active voice, the subject performs the action expressed in the verb; the subject acts.

PASSIVE VOICE

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In sentences written in passive voice, the subject receives the action expressed in the verb; the subject is acted upon. The agent performing the action may appear in a "by the . . ."

WHY IS EDITING SO HARD?

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We don’t write the way we speak.

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Most business writing is too verbose.

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Active voice helps

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Style Guide —“Wordy Phrases”

(p. 348 in Covey’s

Style Guide)

EDITING PRACTICE

Short-term planning is foremost in the prioritization of the planning loop.

Writing Coach’s suggested change: Short-term planning comes first.

EDITING PRACTICE

It is recommended that a legal action against a foreign company for the profit under contention would not be a wise move.

Writing Coach’s suggested change: Suing a foreign company for this amount of money is unwise.

EDITING PRACTICE

It is Sabrina’s proposal for the adoption of the employee profile software by the personnel department. This software provides assistance in the selection of new employees.

Writing Coach’s suggested change: Sabrina proposes that the personnel department adopt employee profile software for new-employee selection.

EDITING PRACTICE

At the previous meeting, a new organizational plan was selected by the executive committee and a new budget also was adopted by the committee.

Writing Coach’s suggested change: At the previous meeting, the executive committee selected a new organizational plan and adopted a new budget.

PROOFREADING

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Focus on format and usage

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Appearance on page

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Spelling, grammar, typographical errors

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Electronic checks (be careful!)

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Physical check of printed copy

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Usage errors

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Language confusion

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Capitalization and punctuation

SPELL CHECK

PROOFREADING TIPS

WHY IS PROOFING SO HARD?

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Read in unison… Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a total mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

AND NOW, THE LAST WORD…

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Every time you write, at every phase of the process

(drafting/editing/proofreading),

consider:

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Purpose of the communication

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Medium and its effects

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Possible audience interpretations

PROOFREADING PRACTICE

The nurse and herpatient discussed her plans for the future.

Writing Coach’s suggested change: The nurse and her # patient discussed the patient’s plans for the future.

PROOFREADING PRACTICE

Don enjoys chemistry and he has always wanted to be a chemist. Writing Coach’s suggested change: Don enjoys chemistry and always wanted to be a chemist.

PROOFREADING PRACTICE

In the land of Nod no one wears cloths.

Writing Coach’s suggested change: In the land of Nod , no one wears cloth e s.

PROOFREADING PRACTICE

Due to incriminating circumstances, the judge decided to dismiss the charges. Writing Coach’s suggested change: Due to extenu ating circumstances, the judge decided to dismiss the charges.

PROOFREADING PRACTICE

The tourism industry is becoming saturated, and should not grow at it’s past rate. Writing Coach’s suggested change: The tourism industry is becoming saturated, and should not grow at its past rate.

PROOFREADING PRACTICE

I have been wrong by so many of my so called friends. Writing Coach’s suggested change: I have been wrong ed by so many of my so-called friends.

HOW EMBARRASSING!

P

OLISHING

Y

OUR

B

USINESS

C

OMMUNICATION

I

MAGE