Transcript Essentials of Business Communication

Chapter 2
Writing for
Business Audiences
Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd.
Ch. 2-1
Improving Your
Business Writing

The best business writing is
• Audience-oriented
• Purposeful
• Economical

To improve your writing skills, you need
• An effective writing process
• To study model messages
• Practice
Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd.
Ch. 2-2
The Writing Process
Stage 1: Prewriting
Analyzing
Anticipating
Adapting
Stage 2: Writing
Researching
Organizing
Composing
Stage 3: Revising
Revising
Proofreading
Evaluating
Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd.
Ch. 2-3
Selecting the Best Channel

Importance of message

Amount and speed of feedback required

Necessity of a permanent record

Cost of the channel

Degree of formality desired

Best practices in your company
Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd.
Ch. 2-4
Choosing Communication
Channels
Written:
E-mail, instant message, fax, letter, memo,
report or proposal
Spoken:
Telephone, voice-mail, face-to-face
conversation or group meeting, video- or
teleconference
Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd.
Ch. 2-5
Audience Benefits
Improve your messages by using reader
benefits.
Instead of this:
We offer evening
language courses that we
know are excellent.
Try this:
The sooner you enroll in
our evening language
courses, the sooner the
rewards will be yours.
Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd.
Ch. 2-6
Polite “You” View
Improve the tone of your messages with a
polite “you” view.
Instead of this:
I have scheduled your
vacation to begin May 1.
Try this:
You may begin your
vacation May 1.
Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd.
Ch. 2-7
Positive Language
Positive language improves the tone of a
message.
Instead of this:
If you fail the exam, you
will not qualify.
Try this:
You will qualify if you
pass the exam.
Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd.
Ch. 2-8
Inclusive Language
Instead of this:
Try this:
Have you called a
salesman?
Have you called a
salesperson?
Every executive has his
own office.
All executives have their
own offices.
Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd.
Ch. 2-9
Try Your Skill
Change this sentence to show the
benefits for the reader.
 We cannot send your order from our
warehouse until June 1.
Your order will be sent to you June 1.
Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd.
Ch. 2-10
Try Your Skill
Change this sentence to show the
benefits for the reader.
 We cannot send your order from our
warehouse until June 1.
Your order will be sent to you June 1.
Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd.
Ch. 2-11
Try Your Skill
Change this sentence to show the reader
benefits.
 I have 15 different financial plans to offer my
investors.
You have 15 different financial plans
available.
Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd.
Ch. 2-12
Five Ways Technology Can
Improve Your Business Writing
Collecting information electronically
Using templates
Improving correctness and precision
Adding graphics for emphasis
Designing and producing professionallooking documents, presentations, and
webpages
Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd.
Ch. 2-13
End
Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd.
Ch. 2-14