Strategic Marketing Plan

Business Writing Guide

In this course you will be writing answers to marketing questions and a strategic marketing plan. To score well

on these assignments, you will need to communicate well. The following guidance will help you succeed.

Contents Business Writing Guide .......................................................................................................................................... 1

The basics ............................................................................................................................................................ 1

Things to avoid .................................................................................................................................................... 1

Things to do ......................................................................................................................................................... 1

Other Considerations ........................................................................................................................................... 2

Use active, not passive sentences ........................................................................................................................ 2

Why should we use active voice? ....................................................................................................................... 2

Here are a few tips ............................................................................................................................................... 3

Avoiding Vague Pronoun References ................................................................................................................. 4

Possible Ways to Fix Vague Pronouns ............................................................................................................... 4

Naming Files Properly ........................................................................................................................................ 4

Why Deadlines Are Important! ........................................................................................................................... 5

The Importance of a Comma ............................................................................................................................... 5

The basics

A key element in business is effective writing. Business writing is very different from other types of writing.

Here are key things to remember and actions to take to score better in business writing.

Because business involves writing assignments we will follow best practices in business writing. Future

assignments involving business writing will be graded on use of best practices as defined below.

Things to avoid

Copying and pasting material from the original source

Not attributing credit where it’s due by not providing quotes and sources

Do not say something twice – avoid being redundant

Do not write in stream of consciousness

Not following business format and language

Vague and meaningless sentences - Throw away words such as ‘This’ say nothing

Slang or street talking

Write to communicate not to impress

Things to do

Use the Word function Review > Spelling & Grammar before submission

Submit the assignment before the due date and time

Use page numbers if needed

No pronouns – write objectively – it’s not about you

Include discussion of key elements and choices in a section with a heading

Take the approach that you are advising business managers in making advertising decisions

Follow standard business format including appropriate language and headings, stapling, & page numbers

Remember it is not about you; it is about the advertisment to be made

KISS [Keep It Simple and Straightforward] the whole thing - Simple is better than complex – Short is better

than long

Other Considerations

Business decisions always involve a Purpose, a Standard, and a Time. When you complete an assignment

include a statement of why the assignment is being done in the first place, explain how you and I will know if

it’s done properly, and has it been completed on time.

Use active, not passive sentences

Readers prefer active voice sentences, and authors should try to use the active voice in most of business writing

to communicate messages most effectively. Active voice clearly identifies the action and who is performing that

action. Unfortunately, much of business and government writing is in the passive voice, giving documents a

wordy, bureaucratic tone. Over time, writing in the passive voice simply becomes a habit, one we should all

work to change.

What is active/passive voice?

To know whether you are writing in the active or passive voice, identify the subject of the sentence and decide

whether the subject is doing the action or being acted upon.

Passive Voice: the subject is the receiver of the action.

The tax return (subject) was completed (action) before the April 15 deadline by Mr. Doe.

Active Voice: the subject does an action to an object.

Mr. Doe (subject) completed (action) the tax return (object) before the April 15 deadline.

When we write in the passive voice, we add some form of the helping verb "to be" (am, is, are, was, were,

being, or been) to an otherwise strong verb that really did not need help.

Passive: Additional information (subject) can be obtained (action) by employees from our website.

Active: Employees (subject) can obtain (action) additional information (object) from our website.

Why should we use active voice?

Active voice makes documents stronger by showing responsibility or giving credit for an action. When we

avoid showing responsibility, we often don't give enough information to explain the problem and how to fix it.

Often, we use a form of the passive called the "cut passive" and never identify the doer of the action. This form

sounds vague and abstract.

Cut Passive: New requirements (subject) were introduced (action) to strengthen the banking system.

Active: The Banks Act of 1985 (subject) introduced (action) new requirements (object) to strengthen the

banking system.

By eliminating the helping verb, the active voice sentence generally uses fewer words to communicate the same

information.

Passive: Mr. Doe (subject) was told (action) by the bank official that he would need to provide additional

information. (16 words)

Active: The bank official (subject) told (action) Mr. Doe (object) he would need to provide additional

information. (13 words)

Active voice more closely resembles spoken language; hopefully ideal spoken language. When we speak, we

generally use the active voice without thinking. Our writing should become that automatic.

You would never say:

Passive: My car (subject) was driven (action) to work by me.

Or:

Passive: Breakfast (subject) was eaten (action) by me this morning.

Instead, you would say:

Active: I (subject) drove (action) my car (object) to work.

And:

Active: I (subject) ate (action) breakfast (object) this morning.

Is using the passive voice appropriate in some situations?

Using the cut passive form is appropriate in two situations:

When we do not know who performed the action.

When the doer of the action is unimportant?

However, one caution: If adding the name of the person or organization performing the action would make the

document stronger and help our readers, we should try to identify the doer of the action.

How can I start writing in the active voice?

Here are a few tips

Turn the clause or sentence around, putting the subject first:

Passive: This proposed rule (subject) was published (action) by General Counsel in the Federal Register.

Active: General Counsel (subject) published (action) this proposed rule (object) in the Federal Register.

Change the verb to eliminate the helping verb "to be":

Passive: We must consider how our resources (subject) will be used (action) to deliver quality services.

Active: We (subject) must consider how to use (action) our resources (object) to deliver quality services.

Rethink the sentence:

Passive: Although Mr. Doe (subject) was found (action) to be eligible for this position; all of the positions

(subject) in Boston had already been filled (action) by our personnel office prior to receiving his application.

Active: Though we (subject) found (action) Mr. Doe (object) eligible for the position, our personnel office

(subject) had filled (action) all positions (object) in Boston before we (subject) received (action) his application

(object).

Writing in the active voice isn't difficult if you follow who-does-what sequence. Your readers can visualize the

action and follow the action to the conclusion.

Avoiding Vague Pronoun References

How might the pronoun reference problems below be fixed?

Thomas was always unprepared for class. It made his teacher increasingly mad.

Thomas was always unprepared for class. This made his teacher increasingly mad.

The highlighted words represent vague pronouns because a reader cannot tell to which noun the pronoun in

each example is referring. By definition, pronouns, which take the place of a noun, cannot refer to an idea

expressed in an entire sentence or statement; instead, a pronoun must refer back to a specific noun.

Writers use pronouns to avoid redundancy. The word to which the pronoun refers is generally called the

“antecedent.” Pronouns need to agree in number, agree in person, and refer clearly to a specific noun. An

extremely common mistake made by college writers is using pronouns—particularly the

pronouns it, which, that, and this—without a clear antecedent. There are several ways in which such vague

pronoun usage could be resolved to produce stronger, clearer, and more engaging writing.

Possible Ways to Fix Vague Pronouns

 You could replace it with a noun

Thomas was always unprepared for class, and his constant unpreparedness drove his teacher crazy.

 You could add a noun to this

Thomas was always unprepared for class, and this habit of his drove his teacher crazy.

 You could combine the two parts into a single statement

Thomas’s constant unpreparedness made his teacher increasingly mad.

 You could add a noun before which

Harry was always unprepared for class, a habit which drove his teacher crazy.

Naming Files Properly

File names are very important in business. They can facilitate proper storage and retrieval.

The elements of best practices in file naming are as follows

Last name first – the first element in a file name should be the author’s last name such as:

DeCenzo

The course number involved should follow the author’s last name such as:

450

The document name identifying what is in the file should come next such as:

Status Report 1

The next element should be a date of creation such as:

01-21-18

Thus, the full file name for a Word document would be:

DeCenzo 450 Status Report 1 01-21-18.doc

For other types of files, the extensions XLS, and/or PPT, and/or PDF can be used.

Following this approach helps anyone who needs to retrieve and use the file, including you.

Why Deadlines Are Important!

Does it ever feel like nobody takes deadlines or promises seriously anymore? The importance of a deadline

seems to be lost on far too many people. One doesn’t need to look much further than how students treat

deadlines. In our course 24% of students have missed at least one deadline for an assignment. Deadlines are not

guidelines. The term ‘deadline’ dates back to the Civil War according to the following story.

“Captain Walter Bowie, describes the seriousness of a deadline. He describes a line inside Andersonville

Prison inmates could not cross. On the inside of the stockade and twenty feet from it there is a dead-line

established, over which no prisoner is allowed to go, day or night, under penalty of being shot.”

Missing deadlines isn’t good for any business or your career. Meeting deadlines is really up to you. Do you

regularly meet your deadlines? How do you treat deadlines? It could make the difference between a career on

the fast track and another one that fails to launch. Missing a deadline in this course costs you all grade points for

that assignment. Missing one after you graduate may cost you a lot more than you expect. Develop a habit of

meeting deadlines now! It will serve you well.

To avoid missing deadlines for assignments, start early!

The Importance of a Comma

The importance of a seemingly minor issue in communication known as the comma, originated in a story from

19th century Russia as follows.

“Alexander III was Tsar of Russia from 1881-1894. His rule was marked by repression and in particular by

persecution of Jews. His wife, Maria Fedorovna, provided a stark contrast, being known for her generosity to

those in need. On one occasion her husband had signed an order consigning a prisoner to life in exile.”

It read simply:

“Pardon impossible, to be sent to Siberia.”

Maria changed that prisoner’s life by moving the comma in her husband’s order. She altered it to read

“Pardon, impossible to be sent to Siberia.”

They lived happily ever after.