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Essentials of business communication

8th Canadian Edition

Mary Ellen Guffey/Dana Loewy/

Richard Almonte

Chapter 2

Before You Write

Learning Objectives

1. Understand that business writing should be audience oriented, purposeful, and economical.

2. Identify and implement the three phases of the writing process.

3. Appreciate the importance of analyzing the task and profiling the audience for business messages.

4. Create messages that spotlight audience benefits and cultivate a “you” view.

5. Develop a conversational tone and use positive and courteous language.

6. Explain the need for inclusive language, plain expression, and familiar words.

Basics of Business Writing

Your writing must be:

Audience oriented

Purposeful

Professional

Economical (clear and concise)

Think about your audience: how will the reader react to your message?

It’s not just what you want to say that’s important; it’s also how your audience will react upon seeing/reading/hearing your communication. In other words, all workplace communicators need to think about their audience.

Break the process of business writing into three phases: prewriting, writing, and revising.

Writing Processes for Business Messages and Oral Presentations

Prewriting

Analyze your purpose.

Analyze your audience.

Adapt message to your audience.

Ask the students which types of audiences/companies/customers might require special consideration before you begin writing. For example, you must be apologetic to a customer who is upset because a product she ordered from your company is defective.

Writing Processes for Business Messages and Oral Presentations

Writing

Research.

Organize information.

Compose the message.

Direct the students to your school’s library database to practise finding scholarly material or introduce “Google Scholar” Web site.

Writing Processes for Business Messages and Oral Presentations

Revising

Revise.

Proofread.

Evaluate the entire message to ensure it meets requirements.

Have students create a revision checklist they must follow when writing in-class assignments.

The Writing process shows the three phases equally; however, the amount of time you devote to each varies depending on the task itself, your purpose, your audience, and your schedule.

Use the following as a guide when scheduling a writing project:

Prewriting—25 percent

Writing—25 percent

Revising—50 percent

Analyzing the Purpose for Writing

Identifying Your Purpose

Ask yourself

Why am I sending this message?

What do I hope to achieve?

Select the best channel

E-mail

Report

Letter

Etc.

Analyzing the Purpose for Writing

Selecting the Best Channel

E-Mail

You need feedback but not immediately

Lack of security

Letter

Written record/formality is required (customers, the government, suppliers, etc.)

Analyzing the Purpose for Writing

Selecting the Best Channel

Memo

Written record to clearly explain policies, discuss procedures, or collect information within an organization

Report

You are delivering considerable data internally or externally

Analyzing the Purpose for Writing

Switching to Faster Channels

Communicators are switching to ever-faster means of exchanging information.

Technology has increased the need for good writing skills.

Texting, e-mailing, and instant messaging can deliver the same information much faster than traditional channels of communication.

Anticipating the Audience

Profiling the audience (by visualizing your audience before you write, you can identify the appropriate tone, language, and channel).

Responding to the profile (after profiling your decide whether your audience you can decide whether the receiver will be neutral, positive, or hostile toward your message).

Anticipating the Audience

Adapting to the Task and Audience

Audience Benefits

Adapt your message to receiver’s needs.

Positive messages use you often.

You may begin your vacation May 1.

Your well-being is the most important consideration.

Negative messages avoid you.

Customers may return merchandise with written approval.

Ask students how they might put themselves in someone else’s shoes (empathy).

Adapting to the Task and Audience

Sender Focus:

To enable us to update our shareholder records, we ask that the enclosed card be returned.

Audience Focus:

So that you may promptly receive dividend cheques and information related to your shares, please return the enclosed card.

Adapting to the Task and Audience

Sender Focus:

Our warranty becomes effective only when we receive an owner’s registration.

Audience Focus:

Your warranty begins working for you as soon as you return your owner’s registration.

Adapting to the Task and Audience

Polite “You” View

When delivering a positive message, use you and your whenever possible.

Used to inform, persuade, or promote goodwill.

“I/We” View:

I have scheduled your vacation to begin May 1.

“You” View:

You may begin your vacation May 1.

Emphasize you but do not eliminate I and we.

Adapting to the Task and Audience

Conversational but Professional

Use conversational tone to be effective.

Avoid sounding too casual.

Avoid slang and texting/messaging abbreviations.

Adapting to the Task and Audience

Conversational but Professional

Unprofessional:

If we just hang in there, we can grab the contract.

Conversational:

If we don’t get discouraged, we can win the contract.

Formal:

If the principals persevere, they can acquire the contract.

Adapting to the Task and Audience

Positive Language

Say what is and can be done, not what isn’t or cannot be done.

Avoid:

Never

Cannot

Fail/reject/deny

Adapting to the Task and Audience

Positive Language

Negative:

We are unable to send your shipment until we receive proof of your payment.

Positive:

We look forward to sending your shipment as soon as we receive your payment.

Negative:

You will never regret opening an account with us.

Positive:

Your new account enables you to purchase high-quality clothing at reasonable prices.

Adapting to the Task and Audience

Courteous Language

Less courteous:

You must complete the report before Friday.

More courteous and helpful:

Will you please complete the report before Friday.

Adapting to the Task and Audience

Bias-Free Language

The words we use can stereotype people.

Be cautious about expressions that might be biased in terms of gender, race, ethnicity, age, and disability.

Adapting to the Task and Audience

Bias-Free Language

Avoid gender-based language.

Alternative: leave out the words man or woman

Alternative: pluralize nouns and pronouns

Alternative: use gender-free words (person or representative)

Example:

Gender-biased: mankind, man-hour, man-made

Bias-free: humanity, working hours, artificial

Adapting to the Task and Audience

Plain Language and Familiar Words

Avoid pretentious and pompous language.

Use “obvious” words to convey meaning.

For example:

use begin instead of commence or initiate

use pay instead of compensate

use end instead of terminate

use return instead of reciprocate

Shorter, simpler words deliver a clearer message.

Adapting to the Task and Audience

Plain Language and Familiar Words

Be selective in your use of jargon.

Use specialized words only when the audience will understand it

Use precise vigorous words (strong verbs and concrete nouns).

Use a 25 percent hike in profits, or a 10 percent plunge in profits instead of a change in profits.

Technical or specialized terms within a field.

These terms enable insiders to communicate complex ideas briefly, but to outsiders they mean nothing. Human resources professionals, for example, know precisely what’s meant by cafeteria plan (a benefits option program), but most of us would be thinking about lunch. Geologists refer to plate tectonics, and physicians discuss metastatic carcinomas.

Improving the Tone in an E-Mail

Summary

Follow writing process (prewriting, writing, revising).

Emphasize audience benefits.

Use inclusive language.

Use plain and familiar language.

Use precise expressions.