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PREPARING TO WRITE PREPARING TO WRITE BUSINESS MESSAGES BUSINESS MESSAGES

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The Basics of Business Writing:• Purposeful, You will be writing to solve problems and

convey information. You will have a definite purpose to fulfill in each message.

• Economical, You will try to present ideas clearly but concisely. Length is not rewarded.

• Reader oriented, You will concentrate on looking at a problem from the reader’s perspective instead of seeing it from your own.

THE GOAL IN BUSINESS WRITING IS TO EXPRESS RATHER THAN IMPRESS.

Preparing to Write Business Messages

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The 3-x-3 Writing Process for Business Messages The 3-x-3 Writing Process for Business Messages and Oral Presentationsand Oral Presentations

AnalyzeOrganize

1 2PREWRITING WRITING

3REVISING

AnticipateAdapt

Research

Compose

ReviseProofreadEvaluate

Should equal time be spent on the thee (3) phases?No, One expert gives estimates 25 percent worrying and planning, 25 percent writing, 45 percent revising and 5 percent proofreading.

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Adapting and Altering the Process

Working With Teams:Working With Teams:1. 1. A study of business professionals showed that nine out of ten sometimes write as part of a team. Collaborative composition is especially necessary for:

(a) Big tasks(b) Items with short deadlines(c) Team projects that require the expertise or consensus of many people.

2. Collaboration produces a better product.3. Many heads are better than one.4. In Team process working together helps socialize members.

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Adapting and Altering the Process

Working With Technology:Seven benefits of working with technology are as under:1. Fighting writer’s block2. Collecting information electronically3. Outlining and organizing ideas4. Improving correctness and precision5. Adding graphics for emphasis6. Designing and producing professional-looking

documents, presentations, and Web pages.7. Using collaborative software for team writing

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Analyzing the Task

Identifying Your Purpose:1.1. Why am I sending this message?Why am I sending this message?

2.2. What do I hope to achieve?What do I hope to achieve?

Selecting the Best Channel:Selecting the Best Channel:Select the most appropriate communication channel• Importance of the message• Amount and speed of feedback required• Necessity of a permanent record• Cost of the channel• Degree of formality desired

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Anticipating the AudienceProfiling the Audience:Visualizing the audience is a pivotal step in the writing Visualizing the audience is a pivotal step in the writing process.process.

PRIMARY AUDIENCE

Who is my primary reader or listener?What is my personal and professional relationship with that person?What position does the individual hold in the organization?How much does that person know about the subject?What do I know about that person’s education, beliefs, culture, and attitudes?Should I expect a neutral, positive, or negative response to my message?

SECONDARY AUDIENCE

Who might see this message after the primary audience?How do these people differ from the primary audience

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Adapting to the Task and AudienceAdapting to the Task and Audience

Adaptation is the process of creating a message that suits your audience.

• You must return the form by 5 p.m.• Would you please return the form by 5 p.m.

Adaptive techniques:1. Spotlighting Receiver Benefits2. Cultivating a you attitude3. Avoiding gender bias4. Avoiding Racial or Ethnic Bias5. Avoiding Age bias6. Avoiding Disability bias

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Adapting to the Task and AudienceAdapting to the Task and Audience

Adaptive techniques1. Spot lighting Receiver Benefits:“To be good, it ought to have a tendency to benefit the reader.”USA Statesman Ben Franklin

“Always stress the benefit to the readers of whatever it is you’re trying to get them to do. If you can show them how you’re going to save them frustration or help them meet their goals, you have the makings of a powerful message.”Communication consultant

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Adapting to the Task and AudienceAdaptive techniquesAdaptive techniques

1. Spot lighting Receiver Benefits:Sender-Focused Receiver-Focused

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

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

Many receivers of business messages today are frazzled and suffering from information overload. Capturing the attention of such receivers requires a message that is “you” oriented and emphasizes reader benefits. How can your message help solve the receiver’s problems?

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Adapting to the Task and Audience

Adaptive techniques2. Cultivating the “You” View:In concentrating on receiver benefits, skilled communicators naturally develop the “you” view. Emphasize second-person pronouns (you, your) instead of first-person pronouns (I/we, us, our).

Sender-Focused Receiver-Focused

I’m asking all of our employees to respond to the attached survey regarding working conditions.

Because your ideas count, please complete the attached survey regarding working conditions.

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Adapting to the Task and AudienceAdapting to the Task and Audience

Adaptive techniquesAdaptive techniques

3. Avoiding discrimination:3. Avoiding discrimination:You can defuse gender time bombs by replacing words that exclude of stereotype women with neutral, inclusive expressions.

Gender Biased Improved

Female doctor, women attorney, cleaning woman

Doctor, attorney, cleaner

Mankind, man-hour, man-made, office girls

Humanity, working hours, artificial, office workers

Executives and their wives Executives and their spouses

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Adapting to the Task and AudienceAdaptive techniquesAdaptive techniques

Avoiding Racial or Ethnic Bias:Avoiding Racial or Ethnic Bias:Racially or Ethnically Biased

Improved

An Indian accountant was hired

An accountant was hired

Avoiding Age Bias:Avoiding Age Bias:

Age Biased Improved

The law applied to old people.

The law applied to people over 65.

Avoiding Disability Bias:Avoiding Disability Bias:Unless relevant, do not refer to an individual’s disability.Disability Biased Improved

Confined to a wheelchair Uses a wheel chair

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Adapting to Task and AudienceAdapting to Task and Audience

4. Express thoughts positively…4. Express thoughts positively… (you will be happy to, (you will be happy to, notnot you won't be sorry that)you won't be sorry that)..

5. Use familiar words5. Use familiar words … … (salary, (salary, notnot remuneration)remuneration)..

6. Use precise, vigorous words… 6. Use precise, vigorous words… (fax me, (fax me, not not contact contact

me)me)..

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Checklist for Adapting a Message toIts Audience

Identify the message purposeSelect the most appropriate formProfile the audienceFocus on reader benefitsAvoid discrimination Express ideas positively rather than negativelyUse short, familiar wordsSearch for precise, vigorous words

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Adapting to Legal ResponsibilitiesAdapting to Legal Responsibilities

Especially be careful when communicating in the following four areas:1. Investments2. Safety3. Marketing4. Human Resource

1. Investment Information:Any messages- including letters, newsletters, and pamphlets must be free from:

• Misleading information• Exaggerations• Half-truths• Recession-proof

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Adapting to Legal Responsibilities

2. Safety Information:Writers describing potentially dangerous products worry not only about protecting people from physical harm but also about being sued.

“Lead dust is harmful and gets on your clothes. Change your clothes before leaving work.”

Clearly written safety messages, use easy-to-understand words, such as doctor instead of physician, clean instead of sanitary, and burn instead of incinerate.

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Adapting to Legal ResponsibilitiesAdapting to Legal Responsibilities

3. Marketing Information3. Marketing InformationSales and marketing messages are illegal if they falsely advertise prices, performance, capability, quality, or other product characteristics.

Dangerous Word

Court Interpretation Recommended Alternative

InspectInspect To examine critically, to To examine critically, to investigate and test investigate and test officially, to scrutinizeofficially, to scrutinize

To review, to To review, to study, to tour the study, to tour the facilityfacility

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Adapting to Legal Responsibilities4. Human Resources Information:The vast number of lawsuits relating to employment makes this a treacherous area for business communicators. In evaluating employees in the workplace, avoid using unsubstantiated negative comments, such as:

•He is unreliable•In the last month he missed four work days and was late three times.

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SummarySummary The 3-x-3 Writing Process for Business Messages and

Oral Presentations Adapting and Altering the Process. Analyzing the Task Anticipating the Audience Adapting to the Task and Audience Adapting to Legal Responsibilities

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End of Presentation