Basic Business Communications

Nick Mercuro, Austin Moore, John Skinner

Know the Purpose and Scope of Your Document Respond in a Professional and Timely Manner Identify/Write to Your Audience Understand the Needs of Your Reader Organize and Structure Your Document Identify the Benefits to the Reader Be Concise Substantiate your Claims/Clarify Inquiries Proofread Be Professional /Use Proper Grammar and Spelling

What are the Basic Elements of Professional Writing?

Before you begin writing, know the purpose for which you are writing and what you want your document to accomplish.

Keep your primary objective in mind (you could even type it at the top of your document and refer to it throughout the writing process and then delete it.

Never ramble or get off point.

Know the Purpose and Scope of Your Document

You are a professional and it is expected that you are up-to-date on all tasks and respond to an issue as soon as possible.

It would make no sense waiting to address and issue or make a statement fifty days after the incident.

Respond in a Professional and Timely Manner

It is important to know who you are writing to so you can establish the correct writing tone.

If you are writing with the intent of selling a product or service to someone or promoting a cause, you may want to ask yourself...

-What age are my intended readers? -What’s their background? -Where do they live? -What stage of life are they in? -What are their INTERESTS? -What is important to them?

Identify/Write to Your Audience

Understand what the reader needs or wants from you so you can anticipate and answer questions through your email.

Address potential arguments!

Understand the Need of Your Reader

Follow the correct writing format and certain styles of writing whether it be a memo, letter, e-mail, resume, report, advertisement, project summary, or other form communication.

Organize and Structure Your Document

Make sure when writing that you explain to the reader how they are benefiting from your information.

It wouldn’t make sense if you wrote a letter and it served no purpose to the reader.

Identify the Benefits to the Reader

Make sure that your writing is tight and on point.

Do not get off topic or ramble. State your thesis and prove your point in as

few words as possible to sure you get your point across.

Be Concise

Make sure what your are saying s accurate and that there are no discrepancies.

You lose all credibility if your facts are false. Make sure that your facts and information so that

there are no confusions.

Substantiate your Claims/Clarify Inquiries

Check your work and make sure there are no spelling or grammatical errors.

You lose credibility if you are incorrect.

Have some else proofread your work if you are worried you didn’t catch all your mistakes.

Proofread

Letter Memorandum E-Mail Report

What are the main types of business Communications?

A business letter is usually a letter from one company to another, or between such organizations and their customers, clients, and other external parties.

Letters are used for external communication

Letter

Format of letter

Business reports are a type of assignment in which you analyze a situation (either a real situation or a case study) and apply business theories to produce a range of suggestions for improvement.

Business reports are typically assigned to enable you to: Examine available and potential solutions to a problem, situation,

or issue. Apply business and management theory to a practical situation. Demonstrate your analytical, reasoning, and evaluation skills in

identifying and weighing-up possible solutions and outcomes. Reach conclusions about a problem or issue. Provide recommendations for future action. Show concise and clear communication skills.

Report

Also called memo It is a note or document that helps with

memory by recording events or observations Used for internal communication

Memorandum

Heading: containing the info from where the memo is coming from and who it is going to.

Subject: brief description on what the memo is about.

Body: contains the valuable information on what you need to remember

General Format

Memo of understanding: describes a bilateral or multilateral agreement between two or more parties

Memo of agreement: a document between parties to cooperate on an agreed on an agreed upon project.

Memo of association: governs the relationship between the company and the outside

Various types