Written Communication

Business writing is different from other types of writing.

Nature of business writing are1. Purposeful should have a definite purpose. Either convey some message or solve some problems.2. Persuasive want your audience to believe and accept your message.3. Economical length is not rewarded.4. Audience Oriented Look at the problems from the perspective of audience.

Major purpose Inform or PersuadeInform Explain procedures Announce meetings Answer questions Transmit findingsPersuade Sell products Convince manager Motivate employees Win over customers

Internal Vs ExternalExternal Messages customers, vendors, other business, government etc.Internal Messages upward to superiors, downward to employees & horizontally among workers. Internal Blog, Email, Fax, Instant Message, Letter, Memo, Wiki, Reports External Website, Blogs, Emails, Instant Message, Social Media, Wiki, Reports.Most of the mediums are same, only the audiences are different.

Outlines Letter / Memo : Opening - Body Closing Procedure : Step 1 / Step 2 / Step 3 Informal Report: Introduction / Facts / Summary. Analytical Report : Intro or Problem / facts or findings / Conclusions / Recommendations Proposal : Intro / Proposed solution / Staffing / Schedule / cost / Authorization

Patterns Direct Big idea - explanation action. Saves readers time. Sets a proper frame of mind. Reduces frustration. Indirect For persuasive or negative messages. Respects the feelings of the audience. Facilitates a fair hearing. Minimizes a negative reaction.Typical business messages that follow the direct pattern include routine requests and responses, orders and acknowledgments, no sensitive memos, e-mails, informational reports, and informational oral presentations.

Typical business messages that could be developed indirectly include letters, e-mails, and memos that refuse requests, deny claims, and disapprove credit. Persuasive requests, sales letters, sensitive messages, and some reports and oral presentations may also benefit from the indirect strategy

3 x 3 process1. Prewriting Analyze / Anticipate / Adapt2. Writing Research / Organize / Compose3. Revising Revise / Proofread / Evaluate

PrewritingAnalyze your purpose & audience audience profiling.Anticipate how your audience will react to your message Audience Profiling primary & secondary audience. Email forwarding is quite common. Warren Buffet assuming that he is sending reports to his sisters.Adapt your message to your audience, right words & tone. You" view, conversational but professional. What they wanted rather than what he wanted. Being courteous Choose bias free languages. Working hours instead of man hours. Use plain language & familiar words (Sashi Tharoor)

WritingResearch, gather data from company, previous correspondence, internet, brainstorming etc.Organize. Group similar facts together. Outlines (R2 - 145) Patterns (R2 145)Compose the first draft.

RevisingRevising for clarity & readability whitespace, text alignment, font size etc.Proofreading Evaluate to find further improvement areas.

Business Messages1. Positive Messages communicating straightforward requests, replies & goodwill.2. Negative Messages delivering refusals & bad news.3. Persuasive Messages sales pitches.

Business Letter

MemoEmail

Reports>

Based on what they do1. Informational Reports reports that present data without analysis or recommendations. Introduction / Background Facts / Findings SummaryFor example a trip report describing an employees visit to a trade show or report on routine operations or compliance with regulations etc.2. Analytical Reports reports that provide data or findings, analyses and conclusions. In some cases recommendations should also be there in an analytical report. For example, a report which compares many larger potential locations for a retailer. Introduction / Problem Facts / Findings Discussion Analysis Conclusions Recommendations.

Based on organization (R2 339)1. Direct strategy 2. Indirect strategy -

Based on writing style 1. Informal 2. Formal business report to a potential customer3. 1st / 2nd / 3rd person style.

Report FormatsThe format of a report depend on its length, topic, audience and purpose. Letter Format Manuscript Format Preprinted Format Digital Format

Report Writing Process

Proposals

Presentations

Resume

Other

Internal CommunicationPaper based messages1. Business Letters when permanent record is necessary, when confidentiality is important, when sensitivity & formality are essential.2. Interoffice Memos Electronic Messages1. Emails2. Instant Messaging3. Text Messaging4. Podcasts5. Blogs6. Wikis7. Social Networking

EmailsSubject Line Summarize the central idea. Include labels if necessary (FYI, FYA, REQ etc). Avoid empty or dangerous ideas.

Opening Direct or indirect. State the purpose of writing. Highlight questions Supply information directly.

Body Explain details. Enhance readability Apply document design bullets, tables, graphs etc. Be cautious forward

Closing Request action Provide a goodwill statement or closing thought. Avoid clich ending thank for your cooperation.

Other Try composing offline. Get the address right. Avoid misleading subject lines. Apply the top screen test (what is important in 1st screen). Dont send anything you wouldnt want published. Dont use email to avoid contacts. Care about correctness. Care about tone. Resist humor. Never spend spam. Dont forward without information. Use attachments sparingly. Print only when necessary. Acknowledge receipt. Revise the subject line if the topic changes. Never respond when you are angry. Assume that all email is monitored. Consider cultural differences. Double check before hitting the send button

Positive Messages

3 x 3 process

In the workplace, positive messages may take the form of emails, memos & letters.

MemosAlthough email is very popular, printed hard copy memos still serve vital functions in the workplace. They remain useful for important internal messages that require a permanent record or formality. For example, org use memos to deliver instructions, official policies, short reports, long internal documents and important announcements. The formatting of memos make them easy to read and understand compared to emails. The sender and receiver of the memos are always recognizable.

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