Business Writing1

8/8/2019 Business Writing1

1/27

11

BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE WRITING


2/27

22

WRITING PROCESS


3/27

33

WRITING PROCESS

Brainstorm ideas

Decide exactly why you are writing Collect information

Decide if al the information you have

collected is relevant

Identify your audience Think about what your reader(s)

know(s)


4/27

44

WRITING PROCESS

Order the content according to what

your reader knows

Put content into a logical sequence

Group ideas into paragraphs


5/27

55

WRITING PROCESS

Write according to

your plan


6/27

66

WRITING PROCESS

Check the document's layout is clear

Check the meaning of any words youare unsure of

Check your punctuation

Use your computer's spell-check

Check you have used plain English

Look for sentences that are too longor unclear

Rewrite sentences and paragraphs

Check grammar


7/27

77

WRITING PROCESS

Ask a colleague to read through and

comment on your text

Leave the document aside and read it

again later

Re-order information to make it clearer

to the reader


8/27

88

BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE

Business correspondence includes:

+ Business letter

+ E-mails+ Memos

+ Faxes


9/27

99

PRINCIPLES FOR BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE WRITING

COMPLETENESS

Answer all questions asked

Give something extra, when desirable

CONCISENESS

Shorten or omit wordy expressions

Include only relevant statements

Avoid unnecessary repetition


10/27

1010


CONSIDERATION

Focus on You instead of I and We

Show reader benefit or interest in reader

Emphasize the positive, pleasant facts

Apply integrity and ethics

CONCRETENESS

Use specific facts and figures

Put action in you verbs

Choose vivid, image-building words


11/27

1111


CLARITY

Choose short, familiar, conversational words

Construct effective sentences and paragraphs

Achieve appropriate readability - and listen ability

Include examples, illustrations, and other visual aids when

desirable


12/27

1212


COURTESY

Be sincerely tactful, thoughtful, and appreciativeOmit expressions that irritate, hurt, or be little

Grant and apologize good-naturedly

Answer your mail promptly

CORRECTNESS

Use the right level of language

Include only accurate facts, words, and figures

Maintain acceptable writing mechanicsChoose nondiscriminatory expressions

Apply all other pertinent C qualities


13/27

1313

LANGUAGE IN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE WRITING

FORMAL

- old-fashioned letter

- impersonal

- a range of fixed expressions

- focus on politeness and accuracy

- layout is very important

INFORMAL

- for friends or those who know

each other well

- closer to spoken language

- abbreviations used

- short messages

- conversational expressions

- tolerant grammar/ spelling

mistakes

NEUTRAL

- clear and concise

- more personal but still polite

- short sentences (20 words)

- acceptable short forms

- some fixed expressions


14/27

1414

BUSINESS LETTERS - COMPONENTS

Letterhead or Heading

Date

Inside address

Salutation

Subject lineBody of the letter

Complimentary close

Signature

Postscript

Mailing Instructions


15/27

1515

BUSINESS LETTERS FORMAT, STYLE & FORMALITY

- BLOCK

- MODIFIED BLOCK

- MODIFIED SEMI-BLOCK

- SIMPLIFIED

- HANGING INDENTED

FORMAL

LANGUAGE


16/27

1616

SALES AND PROMOTION LETTERS

A sales and promotion letter is:

+ to persuade the readers to buy a product, try a service, support

some cause, participate in some activity

+ or to introduce yourself to potential customers


17/27

1717


For an effective sales and promotion letter, it is advisable to:

+ get the readers attention

+ identify the problems the reader has

+ position your service/product as a solution to the problem

+ prove your service/product as a solution to the problem

+ give the reader an offer

+ make sure your service/product has a guarantee

+ tell the reader what to do


18/27

1818


Get the readers attention

Body of the letter

Highlight the products appeal

Show the products applications

End with a call for action


19/27

1919

E-MAILS - COMPONENTS

+ Header - It contains information about the sender, the routing and

the time of the message. The header always contains a subject line to

indicates the purpose or content of the message

+ Message body, where you write your message

+ Signature, which identifies the sender. This part is optional and

must be set up inside of your email software


20/27

2020

E-MAILS FORMAT, STYLE & FORMALITY

+ BLOCK

+ FLEXIBLE FORMAT (but it

should look formal and

businesslike)

FORMAL

OR

NEUTRAL

LANGUAGE


21/27

2121

E-MAILS BASIC RULES

+ Specify your business subject as precisely as possible in

the subject line. Accurately stating your business up front

avoids having your message confused with SPAM.

+ Get to the point.

+ Length is another factor to consider. The paragraphs

should be no more than three sentences long.

+ Use reader-friendly typefaces and formats.

+ Spell check!


22/27

2222

E-MAILS PROS & CONS

PROS CONS

Fast & easy to deliver

Tone: personal

Reach many readers

Save in a file

Easy to replyInexpensive

Be forwarded easily

Allow off-site workers to

collaborate on projects

Questionable appropriateness

Flexible format

Not completely secure &

confidential

No real original signature

Short messages

Computer connected to

internet required

Accidentally forwarded


23/27

2323

INQUIRY LETTERS

A letter of inquiry is a request for information that the writer

believes the reader can provide. Regardless of its subject,

the objective is to get the reader to respond with an action

that satisfies the inquiry.


24/27

2424

INQUIRY LETTERS

A letter of inquiry should follow some basic rules:

It states exactly what information the writer wants.

It indicates clearly why the writer must have this information.

It specifies when the writer must have the information.

It includes the writers personal information and contact for

later reply.


25/27

2525

INQUIRY LETTERS

Tell what you want

Body of the letter

State why you contact the recipient

Specify the inquiry

Add personal contact for a later reply

End with a polite & special thank


26/27

2626

ORDER LETTERS

An order letter is a straightforward notice to inform a

seller that you want to purchase a product or a service.

An effective order letter should be clear, precise, and

accurate.

The write must double-check the sellers brochure,

catalog, or agency manual before writing an order letter.


27/27

2727

ORDER LETTERS

Describe the product/ service

Body of the letter

Indicate the price

Specify shipping instructions

Include the date

Ask or suggest a method of payment

Business Writing1

Documents

Transcript of Business Writing1