Writing & Speaking

for BusinessBy William H. Baker

Chapter Three

Composing Written Messages

Identify your Purpose

Analyze your Audience

Develop an Outline

Decided on a Strategy

Chapter 3 Agenda

1. Business Style1. Business Style

2. Writing Structure2. Writing Structure

Writing Styles

Academic Writing

Creative Writing

Scholarly Writing

Business Writing

Important Style Factors

ReadabilityReadability——Sentence lengthSentence length——Word difficultyWord difficulty

FormalityFormality——More formalMore formal——Less formalLess formal

DictionDiction——SlangSlang——FloweryFlowery——PreferredPreferred

Readability

RatingAverage Sentence

Length

Percentage of Difficult Words

Very Easy <10 <10Average 11-20 11-20Difficult 21-30 21-30Very Difficult 31+ 31+

OABC

Opening

a. The reason for the messageb. The problem you will later

addressc. A major recommendation you

are makingd. An answer to the reader’s

previous communicatione. Other key information

OABC

AgendaTypes

a. Quantify

b. Identify

c. Organize

d. Symbolize

OABC

Caution . . .Don’t make the agenda sound

too wordy or mechanical

OABC

BodyDevelop the key point(s) given in the opening or agenda

OABC

Ways to develop main ideas

ExplanationsIllustrations

EvaluationsApplications

Persuasion

Indirect Order Direct Order1 Fact 1 1 Conclusion or action2 Fact 2 2 Fact 13 Conclusion or action 3 Fact 2

Enemies of Logical Reasoning

= Indefensible Conclusions

Paragraph Standards

Coherence

Length

OrganizationUnity

Development

OABC

Closinga. Summary

b. Conclusions

c. Recommendations