Transcript 1.03 powerpointx

1.03 Write internal and external business
correspondence to convey and obtain
information effectively
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Verbal
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Written
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Verbal communication methods may include meetings, in-person
interviews, telephones and video conferencing. Verbal communication may
be the best communication method because it allows people to assess the
verbal or nonverbal inferences by individuals giving a message.
Written communication includes internal business memos, formal letters,
bulletin boards or posters and other various written communication forms.
Individuals may choose to use written communication if they need to reach
multiple individuals at different locations with a similar message.
Electronic
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Business communication methods include email, web conferencing, social
networking, company websites, online chat and text messages. Electronic
communication allows companies to send mass messages to several
individuals quickly and at a low business cost.
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Results-Oriented Communication
Informational Communication
Persuasive Communication
Negative Communication
In business, not every piece of written material
provides positive information. Writing about a
negative subject is a challenging, but often
inevitable, task for most business writers. In
this type of communication, the writer should
use a firm but empathetic tone and write
straight to the point to provide essential
information in a direct manner.
Example: human resources specialist might
have to write a letter about a layoff or
severance package.
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One aspect of business writing focuses on producing
results. Results-oriented business writing is marked by:
active voice
encouraging the reader to do something.
This style of writing should end with a call to action
and specific instructions for the reader to follow. This
type of communication typically occurs within an
office.
Example: A project manager might send a memo to his
team with goals for the week and ways for the team to
achieve these goals. The tone of such a piece should be
motivational to encourage results.
Not every piece of business writing has a longterm or significant goal. Some documents
simply provide information to employees,
whether it is an email about a change in
employee benefits or a help manual for the
office copy machine. These pieces should
simple and clear to answer any questions a
reader might have.
Example: a frequently asked questions section
about the content can help clarify the
information.
Some business writing has a persuasive tone.
In this type of communication, writers use
persuasive language, focusing on stressing the
benefits for the reader. Using second-person
"you" voice, writers can talk about how the
reader will be positively impacted by doing
business with their organization.
Example: submitting proposals to gain more
work, like janitorial service looking to land a
new client or a nonprofit organization applying
for a government grant.
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What's your business writing objective?
 Whatever you need to write, always allocate time to think it through first. Don't be
afraid to daydream either because the mind often comes up with innovative,
creative ideas when we relax
Let your thoughts rest awhile.
 Get away from your writing for a while. It's hard, but often, coming back to it fresh
you'll add additional insights.
Getting started
 This is often the hardest part of business writing. But, as someone once said, even
the longest journey begins with a single step so if in doubt just write something; you
can always edit later with the Delete key.
Rewriting
 Effective business writing is about writing something worthwhile and getting it in
front of your audience. Know when to say 'enough', then hit the Print button.
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Proofreading for effective business writing
 No matter how great the pressure to publish, always check your document. Even
for email, check carefully because mistakes slip through easily. And don't be
afraid to let an important email rest overnight. For longer documents, try to proof
on a hard copy.
Good writing counts
 Even in business writing, it's easy to get lazy in this age of text-speak and
informality. While there's a place for more casual writing it probably isn't in a
serious email or on your department's intranet page.
Headlines and subheads
 Headlines and subsidiary headings help your readers make quick sense of the
content of your document. Even in a simple email, a strong headline and a few
well positioned subheadings can dramatically improve the likelihood of your
message getting through.
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Don't try to be too 'clever
 Sensible formatting and use of styles in word-processing software can often
enhance your business writing. But remember that, ultimately, it's the quality of
your message rather than your word processor's eye candy that will persuade
your reader. For effective business writing, less is often more, so put most of your
effort into a persuasive message rather than fancy formatting.
AIDA, Six W's and an 'H' and FABS - the copywriter's friends
 IDA model (Awareness, Interest, Desire and Action), and the Six W's and an 'H':
Who? What? Where? When? Which? Why? and How? Used in open-ended
questioning, these will help you understand the purpose, structure and content of
your business writing. Also, Features and Benefits (FABs) Whatever your business
writing is selling, always 'sell the sizzle not the sausage'.
The end effect
 Make use of the end effect; set yourself a target and write.
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Business Letters
 It must have a good appealing layout. The content of the letter should be clear in
mind of the writer. The letter must be divided into paragraphs. It must have
subject written and should be enclosed in an envelope
Memoranda
 Memos are generally short means of written communication within an
organization. They are used to convey specific information to the people within
an organization.
Reports
 A report is prepared after lot of investigation. Whatever observations are made,
an account of them is written in the report
Agenda
 Is an outline about all the contents of the meeting.
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Clear: Make sure your purpose and intent is clear to
the reader. Understand your audience.
Concise: Make sure are not too wordy. Keep all
communication concise and to the point
Courteous: Address the reader politely. Use
expressions such as: “please and thank you”.
Complete: Include all the information the reader
needs to have.
Correct: Edit and proofread so that it has no
grammar, spelling and punctuation error.
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Format - refers to how written information is
presented on the printed page or screen.
Another term for format is layout.
Using the correct format in business
communications convey:
 Professionalism
 Communication Knowledge
 Showcases Content
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Know the purpose: Know the purpose for which you are
writing and what you want your document to accomplish.
As you write, keep your primary objective in mind.
Identify your audience: Knowing to whom you are writing
will help you determine the tone and content of your
document.
Understand the Needs of Your Reader: try to anticipate the
information that your reader will want or need, and identify
and include that information in your document as you write
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Business Letters - Letters are messages printed on stationery
and should conform to workplace standards. A more formal
way of communication. (Target audience: fellow businessmen,
employees, and clients)
Memorandums - commonly called memos, are hardcopies used
for intra-office communication. Memos are similar to e-mails in
purpose and design, but are more effective when the writer
wants a printed communication or assumes the reader will
want a hardcopy for his or her records. (used primarily as a
formal, physical means of efficient communication from a
department or to staff members -- it is almost always for
internal communication and only rarely sent to clients or the
public)
E-mail - which is short for electronic mail, is a major vehicle for
business communication. E-mail is a message that is created,
sent, and received digitally (used as a formal or informal
communication that needs to be communicated faster.)
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Revising - Revision literally means to “see again,” to look at something
from a fresh, critical perspective. It is an ongoing process of rethinking
the paper: reconsidering your arguments, reviewing your evidence,
refining your purpose, reorganizing your presentation, reviving stale
prose.
Editing - editing is only about grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
Everything else is done. (the step after revision)
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Read over your whole piece quite quickly. Circle any typos and
mistakes that you spot, but concentrate on overall flow. If it’s an essay,
check for any gaps in logic or any sides of the argument you might have
missed. If it’s a short story, do any passages drag – or go too fast?
How do I go about the process of revising?
Work from a printed copy; it’s easier on the eyes. Also, problems
that seem invisible on the screen somehow tend to show up better on
paper.
 Another tip is to read the paper out loud. That’s one way to see how
well things flow. Find places where you might need to add,
rearrange, remove ore replace information.
 Remember all those questions listed above? Don’t try to tackle all of
them in one draft. Pick a few “agendas” for each draft so that you
won’t go mad trying to see, all at once, if you’ve done everything.
 Ask lots of questions and don’t flinch from answering them
truthfully. For example, ask if there are opposing viewpoints that you
haven’t considered yet.
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Once you’ve sorted out the big picture, you can start fixing any
individual sentences and words. Again, it’s a good idea to print out
the document and do this on paper: I find I miss errors on screen
(especially typos which are valid words, such as “they’re” for
“their”).
Look out for: Typos and misspellings (a good tip here is to read
backwards! You’ll go much more slowly, focusing on every
individual word).
Clumsy sentences and confusing or misleading phrasing (try
reading your work aloud).
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Unnecessary words
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Commonly misused or confused words
Five words you can cut:
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Just - This is one of the worst offenders for
me. I over-use it in email, typing: “I just thought I’d
drop you a note…” “Just writing to ask…”.
In almost every case, striking out the word “just” will
make a sentence stronger. It tends to make you sound
either desperate when applied to yourself (“I just
wondered if you could…”) or demanding when applied to
the other person (“If you would just…”).
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Really -Like “just”, this is another word which can
frequently be cut. It’s often found partnering “just”, in
which case you might want to rewrite the whole
sentence.
“You can really improve by…”
“You don’t really want to…”
“I’m really just trying to …”
Using the word “really” about yourself makes it sounds as
though you believe the other person is unsure of your
intentions; “I’m really writing the report” can sound
defensive. And using it about someone else can sound
patronizing – phrases like “that’s really good!” are best kept
for the kindergarten.
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Quite - This insidious word tends to water down the meaning of a
sentence or, worse, make it unclear. It usually means “a bit” as in
“I quite liked it”, but can also mean “completely” as in “Quite
right.” Most people have little difficulty understanding those, but
sentences like “I was quite outraged” can be taken either way.
“I’d quite like you to …”
“I’m feeling quite upset about it.”
“I don’t think you quite understand…”
There are some circumstances where you may well want to keep the
word “quite”, particularly when trying to justify something overrunning. “Quite” is useful in suggesting both “almost there” and
“soon”, and saying “The files aren’t quite ready yet …” implies it won’t
be much longer, whereas “The files aren’t ready yet” can sound like
stone-walling.
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Perhaps - Like many of the words above, “perhaps” makes your
writing sound uncertain. It can obscure meaning, or weaken an
otherwise powerful statement, and often causes confusion.
“Perhaps we could meet at twelve for lunch.”
“And then perhaps you’d like to …”
“Perhaps if I …”
The main problem in all these cases is that the word “perhaps” means
your intention is unclear. If you email someone suggesting “Perhaps
we could meet at twelve for lunch”, are you proposing a lunch meeting,
or just idly wondering whether it’s possible? The “perhaps” also
makes it unclear what part of the suggestion is in doubt; do you think
twelve might not be the best time, or do you suspect the other person
won’t want to get lunch?
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That -This is another word which creeps into my
writing where it’s not needed. It’s fine when necessary,
but can often be cut without any loss of meaning –
usually when it’s preceded by a noun.
“This is the house that Jack built.”
“Can you remember the time that we asked people
to arrive?”
“I liked the design that you came up with.”
Make sure you don’t cut valid instances of the word,
usually where “that” comes before the noun. “I need that
document by five” makes sense, “I need document by five” is
only safe in a very informal context and if you’re sure the
other person knows which document you mean.
1.03D. Write professional e-mails
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Why do you need email etiquette?
A company needs to implement etiquette rules for the
following three reasons:
Professionalism: by using proper email language
your company will convey a professional image.
Efficiency: emails that get to the point are much
more effective than poorly worded emails.
Protection from liability: employee awareness of
email risks will protect your company from costly
law suits.
What are the etiquette rules?
There are many etiquette guides and many different etiquette rules. Some rules will differ
according to the nature of your business and the corporate culture. Below we list what we consider as
the 32 most important email etiquette rules that apply to nearly all companies. (Use the following link
for additional information on each tip)
http://www.emailreplies.com/Index.html?_sm_au_=isV2Q4r0JVvSMPSF
32 most important email etiquette tips:
1. Be concise and to the point
2. Answer all questions, and pre-empt further questions
3. Use proper spelling, grammar & punctuation
4. Make it personal
5. Use templates for frequently used responses
6. Answer swiftly
7. Do not attach unnecessary files
8. Use proper structure & layout
9. Do not overuse the high priority option
10. Do not write in CAPITALS
11. Don't leave out the message thread
12. Add disclaimers to your emails
13. Read the email before you send it
14. Do not overuse Reply to All
15. Mailings > use the bcc: field or do a mail merge
16. Take care with abbreviations and emoticons
17. Be careful with formatting
18. Take care with rich text and HTML messages
19. Do not forward chain letters
20. Do not request delivery and read receipts
21. Do not ask to recall a message.
22. Do not copy a message or attachment without permission
23. Do not use email to discuss confidential information
24. Use a meaningful subject
25. Use active instead of passive
26. Avoid using URGENT and IMPORTANT
27. Avoid long sentences
28. Don't send or forward emails containing libelous, defamatory, offensive, racist or obscene
remarks
29. Don't forward virus hoaxes
30. Keep your language gender neutral
31. Don't reply to spam
32. Use cc: field sparingly
Consider the following email etiquette rules before
writing a professional email
Be Professional. Just because you are writing an electronic
message rather than a typewritten letter doesn't mean that
your communication shouldn't be just as professional.
Resist the urge to be overly casual. If you don't know your
correspondent, address them as Mr. or Ms. (or Dr.). Use
the same language that you would use in a standard
business letter. Use a proper business email format. It can
be similar to those used in business letters. Avoid slang or
casually constructed sentences.
Be Concise. Remember that your reader likely has dozens of how to write
a business email other messages to read and other tasks competing for his
attention. Don't go on and on. Most points can be covered in three to five
paragraphs. If your reader groans at the length of your message when he
opens it, he's more likely to delete it unread.
Always Use the Subject Line. The proliferation of spam and computer
viruses sent via email has made businesses cautious about opening emails
from people they don't know. Tell your reader why you are writing in the
subject line of the email. That way he's less likely to mistake your
message for spam. This is part of professional email etiquette. A suitable
subject line need only be a few words; too many words will get truncated
when the line appears in your recipient's email box. Examples of good
subject lines include:
Subject: Interview Request
Subject: Query: "Name of Prospective Article"
Subject: Response to ad in "Writers World"
Don't Send Attachments unless they are Requested. Attachments may
be carriers of computer-disabling viruses. Some companies even block
employees from opening attachments on company computers. In
addition, uploading attachments -- especially image files -- from an
older computer or using a dial-up connection can take a long time. If
you'd like to send a text document (such as one created using
Microsoft Word), paste it at the bottom of your email instead of
attaching it.
Proofread your Message. This should go without saying, but it's very
easy to hit the "send" button before you're truly ready to send your
message. Again, treat your correspondence the same as you would a
typed letter. Make sure that it's free of spelling, typing and
grammatical errors before launching it into cyberspace. Remember: In
many cases, your email is the first impression a business associate has
of you. Make it a positive one.
In e-mail terminology, Cc stands for "carbon copy" and Bcc stands for
"Blind carbon copy". The difference between Cc and Bcc is that carbon
copy (CC) recipients are visible to all other recipients whereas those
who are BCCed are not visible to anyone.
To specify the recipients, an e-mail message can contain addresses in
any of the 3 following fields:
To: field recipients are the audience of the message
CC: field recipients are others whom the author wishes to
publicly inform of the message (carbon copy)
BCC: field recipients are those being discreetly or
surreptitiously informed of the communication and cannot be
seen by any of the other addressees.
It is common practice to use the BCC: field when addressing a very
long list of recipients, or a list of recipients that should not
(necessarily) know each other, e.g. in mailing lists.
Comparison chart
BCC
Sight
Replying-
-Receiver cannot see Bcc
Bcc's cannot see the receiver's reply
Cc
Receiver can see Cc
-Cc's cannot see the receiver's reply
Example of CC vs BCC
From: Frank Sinatra
To: Kurt Cobain
Cc: Bob Dylan; Jim Morrison
Bcc: Mark Knopfler; Paul McCartney
In the above example, all recipients of the email (including Mark Knopfler and Paul McCartney) will see the following
email header information when they receive the email:
From: Frank Sinatra
To: Kurt Cobain
Cc: Bob Dylan; Jim Morrison
This means that none of the recipients will know who the Bcc recipients are. Each of the BCCed recipients
will, of course, realize that they were on BCC but they will not know who else was on BCC.