Transcript File

Chapter 2
Planning Business Messages
Essentials of
Business
Communication 9e
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved
Basics of Business Writing
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved
 Business messages are different from college
essays, term papers, and messages to
friends.
 Conciseness and clarity count.
istockphoto.com/zsolt_nuylaszi
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 2, Slide 2
The Best Business Writing Is…
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 Purposeful
 Persuasive
 Economical
 Audience oriented
Following a process can make you a
better writer or speaker.
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 2, Slide 3
The Writing Process
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Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 2, Slide 4
Approximately how much time
should be spent at each stage?
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Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 2, Slide 5
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Phase 1
of the
Writing
Process
Chapter 2, Slide 6
Phase 1: Analyzing
Analyze your audience and your
purpose for writing.
 To whom are you writing?
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 Why are you writing?
 What do you hope
to achieve?
 What channel is best for
delivering your message?
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 2, Slide 7
Selecting the Best Channel
E-mail
Text message
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Social media
Instant message
Letter/Memo
Report
Telephone
Voice mail
Meeting
Conversation
Web site
Blog/Wiki
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 2, Slide 8
How to Select the Best Channel
 How important is the message?
 How much feedback and interactivity are
required?
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 How fast do you need feedback?
 Is a permanent record essential?
 What is the cost of the channel?
 How much formality do you desire?
 How confidential or sensitive is the
message?
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 2, Slide 9
Phase 1: Anticipating
Anticipate how your audience will react
to your message.
 What is your reader or listener like?
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 Will your audience be pleased, neutral, or
displeased with
your message?
JON FEINGERSH / ICONICA / GETTY IMAGES
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 2, Slide 10
Profiling the Audience
Primary Audience
 Who is the primary reader?
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 What are my personal and professional
relationships with that person?
 What does the person know
about the subject?
 What kind of response should
I expect?
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 2, Slide 11
Profiling the Audience
Secondary Audience
 Who else might see or hear this message?
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 Are they different from the primary
audience?
 How must I reshape the message
for the secondary audience?
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 2, Slide 12
Phase 1: Adapting
Create a message that will suit your task
and audience.
 Spotlight audience benefits.
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 Cultivate the “you” view.
 Sound conversational but
professional.
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 2, Slide 13
Phase 1: Adapting
Create a message that will suit your task
and audience.
 Express yourself positively.
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 Choose courteous language.
 Adopt bias-free language.
 Use plain language and
familiar words.
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 2, Slide 14
Spotlighting Audience Benefits
Focus your statements on the audience,
not the sender.
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We are adopting a new
health plan that we
believe has many
outstanding benefits.
You will enjoy total peace
of mind with our
affordable health plan
that will meet all your
needs.
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 2, Slide 15
Spotlighting Audience Benefits
Poor:
Improved:
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You have 15 financial
I have 15 different
financial plans to offer my plans from which to
choose.
investors.
We require that all
To use the Web
employees read and sign professionally and safely,
our Web use policy.
please read and sign our
Web use policy.
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 2, Slide 16
Cultivating the “You” View
Emphasize second-person pronouns
(you/your) instead of first-person pronouns
(I/we, us, our)
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Before we can allow you to
purchase items on this new
account, we must wait two
weeks to complete our
processing.
You may begin
making purchases
on your new account
in two weeks.
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 2, Slide 17
Cultivating the “You” View
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Poor:
Improved:
We are now offering
iPads at discounted
prices.
We are pleased to
announce that you have
been approved to enroll
in our leadership
training program.
You can now purchase
iPads at discounted
prices.
Congratulations! You
have been selected to
enter our leadership
training program!
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 2, Slide 18
Sounding Conversational but
Professional
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The undersigned takes
pleasure in . . .
I’m happy to . . .
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It may be of some concern We’ve credited your
account for $250.
to you to learn that your
online payment has been
processed and your account
has been credited for $250.
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 2, Slide 19
Levels of Language Use
Unprofessional
Conversational
Formal
Business
messages, novels,
most newspapers,
and most
magazines
Scientific writing,
legal documents,
scholarly books,
formal essays,
proclamations
Found in
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Some comic strips
and songs, some
commercials, some
conversations,
some text and
e-mail messages
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 2, Slide 20
Levels of Language Use
Unprofessional
Conversational
Formal
Correct grammar
and punctuation,
conversational
tone, simple
sentence structure,
familiar words
Correct grammar,
serious tone,
complex sentence
structure,
polysyllabic words
Characterized by
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved
Incorrect grammar,
unpredictable
sentence structure,
inappropriate
punctuation, slang,
vulgarisms
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 2, Slide 21
Levels of Language Use
Unprofessional
Conversational
Formal
ruined
catch
criticize
money
intoxicated, drunk
I’m not
enormous
frugal
annihilated
apprehend
disparage
currency
inebriated
I am not
prodigious
penurious
Examples
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved
wasted
nab
bad-mouth
dough, bread
stewed, plastered
I ain’t
ginormous
tight
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 2, Slide 22
Sounding Conversational but
Professional
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved
Poor:
Improved:
The undersigned takes
pleasure in welcoming
you to our staff.
Per your request, we are
sending under separate
cover your May invoice.
I’m happy to welcome
you to our staff.
BTW, ur presentation
2day was Gr8!
Your presentation
today was great.
As you requested, we
are sending your May
invoice separately.
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 2, Slide 23
Expressing Yourself Positively
Poor:
Improved:
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved
Employees may not use Employees must use the
the First Street entrance Market Street entrance
during remodeling.
during remodeling.
We cannot fill your order We can fill your order
until we receive an exact once we receive an
exact model number.
model number.
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 2, Slide 24
Expressing Yourself Positively
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved
Poor:
Improved:
We must withhold
payment until you
complete the job
satisfactorily.
You will be paid
promptly once the job is
completed satisfactorily.
If you fail to follow each By following each
requirement, you will not requirement, you will
receive your $50 rebate. receive your $50 rebate.
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 2, Slide 25
Hidden Messages
Some words and phrases convey a negative and
unpleasant tone. They may imply a hidden message that the
writer does not intend. Think twice before using the following
negative expressions.
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Negative Language
Hidden Message
You failed to
You are careless
You claim that
But I don’t believe you
You are wrong
I am right
You do not understand
You are not smart
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 2, Slide 26
Choosing Courteous Language
Avoid sounding demanding, preachy, or rude.
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Improved:
You must complete this
research by June 1.
Will you please complete
this research by June 1.
I am sick and tired of
being the only one who
cleans out the break
room refrigerator!
Let’s develop a schedule
so that we all share the
duty of cleaning the
break room refrigerator.
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 2, Slide 27
Choosing Courteous Language
Poor:
Improved:
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved
I must have your
Please submit your
expense report by Friday expense report by
morning.
Friday morning.
Your idea for revising our Your idea for revising
return process is insane. our return process will
probably not work.
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 2, Slide 28
Adopting Bias-Free Language
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Have you called a
salesman?
Have you called a
salesperson?
Every executive
has his own office.
 All executives have their own
offices.
 Every executive has an office.
 All executives have offices.
 Every executive has his or
her own office.
This alternative is
wordy and calls
attention to itself
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 2, Slide 29
Adopting Bias-Free Language
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved
Poor:
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Many businessmen take
the train to work.
Many businesspeople
take the train to work.
Each teacher cast her
vote.
Marcello Luna is the new
Latino accountant.
All teachers cast their
votes.
Marcello Luna is the
new accountant.
We offer discounts to old
people.
We offer discounts to
seniors.
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 2, Slide 30
Using Plain Language
Avoid federalese, bureaucratese, and inflated
language.
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Federalese: Each person to whom the request is herein
addressed is henceforth solicited to submit, or to have his or
her department representative submit, to the Department of
Labor official described above, a comment on whether the
proposed plan, in his or her considered view, meets the
requirements of the 2012 law.
Simple Translation: Please comment on whether the
proposed plan meets the requirements of the 2012 law.
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 2, Slide 31
Using Familiar Words
Avoid long, difficult, and unfamiliar words. Use
short, simple, and common words whenever
possible.
Less familiar words
Simple alternatives
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encounter
meet
extrapolate
project
obligatory
required
terminate
end
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 2, Slide 32
Using Plain Language
Poor:
Improved:
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You may encounter
You may have difficulty
difficulty in terminating the ending the contract.
contract.
OR: It may be difficult
to end the contract.
As stipulated, we
extrapolated the budget
figures for two years.
As required, we
projected the budget
figures for two years.
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 2, Slide 33
Using Plain Language and
Familiar Words
Poor:
Improved:
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Will you utilize workbooks Will you use workbooks
during the obligatory
during the required
training period?
training period?
We anticipate that a
majority of the alternative
will be sufficiently
fundamental to meet our
requirements.
We expect that most of
the choices will be
sufficiently basic to
meet our needs.
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 2, Slide 34
“Regardless of the changes in technology,
the market for well-crafted messages will
always have an audience.”
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved
--Steve Burnett
The Burnett Group
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 2, Slide 35
END
Essentials of
Business
Communication 9e
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved