BUSINESS WRITING SKILLS

Copyright 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004 by Gay Wakefield

BUSINESS WRITING SKILLS


The quality of your relationships and results will be determined by the quality and quantity of your communication with other people.

Ronnie MorrisCentral Area Vice President

Coca-Cola Bottling Company of North Texas


Blessing– Faster– Simpler– Spelling/grammar checkers

Curse– Faster– Simpler– Spelling/grammar checkers

ELECTRONIC WRITING


Americans becoming dependent on computers for literacy

Working vocabulary of average 14-year-old dropped from 25,000 to 10,000 words over past 50 years

ELECTRONIC WRITING


"As technology improves and expands, literacy declines. With e-mail, writing just keeps deteriorating. People say, 'Get computers in schools,' [but] we have children who can't read and write and speak."

Lynn AgressFounder of Business Writing at Its Best

ELECTRONIC WRITING


Avoid impersonal writing, such as e-mail and notes, for “heavy” messages.

Deliver “bombs” in person, if possible. Otherwise, use formal communications such as letters.

IT’S A MATCHING GAME


In emotional situations ...REMEMBER

The more emotional the message, the more personal the medium– High emotion: In person (assess & adapt)– Medium emotion: Handwritten letter (careful

choice of words, paper, ink)– Low emotion: Typed letter (careful choice of

words, paper, formatting) STOP and THINK before communicating


Concerning office e-mail ...REMEMBER

Informal/impersonal Research says: Visit or phone call often

is better for your image Spell-check, edit, proofread Avoid anything nearing “off-color” E-mail belongs to your employer!


Regarding the last word ...

REMEMBER

You don’t always have to have it. It can do your career more harm

than good. Pick your communication medium

carefully.


BUSINESS WRITING THAT HITS THETARGET


TRIVIA QUIZ

What report gets better reaction: 3-page or 10-page?

ANSWER

It depends.


AccuracyOrganization

Maximum meat/Minimum fatAttention to detail

ANSWER

What’s preferred in business writing?

TRIVIA QUIZ


What’s the key to effective document organization

and meat/fat ratio?

ANSWER

Effective editing

TRIVIA QUIZ


ANSWER

Effective proofreadingWhat’s the key to

detail-oriented writing?

TRIVIA QUIZ


WHY IS WRITING SO HARD?Language idiosyncrasies: The bandage was wound around the wound. The farm was used to produce produce. The dump was so full that it had to refuse more

refuse. We must polish the Polish furniture. He could lead if he would get the lead out. The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the

desert. Since there is no time like the present, he

thought it was time to present the present.


WHY IS WRITING SO HARD? A bass was painted on the head of the bass

drum. When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes. I did not object to the object. The insurance was invalid for the invalid. There was a row among the oarsmen about how

to row. They were too close to the door to close it. The buck does funny things when the does are

present.


WHY IS WRITING SO HARD? A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer

line. To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow

to sow. The wind was too strong to wind the sail. After a number of injections my jaw got number. Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear. I had to subject the subject to a series of tests. How can I intimate this to my most intimate

friend?


LET'S FACE IT“English is a crazy language! English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race (which, of course, isn't a race at all). That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.”

Author Unknown


COMMON WEAKNESSESWordinessTechnical jargonBasic language problems


REMEMBER

On the written page, being clear and concise is more important

than being impressive, brilliant,literary, or academic.


Know audiences’ preferences Be adaptable Use reference materials

BUSINESS WRITING TIPS


Recommended for Neeley students

Franklin Covey’s

Style Guide For Business and Technical Communication

BUSINESS WRITING STYLE


Memorize most troublesome rules For most people, those include …

– Apostrophes– Hyphenated words– Semi-colons– Dashes– Rule-breaker rules

WORD TO THE WISE


PRACTICAL MATTERS

Professors/boss preferences Time issues Stress issues


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Most important part of document Last piece of document created VERY short Introduction/body/conclusion Enough detail to reflect content Concise and complete enough (even if

full document never is read)


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Comprehensive restatement of …– Purpose– Scope– Conclusions

• Results• Recommendations


No new information Use transitional words/phrases Follow organization of document Do not refer to document’s …

– Tables– Figures– Appendices– References– Other explanatory materials

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY


Determine best uses of technology–Software skills–Attachments to be shared via e-mail–How far to trust technology

EFFECTIVE WRITING


WRITING SCHEDULE

Establish absolute deadlines Meet deadlines on schedule Work backwards from project due-

date to set working due-dates


THINK IN REVERSE

Finalized document due on ________ Proofreading due on ________ Final draft due on ________ Editing #2 due on ________ Revision due on ________ Editing #1 due on ________ Rewrite due on ________ First draft due on ________


WHY IS DRAFTING SO HARD?

We don’t write the way we speak.


Center on subject and substance DON’T worry about editing and

proofing—yet BUT, don’t neglect editing and proofing

or you get the OOPS factor …

FIRST DRAFT


Fyrst, lern ta spel!

“OOPS!” FACTOR


Suppose attendance will drop?

“OOPS!” FACTOR


So much for the secret.

“OOPS!” FACTOR


New product offering?

“OOPS!” FACTOR


Talk about oxymorons!

“OOPS!” FACTOR


Care to check in?

“OOPS!” FACTOR


Writing should be this clear.

PICTURE LESSONS


PICTURE LESSONS Consider readers’ perspectives Plan ahead Edit carefully Proofread carefully Have someone else read it


EDITING & PROOFREADINGIN BUSINESS SETTINGS


EDITING RULES (& PRACTICE)

Avoid clichés like the plague. (They're old hat.)

Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.

Proofread carefully to see if you any words out.

Don't use no double negatives.It is wrong to ever split an infinitive.

No sentence fragments.Be more or less specific.Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are (usually)

unnecessary.

Also too, never, ever use repetitive redundancies.

Verbs has to agree with their subjects.

And don't start a sentence with a conjunction.


EDITING Split Infinitives

– A split infinitive consists of the function word to, followed by an adverb (usually an -ly adverb), followed by an infinitive: to happily conclude, to weakly demur, to needlessly suffer.

• The driver is instructed to periodically check the oil level. (split infinitive)

• The driver is instructed periodically to check the oil level.

• The driver is instructed to check the oil level periodically.


Star Trek:

"to boldly go where no man has gone before.“

– Here, the presence of the adverb boldly between the parts of the infinitive, to and go, creates a split infinitive. The construction can often be avoided by placing the intervening words after the verb or before the to marker:

"to go boldly where no man has gone before" "boldly to go where no man has gone before."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Trek

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Enterprise_orig.jpg


Spell out all…– Uncommon symbols– Abbreviations– Acronyms

EDITING


Focus on content and meaning– Facts/analysis/recommendations– Numbers and charts– Structure and organization– Sentence/phrase interpretation– Consistency

EDITING


Be kind to your readerBe confident of your analysis and recommendations

Be directFocus on economy, precision, and directness

Practice!Use active voiceBe straightforward with wordingUse present tense whenever possible

EDITING TIPS


ACTIVE VOICE In sentences written in active voice, the subject performs the action

expressed in the verb; the subject acts.


PASSIVE VOICE In sentences written in passive voice, the subject receives the action

expressed in the verb; the subject is acted upon. The agent performing the action may appear in a "by the . . ."


WHY IS EDITING SO HARD? We don’t write the way we speak. Most business writing is too

verbose.–Active voice helps

• Style Guide—“Wordy Phrases” (p. 348 in Covey’s Style Guide)


EDITING PRACTICE

Short-term planning is foremost in the prioritization of the planning loop.

Writing Coach’s suggested change:

Short-term planning comes first.


It is recommended that a legal action against a foreign company for the profit under contention would not be a wise move.


Suing a foreign company for this amount of money is unwise.

EDITING PRACTICE


It is Sabrina’s proposal for the adoption of the employee profile software by the personnel department. This software provides assistance in the selection of new employees.

EDITING PRACTICE


Sabrina proposes that the personnel department adopt employee profile software for new-employee selection.


At the previous meeting, a new organizational plan was selected by the executive committee and a new budget also was adopted by the committee.


At the previous meeting, the executive committee selected a new organizational plan and adopted a new budget.

EDITING PRACTICE


PROOFREADING Focus on format and usage

– Appearance on page– Spelling, grammar, typographical errors

• Electronic checks (be careful!)• Physical check of printed copy

– Usage errors• Language confusion• Capitalization and punctuation


SPELL CHECK (& PROOFREADING PRACTICE)


Pay special attention to headings, topic sentences of paragraphs,

visuals, captions

Practice!Check every capitalization, punctuation, word division,

number, chart, etc.

Read aloud to slow down and catch more grammar/sense flaws

PROOFREADING TIPS


WHY IS PROOFING SO HARD? Read in unison…

Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a total mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.


AND NOW, THE LAST WORD… Every time you write, at every

phase of the process (drafting/editing/proofreading), consider:– Purpose of the communication– Medium and its effects– Possible audience interpretations


PROOFREADING PRACTICE


The nurse and her#patient discussed the patient’s plans for the future.

The nurse and herpatient discussed her plans for the future.




Don enjoys chemistry and always wanted to be a chemist.

Don enjoys chemistry and he has always wanted to be a chemist.




In the land of Nod, no one wears clothes.

In the land of Nod no one wears cloths.




Due to extenuating circumstances, the judge decided to dismiss the charges.

Due to incriminating circumstances, the judge decided to dismiss the charges.




The tourism industry is becoming saturated, and should not grow at its past rate.

The tourism industry is becoming saturated, and should not grow at it’s past rate.




I have been wronged by so many of my so-called friends.

I have been wrong by so many of my so called friends.


HOW EMBARRASSING!


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BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

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BUSINESS WRITING SKILLS

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