3 STEP WRITING PROCESSBusiness Communication
MBA – I Trimester
From Business Communication Today
The Three Steps
Step 1: PLANNING BUSINESS MESSAGES Step 2: WRITING BUSINESS MESSAGES Step 3: COMPLETING BUSINESS
MESSAGES
PLANNING BUSINESS MESSAGES
Analyze your situation Gathering information Selecting the right medium
Analyze your situation
Defining your purpose: 4 Questions – possibility of change, realistic, right time, acceptability to your org
Developing an audience profile: Identify primary audience Determine audience size and geographic
distribution Determine audience composition Gauge audience members’ level of understanding Understand audience expectations and preferences Forecast probable audience reaction
Gathering information
Uncovering audience needs – based on audience feedback, asking questions to specify focus, anticipating info needs
Providing required information: Journalistic approach – who, what, when, where, why, how Accurate Ethical Pertinent
Selecting the right medium
Oral: face-to-face conversation, interviews, speeches, in-person presentations, meetings
Written: memos, letters, reports, proposals Visual: benefits of visual media Electronic: Email, podcasts, blogs, wikis, text messages,
computer animation, video, music Electronic versions of oral media: internet telephony, teleconferencing,
voice-mail messages, audio recording (podcasts, CDs) Electronic versions of written media: email, IM, blogs, websites, wikis,
text messaging, e-fax Electronic versions of visual media: Electronic presentations, computer
animation, video (tape, DVD, online) Multimedia (audio, video, text & visual graphics)
Factors to consider when choosing media: media richness, message formality, media limitations, sender intentions, urgency and cost, audience preferences
Organizing your information
Recognizing the importance of good organization
Defining your main idea Limiting your scope Choosing between Direct and Indirect
approaches: routine and positive messages, negative messages, persuasive messages
Outlining your content: start with main idea, state major points, illustrate with evidence
WRITING BUSINESS MESSAGES Adapting to your audience Composing your message
Adapting to your audience
Being sensitive to your audience’s needs: Using the “you” attitude Maintaining standards of etiquette Emphasizing the positive Using bias-free language
Building strong relationships with your audience: Establishing your credibility Projecting your company’s image
Controlling your style and tone: Using a conversational tone Using plain English Selecting Active or passive voice
Composing your message
Choosing strong words Using functional and content words correctly Finding words that communicate well Creating Effective sentences:
Choosing from the 4 types of sentences Using sentence style to emphasize key thoughts
Creating unified, coherent paragraphs: Elements of the paragraph Five ways to develop a paragraph
Using Technology to Compose & Share Your Message
Style sheets and templates Autocompletion Autocorrection File merge and mail merge Endnotes, footnotes, indexes, and tables
of contents Wizards
COMPLETING BUSINESS MESSAGES
Revising your message Producing your message Proofreading your message Distributing your message
Revising your message
Evaluating your content, organization, style and tone Reviewing readability
Varying your sentence length Keeping your paragraphs short Using lists and bullets to clarify and emphasize Adding headings and subheadings
Editing for clarity and conciseness: break up overly long sentences, rewrite hedging sentences, impose parallelism, correct dangling modifiers, reword long noun sequences, replace camouflaged verbs, clarify sentence structure, clarify awkward references, moderate your enthusiasm, delete unnecessary words and phrases, shorten long words and phrases, eliminate redundancies, recast “It is/There are” starters
Using technology to revise your message
Producing your message
Adding graphics, sound, video & hypertext Designing for readability:
White space Margins and justification Typefaces Type styles
Using technology to produce your message Formatting formal letters and memos
Proofreading your message
Make multiple passes Use perceptual tricks Double-check high-priority items Give yourself some distance Be vigilant Stay focused Review complex electronic documents on
paper Take your time
Distributing your message
Cost Convenience Time Security and privacy