Best Practices in Business Writing & Communication
Sara KlarichMay 4, 2014
Live in Chino Hills, CA Married with two yellow Labradors Work for Abbott Laboratories Travel for work—domestic and international Graduated from Virginia Tech with Bachelors
in Human Development
Sara Klarich
Email Memos Reports Instant Messenger Texting Sales Pitch Press Release Face to Face What are some others???
Business Communication Types
Effective and Ethical Business Communication
Professionalism in the Workplace
Intercultural Business Communication
Writing Tips for Business Professionals
Business Communication in the Digital Age
Positive and Negative Messages
Business Presentations
Business Reports, Plans, and Proposals
Best Practices for:
How important are communication skills in business?
Total estimate cost of employee misunderstanding: 62.4 millions dollars a year
Companies where leaders are highly effective communicators have 47% higher total returns to shareholders
Leaders who are highly effective communicators have higher employee engagement leading to better performance
Grossman (2011)
Effective and Ethical Business Communication
12 components of effective communication:
◦ Relax
◦ Stay present
◦ Silence inner voices
◦ Be positive
◦ Focus on inner values
◦ Recall a pleasant memory(Manning, Waldman, Lindsey, Newberg & Cotter-Lockard, 2012)
Effective Business Communication
12 components of effective communication:
◦ Maintain eye contact
◦ Be complimentary and express appreciation
◦ Speak with warmth in your voice
◦ Speak slowly
◦ Speak briefly
◦ Listen carefully(Manning, Waldman, Lindsey, Newberg & Cotter-Lockard, 2012)
Effective Business Communication
To be ethical, communication must be factually accurate, non-deceptive, and complete.
Advertising claims? Sales reports?
Product safety?Environmental issues?
Ethical communication builds trust, while unethical communication abuses or damages it.
Ethical Business Communication
“Employers want new workers to be responsible, ethical, and team oriented, and
to possess strong communication, interpersonal and problem solving skills.
Wrap all these skills together and you’ve got professionalism”
Department of Labor (2014)
Professionalism in the Workplace
Self Assessment on your Professionalism:
◦ Am I punctual?
◦ Am I honest?
◦ Am I hard working?
◦ Am I polite?
◦ Do I treat others with respect?
◦ Do I communicate effectively?
◦ Do I listen?
◦ Do I dress sloppy?
Professionalism in the Workplace
Global business requires that we adapt and learn about cultural differences in
communication including:
How loud we talk
How we express emotion
Rules for turns of talking
Use or avoidance of silence
Intercultural Business Communication
Posture
Eye Contact
Proximity
Touching
Kissing
Tone
Hand movements
Non-Verbal Cues in Intercultural Communication
Bowing is a sign of respect in Japan but not done in US Slouching is considered rude in most Northern
European countries Sitting with your legs cross is offensive in Turkey and
Ghana Showing the soles of your feet is offensive in Thailand
and Saudi Arabia In Latino cultures, men are very expressive with
emotion while American men hide emotion Islamic & Hindu cultures typically do not touch with
the left hand(Andrews University)
Non-Verbal Cues in Intercultural Communication
Business Writing is like a Road Trip Know where you are going
◦ Clear vision of where you are headed so your readers can follow
Follow the map◦ Create an outline that lays out the path to your
destination Take advantages of Breaks
◦ Use breaks as a time for rest and reflection. Breaks can wake up creativity and deliver new ideas and insight.
Lynda McDaniel (2013)
Writing Tips for the Business Professional
Guffey and Loewy (2011) developed the business writing approach known as 3x3 process:
1. Prewriting2. Writing3. Revising4. Proofreading5. Evaluating
Writing Tips for the Business Professional
50%
50%
Define Audience
Plan Message
Draft Message
Revise for Content, Style, & Correctness
Read, edit, re-read, edit againCheck for grammar, punctuation,spelling, & word usageDid you achieve communicating your message?
1. Mind Mappinga. Start by writing one word or key ideab. Take 10 minutes and map any associations,
thoughts, feelings, or anything else that comes to mind
2. List of 20a. Come up with a list of 20 options or new ideas
3. The Devil’s Advocatea. Think beyond your own ideas and recognize
potential problems or opportunities
Brainstorming Techniques for Writing
Example of a Mind Map
Image obtained fromLearningfundamentals.com
We all do it!Email, Texting, Instant Messenger (IM), Blackberry Messenger
(BBM), Facetime, Skype
Step 1: Determine the appropriate method for message
Text to set up a call, do not text important details or entire conversations
Avoid slang abbreviations (LOL, OMG) or emoticons Stop and think about the paper trail and confidentiality
Electronic Message & Digital Media in Business Communication
Step 2: Draft your message Lost in translation?? Think about the tone of your message Consider the context of your message Check for grammar and spelling. It is easy to quickly send
a message and have an auto-correct mistake
Step 3: Follow up to your message If a phone call or video chat, follow up with an email to
capture main points If texting or IM’ing about a meeting, schedule the meeting
on the calendar
Electronic Message & Digital Media in Business Communication
How do you communicate positive or negative messages?
Determine the best method to communicate Don’t hide the main message in fluff,
especially a negative message Provide details and explanation, but only
what is relevant to the message
Positive and Negative Messages
Delivering Positive Messages◦ Be polite◦ Provide information, as needed◦ Express appreciation◦ Make the message easy to respond to
Delivering Negative Messages◦ Cushion the bad news◦ Be empathetic◦ Provide reasons◦ Avoid negative words◦ Stay professional
Positive and Negative Messages
“Focus on how to get your message over to the audience clearly and concisely” (Bratram, 2014).
What is the purpose?
Who is the audience?
Prepare tools and aids
Organize slides and talking points in a logical and easy to follow
structure
Provide strong examples to support and clarify ideas
Be conscious of time and engage with the audience
End with a highlight of the key take away points
Provide next steps
Business Presentations
How to Handle the Public Speaking Jitters
Practice and feel comfortable with what you are talking about
Don’t expect perfection and roll with the mistakes…we all make
them
Accept that its normal to be nervous and embrace it
Gain experience by participating in clubs like Toastmasters
Pace yourself and slow down–you are speaking faster than you
think
Show energy but be professional by speaking at a brisk pace that
is understandable, smiling, and varying tone, pitch, and volume
Business Presentations
Business ReportConvey information from one person, group, or company to another and include facts, figures, and information pertaining to business matters.
Analytical Reports Informational Reports Research Reports Financial Reports Progress Reports Recommendation Reports
Business Reports, Plans, & Proposals
Business Plan
Business Reports, Plans, & Proposals
Image obtained from (Dinu, Business Plan)
Business ProposalA written document that proposes an idea or plan to initiate a discussion. One of the most effective ways to get business and continue growth.
Summary Introduction-quick overview of objective and problem
Detailed problem statement Work statement—proposal on what will happen
to solve the problem Project management statement-logistical
information on solving problem
Business Reports, Plans, & Proposals
Business Proposal
Is it clear what you are asking for?
Detail your experience and your expertise
Formatting should look clean and professional
Follow a structure associated with type of
proposal
Business Reports, Plans, & Proposals
Andrews University. (n.d.). Non-verbal communication modes. Retrieved from http://www.andrews.edu/~tidwell/bsad560/NonVerbal.html
Bartram, P. (2014). 8 ways to…improve your presentation skills. Financial Management, Feb 2014, 42-43.
Dinu, A. (Artist). Business Plan [Print Drawing]. Retrieved from lerablog.org
Grossman, D. (2011, July 17). The cost of poor communications. Retrieved from http://www.holmesreport.com/opinion-info/10645/The-Cost-Of-Poor-Communications.aspx
Guffey, M., & Loewy, D. (2011). Business communication: Process and product (7th ed.). Independence, KY: Cengage Learning.
Manning, C., Waldman, M., Lindsey, W., Newberg, A., & Cotter-Lockard, D. (2012). Personal inner values: A key to effective face-to-face business communication. Journal of Executive Education, 11(1), 37-65.
McDaniel, L. (2013, Aug). Business writing is like a road trip. Communication World, 30(5), 9-11.
References