Business Communication Workshop

1. Business Communication Workshop Course Coordinator: Ayyaz Qadeer Lecture # 9

2. Writing Business Messages

3. We have discussed…. • What are the four steps in the process for organizing messages? • How does the denotative meaning of a word differ from its connotative meaning? • What three elements do you consider when choosing between a direct and an indirect approach? • How does the audience benefit from a well-organized message?

4. We have discussed…. • Organizing: Direct or Indirect Approach • Routine, Good-News, and Goodwill Messages: Its construction and manner of composition. • Bad-News Messages: Its construction and manner of composition. • Persuasive Messages: Its construction and manner of composition.

5. Style and Tone • Style refers to the way you use words to create a certain tone in your messages. Use vocabulary, sentence structure, and a personal or impersonal approach to affect the style of a message. • Tone refers to the overall impression your message makes on the audience. Use the “you” attitude, positive emphasis, politeness, and formality to affect the tone of a message.

6. Achieving a Conversational Tone Avoid obsolete, pompous language Avoid intimacy Avoid humor Avoid preaching and bragging

7. Achieving a Conversational Tone Use plain English Select the best words Use functional and content words correctly Know when and how to use connotative and denotative words and phrases Know when and how to use abstract and concrete words and phrases

8. Thinking Like a Wordsmith • Choose strong words. • Choose familiar words. • Avoid clichés. • Use jargon carefully.

9. Creating Effective Sentences • Use the four types of sentences. • Choose active or passive voice. • Emphasize key thoughts. • Vary sentence length. • Use bullets and lists.

10. Sentences • What are the four types of sentences? • In most business messages, should you use active voice or passive voice? • Should you use longer or shorter sentences for most business messages? • Types of sentences are simple, compound, complex, compound-complex. • Use active voice except to avoid making accusations, attributing credit or blame, and using personal pronouns. • Vary sentence type.

11. Developing Paragraphs • A unified paragraph deals with a single topic. • The topic sentence introduces that topic. • Related sentences explain that topic.

12. Transitional Elements • You can establish coherence by using transitions in the following ways: • Use connecting words such as and, but, or, nor, for, so, nevertheless, and however. • Restate a word or phrase from a previous sentence or paragraph to cue the reader to the transition. • Use pronouns that refer to previously used nouns. • Use words that are frequently paired.

13. Let’s Discuss Let’s Discuss Let’s Discuss Let’s Discuss DevelopingParagraphs Explain what is meant by the following five techniques for developing paragraphs: Cause and effect Illustration Comparison or contrast Classification Problem and solution

14. Paragraph Readability To increase readability, consider these elements: • Length • Effective headings • Occasional questions

15. Activity Activity Activity Activity E-mail Messages Think of some e-mail messages you have recently received. Discuss these questions: • Did they follow correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling rules? • If incorrect punctuation and misspellings were used, did you give these messages as much attention as you did the messages with correct English? • If you have a “loose” style for e-mail, should you adjust it for your business e-mails?

16. Stage#3The Post writing Stage: Completing Producing the document • 2 dimensions: the physical completion & psychological completion • Physical: typing, printing the final document, requires enough time to cope with failures etc • Psychological:proper time management, avoid premature finishing, remain open to suggestions, not a hidden time agenda, balance between reading/writing

17. The Post writing Stage: Completing • This stage consists of 2 activities: editing & producing the document Editing • Develop consistent, accurate text • You check spelling, punctuation, basic grammar, format of the page, accuracy of facts, consistency, rules of presentation • To help you edit, construct a checklist, you may use computer for revising. • A note on revising with a computer

18. Let’s Discuss Test Your Knowledge • What are the four steps in the process for organizing messages? • How does the denotative meaning of a a word differ from its connotative meaning? • What three elements do you consider when choosing between a direct and an indirect approach?

19. Let’s Discuss Test Your Knowledge continued • How does the audience benefit from a well-organized message? • What is style, and how do you decide on the appropriate style for a message? • How does an abstract word differ from a concrete word? • In what three situations is passive voice appropriate?

20. Let’s Discus Test Your Knowledge continued • What is the purpose of the topic sentence? • How do you use the subject line in an email? • How can you increase the readability of your paragraphs? • Post writing stage: Producing the document • Editing and proof reading

21. Thank You