Project 1: Business Communications Overview

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About the Presentations• The presentations cover the objectives found in the

opening of each chapter• All chapter objectives are listed in the beginning of

each presentation• You may customize the presentations to fit your class

needs• Some figures from the chapters are included

– A complete set of images from the book can be found on the Instructor Resources disc

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Objectives• Define business writing• Identify reader action• Develop clarity• Identify formatting requirements• Understand reader needs• Use a positive tone• Use writing tools in Word

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Introduction• In business, you write to accomplish goals in a timely

manner• Written documents should communicate a clear

message that the reader can understand quickly and easily

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Business Communication Essentials

• Activities in the business communication process:– Reader receives a document

• In paper or electronic form– Reader reads the document– Reader understands the message– Message requires the reader to take action

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Essentials (cont’d.)

• Business writing:– Communicates information a reader needs to take a

specific action– Reader is central

• Identifying reader action:– Always keep in mind the action you want performed

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Essentials (cont’d.)

Figure 1-1 Sample reader actions

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Essentials (cont’d.)

Figure 1-2 Vague and action-oriented messages

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Essentials (cont’d.)

• Version 1:– Does not provide enough information– Reader will probably reply for more information or

ignore the message• Version 2:

– Tells exactly what to do and how to do it– Clear request with specific details

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Essentials (cont’d.)

• Techniques to develop clarity:– Select precise words

Figure 1-3 Rewriting vague sentences

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Essentials (cont’d.)

• Techniques to develop clarity (cont’d.):– Use active voice– Active voice sentence:

• Noun performing the action comes before the verb and is the subject

• Example: The shipping clerk purchased the packing materials.

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Essentials (cont’d.)

• Techniques to develop clarity (cont’d.):– Passive voice sentence:

• Noun performing the action follows the verb and is the direct object

• Example: The packing materials were purchased by the shipping clerk.

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Essentials (cont’d.)

Figure 1-4 Passive vs. active voice

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Essentials (cont’d.)

• Techniques to develop clarity (cont’d.):– Use everyday vocabulary– Instead of using old-fashioned stock phrases that

contribute little, find phrases such as: • Thank you for contacting me regarding…

Figure 1-5 Common stock phrases

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Essentials (cont’d.)

• Techniques to develop clarity (cont’d.):– Eliminate wordiness

Figure 1-6 Eliminating wordy sentences

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Essentials (cont’d.)

• Identify formatting requirements:– Effectively formatted documents are clear and easy

to understand– Reader can see at a glance the purpose and main

points

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Essentials (cont’d.)

• Identify formatting requirements (cont’d.):– Adapt document layout

• Layout is the positioning of the text on the page

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Essentials (cont’d.)

Figure 1-7 Layout comparison

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Essentials (cont’d.)

• Identify formatting requirements (cont’d.):– Version 1:

• Cramped• Inconsistent spacing

– Version 2:• More white space around the text• Positioning makes information stand out• List (bullet) format is also effective

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Essentials (cont’d.)

Figure 1-8 Comparison of information presented in a sentence and in a list

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Essentials (cont’d.)

• Identify formatting requirements (cont’d.):– Appearance and layout can be perfect yet still fail to

communicate – Organize content to promote understanding

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Essentials (cont’d.)

Figure 1-9 Comparison of plain text content and organized content

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Essentials (cont’d.)

• Identify formatting requirements (cont’d.):– Techniques to organize content

• Headings and subheadings• Lists• Tables

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Essentials (cont’d.)

Figure 1-10 Organizing content in a table form

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Essentials (cont’d.)

• Understanding reader needs:– A business document may be formatted clearly and

still not communicate effectively– Identify reader needs

• Reader must understand and then be able to act accordingly

• Use 5W technique: Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How

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Essentials (cont’d.)

Figure 1-11 Sample questions and answers to identify reader needs

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Essentials (cont’d.)• Understanding reader needs (cont’d.):

– Use reader-centered vocabulary

• Focus on the reader, not on the writer

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Essentials (cont’d.)

Figure 1-13 Writer-centered and reader-centered vocabulary

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Essentials (cont’d.)

• Understanding reader needs (cont’d.):– Use a positive tone

Figure 1-14 Using a positive tone

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Essentials (cont’d.)

Figure 1-15 Example of a positively-worded message

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Technology SkillsUsing Writing Tools in Word

• Microsoft Word includes a variety of tools to help you write clearly and effectively– Thesaurus

• Helps you find synonyms and antonyms that clarify your meaning– Spelling and Grammar feature

• Checks for errors• Finds passive voice sentences

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Writing Tools in Word (cont’d.)

Figure 1-16 Using the Thesaurus

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Writing Tools in Word (cont’d.)

Figure 1-16 Using the Thesaurus (cont’d.)

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Writing Tools in Word (cont’d.)

Figure 1-17 Correcting a passive voice sentence

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Writing Tools in Word (cont’d.)

Figure 1-17 Correcting a passive voice sentence (cont’d.)