BCT Ch05.ppt

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Chapter 5 - 1

Writing Writing Business MessagesBusiness Messages


Learning ObjectivesLearning Objectives• Being sensitive to audience needs• Building strong audience relationships• Controlling style and tone• Choosing strong words for a message• Composing sentences and paragraphs• Using technology for messages

Adapting to Your Audience: Adapting to Your Audience: Being Sensitive to Audience Being Sensitive to Audience

NeedsNeeds



The “You” AttitudeThe “You” Attitude

• Speaking and writing for an audience– Wishes– Interests– Hopes– Preferences


Practice EtiquettePractice Etiquette

• Courtesy• Diplomacy • Tactfulness


Emphasize the PositiveEmphasize the Positive

• Avoid negativity• Employ euphemisms


Bias-Free LanguageBias-Free Language

• Age • Gender• Disability • Race or ethnicity

Adapting to Your Audience: Adapting to Your Audience: Building Strong Building Strong RelationshipsRelationships



Establish Your CredibilityEstablish Your Credibility

• Honesty• Awareness• Endorsements• Confidence

• Objectivity• Expertise• Performance• Sincerity


Company ImageCompany Image

• Communication style• Communication guidelines

Adapting to Your Audience: Adapting to Your Audience: Controlling Style and ToneControlling Style and Tone



Conversational ToneConversational Tone• Understand texting vs. writing• Avoid pompous language• Avoid preaching or bragging• Be careful with intimacy or humor


Plain LanguagePlain Language• Straightforward• Understandable • Action-oriented


Using the Right VoiceUsing the Right Voice

• Active voice (subject-verb-object)– Direct and assertive

• Passive voice (subject-verb-object)– Indirect and diplomatic

Composing Your Message: Composing Your Message: Choosing Powerful WordsChoosing Powerful Words



Powerful WordsPowerful Words

• Correct• Effective


Meaning of WordsMeaning of Words

• Connotation• Denotation


Balancing WordsBalancing Words

• Concrete – Tangible, objective, visualization

• Abstract– Concepts, qualities, characteristics


Finding WordsFinding Words

• Select powerful words• Choose familiar words• Avoid clichés and buzzwords• Use jargon carefully

Composing Your Message: Composing Your Message: Writing Effective SentencesWriting Effective Sentences



Sentence TypesSentence Types

• Simple• Compound• Complex• Compound-complex


Emphasize Key IdeasEmphasize Key Ideas

• Spacing of words• Placement of words

Composing Your Message: Composing Your Message: Crafting Unified, Coherent Crafting Unified, Coherent

ParagraphsParagraphs



Paragraph ElementsParagraph Elements

• Topic sentence• Support sentences• Transitional elements


Paragraph OptionsParagraph Options

• Illustration• Classification • Cause and effect• Problem and solution • Comparison and contrast

Using Technology to Using Technology to Compose and Shape Your Compose and Shape Your

MessagesMessages



Format with TechnologyFormat with Technology• Style sheets and style setsStyle sheets and style sets• Templates and themesTemplates and themes• Boilerplate and document componentsBoilerplate and document components• Auto-correction and auto-completionAuto-correction and auto-completion• File merge and mail mergeFile merge and mail merge• Endnotes, footnotes, indexes, and TOCEndnotes, footnotes, indexes, and TOC

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education 28Chapter 5 -

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Printed in the United States of America.

BCT Ch05.ppt

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