Effective Business Writing

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To introduce readers to effective business writing elements, in order to enhance their business writing skills. Introductory business management concepts @ OxfordCambridge.Org all for free and free for all. The information gathered here are under the format of KeyPoints for readers to develop in their own time.

Transcript of Effective Business Writing

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Welcome!

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Effective Business Writing

KeyPoints to develop in your own time!

Introductory concepts in Assertive Communication @ OxfordCambridge.Org all for free and free for all.

The information gathered here are under the format of KeyPoints for the reader to develop in his or her own time. Some tips on how to proceed, perhaps:

- Identify all the Keypoints on which you feel a need to expand your knowledge.

- Choose a good book or two or the Internet info and then work towards gaining the needed knowledge.

Please Enjoy!

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The Seeds Of Learning

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To introduce readers to effective business writing in order to enhance their business writing skills

Aim of publication

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After going through the KeyPoints outlined in this publication, the reader should be able to:

☺ describe how to plan a communication and set the right context☺ explain how to identify the subject, the audience, and the purpose of

a document☺ outline how to gather the relevant material☺ identify the differences between descriptive and persuasive

documents☺ explain the importance of structure, the use of headings, and the

value of an executive summary☺ understand the value of accurate spelling and grammar☺ explain the significance of writing style☺ outline how to write conversationally☺ point out the importance of avoiding excessive jargon, clichés,

archaic language, and negatives☺ describe the effectiveness of using the active voice

Overall Learning Objectives

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1. Planning the communication2. Devising an effective structure3. Developing an effective style4. Effective Writing

Sections list

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Planning the communication

To show how to plan a business document.

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Planning the communication: Learning Objectives☺ After completing this section you should

be able to:

• describe how to plan a business document

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Planning the communication: Summary

☺ When you are planning a business document, you need to consider its subject, its intended audience, and its purpose.

☺ You can gather information about a subject by researching it or by using techniques such as brainstorming to come up with ideas.

☺ You should consider the people who will be reading your document and decide which of their characteristics are most important to your subject matter. For example, if you are writing a business report, you need to take your audience’s business experience into account but you don’t need to consider their hobbies.

☺ Most business documents fall into one of two categories

• they can be descriptive and intended to convey information

• or they can be persuasive and used to convince the reader to take some course of action.

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Planning the communication

☺ Good communication is essential in the business environment because it ensures that you put your point across in the workplace and in dealing with other businesses.

☺ Writing memos, reports, and letters are all part of working environment in businesses.

☺ Personal Computers (PCs) can make the process friendlier and easier.

☺ Still it is important to know how to write in an effective manner.

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Planning the communication

☺ Professional business writing is affected by its context - for instance, when using a different style for an e-mail sent to a small group of colleagues than for a letter sent to a bank manager.

☺ Therefore when planning our document, there is a need to consider the following:

• the subject of the writing

• the audience for which it is intended

• the purpose we want it to fulfil

☺ On one hand the subject on which we are writing may already have been set - we may need to write a letter to a prospective employer, for example.

☺ On the other hand, we may have to decide the subject for ourselves.

☺ In either case we need to gather relevant material.

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Planning the communication

☺ One way to collect material for a document is by searching for relevant terms on the Web.

☺ We can also excellent ideas by brainstorming or free-writing - typing as many ideas and words about our subject as possible in a short period of time.

☺ If we use a word-processing program to do this, you can even paste some of these ideas and phrases into the initial draft of your document.

☺ If the subject we are dealing with is quite general, we can clarify it by asking ourselves few questions about it.

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☺ Shall we say we are writing a memo about how productivity can be increased in our organisation.

☺ We may narrow this subject down to more specific issues with questions such as what follows:

☺ why is productivity that important?

☺ is our situation similar to that in other organisation, and if that is the case, how have they handled productivity?

☺ what part of the organisation is most affected by a low productivity?

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☺ For instance, if we are writing a work-related memo to our colleagues, we don’t usually need to consider their social backgrounds or pastimes.

☺ As our audience is very important, when possible, we should talk to the people who are going to read and use our document.

☺ This will help us to get an idea of their requirements, so that we include solely the information that is important to them.

☺ We can make our writing easier to understand for readers by creating links between our subject and facts these readers already know.

☺ Also we can use statistics and examples to illustrate our points.

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☺ Determining who our document should be written for is an important part of the planning.

☺ That means we should consider who our readers are and what information we can expect them to know before reading our document.

☺ For example a group of specialists requires more complex and technical information than a non-technical group.

☺ We should decide which characteristics of our target audience are relevant to our subject matter.

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☺ The purpose of a document, like the audience to which it is directed, should affect the way we write it.

☺ It can be said that business documents fall into two general categories, each with its own purpose:

• descriptive documents: they inform readers or make suggestions

• persuasive documents: which try to convince readers to take some course of action

☺ After having decided which category the document we are creating belongs to, we can determine how to achieve its purpose.

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☺ As an example, we have decided to create a short memo to tell our work colleagues about new developments in computer technology.

☺ This type of descriptive memo should be straight forward while including the relevant facts and maybe our opinions and comments.

☺ If we want our document to persuade the audience to carry out a task, we need to explain why they should go on with that task.

☺ We should include convincing arguments that support our position.

☺ Also we should accentuate how the course of action will benefit that audience instead of underlining possible disadvantages.

☺ It is essential we find the accurate tone to use when trying to persuade readers.

☺ Appealing to our readers’ emotions is valid if we want them to make a charitable donation, but it would seem patronising or even offensive in most business situations.

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Devising an effective structure

To show how to devise an effective structure for your document.

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Devising an effective structure: Objectives

☺ After completing this section you should be able to:

• discuss ways of structuring and drafting business documents

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Devising an effective structure: Summary

☺ Word-processing programs are particularly useful when you are structuring a document, because they let you change it easily and save several versions of that document.

☺ There are a number of ways in which you can organise your document. If it is relatively short, a simple list of your main points can work well. A chronological structure may be useful for a descriptive document, while a deductive structure may be better for a persuasive one.

☺ Whichever structure you decide to use, you should always place the most important facts at the start of your document.

☺ You can improve the quality of your writing by using a number of drafts to refine your documents. After creating a draft, you should set it aside for a while before you review it or you should have someone else review that draft for you.

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Developing an effective style

To show how to use an effective writing style.

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Developing an effective style: Objectives

☺ After completing this section you should be able to:

• discuss how to develop an effective writing style

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Developing an effective style: Summary

☺ If possible, you should try to make your writing style conversational. To do this, you should where possible use smaller, more familiar words instead of obscure, complex ones. You should also try to avoid using very long sentences, jargon, clichés, or outdated language.

☺ Because people respond better to positive facts, you should emphasize positive rather than negative facts in your writing. It is also important to avoid using language that demeans anyone’s race, religion, or gender.

☺ Language structure and grammar are important elements of style. For example, you can make your writing easier to understand by breaking it into coherent paragraphs and varying the length of the sentences you use.

☺ Because it emphasizes the do-er of an action, using the active voice also makes your writing more accessible.

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Writing effectively

To show how to write effective memos and letters.

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Writing effectively: Objectives

☺ After completing this section you should be able to

• discuss how to create effective memos and letters

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Writing effectively: Summary

☺ There are specific rules and formats that you should apply to documents such as business memos and letters.

☺ Memos consist of a number of sections - the header, the body, a conclusion, and any relevant attachments.

☺ In the header section you should include your own name, the full names of the people to whom you’re sending the memo, the date, and a description of the memo’s subject.

☺ In the body of your memo you first establish why you’re writing, then make your points, and finally state your conclusion.

☺ Because they are usually sent to people outside your own company, business letters are more formal than memos.

☺ You should include your own address as well as that of the person to whom you’re sending the letter.

☺ Your letter should begin with a formal greeting and end with a closing statement. You should type your name at the bottom of the letter and also include your signature.

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Information Gathering Links

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Thank you for your interest!

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