All about Business Writing.

First, What is Business Writing?

Business

writing is workplace writing, which is

a form of technical writing.

Workplace

writing is generally persuasive

writing.
Example 1: A Resume to persuade a
potential employer to offer an interview

Example 2: A Findings Report to persuade

employees to follow certain policies or
procedures in order to improve performance or
correct errors or problems.

Some Types of Workplace Writings

Business Letters (most common formal letter to an

external recipient)

E-mail Transmissions (A more informal business

message than a business letter that is sent
electronically to one or more recipients, within or
external to the business).

Memoranda /memorandum (usually sent to one or more

business colleagues employed within the same business
unit or company)

Reports (financial, audit, or

statistical report that
identifies the specific problem and presents collected
data, research, or recommendations for the change
process (re-engineering process.)

Some Types of Workplace Writings

Contracts (binding agreements or proposals between

two or more parties that can become legal documents
if they include an offer that is accepted.)

Manuals (a written set of instructions, procedures or

policies)

PowerPoint (a soft-ware generated, visual slide show,

with animation options, that hosts a set of notes or
bulleted points, an agenda, or other information that
supports a discussion).

Business
Writing is
technical
communicatio
n or technical
writing.

Business Writing: Technical or

Workplace Writing
Definition of Technical Writing:
Writing that transfers information about a
situation, product, service, or concept . . .
to audiences of varying levels of technical
knowledge, so that each member of the
audience clearly understands the
message.
The word technical means skilled,
specialized, and strict.
Technical writing follows rules
and protocols.

How to Create Effective Technical or

Workplace Writings
1.

Focus on the purpose of your writing

2.

Focus on your readers (Audience)

3.

Satisfy document requirements (Documentation style;

visuals; data)

4.

Get to the point. (Concise, uncluttered sentences)

5.

Provide accurate information (Research)

6.

Present your material logically

7.

Express yourself clearly (Grammar; Proofreading)

8.

Use efficient wording (Word Choice)

9.

Make your ideas accessible (Clarity)

10.

Use lists for some information (organized bullets)

11.

Format your pages carefully (be neat and leave white space)

12.

Manage your time efficiently (Meet deadlines)

Pay attention to Word Choice

The following is a short list of common word choice mistakes
to watch out for in business writing.

affect, effect -- Affect is usually a verb meaning "to influence."

Effect is usually a noun meaning "result." The drug did not
affect the disease, and it had several adverse side effects.
Effect can also be a verb meaning "to bring about."

Only the president can effect such a dramatic change.

a lot -- A lot is two words. Do not write alot.

We have had a lot of rain this year.

Data -- Data is the plural for datum, which means "a fact or
proposition." New data suggest (not suggests) that our theory
is correct. The singular (datum) is rarely used.
(the words media and staff also are treated as plural nouns)

Pay attention to Word Choice (cont.)

farther,

further -- Farther describes distances.

Pune is farther from Mumbai than I thought.

Further suggests degree.

You extended the curfew further than you should have.
Firstly

-- Firstly sounds pretentious, and it leads

to the ungainly series firstly, secondly, thirdly,
fourthly, and so on. Write first, second, third
instead.

kind

of, sort of -- Avoid using kind of or sort of to

mean "somewhat." The movie was a little (not
kind of ) boring. Do not put an a after either

Pay attention to Word Choice

(cont.)
principal, principle -- Principal is a noun meaning
"the head of a school or organization" Or "a sum of
money." It is also an adjective or meaning "most
important.
Principle is a noun meaning "a basic truth or law."
Example: The principal expelled her for violating
several principles expressed in the school handbook.
Example: We believe in the principle of equal justice
for all.
regardless, irregardless -- Irregardless is
nonstandard. Use regardless. Example: Regardless
of what you think.
conversated is slang and the correct word is

 Written Communication
Stages of Writing Process
Organizing and Composing messages
Writing goodwill, good and bad
messages

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Written
Communication

Learning to write is learning

to think

Written
Communication

Written messages allow more control, mechanical

efficiency and convenience for both sender and
receiver
Written messages are your best choice, when?

You are communicating a routine matter

You are worried about urgency or ambiguity
You need or want a document recorded
Your communicating complex and / or
numerical information
You want to give your receiver time to deal
with the message at his or her convenience

Advantages

Disadvantages

Ready Reference.

Limited to literate world.

Legal Defence.

Time Consuming.

Promotes Uniformity.

Lot of paper work.

Mass Access.

Needs expertise in

Suitable for Distance

expression.

Communication.

Lack of immediate

Image Building.

feedback.

Accurate and

Unambiguous.

communication.

Permanent in Nature.

More man hours needed.

Permits Substitutions and

No immediate clarification.

Revisions.

Costly than oral

5 step writing process

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Identify your purpose

Analyze your audience
Choose your ideas
Collect data to support
your ideas
Organize your message

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1. Identify your purpose

Is

it informational?
Is it persuasive?
Are you trying to negotiate a contract/deal?
All messages have a relational
purpose

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2. Analyze your
audience
Your

message has to be seen from the receivers

point of view.

Be

sensitive to your audience needs with a you

attitude.
To help us process this order, we must ask for
another copy of the requisition.
So that your order can be filled promptly, please send
another copy of the requisition.

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3. Choose your idea

Ideas depend on the type of message, the

situation,
and
the
cultural
context(national and international).

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4. Collect your data

Know

company policies, procedures,

product details, customer details etc.

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5. Organize your message

Outline

your message
Prepare a draft
Different approaches for different
cultures.

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There are three main elements to

written communication
Structure (the way the content is laid
out)
Style (the way it is written)
Content (what you are writing about)
Structure and style/layout can be relatively
quickly learnt but learning how to write good
quality content takes much longer
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Structuring
A good structure will help you to express yourself
more clearly, whether in research, an essay, a job
application letter or a CV.
Clarify

your thoughts and the purpose of your

communication before you start writing. In business
communications, clarity is more important than
style.
Identify the key points, facts and themes
Decide on a logical order for what you have to
say

Structuring
Compose

contd.

a strong introduction and ending.

The first will make an immediate and positive
impression on the reader; the second will remain
in their mind after they have finished reading
Use short paragraphs and sentences rather
than long, rambling ones. Keep to one idea per
paragraph and put your point in the first line, then
add the supporting information.
Help key points to stand out by the use of
headings, sub-headings and bullet points. This will
allow your reader to quickly scan your message
for the main points.

Writing in a Style appropriate to the audience

All good communicators should think about their readers:

How much information and detail will they need?

Should you use specialist terms or should you translate
these to make yourself understood by a generalist reader?
How formal or informal should your writing be?

For example:
A scientific paper aimed at an audience of non-scientists
would have to be written in simpler and less technical
language.
A lawyer giving advice to a client would not go into the same
amount of details as to legal precedents and arguments as a
law student would when writing an academic essay.
Emails sent with job applications should be treated more
formally than emails to friends and family

Structure (the way the content is laid out)

Checklist

Look at a piece of writing you have had to do (i.e. an essay, report

or job application) and check it against the following points)

Is

the layout clear and easy to

follow?
Do headings stand out (e.g. are
they in a larger font size)?
Is the information arranged in a
logical sequence with a beginning
(introduction), middle, and end
(conclusion)?
Does the introduction clearly state
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Style (the way it is written)

Does

it look neat, and elegant?

Is it concise, with an exact use of words and
economy of style? For example: Instead of
saying forward planning, just say planning - there
is no such thing as backward planning!
Are paragraphs too long?Paragraphs of less
than 10 lines are easier to read.
Is a blank line left between paragraphs to
aid clarity?

Style (the way it is written)

Is

contd

it simple, direct and lucid? For example a

bureaucrat would write: Political organisation
administered directly via the populace, intended
for the employment of the general community, on
behalf of each and every one of the citizens of the
nation. Abraham Lincoln wrote:Government of the
people, by the people, for the people.
Is the first sentence interesting/ Does it draw
the reader in?
Have you avoided unnecessary jargon?
Is the style suitable for the intended audience?
A scientific report aimed at an audience of nonscientists would have to be written in simpler and
more jargon free language.
Are bulleted lists used where appropriate?

Style (the way it is written)

Have

contd.

you used short, concrete, familiar words

rather than long, obscure, complex words?
Use the active words where possible rather than
the passive voice? Eg : It is recommended
should be replaced by We recommend as this is
simpler and more direct
Have you kept wordy phrases to a minimum?
Have you avoided repetition?
Fonts ( Use sans serif fonts like Arial, Verdana.
Avoid serif fonts like Times new roman, Garamond)

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Effective business messages

Your basic organizational plan depends on a number of

factors:

How you expect your reader to react to your message,

How much this person knows about this topic or situation,

What his or her cultural conventions are.

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Effective business messages

For letters and memos, you can choose one of the
four organizational plans.
Direct Request ( When the main purpose is to
make a request that requires less persuasion)
Good news ( To grant requests, announce
favourable or neutral information, exchange
routine information within or between companies)
Bad news (Indirect organizational approach for bad
news messages)
Persuasive request plan ( Core purpose is to get
your reader to support, believe and act in your
favour)

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Organizing and composing messages

Direct

Request
Good news

Direct approach
(begin with main
idea)

Bad

news
Persuasive request plan

Indirect approach
(states main idea
later)

Use the Direct Request plan when the purpose is to

make a request that requires less persuasion.
Use the Good news plan to grant requests,
announce favorable information.
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Indirect
Approach
When

you expect resistance to your

message, such as in a bad-news message or
a persuasive request.
You should not present the main idea in the
first paragraph.
Begin with a pleasant, neutral statement,
then give an explanation before you
introduce the idea.(Porch)

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Good News

When your message is favorable or neutral,

you can use the good-news plan.
Best news or main idea
Middle Explanation, all necessary details, educational
information, resale, Sales promotion.
Positive, friendly ending, motivation to action,
willingness to help further, appreciation.

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Bad News
A bad-news message varies from a good-news message
in tone, structure, and information.
In bad-news messages it is important that your tone be
appropriate.
Put yourself in the readers place.
Show confidence in the reader
Single people out when you praise them, put them in a
group when you criticize them.
Be courteous and shield the readers pride.
Talk with, not down to, the reader.
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Bad News
Structure the message
Buffer
Explanation and analysis of circumstances
Friendly, positive close
Buffer
Buffers should be neutral in tone: avoid misleading the
reader into thinking the news is good.
Explanation and Analysis
Explanation are often crucial to the effectiveness of a
negative message.

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Bad News

Friendly, Positive close

Endings should be positive, with reader friendly
requests, assurances, and reader benefits.

Invite

future

patronage,

cooperation,

suggestions or compliances

Express continued interest, service and offer

assurances.

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Tips for effective Written Communication

Draft an outline at the beginning by proper

planning.
Focus on the audience, purpose, topic and desired
outcome.
Structure the Introduction, Body and Conclusion in
a systematic and logical order.
Focus on each paragraph.
Understand the readers perception.
Avoid grammatical mistakes.
Use proper vocabulary, punctuations, commas,
colons and semi-colons.
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Tips for effective Written Communication

Avoid using slang language.
Avoid using you while making any criticism.
Always start with a positive phrase.
Always write the name of the company and the
person correctly.
Keep sentences short, clear and concise.
Avoid repetition and too many irrelevant details.
Elaborate on the technical language and jargons
used.
Effectively use the charts, graphs, diagrams and
pictures.

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Tips for effective Written Communication

Never express your anger, frustration,
irritation
and
aggression
in
written
communication.
Proof read the document before sending.
Use proper communication channel.
Get a proper feedback.
Continuously update yourself to improve
written skills.

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