This document provides guidance on effective business writing skills. It discusses how writing is the primary form of communication in business and why writing skills are important for career success. It also covers different writing styles for business, legal, and literary contexts and how the intended audience would affect the style. Guidelines are provided for properly formatting memos and conveying different types of messages, such as requesting information, good news, bad news, and instructions. The five C's of business writing are emphasized: concise, clear, complete, courteous, and correct.

1. Business Writing Skills
Somewhere Between
Stuffed-Shirt and T-Shirt

2. Does This Look Familiar?
Letters
Memos
Reports
EMAIL
Commas
Grammar
PunctuationCONTENT
Style

3. Why Are Writing Skills So Important?
 It is the most common form of
communication in the workplace.
 Your overall job performance may be
evaluated on your ability to communicate in
writing.
 Several studies have concluded that the
number one factor in determining whether
an individual will be successful in an
organization is whether he/she has effective
written communication skills.

4. Business, Literary,
and Legal Writing
 How do the intended audiences differ?
 How would the differences in the audiences affect the
style of writing?
 What are the significant differences between these
three types of writing styles?
 Which of these three styles of writing are you most
comfortable with?

5. Conduct The T.A.P Test
Getting Started
TOPIC
Information?
Format?
Outline?
PURPOSE
Inform?
Clarify?
Recommend?
Persuade?
Analyze ?
AUDIENCE
Knowledge?
Expectations?

6. The Five C’s Of Business Writing
 Concise
 Clear
 Complete
 Courteous
 Correct

7. The Memo Format
TO: Receiver(s), Title
FROM: Your Name, Title
DATE: Month Day, Year
SUBJECT: BE SPECIFIC

8. Requesting Information
 State the request
immediately in the memo
 Present the details for the
request
 Remind the reader of the
request and provide
additional specific
information such as time
table, deadlines or follow-
ups

9. TO: Faculty, Speech Communication Program
FROM: Brian Schriner, Director, Speech Communication and Forensics
DATE: May 5, 1997
SUBJECT: FILM CATALOG
In order to reduce the amount of time it takes to screen and select appropriate films, we
are creating a catalog of films that has been used effectively in business communication
classes.
Please submit to this office the following information, using a separate sheet of paper for
each film:
1. Film title and appropriate length
2. One-paragraph description of the main points made in the film
3. One-paragraph description of how the film relates to the course in which it was used
Please provide this information by September 1. Shortly thereafter you will receive your
copy of the completed catalog. Through the cooperation of all faculty members in this
project, all of us will benefit.

10. Conveying Good News or Bad News
 Good News
– Direct Organization
 Bad News
– Indirect Organization

11. Conveying Good-News
MEMO
TO: All Employees
FROM: Gabe Harrison, President
DATE: November 14, 1997
SUBJECT: Succesfful Halloween Fund-Raiser
For the third consecutive year the proceeds from our haunted house project have
exceeded our goal. This year’s goal of $6,000 had seemed unrealistically high; however,
the project’s final accounting shows receipts of $6,875.
Thanks to the involvement of every Harrison International employee, the project was a
complete success. We should all be pleased with the knowledge that our efforts have
provided this year’s beneficiary, the Mid-Town Shelter, with the resources necessary to
complete its renovation.

12. Conveying Bad-News
TO: All Members of the Maintenance Crew
FROM: Ed Percival, Personnell Director
DATE: August 14, 1997
SUBJECT: Weekend Maintenance Schedule
Change for November 8-9
You have been involved for the past two years in providing your expertise to Engineering
regarding the long-awaited new generator. After more than a year of planning and
construction, we are almost ready to put the new generator on line. The installation will
be completed over the weekend of November 8-9.
All production will cease at 6:00 a.m. on November 8, and all maintenance personnel will
be expected to work on the 8th
and the 10th
. Because it so rarely happens that all
production equipment is down at the same time, it is important that we take advantage of
the opportunity to perform much routine and non-routine maintenance as possible.
The work we will be able to accomplish over that weekend should ensure that the
maintenance schedule for the rest of the year, including the holiday season, will not
necessitate any unexpected weekend work.

13. Giving Instructions
 Identify the purpose of
the memo
 Set the instructions
apart
 List them
chronologically
 Indicate the importance
of the instructions

14. Giving Instructions
MEMO
TO: All Employees
FROM: B. D. Lewis, Director of Human Resources
DATE: July 1, 1998
SUBJECT: Updating Emergency Information
We are in the process of updating our files on all current employees. Each employee is
required to complete the attached “Emergency Medical Information” sheet. Please follow
these guidelines:
1. Complete the sheet in black ink.
2. Answer each question. Do not leave any questions blank.
3. Sign the bottom of the sheet in the space provided.
4. Return the sheet to HR 100 no later than JULY 15.
5. If you have any questions, please call John at x5555.
By following these procedures you will be contributing to the safety and proper
emergency medical treatment of all employees.