This document discusses best practices in business writing and communication. It covers topics such as ethical business communication, professionalism in the workplace, intercultural communication, writing tips, use of electronic messages, business presentations, reports, plans and proposals. Some key points include maintaining professionalism through respect, punctuality and avoiding gossip; embracing diversity; clear writing with a focus on the most important information; and investing in employee development to increase performance and innovation.

1. Best Practices in Business
Writing and Communication
Presented by Ashlyn Elliott

2. Best Practice in Business Writing and Communication
Today we will be discussing different things within the workplace that can help employees with writing and
communication in their daily job duties. These are the topics we will cover today:
1. Effective and ethical business communication
2. Professionalism in the workplace
3. Intercultural business communication
4. Writing tips for the business professional
5. The use of electronic messages and digital media for business communication
6. Positive and negative messages
7. Business presentations
8. Business reports, plans and proposals

3. Ethical
Communication
• Organizational Ethics Policy
• Ethical training
• Handling ethical issues in the workplace

4. How to handle positive and negative ethics in the workplace
• Recognizing Good ethical business manner is important in order for
employees to know when they did a “job well done” but also for other
employees to know the ethical standards that are set within the organization
(Anthony, 2014).
• When unethical communication or actions occur it is important for
management to take that as an opportunity and use it as a tool to teach
employees what is and isn’t acceptable.

5. Ways to Maintain Professionalism
• Treating others with respect
• Leaving personal issues at home
• Leaving personal communication devices at
home
• Dress professional
• Be on time
• Don’t gossip
• Don’t lie

6. Maintaining Professionalism in the Workplace
• Treating others with respect: This is an action that goes far with people and is typically reciprocated.
• Leaving personal issues at home: Most people do not think that this can affect your in your job, but it
can. It can cause individuals to make mistakes or have a negative attitude towards co-workers.
• Leaving personal communication devices at home: It’s not the time or the place for it.
• Dress professional: It says a lot about a person by the way they carry themselves.
• Be on time: punctuation is critical no matter what you are doing in life.
• Don’t gossip: It will cause workplace conflict and could affect the career path an individual is on.
• Don’t lie: One lie tends to lead to another.

7. A Global Organization
• Multi Culture Organization
• Educating employees on the different
cultures within the organization.
• Teaching employees how to embrace
diversity in the workplace
• Teaching employees what could be the
challenges the face working in a multi
culture organization.

8. Embracing Diversity
• Provide Diversity training to employees
• Educate employees on the company diversity policy
• Encourage employees to work in Diverse groups
• Enforce a zero tolerance policy within the workplace

9. Intercultural Communication
Some things to do when communicating with different cultures is:
• Teach and encourage active listening skills
• Direct employees on when and how to paraphrase
• Practice repeating what the other person said
By doing these three things it can help ensure that you have a strong
understanding of a conversation and it can clear up any confusing if there is
any.

10. Business Writing
When writing emails and texts, tone can
be misunderstood. It is important to
consider these things when delivering a
message. Although the message may be
important it is critical to not use
enthusiasm within e-mails or text
messaging. Make sure the message being
sent is clear, with the importance of the
message at the beginning and always be
sure to proof read.

11. Ten ways to enhance writing skills
Coster (2010) gives ten tops for better business writing:
• Clarity
• Avoid short sentences
• Avoid verbiage that will be foreign
• Keep the most important things at the beginning
• Be specific
• Avoid enthusiasm
• Use active and not passive verbs
• Choose pronouns wisely
• Proof read for grammar errors
• Know when to use different common words that introduce things correctly

12. Electronic Messages and Digital Media
for Business Communication
The rise in using a mobile device to text message and write short emails for
business related communication is increasing (Feigenbaum, 2014). This type of
communication has become extremely convenient in order for people to stay
on the go. However, things aren’t always professional when using a handheld
device as people tend to shorten what they are saying with acronyms and
abbreviations.

13. Pros and Cons of
Business E-mails
Cons:
• Revolving time at the computer
• It is impersonal
Pros:
• It is fast if a person is at the computer
• It is a cheaper communication

14. Pros and Cons of
Business Text Messages
Cons:
• Not using full words or sentences to maintain
professionalism.
• A interruption during meetings
Pros:
• The convenience
• Faster responses

15. The Message
Positive Message
• Remain professional
• Be genuine
• Be passionate about what you do
Negative Message
• Be sensitive to how things are worded.
• Try to incorporate positive energy
• Be genuine
• Be passionate about what you do

16. Business Presentations
• Provide a handout
• Be humorous
• Engage audience through discussions
• Have a strong, catchy introduction

17. Ways to create a more powerful Presentation
Theriault (2013) suggests 9 ways that can help enhance a presentation in the workplace.
• Establishing your credibility first
• Including the goal in the introductory of the presentation
• Use supporting material throughout the presentation
• Begin separate ideas with powerful quotations or images
• Ask thought-provoking or rhetorical questions
• Make startling statement
• Be prepared to answer difficult questions
• Have your own questions ready in case no one has any to ask or is to reserved to ask any
• Have a second short closing after questions have been asked and answers have been given

18. Business Reports
Business reports provide important information to management that is
required to be timely and factual (Beare, 2014). There are four essential things
that every business report should include:
• Terms of reference
• Procedure
• Findings
• Recommendations

19. Four essential things that a business report should include
• Terms of reference- Who the report is
for and when it is due by.
• Procedure- The steps that will be
taken to collect the data needed.
• Findings- The information gathered.
• Recommendations- From the data
collected, make recommendations.

20. Strong Business Plan
Having a strong business plan can be critical
to the success of the organization. It
provides direction and vision for the
organization and its employees. Business
plans serve as the outline for the
organization and provide standards to see if
the organization is reaching the goals set
(Hull, 2013).

21. Business Plans
Hull (2013) states ten things that a business plan should include:
1. Mission Statement
2. Description of the organization
3. Description of what makes the organization unique from others
4. Market Analysis
5. Description of the management team
6. How the organization will market their organization
7. Analysis of the organizational strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats
8. Develop a cash flow statement
9. Revenue Projections
10. Summary

22. Business Proposals
It is critical to an organization that when submitting a business proposal they
have done research, gathered information and provided that in a proposal in a
professional manner. Business proposals in today’s competitive business
environment can be critical to the success of an organization. Strauss (2011)
recommends seven tips for creating a great business proposal.

23. Tips to creating a strong business proposal
1. Write Clearly
2. Make a valid argument
3. Don’t be afraid to show your personality
4. Don’t misuse graphics
5. Don’t oversell
6. Make the proposal to fit the client
7. Be mindful of the audience reading the
proposal

24. Strong Writing and Communication
• Successful organizations
• Investing in the employees
• The organizations future
• Training options

25. Investing in Employees
There are key reasons that a company should
invest in developing their workers of the future
(Quast, 2012).
1. Increase performance and production
2. Attract and Retain Talent
3. Strengthen culture and promote and foster
diversity
4. Encourage innovation
5. Serve customers to the fullest

26. Q&A
Now is the time for the audience and presenter to
ask questions.
• Was everything clear throughout the
presentation?
• Were all topics discussed that have an impact
on your daily role within the organization?
• What helps you with writing and
communication?
• Where do you feel you can improve with
writing and communication in your role?

27. References
Anthony, L. (2014). About Communication & Ethical Issues in Business. Chron. Retrieved from
smallbusiness.chron.com/communication-ethical-issues-business-4886.html
Beare, K. (2014). How to Write a Business Report. About.com. Retrieved from
http://esl.about.com/od/businessenglishwriting/a/bizdocs.htm
Coster, H. (2010). Ten Tops for Better Business Writing. Forbes. Retrieved from
www.forbes.com/2010/05/03/better-business-writing-leadership-careers-tips-html
Duggan, T. (2014). Strategies for Dealing with Intercultural Communication. Chron.
smallbusiness.chron.com/strategies-dealing-intercultural-communication-11875.html
Feigenbaum, E. (2014). Electronic Methods of Communication in Business. Chron. Retrieved from
smallbusiness.chron.com/electronic-methods-communication-bsuiness-2943.html
Hull, P. (2013). 10 Essential Business Plan Components. Forbes. Retrieved from
http://www.forbes.com/sites/patrickhull/2013/02/21/10-essential-business-plan-components/
McKay, D. R. (2014). Professionalism How to Conduct Yourself at Work. About Career Planning.
Retrieved from careerplanning.about.com/od/workplacesurvival/a/professionalism.htm
Theriault, M. (2013). 9 Tips for More Powerful Business Presentations. Forbes. Retrieved from
www.forbes.com/sites.allbusiness/2013/11/04/9-tips-for-more-powerful-business-presentations/
Quast, L. (2012). Want your Company to Succeed in the Future? Invest in Employee Skills Training like Deloitte LLP. Forbes.
Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/lisaquast/2012/05/14/want-your-company-to-succeed-in-the-future-invest-in- employee-
skills-training-like-deloitte-llp/