Understanding Professional Communication.

1. Copyright © 2002 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. All rights reserved.
Chapter 1
Understanding Professional
Communication
Professional Communication:
Strategies for College and the Workplace
by Dan Jones & Karen Lane

2. Copyright © 2002 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. All rights reserved.
Professional Communication . . .
Frequently deals
with scientific or
technological
subjects

3. Copyright © 2002 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. All rights reserved.
Professional Communication
must . . .
• meet the information needs of the audience
• work with a specialized vocabulary
• create a helpful design
• provide illustrations whenever appropriate

4. Copyright © 2002 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. All rights reserved.
Workplace writing includes. . .
• correspondence (letters, memos, e-mail)
• notes
• manuals (instructions)
• proposals
• reports —Continued—

5. Copyright © 2002 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. All rights reserved.
Workplace writing includes. . .
• policies and procedures
• job descriptions
• performance evaluations
• promotional materials
(posters, brochures, flyers)

6. Professional Communication
fails . . .
when writers focus on what they want to
say rather than on what the readers
need to read or on what the listeners
need to hear.

7. Copyright © 2002 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. All rights reserved.
A Professional document that
ignores the audience . . .
• is poorly organized
• has inappropriate content
• does not allow readers to picture
themselves in the text
• lacks clarity

8. Copyright © 2002 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. All rights reserved.
Ineffective Professional
Communication . . .
• wastes time
• increases expenses
• causes missed deadlines
• decreases productivity
—Continued—

9. Copyright © 2002 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. All rights reserved.
Ineffective Professional
Communication . . .
• affects
promotions
• affects morale
• damages
reputations

10. Copyright © 2002 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. All rights reserved.
Effective Professional
Communication . . .
• saves time
• saves money
• achieves the
purpose
• enhances your
career