business communication

1. Business Communication Skills for
Managers
Module 2: Writing in Business

2. What are two keys to success in business
communication?

3. Writing the Right Message

4. Learning Outcomes: Writing the Right Message
2.1 Write a business communication given a specific audience and purpose
2.1.1 Explain the importance of audience to business communication
2.1.2 Discuss the importance of writing a clear and focused message in
business
2.1.3 Differentiate between types for writing positive, negative, and
persuasive messages

5. Audience
The purpose of communication is to have the sender’s idea in mind reach the
receiver’s mind with identical understanding.
Communicating is not as simple and transparent as the image below suggests.
Communication is surrounded by potential pitfalls and myriad opportunities for
the main point to be lost or altered.
Good communicators are mindful of the other potential audiences when they
start writing since doing so can help advance the company and advance a
career.

6. Audience (continued)
General Communication System

7. Audience (cont.)
Downward and Upward Communication
Upward Communication:
• initiated by staff and directed at executives
• examples: complaint or request
Downward Communication:
• initiated by executive levels to staff
• examples: policy manuals, rules and regulations
Horizontal Communication
• information from peers to one of similar rank

8. Activity
In groups of three, come up with a set of guidelines that the manager of an
electronics store could give to her section managers when addressing the
following problem:
The store has unexpectedly run out a hugely discounted “doorbuster”
product/item that has been widely advertised, and there are still customers in line
at the front of the store hoping to purchase the product
The store manager has to make sure that the section managers are consistent
when explaining the situation to the customers. Also, while that news will be
delivered verbally, the guidelines to be observed will be written down for future
use in similar situations.
What is the most effective way to craft the store’s message? How might the
verbal message and the written guidelines differ given the audiences in question?

9. The Right Message
Highlights purpose to narrow and organize communication
Creates clear and efficient communication
Focuses on positive, negative, and persuasive statements

10. The Right Message (cont.)
Positive Messages
• Routine or good news
• Sympathy messages
Negative Messages
• Bad news- want to avoid quitting
• Refusal to provide refund, cancellation of event
Persuasive Communications
• Need encouragement to act as sender desires
• When receiver is reluctant

11. Discussion
What are some ways to avoid the ping-pong of communication
according to the reading?

12. Word Choice and Tone

13. Learning Outcomes: Word Choices and Tone
2.2 Discuss the impact that word choice and tone can have on a business
message
2.2.1 Discuss strategies for creating reader-focused writing
2.2.2 Discuss strategies to avoid language that can confuse or exclude
readers
2.2.3 Discuss strategies to avoid language that shows bias against
individuals or populations
2.2.4 Discuss strategies to improve concision in writing
2.2.5 Discuss strategies to improve clarity in writing
2.2.6 Evaluate the parallel structure of sentences and passages
2.2.7 Discuss appropriate ways to indicate emphasis in business writing

14. Writing for the Reader
Keep in mind that the audience is the receiver of the message
Focus on how as a writer you can best convey message
Remember the You-view concept
• Puts the receiver’s needs before sender’s needs
• Starts with what receiver needs to know

15. Language as an Obstacle
Avoid:
• Clichés - overused, common sayings make writing boring
• Jargon - “technical terminology or characteristic idiom of a special activity
or group”
- can alienate audience, leading to disengagement
• Slang - informal and less credible
• Euphemisms/Doublespeak - addresses unpleasant topics in a polite way,
disguises actual meaning

16. Bias-Free Writing
Gender Bias:
• use both genders
• keep in mind gendered pronouns
• use singular they
Race and Ethnicity Bias:
As a general rule in a business setting, do not mention a person’s race
or ethnicity unless it is directly relevant to the situation.
Disability Bias: avoid labeled nouns

17. Concise Writing
Sentence Length: one subject, one verb phrase - related to reader
comprehension
Expressing ideas accurately
• prepositions - avoid “with” or “of”
• use verbs - more engaging
• reduce extra words - detract from meaning
• avoid repetition

18. Concise Writing (cont.)
Avoid Passive Voice - makes writing flat, note the use of “to be” verbs
• “She was falling” versus “she fell”
How to identify passive voice
• Something is happening
• Subject is not doing that thing

19. Clarity
Precision
• try to be clear and specific
Plain Words
• focus should be on reader understanding
Lists
• draw attention, add white space, emphasis

20. Parallel Construction
Messages are easier to absorb for the reader
Improves writing style
• Here is a positive example: “Yara loves running, swimming, and hiking”
• Here is an example of what not to do: “Yara loves running, to swim, and biking”

21. Emphasis
Helps readers easily access intended
message
What is appropriate differs in the age of
texting & social media
Remember that business
communications are a part of a
professional setting. While humans write
the communications, the situation
remains one company communicating
to another or to a customer.

22. Practice Question 1
Despite a high volume of foot traffic at the car dealership’s 4th of July sale,
the opportunity for increased sales was lost and somebody really dropped
the ball.
How could the statement be revised so as to be more effective?

23. Three-Part Writing Process

24. Learning Outcomes: Three-Part Writing Process
2.3 Identify the three parts of the writing process
2.3.1 Discuss the importance of the planning stage in the writing process
2.3.2 Write a business message based on an outline using the appropriate
components of a business message
2.3.3 Revise a business message for tone, message, and correctness

25. Planning Business Messages
Take a great deal of analysis
Determines how receiver likely feels about
communication
Enables writer to document process
Use pre-writing, such as an outline which can guide
you towards a particular goal

26. Planning Business Messages (cont.)
Messages contain:
• News states point
• Reasons supports news
• Goodwill and action should
appear in your closing
paragraph
• Buffer negative & persuasive
messages

27. Planning Business Messages (cont. II)
Persuasive Messages
• Determines how likely receiver is going to
comply with sender
Organized by AIDA
• (Awareness, Interest, Desire, Action)
Opens with positive or negative message
• should be attention grabbing
• discuss details

28. Writing Business Messages
Post planning: need to craft words and phrasing
Must have writing skills
• subject lines
• constructing buffers
• negative words and tone
• You-View
How to write persuasive, positive, and negative
messages

29. Revising Business Messages
Rearrangement and fine tuning of a draft is a highly
critical step
Use the two-step revision process
Proofread - avoid fragments, run-ons

30. Word Processing Software

31. Learning Outcomes: Word Processing Software
2.4 Use common word processing software to write business messages
2.4.1 Discuss common guidelines to create a professionally formatted
document
2.4.2 Use Microsoft Word to create a visually appealing and accessible
document
2.4.3 Use Google Docs to create a visually appealing and accessible
document

32. Formatting Business Writing
General format:
• Non-indented paragraphs
• 1.0 line spacing in paragraph
• 2.0 line spacing between paragraphs
• Left margin: straight line
• Right margin: ragged or straight
• Font size: 10 or 12

33. Formatting Business Writing (cont.)
Business letter format:
• Sender's address, date, inside
address, salutation, body,
closing, attachments
Business Memo & Email Format
• Pay close attention to subject
line
• Write a direct first sentence

34. Formatting Business Writing (cont. II)
Style:
• White space between words, paragraphs
• Lists: easy-to-understand pattern
• Headings: guide/provide messages
• Font: Serif vs. Sans Serif
• print Media vs. Digital Media

35. Microsoft Word
Line and Paragraph Spacing
Headers and Footers
• holds footnotes, page numbers, titles, etc.
• information repeated every page

36. Microsoft Word
Spell & Grammar Check
• compares words against dictionary or database
• press F7 to open
Sentence Length
• File > Options > Proofing
• “Show readability statistics”

37. Google Docs
Line and Paragraph Spacing
• select lines
• Format > Line Spacing
Adding headers, footers, & page numbers
• Insert > Header & page number
• choose Header or Footer
• enter text
Spell & Grammar Check
• Sentence Length
• Tools > word count
• Command+Shift+C

38. Practice Question 2
Katy sat down at the office computer to fix the monthly vendor letter and
realized she’d need to start from scratch. The digital file had somehow
been lost (or never saved), and all she has is a paper copy. Working in
Google Docs, where will Katy find the settings that will help her get the line
spacing and indent correct?
a) selecting Format and then choosing the Line Spacing command
b) on the ribbon marked paragraph
c) by using the [enter] key and [spacebar] repeatedly

39. Quick Review
• Why is it important to know your audience and how to communicate with
them?
• What are some ways to think about the purpose of a message and stay bias-
free in your writing?
• Why is it important to always be clear, concise, and provide emphasis with
your writing?
• How would you describe the planning, writing, and reviewing stages of
business communication?
• What are the important things to remember when you use Microsoft Word
and Google Docs to write messages?