This document provides guidance on effective business communication and writing. It discusses how to plan communication, use appropriate language and visual aids, and choose an appropriate format. It also outlines common writing strategies and steps to take in business writing, including defining objectives, structuring information, and using outlining techniques. The document emphasizes clear objectives, audience focus, and addressing potential objections to help create persuasive business documents.

1. BUSINESS
COMMUNICATION

2. Effective Business Documents
You are a Writer.
You are a Document Designer.
Communication can be effective only if:
• It is planned and organized well
• Uses appropriate language
• Uses effective layout and visual aids
• Uses an appropriate format
•Hartley and Bruckmann, 2002

3. • Written Communication to achieve a
Business Objective:
• Tell someone what to do or how to do
something (Instruction sheets/ manuals)
• Give someone accurate information
(product info sheet)
• Market a product or an event (advt/ press
release)
• Persuade someone to set up or continue
with a project (project proposal/report)

4. Main Strategies used by Writers:
Watercolourists
• Tend to write ‘in one pass’ from mental
plan
• Tend to review and revise on screen
rather than print out drafts
Architects
• Make detailed plan
• Do a draft, then print out. Revise paper
version and then return to computer
•Hartley and Bruckmann, 2002

5. Bricklayers
• Build the text up sentence by sentence
• Revise on screen as they go
Sketchers
• Produce rough plan
• Make frequent revision and review/ revise
both on screen and from pare draft

6. Oil Painters
• Start by drafting rather than planning,
working from broad headlines
• Review drafts on paper

7. Steps in Business Writing
• Write down your purpose
• Assemble the information
• Group the information
• Put the information into logical sequence
• Produce an outline
• Write the first draft
• Edit and write the final draft

8. Clear Objectives lead to New and Better
Documents
 To inform
 To support
 To assess
 To classify
 To evaluate
 To persuade
 To demonstrate
 To describe

9. • Defining Objectives
• Phrasing Objectives
To show that replacing our current management
information system with the Abacus system will :
 Improve our management decisions
 Give operating staff more satisfying jobs; and
 Save on running costs

10. Structuring Information
• From the audience/ reader’s point of view:
• The ordering, logic and/or classification
should make sense to the reader
• Information which is clearly structured is
easily absorbed or retained

11. • Methods:
• Chunking: Breaking down info into
sections or chunks
• Ordering: working the chunks into a useful
order
• Signposting: offering clues or signals to
explain /demonstrate how info is
structured and prepare the reader for a
change in direction (signalling
words/phrases, linking words /phrases)

12. Methods using these 3 Principles
Outlining :
• Point outlines
• Headings, subheadings
• Mind Maps/ Spider-diagrams
• Pyramids

13. • A Mind Map is a diagram used to
represent words, ideas, tasks, or other
items linked to and arranged around a
central key word or idea. Mind maps are
used to generate, visualize, structure, and
classify ideas, and as an aid in study,
organization, problem solving, decision
making, and writing.
• Emphasis: images, colours and spacing
• Association: links, developing your own
codes

16. PAIBOC
P What are your purposes in writing?
A Who is (are) your audiences?
I What information must your message
include?

17. B What reasons or reader benefits can
you use to support your position?
O What objections can you expect your
reader(s) to have?
C How will the context affect reader
response?

18. • DIRECT REQUESTS /
NEUTRAL / GOODWILL MESSAGES
• NEGATIVE MESSAGES
• PROBLEM-SOLVING / PERSUASIVE
MESSAGES

19. DIRECT REQUEST
 ASKING FOR INFO/SERVICE
 DETAILS
 REQUEST FOR ACTION

20. DIRECT INDIRECT
APPROACH APPROACH
•FIRMNESS IS
NEEDED •AUDIENCE WILL BE
DISAPPOINTED
•READER WON’T BE
DISAPPOINTED •AUDIENCE IS
EMOTIONALLY
•SITUATION IS INVOLVED
ROUTINE OR MINOR
•AUDIENCE PREFERS
BAD NEWS FIRST

21. BUFFERS
• NEUTRAL
• RELEVANT
• NOT MISLEADING
• ASSERTIVE
• SUCCINCT

22. NEGATIVE MESSAGES
• GIVE THE BAD NEWS
• ENSURE ITS ACCEPTANCE
• MAINTAIN READER’S GOODWILL
• MAINTAIN ORGANIZATION’S GOOD
IMAGE
• REDUCE FUTURE CORRESPONDENCE
ON THE MATTER

23. • Reason that hurts company :
• Our company is not hiring at the present
time because profits are down. In fact, the
downturn has prompted top management
to reduce the salaried staff by 5% just this
month, with perhaps more reductions to
come.
• Better:
• Our company does not have any openings
now.

24. • Giving Bad news to • Giving Bad news to
Superiors: Peers and
Subordinates:
• Shared Problem • Shared Problem
• Details • Alternatives
• Alternatives • Request for Action/
• Request for Action Input

25. PROBLEM-SOLVING MESSAGE
• SHARED PROBLEM
• DETAILS
• SOLUTION
• NEGATIVES – OUTWEIGHED BY
ADVANTAGES
• READER BENEFITS
• REQUEST FOR ACTION

26. THE AIDA ORGANIZATIONAL PLAN
• ATTENTION
• INTEREST
• DESIRE
• ACTION

27. THANK YOU …..