Routine business messages…

C- Qualities
Thought Tone
• Complete • Courteous
• Clear • Considerate
• Concise
• Concrete
• Correct
[Source: Murphy & Hide Brand (1991)
Effective Business Communications]
 Completeness
5 Ws and 1 H

• Who?
• What?
• Where?
• When?
• Why ?
• How?
Clarity
 Clarity

• Length
• Unity
• Coherence
• Emphasis
• Readability
• Appropriate Writing Mechanics
 Clarity
Length
• Average sentence length – 16-20 words
• Average paragraph length
Letters, memos: 4 - 5 lines
Reports: 8 - 9 lines
 Clarity
Unity
• One main idea in each sentence

• One main idea in each paragraph

 Clarity
Coherence

• Take care to arrange words in sentence

• Use appropriate transitional devices to

indicate progress of thought
 Clarity
Emphasis

• Set off Important parts of message from

the rest.
 Clarity
Emphasis

Visual Devices
Punctuation Marks
Arrangement of Words
Arrangement of Clauses
Sentence Position and Variation
 Clarity
Readability
• No Jargon
• No redundancy
• No clichés
(Plain English)
 Clarity
Appropriate writing mechanics
Spelling
Punctuation
Word-division
Other conventions
 Conciseness
• Only relevant statements/details
• Not wordy
• No redundancy
 Conciseness
Only the relevant information
• Stick to purpose of the message

• Edit for irrelevant words/ rambling

sentences

• Omit information obvious to reader

• Omit repetitions
 Conciseness
• Avoid long introductions/ unnecessary
explanations/ and excessive adjectives/
adverbs/ prepositions/ pompous words/
and gushy politeness

• Get to the important points tactfully.

 Concreteness

• Include relevant facts and figures

• Use images

• Give examples
 Correctness
Use appropriate language (formal , informal,
semi-formal)

Support your claims with relevant facts

Double-Check your facts

 Courtesy

Tact
Appreciation
 Courtesy
Tact

Avoid abrupt messages

Use appropriate convention to address
reader
Avoid unsavory expressions
 Courtesy
Appreciation

• Thank reader for response /action etc.

• Appreciate their gesture

Apologize for inconvenience

 Consideration

• You-orientation
• You-focus
• Emphasizing positive factors
 Consideration
You-orientation
Put yourself in your receiver’s shoes
Both when you fail to deliver and
when pointing out receivers’ failure……
 Consideration
You-focus
• Keep the reader in the message… all the
time
• Outline benefits to the reader
• Tell by asking