3 Step Writing Process

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Business edit Master subtitle style Click to Communication MBA I Trimester

The Three Steps

Step 1: PLANNING BUSINESS MESSAGES Step 2: WRITING BUSINESS MESSAGES Step 3: COMPLETING BUSINESS MESSAGES

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PLANNING BUSINESS MESSAGES

Analyze your situation Gathering information Selecting the right medium

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Analyze your situation

Defining your purpose: 4 Questions possibility of change, realistic, right time, acceptability to your org Developing an audience profile:

Identify primary audience audience size and geographic distribution audience composition audience members level of understanding 4/17/12

Determine Determine Gauge

Gathering information

Uncovering audience needs based on audience feedback, asking questions to specify focus, anticipating info needs Providing required information: Journalistic approach who, what, when, where, why, how
Accurate Ethical Pertinent
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Selecting the right medium

Oral: face-to-face conversation, interviews, speeches, in-person presentations, meetings Written: memos, letters, reports, proposals Visual: benefits of visual media Electronic: Email, podcasts, blogs, wikis, text messages, computer animation, video, music
Electronic
4/17/12 versions of oral media: internet

Organizing your information

Recognizing the importance of good organization Defining your main idea Limiting your scope Choosing between Direct and Indirect approaches: routine and positive messages, negative messages, persuasive messages Outlining your content: start with main 4/17/12 idea, state major points, illustrate with

WRITING BUSINESS MESSAGES

Adapting to your audience Composing your message

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Adapting to your audience

Being sensitive to your audiences needs:

Using

the you attitude standards of etiquette the positive

Maintaining

Emphasizing Using

bias-free language

Building strong relationships with your audience:

Establishing Projecting

your credibility

your companys image

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Composing your message

Choosing strong words Using functional and content words correctly Finding words that communicate well Creating Effective sentences:
Choosing Using

from the 4 types of sentences

sentence style to emphasize key thoughts

Creating unified, coherent paragraphs: 4/17/12

Using Technology to Compose & Share Your Message

Style sheets and templates Autocompletion Autocorrection File merge and mail merge

Endnotes, footnotes, indexes, and tables of contents Wizards

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COMPLETING BUSINESS MESSAGES

Revising your message Producing your message Proofreading your message Distributing your message

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Revising your message

Evaluating

and tone

your content, organization, style readability

Reviewing

Varying your sentence length your paragraphs short lists and bullets to clarify and emphasize headings and subheadings

Keeping Using

Adding

Editing for clarity and conciseness: break up overly long sentences, rewrite hedging sentences, impose parallelism, correct dangling modifiers, reword long noun sequences, replace camouflaged verbs, clarify sentence 4/17/12 structure, clarify awkward references, moderate your

Producing your message

Adding

graphics, sound, video & hypertext for readability:

space and justification

Designing
White

Margins

Typefaces Type

styles

Using

technology to produce your message formal letters and memos

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Formatting

Proofreading your message

Make multiple passes Use perceptual tricks Double-check high-priority items Give yourself some distance Be vigilant Stay focused Review complex electronic documents on paper Take your time
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Distributing your message

Cost Convenience Time Security and privacy

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