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BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

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

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Structuring Information
From the audience/ readers 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

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)

Methods using these 3 Principles


Outlining : Point outlines Headings, subheadings Mind Maps/ Spider-diagrams Pyramids

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

PAIBOC
P What are your purposes in writing?

A Who is (are) your audiences?


I What information must your message include?

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?

DIRECT REQUESTS / NEUTRAL / GOODWILL MESSAGES


NEGATIVE MESSAGES

PROBLEM-SOLVING / PERSUASIVE MESSAGES

DIRECT REQUEST

ASKING FOR INFO/SERVICE


DETAILS REQUEST FOR ACTION

DIRECT APPROACH

INDIRECT APPROACH AUDIENCE WILL BE DISAPPOINTED AUDIENCE IS EMOTIONALLY INVOLVED

FIRMNESS IS NEEDED
READER WONT BE DISAPPOINTED SITUATION IS ROUTINE OR MINOR AUDIENCE PREFERS BAD NEWS FIRST

BUFFERS

NEUTRAL RELEVANT NOT MISLEADING ASSERTIVE SUCCINCT

NEGATIVE MESSAGES
GIVE THE BAD NEWS ENSURE ITS ACCEPTANCE MAINTAIN READERS GOODWILL MAINTAIN ORGANIZATIONS GOOD IMAGE REDUCE FUTURE CORRESPONDENCE ON THE MATTER

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.

Giving Bad news to Giving Bad news to Superiors: Peers and Subordinates:

Shared Problem Details Alternatives Request for Action

Shared Problem Alternatives Request for Action/ Input

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

THE AIDA ORGANIZATIONAL PLAN

ATTENTION INTEREST DESIRE ACTION

THANK YOU ..

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