Chapter 2

Writing for
Business Audiences

Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd. Ch. 2-1

 Improving Your
Business Writing
 The best business writing is
• Audience-oriented
• Purposeful
• Economical
 To improve your writing skills, you need
• An effective writing process
• To study model messages
• Practice

Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd. Ch. 2-2

 The Writing Process

Stage 1: Prewriting Stage 2: Writing Stage 3: Revising

Analyzing Researching Revising
Anticipating Organizing Proofreading
Adapting Composing Evaluating

Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd. Ch. 2-3

 Selecting the Best Channel

 Importance of message
 Amount and speed of feedback required
 Necessity of a permanent record
 Cost of the channel
 Degree of formality desired
 Best practices in your company

Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd. Ch. 2-4

 Choosing Communication
Channels

Written:
E-mail, instant message, fax, letter, memo,
report or proposal
Spoken:
Telephone, voice-mail, face-to-face
conversation or group meeting, video- or
teleconference

Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd. Ch. 2-5

 Audience Benefits

Improve your messages by using reader

benefits.
Instead of this: Try this:
We offer evening The sooner you enroll in
language courses that we our evening language
know are excellent. courses, the sooner the
rewards will be yours.

Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd. Ch. 2-6

 Polite “You” View

Improve the tone of your messages with a

polite “you” view.
Instead of this: Try this:
I have scheduled your You may begin your
vacation to begin May 1. vacation May 1.

Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd. Ch. 2-7

 Positive Language

Positive language improves the tone of a

message.
Instead of this: Try this:
If you fail the exam, you You will qualify if you
will not qualify. pass the exam.

Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd. Ch. 2-8

 Inclusive Language

Instead of this: Try this:

Have you called a salesman? Have you called a salesperson?

All executives have their own

Every executive has his own offices.
office.

Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd. Ch. 2-9

 Try Your Skill

Change this sentence to show the

benefits for the reader.
 We cannot send your order from our
warehouse until June 1.
Your order will be sent to you June 1.

Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd. Ch. 2-10

 Try Your Skill

Change this sentence to show the reader

benefits.
 I have 15 different financial plans to offer my
investors.
You have 15 different financial plans
available.

Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd. Ch. 2-11

 Five Ways Technology Can
Improve Your Business Writing
Collecting information electronically
Using templates
Improving correctness and precision
Adding graphics for emphasis
Designing and producing professional-
looking documents, presentations, and
webpages

Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd. Ch. 2-12

 End

Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd. Ch. 2-13