Business Writingby: Allyson Bajor, Danielle Fafalios, & Chris Imperiale
Reasons for Effective Business Writing Business writing is a skill people use everyday in the business world. You must be sure that you have all of the proper skills and knowledge involved, so that you can get your point across to your audience clearly and concisely. Effective business writing skills will help you do the following: 1. Achieve your purpose of writing 2. Express an opinion 3. Gain attention for a request 4. Avoid miscommunications
The Writing Process
Planning 1. Audience analysis The first step before you begin writing is to figure out who your audience is going to be. The demographics of the audience (such as age, gender, etc.), your relationship with them, and their prior knowledge of your topic will affect what you say in your message, as well as how you say it. You will also want to consider possible reactions from your audience and plan accordingly. According to an article written by Lynn Gaertner-Johnston, there are four styles of business readers: The Tell Me Everything Reader (who needs everything spelled out for them in full detail), The Just Give Me the Facts Reader (who wants the message to be concise in order to read the message as quickly as possible), The Be Nice to Me Reader (who appreciates a more courteous and friendly message), and The Be Interesting reader (who wants an engaging writing style in the message). If it is at all possible, make sure you cater to the individual's needs and reading style. If you are addressing a big group, however, this becomes impossible and your message should be more generalized. 2. Defining a purpose Defining your purpose will help you avoid veering off topic, as well as help you gauge how well your message will be received. 3. Determining content In order to decide what information to include in your message, you can use the following methods: a) Brainstorming: Write down any and all ideas that you think of, including statistics, facts, and ideas of your own. b) Mind mapping: Write your purpose in the middle of the page, along with any supporting ideas or details branching out from it. 4. Organizing Decide how you want to order each topic of your message. A good rule of thumb is to organize your message based on the reactions you anticipate from your readers.
Drafting 1. Choosing the right environment Find out when and where you can concentrate and write the best- it can be at your desk, the library, wherever you seem to be the most productive. 2. Scheduling time to write Give yourself the appropriate amount of time to write the message. If it is short, you can probably complete the writing process all at one time; if not, you may need to give yourself various times to complete it. 3. Writing down your purpose Make sure to write your purpose somewhere it is easily visible to you to keep you on track. 4. Free writing Write continuously for five to ten minutes. This will allow you to get all of your thoughts out, so you won't forget anything and can organize your points accordingly. 5. Avoiding striving for perfection Since you are only drafting, there is no need for perfection. Focus instead on the basic content of your message. 6. Thinking out loud If you speak (or envision yourself speaking) your thoughts instead of writing them, it may help you to better organize and focus your ideas. 7. Beginning with the easiest parts If you write the ideas that come easiest to you first, it may spark more ideas and make it easer to write the rest of your message.
Revising 1. Content Reread your draft in order to make sure it says what you've intended, and feel free to change anything you feel necessary. 2. Style Make sure your document sounds the way you want it to. If time and condition permit, it is best to read your message aloud, either to yourself or your colleagues. 3. Correctness Check your document for typos, spelling, and grammatical errors.
Formatting & Proofreading 1. Content errors Check to make sure the message will make sense to your audience. Also, read through the document to make sure you did not leave out any important information or add any unnecessary information in. 2. Typographical errors Check your document again so you can be sure you have not made any typographical, spelling, or grammatical mistakes- it can make even the most well-written documents seem sloppy and poorly constructed. 3. Format errors Instead of reading your document, look at it to make sure it is in the right format and everything is in its correct location.
Revision 1. Word choice In order to make sure your audience will comprehend the message correctly, be sure to write clearly and concisely. By choosing the right wording and tone for your message, it will make it easier for the audience to read. Trade complex jargon for simple language and be specific. Make sure your writing is accurate and complete to avoid redundancy, and do not add extra phrases that are not needed. 2. Effective sentences Use active and passive voice accordingly, and use a similar grammatical structure for similar ideas (called parallelism). Also, use different sentences structures to elicit different reactions. For example: a) Simple sentences are most effective when used to show emphasis. b) Compound sentences show equal relationships. c) Complex sentences express subordinate relationships. *To view examples of these sentence structures, click here: http://www.arts.uottawa.ca/writcent/hypergrammar/sntstrct.html 3. Logical paragraphs Make sure your message is cohesive by using paragraphs to signal a change in direction. When constructing a paragraph, the topic sentence is generally at the very beginning. Keep your paragraphs concise and use transitional words.
4. Appropriate tone Make sure you seem confident in your writing, but not overly confident. Avoid platitudes, which tell the reader what they already know and may insult them, as well a negative-sounding words. Be courteous of the reader's feelings and know when and when not to focus your attention on the reader. Make sure your tone expresses which points are the most important and do not mislead the reader.
Effective E-Mailing Today, most business writing is done through e-mailing. In order to effectively and properly send messages to your bosses and colleagues, here are some things to remember: 1. Recognize the difference between a personal and professional e-mail. Professional communication should be respectful and not use jargon or abbreviation. Abbreviations can show un-meant disrespect or unimportance in a message. 2. Focus on sending the most clear and concise message possible. In order to do this, you must be sure that your sentences are properly structured. Run-on sentences make the e-mail difficult to understand and will take away from the content of your message. Always double check to make sure your message is properly constructed and concise to be sure that your message is coming across the way you intended. 3. Use proper e-mails to send "thank yous" or messages to interviewers. According to The Wall Street Journal article "Thx for the IView! I Wud <3 to Work 4 U!! ;)," when sending a thank you note to an interviewer, boss, or colleague, it is best to use a proper letter format. Sending e-mails that contain shorthand or "textspeak" send the message that you are not serious, and it may restrain you from possible hirings or promotions. 4. Do not confuse e-mailing for Facebook messages or texting. When writing an e-mail, avoid constructing it as though it were a Facebook message or text. Similarly, do not trade e-mailing, an accepted form of communication between coworkers, for Facebook messaging or texting. In order to be taken seriously, it is best to take the time to "write an appropriate e-mail in an appropriate e-mail context." As a general rule, e-mails are the appropriate form of written communication at work, while Facebook messages and text messages should be used for more informal and personal communication.
Business Writing Tips 1. Less is more. In business writing, as in virtually every kind of writing, concision matters. Ironically, as written information becomes more and more important to the smooth functioning of business, people are less and less willing to read. 2. Avoid jargon. Everyone in business hates business writing. Try using more simple language. Even for people in the same field as you, jargon is often inefficient – the eye slides right past it without really catching the meaning. 3. Write once. Check twice. Proofread immediately after you write. And then again hours, or better yet, days later. Nothing is more embarrassing than a typo in an otherwise fine document. 4. Write once. Check twice. I know I just said this, but I mean something else here. In addition to catching typos and other errors, putting some time between writing and re-reading your work can help you catch errors in your tone that might otherwise escape you and cause trouble. For instance, when we’re upset or angry, we often write things we don’t actually want anyone else to read. Make sure your work shows what you want it to say and how you want it to say it before letting it reach its audience. 5. Pay special attention to names, titles, and genders. There may be one thing more embarrassing than a typo: calling Mr. Smith “Ms. Smith” throughout a document. If you’re not positive about the spelling of someone’s name, their job title (and what it means), or their gender, either a) check with someone who does know (like their assistant), or b) in the case of gender, use gender-neutral language. 6. Save templates. Whenever you write an especially good letter, email, memo, or other document, if there’s a chance you’ll be writing a similar document in the future, save it as a template for future use and/or reference. Since rushing through writing is one of the main causes of typos and other errors, saving time by using a pre-written document can save you the embarrassment of such errors. 7. Be professional, but not necessarily formal. There’s a tendency to think of all business communication as formal, which isn’t necessary or even very productive. Formal language is fine for legal documents and job applications, but like jargon often becomes invisible, obscuring rather than revealing its meaning. At the same time, remember that informal shouldn’t mean unprofessional – keep the personal comments, off-color jokes, and snarky gossip out of your business communications. 8. Remember the 5 W’s. Just like a journalist’s news story, your communications should answer all the questions relevant to your audience: Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How? 9. Call to action. The content of documents that are simply informative are rarely retained very well. Most business communication is meant to achieve some purpose, so make sure they include a call to action – something that the reader is expected to do. Even better, something the reader should do right now. Don’t leave it to your readers to decide what to do with whatever information you’ve provided. 10. Don’t give too many choices. Ideally, don’t give any. If you’re looking to set a time for a meeting, give a single time and ask them to confirm or present a different time. At most, give two options and ask them to pick. Too many choices often leads to decision paralysis, which generally isn’t the desired effect.
References Dillon, S. (2004). What corporate America cannot build: a sentence. New York Times (Late Edition (East Coast)), p. A.23. http://tinyurl.com/r3hc2z.
Forman, J. Business Communication and Composition.Journal of Business Communication, Jul93, Vol. 30 Issue 3, p333-352, 20p. Database: Business Source Premier.
Katz, I. Does Business Writing Require Information Literacy? Business Communication Quarterly, Jun2010, Vol. 73 Issue 2, p135-149. Database: Business Source Premier.
Ober, S. (2009). Revising your writing. Contemporary business communication (pp. 138-166) Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Ober, S. (2009). Routine messages. Contemporary business communication (pp. 180-200) Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Ober, S. (2009). The writing process. Contemporary business communication (pp. 106-122). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Plung, D.L. Writing the Persuasive Business Letter. Journal of Business Communication, Spring80, Vol. 17 Issue 3, p45-49, 5p, 1 Chart. Database: Business Source Premier.
Rice, J. A. Bridging The Gap: Contextualizing Professional Ethics In Collaborative Writing Projects. Business Communication Quarterly, Dec2007, Vol. 70 Issue 4, p470-475. Database: Business Source Premier.
Seifert, C. Writing for Business: A Graduate Level Course in Problem Solving. Business Communication Quarterly, Jun2009, Vol. 72 Issue 2, p200-213, 14. Database: Business Source Premier.
Reasons for Effective Business Writing
Business writing is a skill people use everyday in the business world. You must be sure that you have all of the proper skills and knowledge involved, so that you can get your point across to your audience clearly and concisely. Effective business writing skills will help you do the following:
1. Achieve your purpose of writing
2. Express an opinion
3. Gain attention for a request
4. Avoid miscommunications
The Writing Process
Planning
1. Audience analysis
The first step before you begin writing is to figure out who your audience is going to be. The demographics of the audience (such as age, gender, etc.), your relationship with them, and their prior knowledge of your topic will affect what you say in your message, as well as how you say it. You will also want to consider possible reactions from your audience and plan accordingly.
According to an article written by Lynn Gaertner-Johnston, there are four styles of business readers: The Tell Me Everything Reader (who needs everything spelled out for them in full detail), The Just Give Me the Facts Reader (who wants the message to be concise in order to read the message as quickly as possible), The Be Nice to Me Reader (who appreciates a more courteous and friendly message), and The Be Interesting reader (who wants an engaging writing style in the message). If it is at all possible, make sure you cater to the individual's needs and reading style. If you are addressing a big group, however, this becomes impossible and your message should be more generalized.
2. Defining a purpose
Defining your purpose will help you avoid veering off topic, as well as help you gauge how well your message will be received.
3. Determining content
In order to decide what information to include in your message, you can use the following methods:
a) Brainstorming: Write down any and all ideas that you think of, including statistics, facts, and ideas of your own.
b) Mind mapping: Write your purpose in the middle of the page, along with any supporting ideas or details branching out from it.
4. Organizing
Decide how you want to order each topic of your message. A good rule of thumb is to organize your message based on the reactions you anticipate from your readers.
Drafting
1. Choosing the right environment
Find out when and where you can concentrate and write the best- it can be at your desk, the library, wherever you seem to be the most productive.
2. Scheduling time to write
Give yourself the appropriate amount of time to write the message. If it is short, you can probably complete the writing process all at one time; if not, you may need to give yourself various times to complete it.
3. Writing down your purpose
Make sure to write your purpose somewhere it is easily visible to you to keep you on track.
4. Free writing
Write continuously for five to ten minutes. This will allow you to get all of your thoughts out, so you won't forget anything and can organize your points accordingly.
5. Avoiding striving for perfection
Since you are only drafting, there is no need for perfection. Focus instead on the basic content of your message.
6. Thinking out loud
If you speak (or envision yourself speaking) your thoughts instead of writing them, it may help you to better organize and focus your ideas.
7. Beginning with the easiest parts
If you write the ideas that come easiest to you first, it may spark more ideas and make it easer to write the rest of your message.
Revising
1. Content
Reread your draft in order to make sure it says what you've intended, and feel free to change anything you feel necessary.
2. Style
Make sure your document sounds the way you want it to. If time and condition permit, it is best to read your message aloud, either to yourself or your colleagues.
3. Correctness
Check your document for typos, spelling, and grammatical errors.
Formatting & Proofreading
1. Content errors
Check to make sure the message will make sense to your audience. Also, read through the document to make sure you did not leave out any important information or add any unnecessary information in.
2. Typographical errors
Check your document again so you can be sure you have not made any typographical, spelling, or grammatical mistakes- it can make even the most well-written documents seem sloppy and poorly constructed.
3. Format errors
Instead of reading your document, look at it to make sure it is in the right format and everything is in its correct location.
Revision
1. Word choice
In order to make sure your audience will comprehend the message correctly, be sure to write clearly and concisely. By choosing the right wording and tone for your message, it will make it easier for the audience to read. Trade complex jargon for simple language and be specific. Make sure your writing is accurate and complete to avoid redundancy, and do not add extra phrases that are not needed.
2. Effective sentences
Use active and passive voice accordingly, and use a similar grammatical structure for similar ideas (called parallelism). Also, use different sentences structures to elicit different reactions. For example:
a) Simple sentences are most effective when used to show emphasis.
b) Compound sentences show equal relationships.
c) Complex sentences express subordinate relationships.
*To view examples of these sentence structures, click here: http://www.arts.uottawa.ca/writcent/hypergrammar/sntstrct.html
3. Logical paragraphs
Make sure your message is cohesive by using paragraphs to signal a change in direction. When constructing a paragraph, the topic sentence is generally at the very beginning. Keep your paragraphs concise and use transitional words.
Make sure you seem confident in your writing, but not overly confident. Avoid platitudes, which tell the reader what they already know and may insult them, as well a negative-sounding words. Be courteous of the reader's feelings and know when and when not to focus your attention on the reader. Make sure your tone expresses which points are the most important and do not mislead the reader.
Effective E-Mailing
Today, most business writing is done through e-mailing. In order to effectively and properly send messages to your bosses and colleagues, here are some things to remember:
1. Recognize the difference between a personal and professional e-mail.
Professional communication should be respectful and not use jargon or abbreviation. Abbreviations can show un-meant disrespect or unimportance in a message.
2. Focus on sending the most clear and concise message possible.
In order to do this, you must be sure that your sentences are properly structured. Run-on sentences make the e-mail difficult to understand and will take away from the content of your message. Always double check to make sure your message is properly constructed and concise to be sure that your message is coming across the way you intended.
3. Use proper e-mails to send "thank yous" or messages to interviewers.
According to The Wall Street Journal article "Thx for the IView! I Wud <3 to Work 4 U!! ;)," when sending a thank you note to an interviewer, boss, or colleague, it is best to use a proper letter format. Sending e-mails that contain shorthand or "textspeak" send the message that you are not serious, and it may restrain you from possible hirings or promotions.
4. Do not confuse e-mailing for Facebook messages or texting.
When writing an e-mail, avoid constructing it as though it were a Facebook message or text. Similarly, do not trade e-mailing, an accepted form of communication between coworkers, for Facebook messaging or texting. In order to be taken seriously, it is best to take the time to "write an appropriate e-mail in an appropriate e-mail context." As a general rule, e-mails are the appropriate form of written communication at work, while Facebook messages and text messages should be used for more informal and personal communication.
Business Writing Tips
1. Less is more.
In business writing, as in virtually every kind of writing, concision matters. Ironically, as written information becomes more and more important to the smooth functioning of business, people are less and less willing to read.
2. Avoid jargon.
Everyone in business hates business writing. Try using more simple language. Even for people in the same field as you, jargon is often inefficient – the eye slides right past it without really catching the meaning.
3. Write once. Check twice.
Proofread immediately after you write. And then again hours, or better yet, days later. Nothing is more embarrassing than a typo in an otherwise fine document.
4. Write once. Check twice.
I know I just said this, but I mean something else here. In addition to catching typos and other errors, putting some time between writing and re-reading your work can help you catch errors in your tone that might otherwise escape you and cause trouble. For instance, when we’re upset or angry, we often write things we don’t actually want anyone else to read. Make sure your work shows what you want it to say and how you want it to say it before letting it reach its audience.
5. Pay special attention to names, titles, and genders.
There may be one thing more embarrassing than a typo: calling Mr. Smith “Ms. Smith” throughout a document. If you’re not positive about the spelling of someone’s name, their job title (and what it means), or their gender, either a) check with someone who does know (like their assistant), or b) in the case of gender, use gender-neutral language.
6. Save templates.
Whenever you write an especially good letter, email, memo, or other document, if there’s a chance you’ll be writing a similar document in the future, save it as a template for future use and/or reference. Since rushing through writing is one of the main causes of typos and other errors, saving time by using a pre-written document can save you the embarrassment of such errors.
7. Be professional, but not necessarily formal.
There’s a tendency to think of all business communication as formal, which isn’t necessary or even very productive. Formal language is fine for legal documents and job applications, but like jargon often becomes invisible, obscuring rather than revealing its meaning. At the same time, remember that informal shouldn’t mean unprofessional – keep the personal comments, off-color jokes, and snarky gossip out of your business communications.
8. Remember the 5 W’s.
Just like a journalist’s news story, your communications should answer all the questions relevant to your audience: Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How?
9. Call to action.
The content of documents that are simply informative are rarely retained very well. Most business communication is meant to achieve some purpose, so make sure they include a call to action – something that the reader is expected to do. Even better, something the reader should do right now. Don’t leave it to your readers to decide what to do with whatever information you’ve provided.
10. Don’t give too many choices.
Ideally, don’t give any. If you’re looking to set a time for a meeting, give a single time and ask them to confirm or present a different time. At most, give two options and ask them to pick. Too many choices often leads to decision paralysis, which generally isn’t the desired effect.
References
Dillon, S. (2004). What corporate America cannot build: a sentence. New York Times (Late Edition (East Coast)), p. A.23.
http://tinyurl.com/r3hc2z.
Forman, J. Business Communication and Composition. Journal of Business Communication, Jul93, Vol. 30 Issue 3, p333-352, 20p. Database: Business Source Premier.
Gaertner-Johnston, L. (2004, June). Adapting to your readers' style differences. American Society for Training and Development Newsletter, http://www.syntaxtraining.com/articles_biz_writing1.html
Katz, I. Does Business Writing Require Information Literacy? Business Communication Quarterly, Jun2010, Vol. 73 Issue 2, p135-149. Database: Business Source Premier.
The key forms of business writing: basic letter. (2009, March 06). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2txr6OY5dY
The key forms of business writing: e-mail. (2009, March 06). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=887bWEduy8I&feature=related
Megginson, D. (n.d.). The structure of a sentence. http://www.arts.uottawa.ca/writcent/hypergrammar/sntstrct.html.
Needleman, S. (2008). Thx for the iview! I wud <3 to work 4 u!! ;). The Wall Street Journal. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121729233758791783.html.
Ober, S. (2009). Revising your writing. Contemporary business communication (pp. 138-166) Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Ober, S. (2009). Routine messages. Contemporary business communication (pp. 180-200) Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Ober, S. (2009). The writing process. Contemporary business communication (pp. 106-122). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Plung, D.L. Writing the Persuasive Business Letter. Journal of Business Communication, Spring80, Vol. 17 Issue 3, p45-49, 5p, 1 Chart. Database: Business Source Premier.
Rice, J. A. Bridging The Gap: Contextualizing Professional Ethics In Collaborative Writing Projects. Business Communication Quarterly, Dec2007, Vol. 70 Issue 4, p470-475. Database: Business Source Premier.
Seifert, C. Writing for Business: A Graduate Level Course in Problem Solving. Business Communication Quarterly, Jun2009, Vol. 72 Issue 2, p200-213, 14. Database: Business Source Premier.
Transitional words. (2007, April 14).
http://student.ccbcmd.edu/~padams/DevWrtgHome/WebPages/HandoutsFolder/Garcia/TransitionalWords.html
Wittkower, D.E. (2010). Facebook messaging: why text and e-mail aren't equal. The Wall Street Journal.
http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2010/11/19/facebook-messaging-why-text-and-email-arent-equal/?KEYWORDS=texting.