Business Communication Today

Thirteenth Edition

Chapter 5
Writing Business
Messages

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Learning Objectives (1 of 3)
5.1 Identify four aspects of being sensitive to audience
needs when writing business messages.
5.2 Explain how establishing your credibility and projecting
your company’s image are vital aspects of building
strong relationships with your audience.

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Learning Objectives (2 of 3)
5.3 Explain how to achieve a tone that is conversational but
businesslike, explain the value of using plain language,
and define active and passive voice.
5.4 Describe how to select words that are both correct and
effective.

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Learning Objectives (3 of 3)
5.5 Define the four types of sentences and explain how
sentence style affects emphasis within a message.
5.6 Define three key elements of a paragraph and list five
ways to develop unified, coherent paragraphs.
5.7 List five techniques for writing effective messages for
mobile readers.

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Adapting to Your Audience: Being
Sensitive to Audience Needs
LO 5.1 Identify the four aspects of being sensitive to
audience needs when writing business messages.

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Using the “You” Attitude
Communication
• Use Second-Person Pronouns
• Show Interest in Your Audience
• Consider Other Cultures
• Observe Organizational Policies

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Maintaining Standards of Etiquette
• Respect
• Diplomacy
• Tactfulness

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Emphasizing the Positive
• Avoid Negative Language
– Focus on ways to improve.
– Emphasize audience benefits.
• Use Euphemisms Appropriately
– Be honest without being harsh.
– Soften the blow, but don’t hide the facts.

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Using Bias-Free Language
• Avoid Bias
– Gender
– Age
– Race/Ethnicity
– Disability

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Summary of Discussion (1 of 7)
• In this section, we discussed the following:
– Using the “You” Attitude
– Maintaining Standards of Etiquette
– Emphasizing the Positive
– Using Bias-Free Language
• The next section will cover Adapting to Your Audience:
Building Strong Relationships.

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Adapting to Your Audience: Building
Strong Relationships
LO 5.2 Explain how establishing your credibility and
projecting your company’s image are vital aspects of building
strong relationships with your audience.

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Establishing Your Credibility (1 of 2)
• Honesty
• Objectivity
• Awareness of Audience Needs
• Credentials, Knowledge, and Expertise

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Establishing Your Credibility (2 of 2)
• Endorsements
• Performance
• Sincerity
• Self-Confidence

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Projecting Your Company’s Image
• Communication Style
• Communication Guidelines

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Summary of Discussion (2 of 7)
• In this section, we discussed the following:
– Establishing Your Credibility
– Projecting Your Company’s Image
• The next section will cover Adapting to Your Audience:
Controlling Your Style and Tone.

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Adapting to Your Audience:
Controlling Your Style and Tone
LO 5.3 Explain how to achieve a tone that is conversational
but businesslike, explain the value of using plain language,
and define the active and passive voice.

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Creating a Conversational Tone
• Don’t Confuse Texting and Writing
• Avoid Stale and Obsolete Language
• Avoid Preaching and Bragging
• Be Careful with Intimacy and Humor

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Using Plain Language
• Easy to read, understand, and take action
– Supports the “you” attitude
– Shows respect for the audience
– Improves productivity and profitability
– Helps multicultural audiences

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Selecting the Active or Passive
Voice (1 of 2)
• Dull and Indirect (Passive Voice)
– Legal problems are created by this contract.
– The new system was proposed by the project team
• Lively and Direct (Active Voice)
– This contract creates legal problems.
– The project team proposed a new system.

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Selecting the Active or Passive
Voice (2 of 2)
• Accusatory or Self-Congratulatory (Active Voice)
– You lost the shipment.
– I recruited seven engineers last month.
• More Diplomatic (Passive Voice)
– The shipment was lost.
– Seven engineers were recruited last month.

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Summary of Discussion (3 of 7)
• In this section, we discussed the following:
– Creating a Conversational Tone
– Using Plain Language
– Selecting the Active or Passive Voice
• The next section will cover Composing Your Message:
Choosing Powerful Words.

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Composing Your Message: Choosing
Powerful Words
LO 5.4 Describe how to select words that are both correct
and effective.

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Selecting Powerful Words

Grammar
Effective
Usage
Strong
Words
Experience
Correct
Judgment

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Understanding Denotation and
Connotation
• Characteristics • Characteristics
− Explicit − Implicit
− Specific − Associative

Denotative Words Connotative Words

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Balancing Abstract and Concrete
Words
• Concrete Words
– Seeing
– Touching
– Visualizing
• Abstract Words
– Concepts
– Qualities
– Characteristics

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Finding Words That Communicate
Well
• Choose Strong, Precise Words
• Choose Familiar Words
• Avoid Clichés and Buzzwords
• Use Jargon Carefully

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Summary of Discussion (4 of 7)
• In this section, we discussed the following:
– Selecting Powerful Words
– Understanding Denotation and Connotation
– Balancing Abstract and Concrete Words
– Finding Words That Communicate Well
• The next section will cover Composing Your Message:
Creating Effective Sentences.

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Composing Your Message: Creating
Effective Sentences
LO 5.5 Define the four types of sentences and explain how
sentence style affects emphasis within a message.

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Choosing From the Four Types of
Sentences (1 of 2)
• Simple
– One Main Clause
– Objects and Phrases
• Compound
– Two Main Clauses
– Joined by Conjunction

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Choosing From the Four Types of
Sentences (2 of 2)
• Complex
– One Main Clause
– A Dependent Clause
• Compound Complex
– Two Main Clauses
– A Dependent Clause

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Using Sentence Style to Emphasize
Key Thoughts
• Wording Key Ideas
– Using Extra Words
– Allocating Extra Space
• Placing Key Ideas
– As Sentence Subjects
– In Dependent Clauses

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Summary of Discussion (5 of 7)
• In this section, we discussed the following:
– Choosing From the Four Types of Sentences
– Using Sentence Style to Emphasize Key Thoughts
• The next section will cover Composing Your Message:
Crafting Unified, Coherent Paragraphs.

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Composing Your Message: Crafting
Unified, Coherent Paragraphs
LO 5.6 Define the three key elements of a paragraph and list
five ways to develop unified, coherent paragraphs.

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Creating the Elements of a Paragraph
• Topic Sentence
– Introduction
– Summary
• Support Sentences
– Explanation
– Clarification
– Justification
• Transitions
– Connecting
– Previewing
– Smoothing
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Choosing the Best Way to Develop
Each Paragraph
• Common Approaches
– Illustration Pattern
– Classification Pattern
– Cause and Effect Pattern
– Problem and Solution Pattern
– Comparison or Contrast Pattern

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Summary of Discussion (6 of 7)
• In this section, we discussed the following:
– Creating the Elements of a Paragraph
– Choosing the Best Way to Develop Each Paragraph
• The next section will cover Writing for Mobile Devices.

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Writing for Mobile Devices
LO 5.7 List five techniques for writing effective messages for
mobile readers.

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Making Mobile Messages More
Effective
• Use a linear organization.
• Prioritize information.
• Write short, focused messages.
• Use shorter subject lines and headings.
• Compose shorter paragraphs.

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Summary of Discussion (7 of 7)
• In this section, we discussed the following:
– Making Mobile Messages More Effective
• This concludes our discussion of Chapter 5: Writing
Business Messages.

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Copyright

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