Chapter 4 - Planning Business Messages

            Planning business messages enables you to have a systematic writing process. This topic will discuss four basic principles of writing, the 3-x-3 writing process, the phase of the writing process, the “you” view, conversational but professional language, bias-free language, simple expression, and vigorous words, how teams approach collaborative writing projects and what collaboration tools support team writing, and the legal and ethical responsibilities of business communications.

Four Basic Principles of Business Writing

Business writing differs from other writing. Business writers have different goals for business management and oral presentation. Therefore, business writing should be purposeful, persuasive, economical, and audience oriented.

a.       Purposeful means that your writing must have a specific purpose

b.      Persuasive means that you need to ensure your audience to believe and accept what you convey

c.       Economical means that you clearly and briefly present your ideas.

d.      Audience oriented means that you need to focus on looking at a problem based on the audience’s point of view.

The 3-x-3 Writing Process

The writing process will be easier if you follow the 3-x-3 writing process: prewriting – 25% (thinking and planning), writing – 25% (organizing and composing), and revising – 50% (45% revising and 5% proofreading ). This writing process allows you to have a systematic plan, as it is described below.

Adapting to the Task and Audience

a.       Developing audience benefits

b.      “You” view is necessary used to give emphasize on the audience. The sender focus must be changed to audience focus to show the “you” view as it is shown in this example.

As the sender gives “you” view, the audience will think “I need to do what the sender has said because it will give an effect for me.”

c.       Being conversational but professional

You are insisted on being professional, but do not drop the conversational style. Using active voice may seem professional and conversational.

d.      Expressing yourself  positively

Expressing your thought positively makes your surrounding reacts positively as well. The way to express your positive thought is by using positive words or avoiding negative words. For example, you should say, “you will be happy to” instead of  “you won’t be sorry that” .

e.       Being courteous

Being courteous is an exact way to get good response to a letter, report, or memo. It is not only about saying “please” and “thank you”, but it is also about the tone of your writing. What things should be done in order to get a good response? Here are the answers.

§  Thank people for their contribution or work.

§  Acknowledge emails and letters.

§  Sound neutral rather than confrontational.

§  Focus on the positive words.

§  Show your concern.

§  Soften bad news by leading up to it.

§  Don’t demand, rather start sentences with “I want” or “I would like”.

f.       Choosing bias-free Language

You must avoid language which tends to discriminate others – language which is sensitive to people’s sex, race, age, and other differences. Below is the example of bias language.

Biased: Give your report to the committee chairman.

The word “chairman” refers to one’s sex. Therefore, to make it better, you can say, “Give your report to the committee chair.”

g.      Employing Precise, Vigorous Words

To avoid ambiguity which can lead to misunderstanding, you need to use precise and vigorous words. For example, use word “fax me” instead of “contact me”. What will happen when you use the word “contact me”? The interlocutor may contact you via text messages, phone, chat, or e-mail, whereas you expect him or her to contact you via fax.

How Teams Approach Collaborative Writing Projects  

Collaboration is done to make a better result. Working together may help members to get along well each other. Both formal and informal chains of communication will be improved as the time goes by. What are the tools which help collaboration? E-mail, mailing lists, discussion boards, and instant messaging absolutely can support teams.

The Legal Ethical and Responsibilities of Business Communications

You need to fulfill ethical obligation in :Investment Information, Safety Information, Marketing Information,  Human Resources Information, and Copyright Information

Source

http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/style-and-usage/negative-words-to-avoid-in-writing.html