Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.

Excellence in Business Communication Chapter 6 Completing Business Messages Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.

1.Discuss the value of careful revision, and describe the tasks involved in evaluating your first drafts and the work of other writers. 2.List four techniques you can use to improve the readability of your messages. 3.Describe eight steps you can take to improve the clarity of your writing, and give four tips on making your writing more concise. Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.Chapter Learning Objectives (1 of 2)

4.List four principles of effective design, and explain the role of major design elements in document readability. 5.Explain the importance of proofreading, and give eight tips for successful proofreading. 6.Discuss the most important issues to consider when distributing your messages. Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.Chapter Learning Objectives (2 of 2)

Revising Your Message: Evaluating the First Draft (LO 1) Discuss the value of careful revision, and describe the tasks involved in evaluating your first drafts and the work of other writers. Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.Chapter 6 - 5

Revising Different Types of Messages Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.Chapter Revising Informal Messages Revising Digital Messages Revising Important Messages

Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.Chapter Evaluating Your Message Tone Is It Too Formal?Is It Too Casual? Organization Order and EmphasisRepetition and Grouping Content Clear and AccurateRelevant and Complete

Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.Chapter Improving Your Message Through Revision (1 of 2)

Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.Chapter Improving Your Message Through Revision (2 of 2)

Evaluating, Editing, and Revising the Work of Other Writers Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.Chapter Help the writer succeed. Don’t impose your own style or agenda. Learn what the writer wanted to accomplish. Base suggestions on the writer’s goals.

What is the purpose of the message? Who is the audience? What do they need? Is the document well organized? Does the writing convey a “you” attitude? Is the writing clear? Can it be improved? Is the writing as concise as it should be? Does the design support the message? Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.Chapter Questions for Evaluating Someone Else’s Writing

Revising to Improve Readability (LO 2) List four techniques you can use to improve the readability of your messages. Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.Chapter

Varying Your Sentence Length Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.Chapter Up to 15 Words Short 15 – 25 Words Medium Over 25 Words Long

Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.Chapter Average 100 Words Make Reading Easier Promote Careful Reading Emphasize Key Ideas Maintain Clear Flow Don’t Go Overboard Connect Your Ideas Guide With Transitions Keeping Paragraphs Short

Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.Chapter Set Off Ideas in a List Sequence Ideas Heighten Visual Impact Surface Key Points Simplify Complex Subjects Highlight Main Points Enable Skimming Using Lists and Bullets to Clarify and Emphasize (1 of 2)

Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.Chapter Using Lists and Bullets to Clarify and Emphasize (2 of 2)

Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.Chapter Creating Parallelism

Adding Headings and Subheadings Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.Chapter Reveal the Organization Draw Attention to Key Points Show Connections and Transitions Descriptive Informative Primary Functions

Editing for Clarity and Conciseness (LO 3) Describe eight steps you can take to improve the clarity of your writing, and give four tips on making your writing more concise. Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.Chapter

Editing for Clarity (1 of 2) Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.Chapter Break Up Overly Long Sentences Rewrite Hedging Sentences Impose Parallel Structure Correct Dangling Modifiers

Editing for Clarity (2 of 2) Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.Chapter Reword Long Noun Sequences Replace Camouflaged Verbs Clarify Sentence Structure Clarify Awkward References

Revising for Clarity Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.Chapter 6- 22

Editing for Conciseness Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.Chapter Delete Unnecessary Words and Phrases Replace Long Words and Phrases Eliminate Redundant Word Combinations Recast “It is/There are” Starters

Revising for Conciseness Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.Chapter

Producing Your Message (LO 4) List four principles of effective design, and explain the role of major design elements in document readability. Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.Chapter

Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.Chapter Designing for Readability (1 of 2) Detail Consistency Balance Restraint Design Elements

Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.Chapter Designing for Readability (2 of 2)

Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.Chapter Applying Key Design Elements White SpaceProvides Visual Contrast MarginsSets Space Around Text/Columns JustificationArrangement of Lines of Text Type FacePhysical Design of Text Characters Type StyleLends Contrast/Emphasis to Type

Designing for Mobile Devices Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.Chapter Think in Small Chunks Use Plenty of White Space Keep the Format Simple Experiment with Layouts

Proofreading Your Message (LO 5) Explain the importance of proofreading, and give eight tips for successful proofreading. Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.Chapter

Typical Sources of Problems Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.Chapter Rapid Response Reduced Costs Conversational Production Process Production Process Writing Stage Writing Stage Design Stage Design Stage Layout Stage Layout Stage

Proofreading Carefully (1 of 2) Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.Chapter Make Multiple Passes Use Perceptual Tricks Check High-Priority Items

Proofreading Carefully (2 of 2) Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.Chapter Get Some Distance Stay Focused and Vigilant Don’t Rush Proofreading

Distributing Your Message (LO 6) Discuss the most important issues to consider when distributing your messages. Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.Chapter

Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.Chapter Distributing Messages Factors of Distribution Concerns with Cost Overall Convenience Time Constraints Security and Privacy

Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.Chapter All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Printed in the United States of America.